A Coffee at Dawn

Chapter 27 : Gone with the wind!

"Let me see, give me sometime. I shall think and get back to you," she replied to him and the entire crowd went laughing.

"Baby, my knee is hurting. Haan bol do na(tell a yes)" he pleaded, and she giggled to it nodding her head. He got up and gave her a hug. The lights were back and the hall was filled with cheers and claps.

I was proud of my brother. After he got up, he looked at me and I raised my brows in awe, he smiled and I could sense his jitters mixed with excitement. Love has the powers to mix any sort of emotions in any proportions. As the couple got back to their chairs which looked more like those stolen from some kingdom, the stage was then occupied by her cousins who had planned for some dance performance. Marriage is an occasion known for happiness and what best way to enjoy the moment other than dance. They were welcomed with some whistles and claps and I stood to move out. As I walked the entire path, the happiness I had few moments ago was slowly getting replaced with the void which was native to me. I, once had my dreams painted on a glass and had the glass framed. In the merry, I forgot that the glass was prone to break. Today I stood with a bag full of glass pieces where each of which spoke of a memory. Throwing it away was not possible, with time, each and every piece only pierced harder and made deeper scars.

"Mayank," I heard a familiar chirpy voice call out my name. I turned left to see Andy wave his hands and excited to have seen me there. He came towards me with a slight bounce in his walk. I had never seen a drop in his energy and that was amazing.

"Hey, Andy. How are you?" I gave him a hug and he embraced me slightly tighter than usual.

"Well, as hot as ever. Can't you see?" His lines and his gestures made me chuckle. He joined me with his hysterical laugh.

"I see you were heading out?" He asked.

"Aah! Needed some fresh air," I rolled my eyes.

"Fresh air? Nice," he winked at me.

"No no, nothing fishy Andy. Needed a time out. Well, how have you been?"

"Fantastic! The last season has been a tornado. An awesome event happened at Delhi which you rejceted to handle," he narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah right! I had no other option Andy. I was occupied here and you know how it is," I trailed trying to defend myself. Well, I had actually dropped going to Delhi only because Nishant had strictly warned me no to, I never asked him the reason behind it though. I turned towards the stage thinking while Andy snapped his fingers at my face.

"Never mind, many such events are bound to happen, and I am sure you can catch up for the next one," he smiled.

"Maybe, let's see" I tried to end the conversation and move out.

"And and, I must say Riya wanted to meet you in person," Andy stopped me holding me by my shoulders. He had a the famous mischievous smile on his face.

"Riya? Who?," I could not recollect anyone named Riya.

"Blimey! You don't know who Riya is? Mayank! Miss Sanon I was telling you about, the one with whom you were supposed to work," he raised his hands looking at me shocked. I only knew her as Miss Sanon and not by her first name. So, Andy's reactions were not viable.

"Oh, but on a serious note Andy, I am done with Sanons. I am sorry," I smiled at him and moved out. A question mark was glued onto his face. He obviously would not have understood my statement.

Past is something that can never be erased. It just latches onto you. The stronger it gets the more you get engulfed by it.

A few hours back I had wished Tanmay was here and now that he actually is here, it is not easy to resist the incident from popping up. I was outside the hall marching on the corridors.

Few days back when I was told about what had happened, the emotions within were flustered. I had burried them deep within. His very presence had excavated deep down and exposed the vulnerable side. I had lost all the strength.

"Mithu," Aarti came into my room. It was four in the noon and I was packing my bags. I had a train to catch at eight in the night to Mumbai. I was getting set to begin my professional career.

That was the last time I had seen her before I left to Mumbai. I stood by a pole closed my eyes lost in the day.

"Yes madame, how may I help the pretty lady?" I turned to see her as she entered. She looked gorgeous in the white selvar. She had clipped her hair gently leaving few strands of the hair touch her cheeks. Her eyes were swollen and red for obvious reasons.

"I have a major problem and I need your help in resolving it, Sir" she sat on the bed. I walked past the table and kneeled in front of her.

"At your service instantly your highness," I said it with a puppy face. She pushed me back and got up from the bed. She moved to my bag to pack the rest things. I stood up and kept looking at her.

With deep breaths, she started stuffing things within the bag.

"Every single hour I want you to leave a text, I cannot expect you to call so I will settle for texts," she breathed out.

"Every morning when you are on the way to office you have to call me, and while you are getting back as well. Night once you are done with dinner, you need to Skype me without fail," she had told the same thing thrice already. I knew she was battling her tears, I moved ahead and tapped her shoulders. She turned swiftly and hung herself by my neck and started to cry.

"I am going there only for our sake, my princess. You know you are the only strength I have. I want you to be the driving force in my life," I pulled her and sat on the bed.

"You will come back, right?" She rested her head on my shoulder.

"Arre, aur kaha jaunga?(where else will I go). I will come back, for you for our sake," I kissed her on her temple.

"Two years, work hard, settle, and let's get married. I cannot think of staying without you," she clasped my hand tight enough to show how sure she was.

"Why wait for two years, let's get married now only," I teased her. She hit me flat on my tummu and pushed me onto the bed. She moved slightly and rested her head on my chest.

"This is where I feel secured, the most," she hugged me and closed her eyes. I brushed the strands of hair and tucked them behind her ears.

"Good days are yet to begin my love, stay strong and stay by my side,"

Tears rolled down as the memory flashed by. Every bit of the memory was injecting pain deeper within the soul. These memories were not written or painted. They were engraved within.

I tried very hard to compose myself. I had always escaped from this emotion, but now I had no option. Tears ran down without any stop. There was bright lighting outside the hall, inside was a marriage happening, happiness everywhere, my heart did not seem to capture any of those. It was tired of trying to put up the smiling face.

I knew I would not get her. She was gone, gone with the wind.

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