The Last Love Letter

Chapter 39

Back at the hotel, Subah had been worried sick about Bala. She couldn’t make an outside call from the phone in her room, so she’d gotten dressed and gone down to the reception desk to call her. But the landline at her home and Bala’s mobile both had gone unanswered. She’d finally remembered that one of the criminals who had attacked her had called her home number. How must Bala have reacted? She was very fragile, and even after years of living with Subah, her wounds had not healed properly. Unsure about what to do next, she had sat down in the lobby.

As soon as she saw Akash walk through the swinging doors fifteen minutes later, she was on her feet. ‘Akash, do you know where Bala is?’

He filled her in on what had happened and called Rohit to find out the latest. As expected, his friend had been taking due care and was able to inform him that Bala would be discharged later that day, an ambulance dropping her home. After his clinic closed at 9 that night, Rohit’s plan was to go and see her.

Akash hung up and informed Subah about the developments while they sat in the lobby. It relaxed her a bit, and after he shared with her the details of the opening and what Mr Gaitonde had said about her work, she felt much better.

‘I think I would like to go there tomorrow. Thanks for everything, Akash. You can return to Delhi now.’

‘What are you saying? I’ve just done my duty, Subah, and I won’t be leaving unless I’m sure that you are completely safe and recovered.’

More than the concern and affection, she liked the tone of his voice. He wanted to be in control of the situation, and with him at the helm, she felt her boat was steadier.

‘Have you eaten anything since morning?’

She shook her head and replied to his question with a question of her own. ‘Have you slept since last night?’

‘Well, no. But that’s okay. I’m used to it.’

‘Used to it?’

‘Well…’

‘I know.’

‘What do you know?’

‘Why you are used to not sleeping.’

‘And why is that?’

‘You think a lot about Nisha, and you miss her a lot.’

Akash shuffled his feet, and she watched him closely. His love for his wife had moved something in her. She had never known such intensity of love. Akash’s love was different. It was more surreal, almost like an aberration in the world, something that she’d been trying to capture through her works. Her discovery of the connection between her paintings and his love for his departed wife made her feel uncomfortable.

Subah had been in love only once, and it had ended badly. Her friends said there was no such thing as real love and those who carried on saying to each other that they were still in love were simply too weak to step out of a relationship. It was more for convenience than for anything else. Like her mother, who stayed with her father not because she loved him but because she couldn’t think of anything else to do.

Akash was different, though. He was the perfect proof that real love was possible.

‘I asked you first. Would you like something to eat? I know a place nearby.’

Subah looked into his eyes, and something stirred in the deepest part of her stomach. What should she do? Offer him her hand and walk out those doors like two careless friends or put her arm around him and walk out like lovers?

She was neither a friend nor someone in love with him. How would someone else define their relationship? They were certainly more than just business associates. Because he was here, taking care of her, making sure her event went off well. The extra effort was well outside the boundaries of business. What did he think of her?