Chapter 2
1308 Words
"That is of course if you want!
Mr. Singhania has clearly told me that there's no compulsion, not even morally. "
"He said....he would understand if you don't want to...."
Realizing that silence would do no good to the situation no matter how hard it is to speak she finally croaked out.
"Thank you Mr. Charchit but I would like to see that letter. "
It would be now one of the most precious things she possesses.
Wiping away the rest of the tears she asked. "Should I come to your office to receive it?"
"Well I am leaving for the funeral right now! You can get it there if you are coming. "
"The funeral is now? "
"Yes! So are you coming? "
"Yes...yes of course. "
"She was a nice lady. I hope her soul rests in peace. "
Alisha never liked this man Charchit, the same man who negotiated the terms and conditions of her divorce with Aditya but for the first time she could not disagree with him.
"Yes she was a very loving and kind lady indeed. May her soul rests in peace. "
"See you there then, Ms. Bose. "
And Alisha hanged up without giving further reply afraid that she may break into sobs right then holding the phone to ear.
She could not believe it! One more person was gone. Someone who loved her....once again!
And here she was getting the news from a barely known man.
And the worst part was that she felt like thousands year had passed since she was born. That everybody left. Every single person! And she stood and watched them leaving.
Picking up her phone once again she called Navya.
"Please cancel today's meeting. I need to go somewhere else. "
***
Amongst the sea of white, women in white sarees, men in white kurta Alisha would have felt embarrassed for the peach colored business suit she was doning today.
Yes, she would have felt embarrassed if she would have cared to the innumerable looks thrown her way, as she walked through the throngs of people upto the front on the infertile land where the wooden pyre was set up, the fragile, petite form of a lady laid on top of it.
And just beside it stood her son Aditya, her ex-husband. His eyes fixed on his mother with a look of longing that Alisha had never seen before.
As though feeling her gaze on him, he looked up and a sudden expression of relief passed through his eyes before he masked it and looked else where and did not look when she stepped forward with the white jasmine garland and put it down near Kaveri's feet.
'The lucky woman! ' Alisha smiled bitterly. 'Got out from her miseries already. 'Saying that though she did not feel like the person was really gone. The ethereal smile on the lady's face was still intact and her pink soft skin still glowing like it always did.
Her eyes were closed and she felt as though she would open those bright hazel eyes any moment now and grin at her sheepishly like she always did.
Like she did when she got married to his son.
Like she did when poking out a love confession from her son in her own mischievous way.
Like she did when she met Joe, her granddaughter for the first time.
She looked as the priest handed a fire torch to Aditya and he put it down to the wooden logs below where the beautiful lady lay, just like he had done before when her five year old daughter lay on that white sheet covered in flowers on a similar pyre and it was just a matter of seconds before it all caught fire, a humongous fire that had burned every hope, every thought, every feeling with it, leaving only the black ashes behind just like it did now.
As she bid farewell to someone for her long journey ahead.
"Don't cry! Everything will be alright. " Not until this all too familiar deep voice spoke these words into her ears that she realized, she was crying, profusely!
A arm simultaneously went around her shoulders and she had no hesitation in accepting the comfort that she knew she will find in those arms even if just for a few moments.
She watched as the fire grew, bathing them both in the deep orange glow of the pyre.
"Aditya....."
"Humm..." he replied without a second thought looking down at the lady in his arms that he had divorced just a year before.
"When would I be there? "Alisha asked looking for answers in those olive green eyes she had once been in love with.
"Where? " He asked, his eye brows furrowing in confusion.
"In a pyre like this and you would put fire to end all my pain and miseries like you did for Joe and for your mother. When would you do this for me? "
"How could you say that Ali? Y-you are being selfish like you have always been! Think about me once before you say things like this! " And then she was pulled closer, almost crushing her into a all too familiar hard chest, the smell of musk and cinnamon engulfed her while the fire grew on.
***
Throwing herself down on the couch of her living room, she closed her eyes feeling another attack of headache coming over when she heard a soft clinking sound nearby. Opening her eyes she found a glass of orange juice on the coffee table.
Looking up she found her house maid veena already leaving the room.
Not having anymore energy to shout out a thank you she kept it to herself and sipped the cool liquid when someone called on her cell.
"Hello? "
"Hello Ms. Bose. Advocate Charchit Singh speaking. "
"Oh...yes!" And realization dawned upon her that she hadn't taken the letter from him yet.
"I am sorry Mr. Singh I forgot to take that letter from you. I-I was just so...." she winced silently as the pang of headache hit her one after another.
"That's alright! Nothing to apologize Ms."
"So should I come to your office to get it?"
"No need Ms. Bose Mr. Singhania asked me if I could deliver that letter to you so I am already on my way to your home. "
"Thank you so much. "
And she hanged up realizing that just the name Mr. Singhania bought so many new memories to her mind now. Things that had happened between them just two hours ago.
The way he whispered near her ear.
The way his arm went around her shoulder to support her.
The way he looked down at her engulfing her into his arms.
Did....did that mean anything?
And those words, "How could you say that Ali? Y-you are being selfish like you have always been! Think about me once before you say things like this! "
Gulping down the whole glass of juice at once with a tablet of anasin she retired to her room then, resisting herself from thinking about it, afraid that she might find something that she shouldn't and as if on cue her phone pinged with a new message from 'Aditya.'
Her heart skipped beats, more than she could ever care to count as she clicked the 'open' option.
I am so sorry for what happened today Alisha! I didn't know why I did, what I did! And I am very sorry for that now that I am back to my senses.
Please accept my apology! I wasn't in my right mind when all that happened. I hope you will understand!
@ Aditya.
She don't know why but tears came streaming down her face right then as she sobbed sliding down on the floor.
- Writer
