One week later
It has been a week since Lavanya saw Vihaan. After dropping him off at work from Airport she expected to meet him again, but it was as if he went back to avoiding her
It frustrated her that just when she thought she managed to break his isolation, he went back to hiding all over again. A part of her knew it might be just a coincidence and he might have been busy not avoiding her .
But the latter fact bothered her more as well, it was one thing to know he was avoiding her, it was another to realize she didn't even matter to him . After 7 days of frustration she decided to visit the Anjali's Children's home in hopes of meeting him .
She only met the proprietor Mr Pandey instead, she had no choice but to allow herself to be persuaded to join the others who had visited the orphanage for a tour .
If Lavanya hadn't been aware of Mr Pandey before she would have been taken by his sweet words as well. Every words from him was meant to wrench heart as he highlighted the suffering of the kids.
It was only when they got to Anjali, her self imposed calmness cracked as he heard him describe Anjali's life in cruel terms right before the little kid .
" This is Anjali. Her mother was one of the fallen women's you see. Who couldnt take care of her due to her chosen profession, when I went to ask her so I could provide a safe home for this little girl, she didn't even hesitate to give the girl to us .
But it had been already over a month before we managed to bring Anjali here, for first few days I didn't believe she would survive, and I couldn't even afford to give her the best medical treatment yet I did my best and see how healthy she is now " Mr Pandey finished speaking while Lavanya gaze was fixed at the little girl awhile Mr Pandey shed few more crocodile tears.
Something about the little girl face tugged her heart, and so Lavanya stayed behind while Mr Pandey moved on to elaborate his greatness.
" Anjali, are you crying? " Lavanya gently asked the little girl ,as contrary to the bubbly girl she met this one was little too silent .
" No, I am waiting till he leaves before playing with my new doll Bhai brought me last night " the girl answered back making Lavanya aware that she was the only one excluded from Vihaan reach.
" Does it affect you? What Mr Pandey said " Lavanya asked as she was still worried about the little girl, even when she was in an Children's home she was never once forced to hear such words against her parents .
" I know he lied. Bhai told me my parents died in an train accident and it was true I was sick, bhai told me all about it even now he refuses to let me play in rain " Anjali finished speaking up with confidence in Vihaan words that Lavanya was relived the child wasn't scarred by Pandey words .
It didn't diminish her anger though, Vihaan might not be able to raise his voice against Mr Pandey and the kids who are under his protection may not be able to speak up, but Lavanya couldn't stay silent .
So when she left Anjali after playing with the little kid for awhile , she went straight to the proprietor room . She walked in without a knock and was surprised to find a smiling Pandey and when Lavanya looked at the object of his happiness, she found he was holding few checks in his hand .
His face turned into a shock at her sight, but within few seconds he managed to erase the smile of his face .
" Isn't it wonderful when people like you find in their heart to help this unfortunate ones " Pandey voice greeted her and his eyes were filled with greed that Lavanya wondered if it was good to make an enemy out of him.
Yet she wouldn't forgive herself if she went back home with a word of protest .
" It is wonderful indeed Mr Pandey, but do you have to speak about the kids in such a way they may grow up scarred by their past, frankly I don't see the need to speak about their parents sordid past infront of the kids " Lavanya kept her voice pleasant not wanting to rile him up with her anger .
" I see. You were offended by my speech . If you stayed by my side till the end you would have found out the reason I had to go to the extreme . How about you give me five more minutes of your time, I would like you to accompany me to see the most important part of the tour " Mr Pandey words held such calmness that it made Lavanya wonder on how he could possibly explain treating the kids like that .
It was that curiosity that made her follow him, as he walked her towards the backside of the orphanage, and her feet stumbled when her eyes landed on the sight Pandey wanted to show her .
Not in her wildest imagine did she expect to see four burial plots, the size of them were not of a adult which meant kids and her heart squeezed in pain for the nameless kids .
" You may be offended by my words, but if those who visit don't see the kids or understand their dire stats then they won't help them . I have tried to make sure the children aren't subjected to the pity but it didn't provide me with the means to help them .
Each time I place a kid here. I know I failed them , if being an object of pity keeps them from lying in the cold soil I would do it . " Mr Pandey kept speaking but Lavanya eyes was fixated on a particular headstone .
" Roshini - Taken away from us way too soon " Lavanya eyes refused to move away from the plot, her eyes misted up and yet she refused to cry not in front of him. Yet he noticed her attention .
" Aww Roshini. She was just three years old when she left us, a heart problem that required a surgery that I couldn't afford. I tried begged and pleaded to everyone I knew yet no one came forth, and now seeing her buried here makes them help others " Mr Pandey was still speaking but Lavanya footsteps was already walking away.
She couldn't hear his sugar coated words, Lavanya remembered the little girl so clearly, she always believed the girl was adopted and living happily with her new family not lying here , when she reached her car she let her tears fall freely for the life that was taken away.
She didn't know why she drove the car to Akash father restaurant, and as she contemplated on whether to approach Vihaan in search of answers, the object of her thoughts stood before her.
Vihaan was assigned Valet parking that day, it was been a week since he saw his Angel. He wasn't avoiding her but truth was that he wasn't trying to reach her out either .
So when he saw her car making it way to the hotel entrance he couldn't help but prepare himself mentally for their meet and yet when she didn't get down from her car for more than few minutes, he was concerned enough to walk towards her car .
And when she saw him. She stepped out of the car and instead of handing the key to him. She gave it someone who was behind him and he turned around to look at his colleague who was assigned with the same task . He didn't understood her behavior until he saw the tear strained eyes .
" Lavanya .. " he spoke the word then made no move to say any more, he didn't know if she was willing enough to acknowledge him. The insecurities held him back until she looked at him as if finding courage to speak up .
" We need to talk " Lavanya spoke up and waited for him to react .
" I am working now, maybe some other time " Vihaan answered back as his eyes locked with his superior who was glaring at him for speaking with the customers but when he noticed the way her face fell, he decided to brave it enough to ask for a break from its superior .
" I will ask my boss first and if he was okay with it we can talk " Vihaan spoke up and Lavanya nodded her head in answer and turned around to see Vihaan boss as Vihaan walked towards him .
Lavanya noticed the lit of recognition in Vihaan boss face as he saw her , then remembered that he was on duty the last time she visited with her family who were accompanied by Akash's father and his family .
It was all he needed to know to grant Vihaan permission to speak with her. Lavanya didn't want to cause Vihaan trouble at his workplace but she knew she won't be able to sleep if she didn't find her answers .
Vihaan didn't fail to notice the recognition in his supervisor face as he saw his Angel. And it was because of that he allowed Vihaan to end his day soon when he still had two hours left .
" Go on, we can mange without you for a hour. Come back tomorrow on time " Sanjay Gupta spoke up shocking everyone else who worked under him, as it was wide known fact that he had immense dislike towards those who ask for break and he had never allowed anyone more than a five minutes break from their post.
As Vihaan walked Lavanya towards the hotel garden, where guests usually walked or relaxed after a tiring day . His mind kept wondering the reason behind the tears . And why she choose to come to him .
Lavanya walked beside him. Till he gestured her to sit on the bench that was located in a secluded spot yet she knew he choose the place for privacy .
" How long you have lived in that orphanage ?" his Angel's question surprised him and he wondered it must have weighed heavily on her mind after this last visit where she found out about Anjali .
" Ten years " he answered not willing to explain further, he didn't like talking about his past and he knew whatever that was bothering his Angel was something that was related to his past .
" How did Roshini die ?" Lavanya willed herself to utter the four words and saw the effect it had on Vihaan , she knew at the moment Roshini's death bothered him more than her yet was perplexed by the guilt etched in his face .
Vihaan knew there would come a day when his Angel finds out about Roshini , and those tears in her face made him aware she hadn't forgotten the little girl she played with four years ago. He knew he should tell her the truth yet he found himself asking her a question instead .
" You had one of his famous tours, were we are exhibited for coins " Vihaan can't help but be bitter about the fact his Angel saw the side of the kids he wanted to protect her from ever finding out.
" How did she die? I need to know Vihaan . I can't come to terms with it when I could have helped her with the surgery if only I knew about it . " Lavanya voice was filled with anguish and he realized she was feeling guilty as well for not being there for the little girl.
" It was a fever, not a heart problem like he told you. Every kid caught up with it except me and Manjula dida , the older ones rallied up soon and got better but the younger kids were unable to do so .
Roshini and Anjali both suffered for over a week with no sign of improvement, Anjali was just a year old and she had already been sick plenty of time before that I believed she will be the one who will succumb to it .
I was the one who was on charge to look after those two that night, It took me over two hours to make Anjali sleep and when Roshini kept talking throughout the time I believed she was getting well.
And so I asked her to sleep and not disturb Anjali. I was so concerned that Anjali showed no sign of improvement, I failed to notice Roshini was talking because she was delirious .
It was sign I should have noticed, she was talking because she had high fever that it made her confused and I thought she was getting better .
She went back to sleep because I asked too and never woke up. See you need not feel guilty it was I who killed her with my carelessness. " Vihaan finished speaking and noticed Lavanya was silently crying for the girl who was unable to live because of him .
Lavanya saw the way his face was filled with pain and her heart went out for him as well as Roshini, she remembered her orphanage and how Latha warden and Savitri dida took care of her when she was sick not some older kid in the orphanage .
Her heart went out for Vihaan who must have held himself responsible even when he did all he could do for Roshini . Now she understood the guilt in his face as she mentioned about Roshini .
" It is not your fault Vihaan . " Lavanya spoke up but she understood her words won't be able to lessen his guilt then it turned to anger over Pandey who let Vihaan take care of the kids and she knew he didn't even spend a single minute taking care of the kids. It was his job, his responsibly not Vihaan .
" How can you endure in silence when he used Roshini name to line up his pockets? " Lavanya spoke up a moment later.
" Because I have no power over him, Who do you think the world will believe him or me. It was why I asked you to be careful around him . He will not like anyone uncovering his lies " Vihaan spoke up as he noticed the anger his Angel was trying to conceal from him .
" Is that why you choose to become doctor because of Roshini? " Lavanya asked him a moment later trying desperately to change the subject to a pleasant one than the one that made her furious .
" No. It's because being a doctor pays better than the rest" Vihaan answered as he refused to let his Angel making him out to be someone he was not .He saw the way her face deflate with his answer.
" I wanted to be a Paediatrician because I love to be around kids, but I am scared that I am not strong enough to see them in pain " Lavanya spoke up as she began to worry if she could shoulder the responsibilities for their life.
" You might not be able to help all of them Lavanya but I know you will try your best . The world is filled with people who always keep taking from others for their benefit it needs someone like you who would give selflessly. " Vihaan didn't know why he let her know his thought about her but it was Worth the smile that lit up her face .
They talked for a few more minutes and Lavanya only allowed herself to leave after she got a call from Akash's mother who was worried that she didn't come home yet .
And she can't help but cry all over again when she talked with her mom that night , it took her mom over an hour to sooth her and she drifted off to sleep that night with a tear strained face .
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The next day Lavanya prepared herself for a battle of will , Vihaan was right to caution her again Mr Pandey but Lavanya wasn't going to stand back and let him hurt the kids .
She was going to help them and if it means a war than she was prepared to start one. She had her speech all prepared until she saw his room was already occupied by someone else
Mr Pandey looked at her with shock and rushed his visitor out before turning towards her that Lavanya wondered why the secrecy over the woman .
" I thought about Roshini all day long and we can't have another Roshini in our midst and it was because of that i talked with my uncle Rohit. And he used his connection to have all the kids get a free medical check at his friend's hospital next week .
I am sure you would be delighted about it " Lavanya spoke up and smiled as if she didn't notice his grim expression.
She quelled his protest that he didn't have any funds if there was a problem with the kids by agreeing to undertake any additional expenses . As Lavanya walked away from him room. She knew she got on his wrong side but it didn't matter as the kids health comes first .
She went to the parking lot for her car and saw the same woman now holding a little girl and the silent tears in the woman face made Lavanya walk towards them .
" Is there anything I can do to help? " Lavanya found herself speaking as her eyes gazed at the little girl who close to her brothers age .
" I am hungry " the little girl spoke up and Lavanya's heart broke at the anguish in her mother face .
" What is your name Sweetheart?" Lavanya spoke as her hand reached inside the bag that contained the snacks she brought for the kids .
" Ananya Rathore " the girl answered with a smile as her little hands reached out to take the biscuits .
P.S : " That it for now . Let me know your thoughts and Feedback. Hit the votes if you liked it "
Love
Juanita