Love is a spontaneous emotion

Chapter 22 Please Read This Letter.

The next morning, Raghu had his flight to Boston. Getting ready, he came downstairs early in the morning . Naanima was waiting for him . She took him to the pooja room ( prayer room) and made him light the ghee lamps, and Raghu lighting the lamps bowed to God and also touched Naanima's feet seeking her blessings.

They both walked to the dining room, where Neerav and Naav were waiting at the dining table. Raghu joined them, and Naanima served them coffee and sat down with her cup, pulling out a chair for herself.

Neerav spoke, asking where was Maithili, looking at Raghu. Raghu was quiet. Then, turning his attention to Naav, he asked her to wake her up and bring her downstairs as her husband was leaving . He said he wanted Maithili to accompany him to the airport to see him off.

Naav tried to stand up, but Raghu bet her to that and said ,"No need to bring her here .I don't want her anywhere near me. I married her only because of your insistence,Dad. Let it be as it is? Now that I have fulfilled your wishes even if it was'nt mine, can you let me leave in peace?

Neerav looked at him and then looked at his mother in law knowingly and said, " All right, Raghu,if that is what you want."

Raghu stood up to get get his luggage and Neerav went inside to get the car keys when Maithili came down and walking upto Raghu she gave him an envelope and said , "Raghuji, I wanted to tell you so many things yesterday but unfortunately I could'nt so I wrote this letter. Please read this after your flight takes off.

Raghu took the envelope from Maithili and stuffed it into his backpack, and without even glancing at her, he walked out.

Neerav drove Raghu to the airport and saw him off.

Maithili left to her room and went back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

Later in the morning, Maithili came down after finishing her morning ambulations and going to the prayer room she offered her prayers and came to the dining table. Naav too came for breakfast at the same time chirping,"Good morning Mitto". Maithili greeted her back and sat down.Savithri Thai served them dosa ,chutney, and coffee. They both chitchatted through the breakfast.

As they both finished their breakfast, Naanima called Maithili to her room to discuss something important . She promptly obeyed and went to her room and sat down on the bed, taking her feet on her lap and started massaging them and looking at her expectantly.

Naanima spoke,"Maithili , I am aware of what is going on between you and Raghu . Don't get disheartened by his behaviour . He is going through a lot, and so are you. Time will heal every wound . I trust in God. Right now, Raghu is not in the right frame of mind to comprehend if we talked some sense into him .All I ask from you is to be patient, Mitto."

Maithili said, " Ok Naanima. I understand that whatever you did is to help me ,to keep me safe and away from my mother, but I didn't know that you did it at the cost of your grandson's happiness. Raghuji told me that he did'nt marry me willingly, why Naanima why would you do this to your own Grandson whom you love so dearly and who means the world to you, why did you choose my safety and well-being over his happiness?"

Naanima, who was not expecting Raghu to reveal the facts to Maithili at this stage, was baffled. She was'nt prepared for this. She looked at Maithili and said, "Mitto, We knew what we were doing when we got him to agree for this marriage. Trust me, kiddo, you both will make a happy couple in the near future. You are an angel, and he is hell bent not to see that just because of some misconstrued notion. He is making a mistake, but as soon as he realizes that, he will change his attitude towards you and will fall in love with you. You are a rare gem, Mitto. We want him to see that. Actually, we want him to find out that by himself, and we are determined to create favourable opportunities for that to happen. Right now, his emotions are clouding his judgement, and he has made up his mind to believe what he wants to believe. At this stage, if we push hard to explain to him to prove your virtues, it will backfire. All that we need to do is to let the dust settle down first, and later, we can plan our move. Mitto, you are safe and sound, and away from that woman, that is what matters. Even the thought of what Shalini would have done to you after returning from the prison had you still been in your parents' house sends a chill down my spine. That woman has no conscience. I thank Goddess Durga a million times for you are here with us under our protection."

Maithili felt grateful and guilty at the same time. Grateful to her Neerav Uncle and Naanima for thinking about her safety,well-being, and happiness but guilty because they thought about her happiness over Raghuji's. Rahuji is their blood and flesh, and she was nobody to them, but still, they cared about her as their own even to an extent that they put her before their own son and grandson. Who would do such an act of kindness?

Maithili said,"Naanima, I don't know what to say. You even went against Raghuji's wish and took the decision to protect me by getting me married to him and bringing me to your house. I don't think I can ever pay you back for your kindness. I promise you, Naanima, I will give you anything and everything, even if it means my life to me if you asked me to. Naanima, but I still feel guilty for what happened with Raghuji amidst all this."

Maithili and Naanima hugged each other, and words were not necessary to express what they felt for each other.

Raghu boarded the flight. It was a direct flight from Dehli to Boston, and from Boston, he would take a connecting flight to Cambridge.

After settling down in his seat ,Raghu opened the letter .....