CHAPTER 3
Hana was on her uptown, to see her high school friends. She was on leave for some days, but she didn't turn up till 5th day when they were informed that she would show up in 2 or 3 days. Hershey was saying to her friends Chetan and Yavar that she told she would turn up in 3 days or less. She was worried for that she should take care of all her on-going projects till she is in.
She came the next day and was quite dull. Hershey was then relieved from her added loads.
Hana came in Hershey's cabin when she dragged the doors inside to come out. Seeing Hana, with raised eyebrows,
Hershey: Hey honey, how you doing??...by the way I piled all your progresses for the last 5 days in your desk...
Hana with a dull tone,
Yeah, I've seen it....I mailed them to the manager...
Hershey, flipped inverse to make a seat for her friend enquiring about the trip,
Well, how was the trip then...
Hana: It's not a "trip"...its worse...
Hershey: Why??...What happened??...
Hana: One of our classmates died....
Hershey: Oh....I am so sorry, sweetie...
Hana: She is one of the sweetest people in our band...I can't believe this happened to her...
Hershey: Accident....or...??
Hana: You could have heard the news some few days earlier...in our city...
Hershey: What..??...wait!!...Do you mean...??
Hana: Yeah...that's her...
Hershey: That's unbelievable...
Hana: Actually, I was here a couple of days before...with her mom...We were here for her posthumous process...
Hershey: I am so sorry...honey...
Hana was very worried about Thara's mother.
Hana: Thara's mom is very friendly and one of the nicest people I ever met in my life...now she is all alone...
Hershey: Her dad...
Hana: He died in a road accident...some years ago...and till then it was Thara who took care of everything....you know....all the financial stuffs...
Hershey: Sometimes things have to be accepted as such...we can't blame anyone...
Hana: Yeah...but is this how she should take off..??!!....I wish this to be a dream...
Hana wanted to leave the place, perhaps to somewhere it's silent. And moreover, she had had to resume her daily work. She left to her cabin.
Soon it's time for lunch. As, for that day, Cheta and Hershey's leisure time did not diverge greatly, they both were at the cafeteria. Shortly Yavar peeked into the cafeteria. When he reached the very entrance, Hershey had seen him coming and waved at him,
Hershey: Hey...Yavar...!!
Yavar never had intensions to join them. It's not that he will not join anyone, but it's his nature to resist people. But then he had no options than to join them, because he knows it would be absolutely rude to abstain the greetings.
Yavar joined the team. Within no time, the team or mayhap the whole cafeteria, was attracted by a quarrel. Everyone can hear each other's murmurs about the fight, over there near the front stage. Quickly the team realizes that it's Hana who is center of the attraction. She was crying, shouting at a random guy in the office, for some non-obvious reason. Very soon the team scooted to the spot. It seemed that the random guy had spilled some coke on Hana.
Hana is indeed a great person by heart. This really isn't Hana. Hershey was the one who is very sad about this. Hershey got her heads in the middle and was trying to hold the situation from getting worse. Soon the team managed to clear the crowd and got Hana on a private table. Her friends were all expressing their concerns, but Hana didn't hear a thing. Of course now too, Yavar haven't got much to tell. Hershey got her shoulders in her hand and said,
Hershey: We completely understand you...but this is so not you!!!
While all of her friends were condoling her, her thought was all about her gone friend. She expelled herself out from Hershey's hands, wiping her tears off from her small cheek, she left the place.
CHAPTER 4
It was a cloudy day. Though Hana has no good level of zeal to check in office nor to ring in at any kind of meetings, she had to drive to office that day. That day her department has to purchase a new software from an external vendor, for which Hana held the whole responsibility as she was the financial advisor of the department. So that day, not only her heart was heavy, but her heads too are fully loaded. At least from the previous week until then she might have forgot about Yavar. And she knew that he wasn't minding it anyway.
From the morning, her friends haven't caught her in the office. During the morning break, when Cheta is sliding out of his room to reach cafeteria, he caught Yavar also coming out of his cabin.
Chetan: Hey man...done with the stand-up call?
Yavar: Yea...just now...
And both headed towards the cafeteria. When they reached there, Hershey was already in.
Chetan: Hey there...you are early today?
As Chetan approached Hershey's table to grab a chair, Yavar slid aside to get his cup of coffee.
Hershey: Yea...today stand up got completed a bit early.
Chetan nodding his head,
Chetan: Seen Hana today? ...I haven't seen her from morning.
Hershey: Me too...don't know if she is on leave.... but she didn't tell anything.
Chetan: It must be very hard for her. Was she that close to that girl?
Hershey: I am not sure...but I guess she was. She seems very worried about her. And Hana said that the girl had brought up by a single mother.
Chetan: Any siblings for her?
Hershey: I guess not...
Chetan sighs disappointed. Hershey added,
Life is always unfair for good ones.
But Cheta will never agree this. He always have had a great faith in the beauty of life. Cheta disagreed,
We never know what surprise time has planned for us. And that's what makes life beautiful.
Hershey: If what happened to that girl was the surprise you are talking about, god I am afraid of the surprise.
Chetan had no point in defense. He chose silence.
He then suddenly remembered Yavar. When he looked up for him, Yavar was just pushing his mug into the used one's tray and just waved him saying bye in almost zero sound.
Soon Chetan and Hershey too left the cafeteria.
All of Hana's friends were very disturbed. They could hardly concentrate on their work.
Eventually the software trade ended. And Hana's department head, Shyla, was very happy about it. In fact, the whole department was happy, except Hana. As to celebrate, Shyla and his department mates, were planning for night out that day. But Hana was sitting idle at her desk. She seemed very disturbed. Shyla approached Hana,
Hana, why are you left out? We are planning dinner outside today. Where do you think?
Hana was not with her. She was starring the extreme corner of the wall, thinking something else, probably about Thara. At least it should be some 5 – 10 min her eyes blinked. Shyla came some steps towards Hana and held her hand right above the elbow and shook gently,
Hana...are you with me?
Hana mentally resumed and then Shyla was visible to her. But she had no idea what Shyla was talking about to her. She then just nodded with a fake smile, saying
Thanks...
While saying this, Hana had got up and started packing her things up. Shyla understood she was upset.
Shyla: Is everything okay? What happened?
Hana was about to go. While one of her hands was stooping inside her bag's ears, other was pulling her hairs, which was covering her ears, to the other side.
Hana: No. Nothing. All okay. Just need some rest. I am tired.
And she just turned around quickly to reach the lift, so that she can make it to the parking before she starts crying. But unfortunately, there were people in the lift. Hana was badly controlling her sobs.
Though her vision is partially affected by her tears, she managed to drive home that day. As soon as she reached home, she got into her bedroom and locked through inside, so that she can cry peacefully.
***WILL BE SINNED AGAIN SOON***