The Wrong One

Chapter 24

॥The Wrong One॥

Vodia looked at his watch for the umpteenth time and gritted his teeth.

5:45pm. 

Why was he still holding out for her? She had clearly made her choice when she hadn't even turned to look at him as she walked into Raian's waiting arms. Raian must have been so happy to see her.  Would he even have noticed that she was there earlier than the agreed three days?

He slammed his fist on the cafe table, shocking the couple next to him. Vodia mumbled an apology and picked up the newspaper again, using it to cover his annoyance. 

Vodia had taken a seat at the cafe that was closest to the main doors, opposite the check in line for Balu airways. Ordering a simple tea, torturing himself more than necessary, he had sat at the table that had the best vantage point for watching every person walking in the doors. And even then, he had not seen Kayana.

Dammit. Vodia was not impatient, nor was he the type to curse. He didn't know losing Kayana would have this effect on him. Or did he. Shaking his head, Vodia lifted the piping hot cup of tea to his mouth, and took a sip, welcoming the slightly burnt feeling in his mouth. 

Looking at this watch again, he sighed. 6pm. 

One hour. He had one hour left. 

Vodia shook his head. This was the last time. He had been through enough. Vodia felt a slight vibration in his pant leg, reaching his hand into his pocket, he lifted out his vibrating phone. Recognising the number, a smile flitted onto Vodia's face as he lifted the phone to his ear.

"Pita ji, how are you?" Vodia attempted to sound joyful, though he should have known that he couldn't lie to his father.

"Vodia?" His fathers quiet voice spoke out. His father knew the stress and pain Vodia was under, in fact, he had initially advised Vodia against even attempting doing what he was. But he also knew how important it was to Vodia to keep the woman he loved, happy. 

"Ji, Pita ji?" Vodia replied, his own voice mirroring his fathers, but he failed to keep the hurt from it. 

The line was quiet whilst Vodia's father thought about what to say next, but Vodia simply enjoyed the company. He hadn't realised how much he had missed his fathers stern but gentle persona. 

"Are you coming home now, beta?" His voice crackled a little due to long distance call, but Vodia could still hear the concern, and he finally smiled. 

"Yes Pita ji, I'm coming home. My flight is at 7pm." Vodia knew that his father and brother were waiting at home for his return, anxious perhaps, but definitely waiting. He also knew he had been neglecting them of late due to his plans with Kayana, but his family did not seem to mind. Instead, when he had told his father, after some convincing, he had even been given his blessing. 

"Good. Good." Was all his father said next, and they settled into a comfortable silence. 

Vodia felt like he could simply tell his father that he had failed to bring Kayana home. That he could tell him how he felt right at that very moment. But he knew he couldn't. All he could tell him was that he was coming home. 

Taking a deep breath, Vodia glanced at his watch again. 6:30pm. 

Vodia could feel the pressure building up inside of him, but he could also feel the drop in his heart, the loss in his faith and the decrease in his hope. He would get through this. 

"Could all passengers departing Balu to Kairya please make their way to gate number 17. All passengers departing Balu to Kairya please make your way to gate number 17. Thank you." 

The sharp beep of the intercom turning off shook Vodia out of his reverie and he gulped back the cool tea, folding his paper neatly off to one side. 

"Pita ji, I am being called to board on my flight. I will call you when I land."

"Very well son. Stay safe." 

Vodia returned the phone to its rightful place in his pocket and gathered his belongings, stopping to order a coffee to go. 

Vodia knew the boarding gates would close fifteen minutes prior to the actual departure time, so it may pay for him to go a little earlier. Having given up waiting for Kayana to arrive through those doors to stop him from going, Vodia had felt a slight weight lift from him as he slowly began losing hope for his Kayana, no, not his, simply Kayana, to come for him. 

Vodia shook his head, taking the offered takeaway cup of coffee and turned back to his table. Collecting everything, Vodia swung his sidebar over his shoulder, his mind finally finding a bit of peace. He had done what he had set out to do. What he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He wanted to make Kayana happy. And he had. He could now rest easy. 

The thought gave him little joy, but that little amount was all he needed to stay sane. 

Making to walk out of the cafe, Vodia thought he had heard someone call his name. Brushing it off as a hallucination, Vodia continued walking, making his way closer to the gate. He felt lighter. Happier. Though he didn't necessarily know why. Perhaps it was because he had done what he had promised to do. 

Either way, Vodia knew he would get through this. 

Again, he heard the voice and turned around this time. In the distance, he saw a figure waving blue. It ran closer, and soon he could see two, one in front of the other. He waited until they came to the steel barrier separating the departures and arrivals and he realised it was Kayana. He took a step towards her, stopping mid stride when he noticed Raian closing up behind her. As Raian reached Kayana, he slid an arm around her waist, her answering smile was enough for Vodia to smile back at her. 

Though his heart hurt, his conscience was clear. 

She had indeed come for him, to show him that he had done the right thing by her. 

Vodia nodded once at Raian, a silent threat as well as a gracious loss. And finally, turned his back on both. 

Vodia's clicking footsteps took him further away from Kayana, his heart breaking with each step he took, but he knew it was for the better. 

If he had turned around to look at Kayana, he would've seen that her smile had also slipped off her face, her eyes pressurised with tears. She was using all her power to stay strong. She had initially wanted to with Vodia, or atleast stop him, and when she told Raian she couldn't stay with him, that she loved Vodia, he had understood. 

But when she had come inside, she couldn't. Vodia had finally looked at peace with himself, and she would leave it at that.

As she watched him leave, she knew that her heart would always be his. And only his.

And as she waved to him, with tears in her eyes, she knew. He would always be The Wrong One. 

॥The Wrong One॥