I lay curled up on my bed in Australia, finally here after all the turmoil.
It was a deception. I hadn't brought Robin or my project team with me. I couldn't shake the thought of how everyone would react if they found out Robin was still in India. They would eventually find out, but my instincts resisted bringing anyone along.
The hardest part was convincing Ansh. He cried so much, refusing to let go of my hand. Eventually, he relented, but only after I promised to call him at least three times and to answer his calls anytime. For some reason, he was scared, afraid to let me go. I understood his fear; I felt the same way at his age. The only difference was that I was afraid to go anywhere myself. I didn't want him to experience any of that. He deserved nothing but happiness.
Aarushi was just as persistent. She begged me to take her along, excited at the prospect of a trip to Australia. How could I explain to her that Australia wasn't exactly the ideal vacation destination? At least not for me. Even the air here brings back old memories. But I'll have to overcome them.
Vihan seemed angry, or at least he appeared that way. He didn't appreciate the fact that I hadn't informed him, especially considering how close we usually are, despite our regular arguements. He's the only one who knows I'm going alone, maybe he does. That's why he didn't forget to add "Take care, half-brain" at the end.
I dialed Robin, and he picked up after just two rings. Good.
"Don't tell me you still have the audacity to show your face to my family."
"Why not? Now that you're not around, I can do as I please."
"Let me make it clear, Aaru isn't going anywhere with you. Remember, I can have you taken care of from here as well."
"You and your empty threats." I could almost hear him smirking on the other end.
"I called to warn you that if you value your life, you'll stay away from my family," I cautioned, but he just started laughing.
"Too late, I met your brother this afternoon," he replied casually.
Fuck! He might have got to know. Damn!
Another call flashed on the screen – it was Chachu's number, likely Ansh calling. I quickly ended the previous call and eagerly answered this one, not wanting to upset him.
"Aya!" he exclaimed, waving enthusiastically at the camera, and I waved back.
"Have you had dinner?" I inquired, and he nodded. "Is Vihan still acting grumpy?"
"Hmm... don't worry about it. He's always been a dumbass, remember?" Ansh remarked.
"Aww... I just want to pinch your cheeks when you say that. So, what's new at school?"
"I met a girl," he confessed, blushing slightly.
"Was she cute?" I teased, trying to hold back my laughter, but Ansh pouted in response. "You are laughing as well"
" Don't get upset. I'm happy that you made a new friend. I would never laugh at you, never baccha."
"Do you remember our deal? You plomised to bling me chocolates from thele, right?"
(Do you remember our deal? You promised to bring me chocolates from there, right?)
"Of course, sir. I've already bought your chocolates. See, the first thing I did here was to get your chocolates," I assured him, tilting the camera to show the chocolates, and he jumped with joy.
"And when ale you coming back?" he asked, his voice tinged with longing.
(And when are you coming back?)
I hesitated, unsure of how to answer. I had just arrived, and he was already asking when I would return. How long would I be here? Two days, a week, or even a month? Honestly, I didn't know.
"Before your sports meet, for sure," I promised, hoping it would suffice.
"But that's so fal away," he pouted, and I offered him a warm smile.
(But that's so far away)
"Don't try to be a father you can never be," a voice suddenly interrupted, likely Vihan's. Ansh, meanwhile, continued to show me his little plants, but my attention was drawn to the argument.
"Cut it out. Stop with your fake affection. My brother doesn't need you. He would have been happier with our mother. Nobody's happiness ever mattered to me. I haven't forgotten that day, and I never will. I shouldn't have even come there. I only came because Bhai called me, and I rarely get to see my brother. I never came because of you," the voice continued, fading as Ansh ran upstairs to show me something else.
"It's getting late, Ansh. You should go to bed. We can talk more tomorrow," I suggested gently.
"What time is it thele?" he asked.
(What time is it there?)
"Um... it's almost 1:30," I replied.
"It's too late there as well. You should go to sleep too, Aya" he insisted.
I nodded in agreement. "Goodnight, Ansh. Sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Aya. Love you," he said softly before ending the call.
I turned off the light and opened my laptop, ready to dive into my work. But before my fingers could even touch the keyboard, a voice in my head interrupted me.
It was a memory, vivid and poignant. I remembered the nights when Veer would gently coax me away from work, insisting that I needed rest. How he would sit by my side until I fell asleep, chasing away the nightmares that haunted me. He was always there for me, always trying to help, but I had never fully appreciated it.
With a sigh, I closed the laptop and lay back on the bed. Thoughts of Veer filled my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder when I would see him again. When would I be reunited with my Sanki?
His face kept coming out form my memories and I couldn't sleep. My phone ringed and for a moment I was relieved that I have got some timepass.
It was Yuvaan.
"Were you sleeping?" he asked, his concern evident in his tone. Yuvaan was always the type to keep to himself, making sure everyone felt comfortable and avoiding offense whenever possible. It was a side of him I hadn't thought he is capable of having, especially when I recalled our first meeting.
"No, I was just--"
"You should be sleeping by this time. It's almost 2 there," he interrupted gently.
"No, actually I woke up from a nap earlier, and I slept a lot on the flight, so I'm wide awake," I replied.
"Oh! I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing there," he said.
"I'm fine, Yuvi, don't worry," I reassured him.
"You didn't take anyone with you, so I hope you'll manage alone?" he asked, and I couldn't help but wonder how he knew.
"Um, yes, I'll manage. How did you find out?" I inquired.
"Don't worry, only I knew about it. I just met Robin, so I figured it out," he explained.
Thank goodness it wasn't Aarav who met him.
"Aren't you planning to sleep tonight?" I asked.
"Yeah, I was just about to. Rudra was eager to hear a story," he replied.
"Wow! So you're the storyteller tonight. You're the best at it," I said with a smile.
"Maybe," he replied modestly. "Alright, Good Night. Take care."
"Good Night" And I ended the call and again ending up restless.
What am I supposed to do here? I wasn't for a deal. Had it been a deal I would have cancelled it but I came here searching for him. Because I know he is here, somewhere around.
Picking up my inhaler and phone , I walked out closing my hotel room door. It was almost silence considering most of the guest must be sleeping.
I walked down towards the lawn area. A waiter almost collided with me in way.
"Can I help you in some way, Mam?" He asked very apollogetically.
I refused and smiled at him and walked away. Finding a bench for me, I sat there. Looking at sky, it was quite cold out there and my top wasn't helping either. But I kept looking at My Bua, out there shining brightly.
I heard a lot about her and realised everyone admired her. She was beautiful woman inside out and influnced a lot of people in the short lived life of her.
Things would have different if bua had been here, if chachi would have lived with us as well. Isn't it how everything changed and I lost a part of myself along with a part of others in those 15 years.
"Is this seat taken?"As I was lost in my thoughts, I was snapped back to reality by the sound of a voice. A guy in his twenties stood before me, holding a cup of coffee. His gray eyes, colder than the chilly air, seemed to pierce through me.
"Excuse me?" I replied, caught off guard by his sudden appearance.
"I was asking if this seat is already taken by someone," he repeated, a sheepish grin spreading across his lips.
"Oh, no, it's empty." I replied, gesturing to the empty spot beside me.
He chuckled softly. "Well, what's empty?" he asked, his gaze lingering on me.
"The seat, obviously," I replied, a hint of confusion in my tone.
He grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "I j-just thought of something else."
Curiosity piqued, I inquired, "What did you think?"
He shook his head dismissively. "Ah, nothing. Just my overactive mind at work."
"Hi, I'm Adam," he introduced himself, extending his hand with a friendly smile.
"Bye," I responded curtly, not in the mood for small talk, "and I prefer not to share my name." With that, I turned my attention back to the sky, hoping he would take the hint and leave me to my thoughts.
"It's true a star never knew how bright it is while looking at other stars," he murmured softly, almost lost in thought.
"Stop your philosophy," I replied, somewhat irritated by his cryptic comment.
"I was just stating a simple fact about someone beautiful. Where does philosophy come into this?" he countered, his tone light and playful.
"See, I offered you this seat, and if you want to sit here, then shut the fuck up," I retorted sharply.
"Difficult... hm... but I will try," he replied with a smirk, seemingly amused by my directness.
Had I known that this Adam was going to be this irritating, I wouldn't have let him sit beside me.
I rose with a heavy heart and made my way back to my room. The solace I sought in the sky seemed distant tonight.
Despite Adam's attempts to engage me, I tuned out his words and retreated to the sanctuary of my own space. Shutting the door behind me, I collapsed onto the bed. My eyes welled with tears, but they refused to fall.
I know you're here, Veer. Somewhere nearby. And when I find you, I won't make it easy for you. If you're going to be stubborn, then so am I.
Veer aka Sanki
I am really hating you for this.
And I slept peacefully holding a picture that I stole from his room. He always looked cute.
As my phone persistently rang, I groggily reached for it, the morning sun barely filtering through the curtains. "Morning, Ma," I muttered, still half-asleep.
"Uth gaya mera baccha.." her voice came through the phone.
"Utha diya aapne," I replied, a hint of annoyance in my tone.
"Oh, sorry sweetu. Now, go freshen up and have your breakfast," she instructed.
"I will do it, Ma, no need to remind me," I assured her, a bit more awake now.
"Even though you will do it, I am your mother. I will remind you again and again," she said with a chuckle.
"Fine, I will do it. Bye," I said, ready to end the call.
"And call me while you will be doing breakfast. I can't trust you in that," she added. As I absentmindedly reached for my pendant, panic set in—I couldn't feel it around my neck.
"What happened?" she asked, sensing my distress.
"My pendant... it should be here," I panicked, frantically searching the bed.
"Calm down, baccha. It must be somewhere around you," she reassured me.
"It isn't, I checked," I replied, frustration creeping into my voice.
"Fine, don't worry. We will get another pendant like that. It's just a pendant," she tried to console me.
"It isn't just a pendant, Ma. How could I lose it? It should be somewhere around... I'll talk to you later," I said, cutting the call, determined to find my lost keepsake.
With a heavy heart, I hung my head, feeling the weight of the lost pendant. How could I have let it fall away?
Making my way downstairs to the reception, I approached a smiling lady behind the counter.
"Excuse me, I lost my pendant last night. I was wondering if your staff found it?" I inquired, hoping for a positive response.
"Sure, ma'am. We will check for it in our lost and found department," she replied, handing me a piece of paper. "Kindly fill out the details here."
Taking the paper, I quickly jotted down the necessary information before handing it back to her. "Thank you," I said quietly, feeling a pang of anxiety as I left the reception area.
Walking out onto the street, I couldn't help but wonder how much this country had changed since the last time I was here.
My feet led me to my boarding school, a place where I needed to confront my past. It wasn't far, and within five minutes, I arrived at the familiar gates.
To my surprise, the main door was locked. I stopped a passing lady and asked her about the situation.
"What happened to this school?" I inquired, puzzled by the sight of it being shut down.
She looked at me with a mixture of sadness and frustration. "This school is closed due to complaints of bullying. Several kids were bullied here, and their parents filed complaints. It's clear that the school authorities overlooked the matter, and the wardens never suspected anything. Schools like this should be shut down."
I stood there, stunned by the revelation.
As I stood there, absorbing the news of the school's closure, I realized that it marked the end of an era. No more children would endure the pain of bullying within those walls. My past, with all its struggles and memories, was now sealed away, a closed chapter in my life.
I sat on my knees, overwhlemed. It's over now. A chapter which will never open again for anyone.
They pushed me. I fell.
They threw me in water. I almost died.
They hit my head at wall. I fell unconscious.
They kicked in stomach. Blood flowed from my mouth.
They hated me. I got higher grades.
They called me names. Because I never accepted their acts.
They pushed me from stairs. My leg broke.
They attacked me. I was bedridden for weeks.
They broke me. I survived.
And all this is over now. I am free from it.
"Are you alright, dear?"" I looked up, wiping away my invisible tears. An old lady was standing there. And I realised I was sitting on my knees on roadside.
"Yes, yes, absolutely. Can I help you somehow?" Atleast everyone isn't cruel here.
"No, no. Take care" We both smiled and she walked ahead.
With a strange happiness in my chest, I stood up heading towards the coffee shop. I need to find Veer and the pendant as well. They both are attached.
Just as I pushed open the door to the shop, my attention consumed by my phone screen, a collision almost got me an at. A man had stumbled into me, his coffee cascading over my clothes.
Great. Just what I needed today. Now, my mind has started using sarcasm as well.
Fuck! My dress...
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