Hopeful Streaks

Chapter 20

The next day, it was Mitha who woke up first. When she opened her eyes, Ajay was sleeping as such; inclining back on the chair, with his long masculine legs stretched along the bed. She ascended and looked at Ajay, and the coffee cups beside the bed. A small smile, stuck to her face when she had to realize that Ajay had come to allure and comfort her. She let out a chuckle and tumbled out of the bed.

When she was in the kitchen, making morning coffee; the piercing sun light made Ajay open his eyes, with a yawn. When he found Mitha to be no where inside the room, he perceived that she must be somewhere in the house, probably making coffee and breakfast.

He got out of the chair, and traipsed to his room; and on having a shower and getting dressed up, when he came back he found her on the couch, sitting with her coffee and magazine in her hands. He went to her and sat beside her.

"I am sorry!", he mumbled.

"Don't forget to inform any one of us, hereafter. We're here to worry about you! Know by heart!!", she said in a strict tone, without looking anywhere else from the coffee cup.

"I agree. I will do that hereafter!", he agreed.

She looked at him and smiled,"Good!"

"So, Am I forgiven?", Mitha asked, remembering how he reacted to her on Divya's birthday.

"Long back!", he chuckled and started to walk ahead, with his usual druthers; that made Mitha sit and watch him until his tall frame vanished.

A week got ahead. There were no changes in what happened between them. That day, when Mitha was sitting on the table whilst Ajay was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for them, Ajay's phone buzzed on the table.

"Jay, your phone is ringing!", she shrilled from the table.

"See, who it is! I will come in a minute!", he shouted back from the kitchen. She felt good when he said that. He'd never asked her to take his phone or do any of his personal things. Mitha, realized that he was trusting her all again.

She took the phone to her hands, and squinted into the screen and informed,"Adhvik, it says!"

"Oh, Dhvi! Attend the call and ask him what is it!", he squalled back. Mitha swiped the call, and took it to her ears remembering who Adhvik must be. And then that hit her mind, Adhvik was Ajay's paternal cousin whom she had met on their wedding reception party.

"Hey, Ajay!", Adhvik spoke in an urgency.

"Hi! Mitha here. Ajay is in the middle of some work. He asked me to attend the call.", Mitha said softly.

"Hey. Hi! Can I talk to Ajay? Please.", Adhvik spoke back in a lightening speed, that made Mitha worry.

"Yeah. Okay! In a minute.". she replied and quickened her walk towards the kitchen. She entered the kitchen, and walked to the cabinet where Ajay was handling pans; with his taut muscles being stretched. For a second, she had to bring back to herself that there was an emergency phone call, and she shouldn't drool at him, at that moment.

"Adhvik!", she said handing over the phone to him. He grasped the phone from her hands, and held the phone with his ear, rested on shoulders, while his hands were busy working on their breakfast. Mitha, stood beside and the curiosity was killing her. She stood there, folding her hands close to her chest; looking at Ajay's face.

As she stood, scrutinizing his face; in a minute his face stiffened and his reaction changed totally and before disconnecting the call, it was grumpy that Okay that he left out. He cut the call, and handed over the phone to Mitha.

It's been ten minutes, since he spoke on the phone; it's been ten minutes since he shut his mouth. Mitha, anticipated him to open his mouth, but he didn't. She, decided to ask out about the phone call.

"What did Adhvik say? Is everything okay?", she asked disturbing Ajay from his deep inner thoughts.

"Ah, what did you ask?", he asked her to come again. Mitha, was totally shocked by hearing that he had just zoned out. Ajay, never did that. She assumed herself that there was something big, going in and out; whirling inside his head.

"What did Adhvik say?, She asked again, stressing out each and every word.

Ajay, paused his works for a moment; and turned to her side utterly, and on looking straight into her eyes, he mumbled,"He said that my father is dead!"

The place where Mitha was standing, appeared like it was going to c***k down and the earth was going to swallow her wholly! Like, how casually a guy could say that!

'MY FATHER IS DEAD!!', the words kept hemming in her head.

"You've your parents alive? You never told me!", Mitha gasped, looking at him; with tear drops gathered in her eyes.

Ajay stiffened more, and he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth,"They haven't done anything to me in the way to boast about them! I am getting late to office.", he said in a total grumpy manner.

"Ajay! Are you serious? Your father is

dead! And you want to go to your office! Are you mad?", Mitha, shrieked!

"You should've got to know that he's no important to me, when i talk like this. He has another family,to take care of his last rites. After all, he was just my biological father. He hadn't even bothered to check if I and Divya, existed all these years!", Ajay spoke, and when he ended it was a mere yell.

"You've got to tell me, Ajay! I am just shocked by hearing that your dad is alive. You've never told me that your parents were alive.", she whooped.

Ajay, turned to exit the kitchen; without replying her. Mitha, followed him to his room. She was unable to correspond with his long strides. Somehow , she managed to sprint and crawl following him. Once, they were into the room, she resumed,"I am rightful to know Ajay! You're telling me now.",she was rigorous in knowing what was behind him.

Ajay's eye brows remained furrowed. She came to his front, and on looking at his incited eyes, that were trying to hide the whole story from her, she gasped,"You can tell me what's bothering you!", she said and took her hands to him and clutched his hands firmly. She didn't really care being embarrassed by him, like it happened the other day. He looked back at her. And all she could see was the pain, that's been feasting upon him, since years.

"What're you trying to do to me?", he whispered calling her words to mind.

"I want you to spit out everything. You've been strangling yourself with a hurtful, n***d truth, all these years. I want you to be happy and carefree in the way that the smile on your lips reaches your eyes. But never once, I'd seen you smiling like that. You've something inside, that's shaking you up! You're an open book to me, and you know well that you cannot hide something when i ask you like this. Don't try further.", she used those words, to at least make him believe that he can't hide something from her. But what she said  the verifiable reality, he couldn't stow away. He couldn't let his scars remain unseen.

"Mitha..", he whispered looking at her, still holding her hands like a lost kid.

"Tell me, Ajay! Tell me what's fussing over you.", she asked looking at him, that could even melt him into a small puddle underneath her feet.

"My parents are divorced! They realized that they were not made for each other; but it took just a little long!", he said with a dry, one sided smile taking up his face. Mitha, listened to him keenly.

"They realized it only after making two kids! My dad married another woman, and my mom married another man! I and Divya were left alone, in a residential school. We never got to know what's parental love. They just used to send money to the school for us to study. They'd never visited us once, after forcing us there. We were left alone, in a total eclipse.." He paused as he choked. His eyes were evident of being exhausted, going through all those pain.

Mitha, had always thought that it was Sana's betrayal that'd changed and re-constructed Ajay into a total, different, rude mogul. But when she had to listen to Ajay, she herself felt bad for Ajay and Divya.

"We were not there in their priority list. I passed my school and i did part time work, while i was in college. And then, Sana happened in my life. Once again, after ages everything struck me as being perfect. I thought it would be the same till the end. One more time, the reality hit me hard. Really hard this time, that my girlfriend ditched me and cheated on me. With that, i decided not to involve into any kind of emotions. I decided not to have anyone for me, by my side. I had none, except Mathews, who helped me during the crisis. And Adhvik used to be on friendly terms with me." He said looking at the window, staring at a point aimlessly, that helped him to blurt out everything to her. Mitha, was unable to control her tears on hearing all these emotional saga from Ajay. She could now perceive, that this was what Math mentioned as his pain and hurt. She slowly placed her hands on his shoulder, distracting his aimless gaze, outside the window.

"So, this is it!", he uttered looking at her eyes.

"Let's go to your father's funeral.", she said softly, still soothing his hands, tangling her arms along with his.

"Do you still think that what i am doing now isn't fair, to my father?", Ajay gritted his teeth, crossly.

"I can understand; what they'd done to you isn't fair. But just, try to face the truth that whatever had happened, he is your father and you're his son. We shouldn't skip, going to his funeral. Just because that he hadn't been a father to you, I doesn't attest that you've to reciprocate that. After all, he is no more!!", she pleaded.

He didn't respond.

She clutched his hands, more firmly and whispered,"Please!" She was still, having tears in her eyes. She knew that he wouldn't forgive his father, but at least taking him to his funeral would be blameless.

Ajay nodded in concise. With that, they drove off to the address that Adhvik had given, to them.

On reaching the address, Ajay got off the car and Mitha, followed behind him. After all, she knew no one there except him; provided that she had met Adhvik during their wedding reception. Ajay, stood in a corner staring at his father's corpse, and it is being surrounded by another family. When they were standing, together and while Ajay was lost in his thoughts, about everything that's been happening since morning, Mitha's gaze fell on a little girl standing beside her; who showed every sign of waiting to seek her attention.

Mitha, went on her knees; to enquire the kid what she wanted and that's when the girl pointed out Adhvik standing in a corner. Mitha, saw him and the kid in a to and fro manner, and the girl gestured her to go, meet Adhvik. Mitha was confused, by seeing what the girl just did. She patted the girl's bubbly cheeks, and nodded her head with a dry smile.

She chinned up and looked at Adhvik, who was sincerely trying to escort Mitha, alone to tell her something. She looked back at Ajay, who was standing beside her; she slowly paced backwards and after a few steps; she hasted her steps and reached Adhvik in no time.

"Hi!", He smiled awkwardly as soon as she reached him.

"Huh, Hi!", she replied back and stopped, anticipating him to proceed.

"Huh! I thought Ajay wouldn't come here!", he said and dropped his head down, that clearly signified that he was hesitating to talk to her.

"Hkmm.. ", he cleared his throat.."Thanks for bringing him here. I know that it's you who'd made him come!", Adhvik had guessed it right.

"Adhvik! It's transparent that you're hesitating to tell something. Please don't hesitate, you can tell me whatever you wanted to say.", she said calmly and waited for him to talk.

"Ahh! Coming to the point directly. I met Ajay's mom!", he said pushing Mitha into an extravagant shock. Within she could become conscious of his words, her phone started buzzing; the screen displayed Ajay's name.

While, Mitha was standing without an idea of what to do next, regardless of saying that she was already undergoing a smashing earth quake, after hearing to Adhvik.

Adhvik, apprehended that Ajay had started searching for Mitha.

"I guess, he's searching for you. May be we'll talk later, about this. You better go, stay with him. And don't let him know about what i said just now. Huh?", Adhvik spoke in a hurry. Mitha, agreed quickly and started moving towards his car, before attending the call so that she could manage by saying that, she was nearby the car.

On moving to the car, she attended the call and answered.

"Where did you go?", Ajay's stern voice hit her and tickled her.

"I..i am near by the car. Why? What happened? Are you okay?", she jabbered.

"Okay. Wait there! I will come.", he said and disconnected the call and in some time, she found Ajay striding towards her.

Ajay reached the car, and unlocked the car; and on stuffing themselves in and igniting the car, he accelerated it. They didn't exchange words, after that. Or she didn't want to make him talk. He was more like, immersed in something from which nothing could bring him up.

As soon as they reached home, he parked his car expertly, and strode in to his room, and locked up himself. May be he's in for a shower, Mitha thought. After sometime Straight away, he came to Divya and sat beside her; and on holding her hands, he leaned back and closed his eyes. Mitha, noticed all that was happening around her. When she walked to Divya's room, he was sitting still.

She went abreast him, and sat beside him. Ajay, sat still without acting in answer to her action. He had his head dropped, brows furrowed and brain occupied by something. Mitha even thought, if she shouldn't have kindled his past and forced him to go to the funeral. She started feeling guilty. Being unable to withstand, facing his depressed face anymore, she moved to the kitchen to cook something for him, as he hadn't taken food since that morning.

In two hours time, when she had finished cooking; she paced to her room to find her Jay, but he wasn't there. She lumbered to his room, to check if he was there. To her relief, she found him sitting in his bed, with his head buried in his largish palms; with his fingers chucking his hair. She felt it paining, to push him into that circumstance.

She moved to him, and sat beside him. He swayed his head to her, and looked at her longingly. The gaze was utterly demanding something sincere. The fixed stare, was pitying and Mitha opened her mouth finally, "Come, let's eat!", she said in low, and in an inarticulate manner.

Ajay, on taking a gander at her eyes, nodded his head slightly emphasizing, that what he wanted wasn't food! He sighed, immediately and gasped,"I want to sleep!"

Mitha, smiled at him loading off her mind and on directing out the bed, and spoke in a low voice ,"Close your eyes and sleep!"

Ajay, didn't take his glance off her eyes, neither did she. Those hankering eyes never left her's whilst he took his long legs up to the bed, and leaned back; by resting his head on Mitha's lap. That's when, she realized that he'd mentioned this as sleeping.

Her lips lurched into a smile, swiftly. As soon as Ajay, rested his head on her, he sensed that what he did was right, she was the one who could soothe him. She soon, raised her hands up, to his head and started stroking his ruffled, messy hair; acknowledging his act of sleeping on her lap.