Note : It didn't turn out how I expected it to be but hopefully it's okay.
Happy reading and do let me know how you feel about this chapter so that I can start writing the next one. 😅
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Once they arrived home her Maa dragged her to a corner.
Maa : what was that.
T: I'm really not...
She had seen the way she ran after him and through out the drive she was silent.
It was out in the open yet she was asked for a clarification.
She took a deep breath and just spelled it out.
T : we're going out Maa.
Maa : since how long.. Before Diwali?
She nodded.
Maa : you could have just told me.
T: sure.. Look how bua is exaggerating the whole thing in phone to uncle.
Maa : do you realise how it looked there. Why did he left.
T: someone is in a bad condition in his family. I'm not in a state of mind to explain.
She was damn irritated.
T: just don't look for anything for me Maa.. I'll come and tell when I'm ready.
She did not listen to anything else
just changed and went to set.
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Around evening when she waited for the last shot Vikas came.
V : stressed?
He asked as he sat down beside her.
She just kept staring at the ground without saying anything.
V : it was a last minute decision. Just now omi had came back from meeting about for 2 days to have someone as a new host.
T : when he'll be back?
She wanted to ask a lot. If he had replied cause he hasn't seen her messages. How is the situation. Then the most important one was his return.
Vikas saw the restlessness and understood they've not talked properly.
V : minimum take it as one week.
He knew it would be more than that but then the girl looked so so lifeless that he didn't had the heart to say.
T : what about shoot for next week?
V : next week all these new year programs would be shot.. So until new year he's free.
T: do you think he might stay longer.
She didn't get any reply.
The day ended also but her mind didn't register anything.
She came back and didn't really speak or talk.
Lied down on the bed imagining if everything was normal today her father would've met him.
Life always made them stand at a point where it looked like there's no way out.
It was just some 16 or 17 hours. He was completely absent from her life and no matter how much she tried she knew that it affected her.
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He had to stay at the lay over for 3 hours. The jet lag was real. He hadn't informed also anyone except his sis.
It's not like he was jealous or anything but he felt left out when things appeared all of a sudden. He wanted to be informed and he knew he should be. Where did he went wrong that she would think it wasn't required for him to know.
His head hurt to even think more about it.
He had no energy or interest to open the phone and go through.
He only saw his sister's message.
M : send me the flight details.
M : never mind ... I got it...
M : the basic you can do is inform the details to atleast anyone.
All he replied was "let me reach atleast"
He saw her messages. It was " sorry" "when you'll be reaching" " are you there"
Some messages were deleted.
He only replied "yet to reach"
He reached the next day and when he got out of the car his nephew came running after noticing him from the balcony.
He just fell down on bed for atleast 3 hours.
He got up and took a trip to hospital. His sister just hugged him and she wasn't saying anything.
This sister of his was a very practical one and spoke the least but the emotional connect they had as siblings was something.
He knew it she was touched to see him.
Jiju hugged him warmly.
J : achanak se aa gaya? New year ke liye bhi hesitate Kar raha Tha.
K : Ana hi Tha...
By that night his other two sis and parents reached.
He cried when his mom won't leave him for a second... He missed this warmth, these people. These are the only ones who would stand against the whole world for him and it felt so good just to be in close physical proximity.
As he hugged his mom and kissed her forehead it felt like he got the whole world.
Meenu : you can't even inform any one from us. It's a 20 hours flight and atleast we should know.
Papa : usko hi Bata diya Kar. Itna long journey. Tension toh rehta hi hai.
K : omi had all the details.
M : thank God for that.
Next day his aunt was a little better. Just from the other side of the glass they all saw her one by one and she did smile.. His jiju's sister also flew down.
On the fourth day after reaching, around 4 she passed away. They all were there.
He got busy with all the cremation and rituals. Relatives from nearby joined for the prayer meet.
In all this he had completely forgotten to check his messages or anything even though in his mind it was still printed how she looked when he just drove away.
It wasn't something he wanted to do but he knew if they discussed anything he would have bursted all his frustration on her.
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For last 5 days barely she got two or three replies and hardly 40 seconds call from another number just to say his aunt is okay. She prayed for her recovery and secretly wished he would just be back asap. Even next day was okay.
Her days were completely gloomy cause there was no reply no message nothing. She did realise he had made his presence a habit in her life.
From morning call to dropping by her set to meet, understanding the fact that she had to be there for continuous hours.
Taking her on dinners or just pleading her to be back at his place, she just never realised that she's the one who's getting more habituated.
She had no clue until he was there, all of this was continuing as a routine and at times felt may be exaggerating when he said he wanted her back at his place. But now that he wasn't not there and not asking for any of it, there was a void, a empty spot.
No amount of hanging out or binge watching helped. She could feel herself losing it with each passing day and it was just 4 days. Her dad tried to have a chat but she just couldn't concentrate.
She started questioning if he actually even remembered she existed or not. She sat on the back seat and stared at the uncomplicated traffic at 10 as Parvez drove her to jess place.
She remembered the dream she had on that day when she slept.
Who said only the dreams you see at dawn will come true. That dream kind of actually came true. He has disappeared and there's no trace of him in her life.
She silently had one after another peg just listening to them.
O : ohhh... Slow down... If he comes to know he'll take it out on us.
V : "why did you let her have that much"
Vg mimicked him.
They all revealed whatever they knew. His aunt passing away.. Who all attended.
The other three also didn't had any talk or chat with him but were in touch with his family like jess was updated by Arjun. Omi and vg were in touch with meenu.
She was the only one with no clue. she had only him who can keep her updated and currently even he didn't bother. It made her feel more sad and completely unimportant. He didn't inform her anything and she didn't want to say it in front of his friends because it felt embarrassing.
As she drank more her inner hidden frustration started coming onto surface as now it was visible that she was upset.
O : anything happened on the day left? He was in a very bad mood.
V: oh.. Hello.. Two connecting flights.. Someone isn't well.
O : no.. But he had shouted on me unnecessarily.
J : what did you do.
Jess laughed cause when he got angry they all knew something is up cause it was very rare.
O : I also answered back.
Omi tried to maintain his own image.
She was the only one who looked blankly towards the window.
V : something happened teja?
She nodded.
J : what.
She was drunk and she needed to let it out.
T : he saw me with someone, with whom my family was setting me up.
J : shit.
O : see.. How can you do that.
T : I was just going to tell the person I'm not interested.
V : he overreacts at times. It was just a meet. She wasn't going to get married.
O : he just wanted to run away... Now I understand. He wanted to run away from her.
Omi didn't realise how his words might have sounded to someone who was on the verge of losing it.
He just wanted to run away... May be he had enough... He always felt she didn't care and this time it sealed the deal.
When jess looked up she noticed she had tears in her eyes. She just moved her a bit and she bursted out crying.
T : Did he just leave me?
J : noo... Omi you did this.
O : what did I do.. She actually makes him go crazy.. I've seen.
V : shut up.
O : hey don't cry.. If he comes to know he's going to be mad at me.
She didn't hear it as she folded her legs and cried just missing him. She wanted him back at any cost where as he wasn't even dropping a single message or call.
The fear she had that if suddenly what they shared would be changed then what she'll do. She could feel how he felt each time she had ignored replying to his messages just because she had the upper hand.
She slept there on the bed in the living room..
Jess messaged him.
J : ek vaari call toh karliya Kar. Dekh kya Hal Bana diya Hai.
Jess took a picture with her phone and messaged him.
He opened it after 30 minutes after receiving. He was just taking the tea at afternoon 5. It was around 2 : 30 in India.
He clicked in the picture. He saw her after 4 days.
Her face was swollen and tears had made their mark on her face. Her hair was messed up and she slept in a fetal position, just like a baby.
As usual he could see her surrounding was disoriented completely..
She was among people she knew but her body automatically was on alert to protect herself. That's what a fetal sleeping indicated.
He just wanted to drag her and arrange it properly. He wanted to drag her to his body so that she can feel the warmth.
Situation was wrong but the emotions were real. They both felt it strongly.
He replied to jess : khyal Rakhi uski (take care of her)
He kept staring at the picture and made a note in his mind to give her a call tomorrow. He had even forgotten to check his phone in last 2 days and didn't remember his silence might have drained her. He had experienced it.
They both were with their whole family around yet something was amiss. Now that he knew it, he was busy finding how to initiate it.
K: my plants needs to be watered. Would you be able to drop by?
She saw his message after coming back to her van. She stared at it for few seconds just to see if it's really him.
She knew he had many to do it for him but if he had messaged her that means he remembered she exists. She would be okay thanks to this one message.
T: why don't you ask someone else? Why me.
K : you're my constant baby.
Instantly his reply came..
They were each other's constant and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.
Her eyes filled with fresh tears. Her hands trembled as she typed.
T: sure. I'll drop by.