The Last Love Letter

Chapter 49

Akash's mother heard the word ‘sorry’ and turned back from the door. She had followed her son to the bedroom and was about to say something when she heard it. It was a private moment and she didn’t want to intrude. Laxmi left the bedroom, careful not to make any sound, and returned to the living room.

She was confounded. Her son was not telling her the truth. Something had happened in Mumbai, and she didn’t have a good feeling about it. She decided to give it some more time and, in order to distance herself from the moment, started to prepare lunch.

When Sara returned from school, she cried with joy upon seeing Akash. ‘Dad!’

‘I love you, Sara.’ He picked her up and kissed her.

‘I love you too, Dad. Where is Subah Aunty?’

‘She is in Mumbai.’

‘Dadi said she was injured. How is she now?’

‘She’s fine. But tell me, how was your day at school?’

‘I want to eat pizza, Dad. Dadi didn’t order pizza while you were gone.’

‘We will all eat pizza for dinner tonight.’

‘Yay!’ she shouted and signalled that she wanted to get down. Akash put her down, and she ran inside.

After lunch, Akash called Rohit and told him he was back.

‘Back? Why? When? You should have stayed there, Akash. I told you, she’s very vulnerable all alone there.’

‘I know, but one of my clients wanted me here. An event has been rescheduled.’

‘Okay, but…I don’t know. You should have made some arrangement.’

‘She’s 100 per cent normal, Rohit.’

‘She can’t be. Her trauma is just three days old. What you saw was a temporary good feeling, perhaps due to the success of the show you were telling me about.’

There were other reasons too, all my doing, Akash thought.

Had she really been feeling better because she was under the impression that a romance was blossoming between them? The events in Mumbai once again played out in his mind. Did he overreact? He could have just allowed her to continue with that idea and spent a few more days with her. As if it were some kind of therapy. Even as he was thinking that, part of him knew that these were just excuses, that all he wanted was to go back to her. He was surprised by this train of thought. He was even more surprised that he was no longer irritated with her.

‘Are you there?’

‘Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?’

‘Never mind the details now. I think you should have stayed in Mumbai, Akash.’

‘Yeah, you’re right, Rohit. Perhaps.’