Did He Prove Himself Right? (On Hold)

Chapter - 7 ~ Separated Forever?

Aditya called his mother but her phone was switched off. He recalled that his mother had told him about her meetings.

"It's still one hour to eight. I need to share this with someone. OR SOMETHING!" he quickly picked up his pen and diary.

As soon as he opened it, a folded paper fell down onto the floor. He unfolded it and found that it was a letter addressed to him, written in blue gel ink with a few 'wobbly' words spoilt with droplets of water, probably 'tears'!

Dear Adi

This is the first and the last letter I'm writing to you. You'll find this letter when I've said my last goodbye. I want you to pretend me to be dead because I feel that's the easiest. But before I completely break off with you, I would like to tell you the main reason for my going away.

Since my birth, I have been addressed as a cursed child. My mother drew her last breath when I breathed my first. It seemed as if she gave her remaining breaths to me.

Still I had father to upgird me. But as luck would have it, when I was four, I lost him in a plane crash. I couldn't even get to see him for the last time. I was with my aunt then, who broke the news to me and later took me to her place. She was alone too. Her children had gone abroad for a higher education and she earned a living by sewing clothes.

Once when I was at school, some thieves broke into the house. They not only robbed the house but also took my aunt away from me once and for all. I was around seven when this happened. I stole three lives with my bad luck when I was just a kid.

This time, I had no one to stand by me. My relatives and my neighbours turned away from me. I wasn't even taken to an orphanage! They were ready to help me financially but couldn't find a place for me in their homes, let alone their lives. At such a small age, I was made to realize how jinxed I was. I brought myself up single handedly with whatever little financial aid I got from them.

But, I can't let the same happen to you, Adi. I can't be a part of your life. If I hadn't read your diary, I would have never come to know the main reason for you being here. Maybe then, I would have never stopped meeting you. I'm sorry, Aditya! But I can't fulfil your dream of us being together.

Please don't try to contact me. I know I haven't even left a scope since you don't know my contact address and number, but please don't waste your time searching for me. I won't do any good to you, Adi! Just forget we ever met and move on! I'll always remember you in my prayers!

Goodbye dear!
For 'Never' yours
Ruya

"NOOO! NOOO!" Aditya burst into tears. "You can't do this to me! You can't do THIS!"  He sobbed bitterly. "Why did you do this when you knew how much you mean to me?" *sobs* "What will I do now? How will I reach you? *sniffs* You shouldn't have done that! Please come back! Please co..." his voice choked.

After quite sometime, when his torrent of howls had weakened into a snivel, he got up and began to stride around the room. He recollected everything he knew about her, even the slightest of the information. He suddenly broke his stride and narrowed his eyelids.

"OH YES! She said she lived just two kilometers away! I can go and check in every locality that's two kilometers from here. I'm sure there aren't many. I'll search in every direction. Yes! I can do that! In fact, I SHOULD do that NOW!" *sniffs* "I'll call on heaven and earth to find her out. I'll find her out! I'll find her out from anywhere! I can't let her go! I'll find her out!" he jabbered on and on and walked out of the room.

He went straight. The first homo sapien he came across was a bald headed tall husky man with an unreasonable frown on his face.

At first he abandoned the idea of asking about her from him but gathering up courage, he finally asked, "Excuse me! Do you know a girl named 'Ruya' by any chance or someone with this name in your neighbourhood?"

His frown deepened and he stared at Aditya with such a horrible expression that Aditya felt like running away for once.

The man spoke up in a robust voice, "Who are you?"

"I'm Aditya! A...Aditya S...Singhania!"

"North Indian...huh?"

"Yes! You're right!"

"What do you have to do with the girl?"

Aditya began perspiring. The man interrogated him as if he was her maternal uncle.

"Eh..She's a friend."

"A friend?"

"Yes! Just a friend!"

"Hmmm....So what did you say her name was?"

"Ruya, sir!"

The man began to think while Aditya stared at him in anticipation.

"I'm sorry! I have never heard the name before!" saying this, the man left.

"What a strange person he was! Enquired about everything and didn't know who the girl was! Wasted my time!" he grumped and began searching his pockets.

"Where's my phone!... Ohh NO! I left it in the drawer with my diary! How stupid of me! If not name, someone could have at least recognized her photograph!" he grieved and moved on.

He asked about her from everyone, tried describing her and searched for her name on all the name plates but to no avail. He cursed himself for having forgotten his mobile. He came back crestfallen.

He checked the time; it was 8:45 p.m. He picked up his phone to call his mother but it already displayed five missed calls from the latter. So without wasting another second, he called her up.

"Thank God you called back! Where were you? I was so worried. Today's schedule was SO hectic. I'm glad I have an off..."

"She says she is a jinx!" Aditya interrupted her, unintentionally.

"Sorry, what?" she asked, bewildered with the sudden break of the news.

"She SAYS she is a JINX!" Aditya repeated, emphasising more.

A heavy two minute muteness filled the atmosphere.

"What else did she say?" his mother asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing! But she gave me a letter. She didn't exactly hand it over to me but kept it in my diary." Aditya replied, not realising that he had disclosed the fact he had been hiding from his mother since ages.

"Diary? Which diary?" his mother enquired, shocked with the revelation.

"My personal diary. I have been writing it since Dad left. Sorry for concealing this from you, mom! But this is not the main topic. The major concern is her leaving me." he justified.

"What did the letter say?" she asked.

Aditya told her all that was written in the letter and about his frantic but useless efforts to search for her house, just with the help of her name.

"How will I reach her now?"

"Look Adi! You must have heard, if one door closes, another opens. There must be something you are missing out on. Think about it again. You'll definitely get some clue. First of all, relax yourself! Remember, if you both are destined to be together, nothing can obstruct you."

"Thanks a lot mom! I wonder what I will do without you! Than..." he was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Okay mom! Someone's at the door. Talk to you later! Bye!"

"Bye dear! Take care!" she hung up.

Aditya opened the door. It was the hotel boy.

"Good evening sir! You didn't order your dinner today. So, I've come to ask. Should I get something for you, sir?"

"Ohh...No, no. I don't have an appetite. Thank you!"

"Do you want anything else, sir?" he asked.

"Eh...No. Thanks!" Aditya replied obliviously.

The boy was about to leave when Aditya suddenly called him out, "Hey! Wait!"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Could you please tell me where the office of the Navhind Times is?"