Noble Intentions (Completed)

9. A call to the surface

Once Vivek's friend left, he got back with the party who sat away from each other brooding. He was sure that asking them what caused it would be met with stern silence so he left it to the siblings to fill the silence.

It started to get awkward.

He cleared his throat and both of them looked at him impatiently.

"Aherm, what now?"

They looked at each other.

"I am telling you Aakash, you can't just pretend that none of this is happening. No matter where you go this will always haunt you."

"Which is why I am telling you to stay with me here, there is no point in going back to that hell-hole."

"This is not about me. You have no idea how serious this is, Aakash! You are seriously driving me crazy. Vivek garu, please talk some sense into him."

With what little understanding he had of the context, he said "I think if you ignore some things, they would throttle you when least expected. This could turn out to be one of those times."

"You don't understand Vivek garu, if I go back, I'll be forced to marry her. I do not like her at all. And trust me nobody would even want to listen to my side of the story."

"You are trying to hide ill-repute under a carpet and wishing it would go away."

"Vivek garu, you don't understand. They will show this as a reason to marry Bhoomi off to some village wretch. And she wouldn't even put up a fight!"

Vivek could not begin to understand or let that idea sink in. It made him feel uncomfortable to imagine she would be married off to someone, let alone to someone she wouldn't like. His eyes fell on her and a wish started to take form in his heart.

She wouldn't even fight back! Bhoomi knows that's what her brother thinks. And maybe that's exactly what she would do before she set foot in the metropolis. She couldn't quite understand what changed in her that caused her to stop a moment and think about what she wants in life.

Unknowingly, her eyes fell on Vivek, a man she has come to respect. Not just for his helping nature, even though it seemed to her that it was imposed upon him by his driver. It was for going out of his way to bring a solution to a stranger's problem, and without expecting anything in return at that! How his family just seemed to accept her- perhaps not accept her in every way, but they just welcomed her generously, when she offered nothing to them.

This. 

If given a chance, she would want this.

Would she be given such a chance?

But maybe this is her chance, and It is being offered right that minute, and all of this drama is God's way of putting Vivek and Bhoomi in each other's path.

"I promise you, Aakash." Vivek's eyes met Bhoomi's before he looked at Aakash again. "Your sister will not have to marry a person she doesn't like."

He wished he added I won't let that happen.

"And I will not let anyone play deaf to your story."

*
It was then quickly settled that Bhoomi and Aakash would go back to their village that evening. They would take a train, get down at Rajahmundry, and take a bus to their village.

Vivek knows the siblings would refuse if he insisted they go by car. And so he did not press upon it.

They had Chai and made small talk with Vivek's family. Aakash was confident and charming unlike Vivek who was mostly brooding and grumpy, a fact which his grandmother didn't shy away from mentioning.

For over four times.

It came to his notice how his father would steal glances between Bhoomi and him, sincerely believing that he was being oblivious. And knocking at Vivek's mom's leg to demonstrate his crazy idea.

Vivek rolled his eyes. He knows what's brewing in their minds.

Vivek, when will you marry? All of your classmates are getting married! -mom.

By your age I gave birth to five children with another on the way! - grandma.

How about settling down, son? - dad.

I wish I get a chance to drive you and your madam in my lifetime sir - Raju. 

For Raju it doesn't matter who the 'madam' would be. 

He heard them mention about his marriage more times than they talked about anything the past year. They know what his breakup with Geeta did to him. Like him, they too did not blame her for choosing her career and herself over him. Somewhere deep inside him, he knows Geeta just stood up to the ambitions and expectations he had for her. It didn't mean that it doesn't hurt him to know she forgot all about him the minute she left everything back home, when all Vivek did was build his life around her.

He suffered like no one he knows did.

Soon, his suffering turned into a habit, and then became who he is.

Until today.

Today, he started to understand why his parents warned him of loneliness. 

Why his grandmother insisted on opening his heart up for someone new.

Today, everything crawled onto the surface. His loneliness, his desire to have someone by him no matter the situation, his possessiveness, the depths of his heart yearning to love again, everything made themselves known.

He finally figured it out today. 

It's not just any person. He yearned all day today for this person.

To let her fill the cracks in his heart with peace and the shallowness with airtight memories. He realized all of it as the siblings bid a goodbye and stepped out into the dusk. 

So when the siblings sat in the car, and Raju started it to drive them to the railway station, he sprinted behind the running car -in half buttoned up shirt- for a few meters until the car stopped and Bhoomi turned to look at him outside the window.

Her eyes glimmered in nameless hope.

He smiled and gestured them to wait before he ran back inside. 

Somehow he knows exactly why she looked back that way.

*

Like an excited kid finding chocolate in his pocket, he told his mom that he is going with Bhoomi and Aakash. She wasn't too keen on short notice, but was happy he's stepping out of his comfort zone. She just wished him the best and asked him to take care.

He took some money and some essentials he may need and told his dad and grandma the same thing he told his mom. They both said the same thing his mother did.

Jagratha, Nanna.

*

When he set foot inside the car, there wasn't just one happy soul. Everyone looked relieved and happy that he was able to join them. When Aakash asked if he is coming along for them, he tactically lied and said he had some work enroute.

And as he lied, he noticed Bhoomi's small shy smile through the side mirror of the car. It relieved him to know that it was not all an experiment that is bound to fail.