REGRET

PART 5

The Kholi family arrived at the airport. Robin, their ex-employee was waiting for them at the airport. The Kholis entered the car that Robin had brought to pick them.

"Whose car is this?" asked Ranbir "Mine.." Robin replied with a smile.

Robin drove to his home, actually, his quaters provided by the company he works which was far better than the house of an upper middle class house in India.

Robin's wife Maria opened the door. She had a smile on her face when she opened the door which soon faded on seeing the Kholis.

Robin gave his wife an expression asking her to be silent and he will explain it later.

"Maria," he said, " Ranbir and his family will be staying here for some days. They are having some business here."

"Come in," she said in a cold tone.
Robin guided the Kholis to the room. He was helping the Kholis with the luggages when Maria came there and cleared her throat giving Robin the indication to come to her. Robin made an excuse and followed Maria to their room.

"Can you explain me what those people are doing here?" asked Maria angrily, least loudly as possible.

"Calm down dear," said Robin, " you know that their business is at loss now. They have to attend a very important meeting here."

" They are paying for their own deeds and this is called karma," she said.

"Maria, don't mock people at their bad times," Robin said.

"I am ready to welcome strangers here but not them," she said.

Cupping her face and adjusting her hair, Robin said, " It is said in the Holy Bible- return good for evil"

Removing his hands from her face, Maria said, "I believe in the Old Testament- eye for an eye... Blood for blood.."

"How can you be so good Robin? How can you forget what they have done with you? How can you forget what they have done with Prachi? She was our best friend. Only because of the reason that you helped her with some files, you were thrown out of your job. How can you forget those seven months when you were unemployed, we had to starve, get insulted from the landlord.. it was Prachi who gave you the job, provided us with all the facilities to come to London and get settled here," Maria said in one breath.

"I remember all this. And I remember that it was Aaliya mam and Pallavi mam who had done all this. If there was someone who had concern for me, it was Ranbir. Those seven months, he had helped me. If it was not for him, I would have never helped them," he said.

Maria kept silent.

"Please..," Robin said.

"Okay.." Maria agreed hesitantly.

The other side, Pallavi and Rhea were not satisfied with the arrangements. The room was not large enough was what Rhea thought.

Pallavi's thoughts were something else. The Kholis had a grudge against the people below their status until they met Prachi. They were admired by Prachi and her behaviour that they became good towards everyone. But when they were manipulated against Prachi, their old dislike returned. Many people who they found skillful were ill treated by them so that they don't get a chance to surpass them. One among them were Robin. The man whom they kicked out from their office, the man whom they made unemployed now owns a house, a car, a reputed job and they... They are living in his house, at his mercy.. "The time that has come!!" she wondered.

Ranbir was neither concerned about the size of the room nor about living in their ex-employee's house. His only thought was to get a positive response in the meeting that is to be held the next day.

                               ~°~

The next day, as usual, Prachi was busy with her daily routine. But today, she felt different... Her heart was trying to tell her something.. but what is it? She couldn't understand. She brushed off that thought and focused on her Saahas. Getting him ready, she entered the car.

Ranbir was tensed. Apart from being tensed, he felt something else too... What was that? He couldn't figure out.

Grabbing the files, Ranbir got ready to leave. He entered Robin's car followed by Rhea. "She shamelessly accompanies me wherever I go inspite of my warnings. She want to prove to everyone that she is my wife and clings on to me," Ranbir thought, disgusted with Rhea's antics.

Robin hated Rhea for her arrogant behaviour while at college and now, she is in his house, but still Robin never treated her badly. It was with Robin's help he could get a meeting approval. Ranbir felt respect for Robin. Even after the way his family had treated him, he was still ready to help them.

"She was also the same..."  thought Ranbir. Everything that is selfless reminded him of his Prachi. In this six years, there was no single hour he did not think about her. He also gets dreams about her and their child whom he have never met.

Ranbir entered the AP INTERNATIONAL with Rhea following him. They were asked to wait outside the cabin and wait for their head to turn up.

He took his seat. He was restless.

Someone entered and everyone greeted that someone.

Ranbir's heartbeat increased. Some kind of emotion took over him. He looked towards the direction of that person.

His eyes opened wide... His lips curled into a smile... His heartbeat increased further and he stood up from his place.

He pinched himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming, because infront of him stood his everything, his soul, his life, his ladylove, his Prachi...