Is Love Enough ??

Chapter 19

"Hey," Kirti said warmly. Was that too cheerful? Or did it sound right?

"Hey," Aryaman said on the other side, "busy?" he asked quietly.

"I am never busy for you Maan," Kirti said with a smile on her face. It seemed so long ago since she had smiled last. That sounded so depressing. And she quickly shrugged it off. Any more of those dour thoughts would increase not just the ache in her head but will also remind her of how she had been feeling the whole day. It had been tough to withstand all of the nonsense and unwarranted antagonism without breaking.

"Are you out?" Aryaman asked scrunching his brows a little, "There is a lot of background noise," he said pressing the phone to his ear. He could barely hear her.

"Am at a mall," Kirti replied lightly. The tension she had felt. The strain she had been under. Gone. Magically. Though her head still ached. Maybe the shift in scene and focus helped. Not to mention Maan's calm, steady voice. "Shopping," she said a bit louder so he could hear her better. She knew Maan hated not being able to hear her clearly.

"Alone," he asked casually.

"No, ma and chachi are here," she said then biting her lip, "and a few others," she added trying to hide her hurt and pain from him.

"What are you shopping for?" Maan asked quietly.

He couldn't have heard the hurt in her voice, Kirti thought. Not with so much noise in the background. So then why had his tone been so quiet. Too quiet. Or was she reading too much?

"Jewelry," she replied absently. Her mind unable to concentrate. She was missing him. So much. He wasn't fond of shopping. He hated going to crowded markets or malls unless it was absolutely necessary. But every time he had accompanied her, she had had a blast. Not once had he let her feel lonely. And today...today she was with so many people, most her family, people she had known practically all her life and yet, she had never felt more lonely. Unbidden tears filled her eyes but she brushed them off. He had warned her, and she hadn't listened. She had no one to blame but herself. Now if she told him he was right, would Maan insist she return? She doubted he would do that. But he would worry. And that was something she didn't want him to do. He wasn't here to witness what was happening and imagination usually made people think the worst. He had enough things to do than putting the sordid way her relatives had behaved and were probably going to behave through the next six or seven days, on his plate as well.

"So why are you outside, talking to me," he said quietly, "go and have fun, we can talk later," he said and would have hung up when as if he remembered something and continued, "by the way I just wanted to let you know, I transferred some funds into your account, you are there for your sister's wedding, use it as you deem fit," he told her.

"Maan," Kirti said on a protest, "you didn't have to, I already have more than enough," she said and furrowed her brows. She knew Maan liked to pamper her. He kept a steady flow of funds into her account. And she had more than she could ever spend, just by herself.

"You are at a jewelry shop aren't you," he said more as a statement than a question and Kirti was sure he must be shaking his head at the other end, "if you like something, either for yourself or for your sister or for someone else I don't want you worrying over it," he told her, "neither do I want you to look at anybody else for help," he told her firmly, "not till I am there," he said seriously, "besides it doesn't matter if you use it or not, the funds stay in my account or yours, it is the same thing, but there is a wedding and one just never knows where money can help," he told her and she was sure he probably had his half smile on his face.

How she wished she could see the look on his face right now? How she wished those who rode their high horses could hear him right now? They would know why she fell in love with the man. So what if he didn't believe in conventions. Or relationships. He knew how to maintain them. He knew how to keep those he had, close to his heart. How many men would do something like this? She didn't know any. Not even her father would have called her mother to let her know there were extra funds in her account she could use as she deemed fit, no questions asked. This was when she wasn't the one who earned them. Her parents had always had joint accounts managed by her father. Same was the case with her chacha and chachi. Even though Amrit gave in to every whim Rimple had, he still controlled their accounts. But Maan had always insisted she had her own. She hated managing it or keeping a track of the money flowing in or out of her bank account, but Maan had never asked her for an account. He had always maintained it was hers to use how she saw fit. Only if she asked would he give her advice. He had wanted her to be independent, not just in being able to take decisions or do things but even financially, especially financially. People always judged him on the basis of his attitude, and they always judged him wrong.  His goodness, his sound judgment and consideration knew no bounds. He was a beautiful human being despite the injustices meted out to him. Only she knew he wouldn't agree.