Two years later...
Dhruv stared at the email in his computer. It was from Sakshi. He was reluctant to open it. But he knew before opening it that he would. He opened and read all of their emails. There were plenty of emails and texts and calls in the initial days which waned as the months passed by until there were none.
So this was an anomaly. He tapped his mousepad to open it and Sakshi had written a paragraph.
Dhruv,
Hope you're doing well. I don't even know if you'll read this but I think this should be brought to your attention.
I think your sister, Drishti is marrying. Again, I don't know if you already know about this. Anyways, I came to know about this only because she is marrying my cousin Ajit. I have no idea where she even met considering how he's our age and she's obviously so young, just turned 25 I guess.
I just thought that you should know. Hope you're honestly doing good. We all miss you, especially the kids.
Sakshi Rane Sandhini
He didn't even close the email and immediately called his sister. He didn't care that it would be the middle of the night in India. He waited until Dristhi picked up.
"Hello? Bhai? Everything okay?"
He swiped his forehead asche could feel a headache coming on, "Dishu, everything is fine. I heard a news about you. You're getting married?"
After a moment, she answered him, "Yes, Bhai."
"Is everything okay, my Dil?"
He heard a make voice say and a shush, he gagged almost. "Was that him? Ajit was it?"
"Bhai... it's not like that. I genuinely love him?"
"He's my age I've heard!"
"He's younger than you and I'm twenty five now."
"I'm coming back to India right now! You better explain it face to face,young lady!" He snapped and cut the call.
***
"Dad? Dad? Dad?" Riyan called and Dhruv looked up from the papers in front of him to him, "Yes buba, what happened?"
Riyan who was a toddler looked at him, "Where are we going?"
"We're going to India."
"India." Riyan repeated it. "Mama won't come?"
"Mama will join us later." Dhruv lied, the truth was she had agreed to stay away from him and they shared custody of Riyan.
"Are you excited?" He said changing the topic. Riyan had turned his attention back to the colouring book and nodded without looking. Dhruv brushed the hair on his head affectionately.
"Your coffee sir!"
"You look excited, Mohan." He told his secretary, while the said secretary pulled a chair to sit.
"Yes! I can finally meet my fiance."
Dhruv sipped on the cold coffee through his straw. "I can't believe you haven't met her yet proposed to her."
"Oh we've been talking online for years and thanks to you, she's now working in J.M. Hospital." Dhruv raised his eyebrow, then Mohan explained it, "You put in a word for her since you're a trustee, they took her in."
Dhruv frowned. The only person whom he had recommended was the daughter of Suresh Kaka, the servant who had worked in his house. Suresh Kaka had called him and requested his help and he couldn't deny the man.
Still, it wasn't benevolence. He needed to believe that it was benevolence, he couldn't stomach it. He had firmly lifted his faith from charity. But Suresh Kaka had paid in loyalty and service.
His tapped the empty styrofoam cup on the table. "Oh I think I remember her. Ramya was it?"
"Ravya. Yes, we met through vivah.com."
"God, do people still use those?" Dhruv almost laughed. Almost. He didn't dwell on the fact that he had stopped laughing altogether. Not everything was funny anymore. Niceness didn't take him anywhere, nor did humour.
***
"Oh man, I can't do it!" Khushi watched her colleague slow down from running and panting leaning on her knees.
"Okay fine. Let's stop" She stepped to the side of the path, on the grass. Unscrewing the water bottle, Khushi gulped in huge gulps of water and offered her friend some.
Khushi sat on the grass as her friend looked at her, as if she was mad, "What are you doing?"
"Enjoying the sunshine. You should try too, Ravya. It's amazing!" She laughed and much to Ravya's horror she laid back on the grass.
Khushi closed her eyes letting the warmth of the sunlight seep in. She heard the thumps of footsteps beside her.
"Are we not going to finish the marathon?"
Opening her one eye, Khushi looked at her friend mischievously, "You said you don't want to do it anymore?"
"I mean... can we even leave it half way, it's a management organised marathon."
"Ah...who cares...." Khushi sighed.
"I don't understand how you can be so positive and relaxed all the time..."
Khushi laughed at that. Khushi knew why. She had already stared death in the face. She had lost everything and gained a life instead. It helped her realise that life was too short to worry about anything like looks, pleasing others etc etc.
"We're just taking a break. We don't have to win." Khushi closed her eyes and sighed until she felt a thump on the side of her head.
She woke up with a startle to see that she was hit by a football, she stood and patted her behind, until a kid came running to her and picked up the ball.
Khushi sat on her haunched to reach his level,"Is that your ball?"
He only nodded. Khushi smiled at the kid who smiled at her back.
"Aww, what's your name?" Ravya asked him.
"Riyan."
Khushi was nearly knocked out of her feet. She asked him again and the boy said the same thing. "What's your full name?"
He mumbled something, and Khushi caught what his name was, "Ahh Riyan Pawan Menon?"
She breathed a sigh of relief.
The boy nodded again.
"Riyan??" Someone called after them and she stood to see a person walking towards them.
Khushi didn't know who that person was and consciously she felt relief right to her bones when she noticed it wasn't him, but yet, she also felt disappointed. God, what was she thinking? It was been 2 years since he had gone MIA, no one could reach him, so it was highly unlikely that he would show up now.
The kid ran upto him and the man looked walked to them. "Riyan Baba, you cannot go wandering off alone. It's not safe." The man said.
"Mohan?" Ravya said.
****
A/N: I fell sick so this was all I could manage. Thanks for reading..vote and comment, and follow me on Instagram.