MEANT TO BE

Chapter-14

This is Eid; the once in a year festival, Ramia came into her room it's been years she have attended a festival with family not to mention praying in jamaat(prayer) was the most serene moment after years. She tried to remove her bandage to clean she almost forgot to change it due to all this chaos but seems like it got tangled, she started struggling with it for a minute while a hand reached to the bandage making an end of her struggle, she stays still eyes making her head down, eyes glued to the hand which untangled the bandage...it was that watch which she have given him yesterday it really suited him well, she was aware who the person could be yet she did not dare to look up, he was so close to her there were a strange feeling which she was unable to describe. A faint fragrance of his lemon mint shampoo hit her nostrils while he was putting antiseptic for as she was sitting on the bed and he was kneeling on the floor in front of her.

"are you fond with injuries? Re-bandage was supposed to be done yesterday"

"Hmm" she was unable to speak out a word .Tahir felt something strange in her reply and do not drag it further, he silently completed his work and both of them looked up at the same time. He looked directly into her eyes if eyes could have power both of them would have had holes in their hearts. Tahir was still kneeling down on one leg unknowing the fact that he still have her newly bandaged hand on his palm. Tahir felt an uneven acceleration on his heartbeat, she had wore that white anarkali that he selected, her white dupatta(you can Google it) was lying on her shoulder covering half of her hairs on the back making her bangs come in front of her face as they were playing with the wind. Both of them came out from their imaginary world in a fraction and averted their gazes, Tahir quickly stood up on his feet.

"Ma was calling you for breakfast, come quickly" he blurted out as soon as possible avoiding any eye contact while she nodded her head in agree. Tahir get out of her room while Ramia sat on bed keeping her hand over her heart "what was that! Am I going to be mad, it's better tomorrow leave this place as soon as possible. On the other side Tahir sat on the chair "You have really gone mad better stay away from her anyway she will leave tomorrow" he scolded himself in his mind.

Breakfast on the dinning table was peaceful and warm with all the family members around yet it was a bit uncomfortable as they have to sit exact opposite to each other...trying to avoid each other without making it obvious. She entered to the living room where all other siblings and some of there friends were gathered around while putting mehndi(Google it) on their hands. Mahi noticed her coming.

" Api, come here let me put some mehndi to you"

" Me!, no no I'm fine you guys carry on"

" Please, I'm a very good designer. I'll make your hand more beautiful"

"It's ok, no need of that"

"Please! please!" after her lot of begging she agreed. Mahi started making designs on her hand.

" Api, is it's a birthmark or a scar" she indicates to the scar on her wrist, a flashback from her childhood flashed in front of her.

[ A little Ramia was trying to put mehndi on her hand by herself while a little boy came and sat beside her , "give it to me, I can make it better" he snatched the tube and tried to put it on her hand while she swift away her hand. "No thanks, you will spoil my design"

"Design! You call it design! Let me see" he garbed her hand and looked at the design carefully "What's this...a goat!"

"Goat! It's a flower...a rose" she said being furious

" See your flower is looking like a goat, give it to me I can make you a beautiful design"

"Are you sure?"

"100%" she gave him her hand while he gladly started making design on her little palm with utmost care while she was waiting eagerly, soon he completed his work.

" see " she looked at her palm excitedly but soon the excitement turned into horror as she looked at the random geometrical patterns on her hand.

"What is this?"

"This is an unique design, you can found eight kind of geometrical patterns here. Isn't it amazing" He said with a big smile while she was furious as hell.

"Are you kidding me! And what...what is this?" she looked at the 'A' written on a corner of her palm.

" Can't you read it's 'A' as in my name"

"I know it but it's my hand why have you written your name?"

"That's because don't know why my older cousins always tease my saying you are my destiny, which I don't like so why would I suffer alone. See I've written my name on your fate-line (he indicated at the line of her palm) from today onwards I'm your destiny too"

"Are you crazy! Why would you be my destiny, I don't want it"

" So am I"

" Then remove it now"

"No way, I've worked hard on it" she tried to remove it and he grab her on her wrist to prevent in this fight the glass bangle of her hand break and struck into her flesh]

"That jerk" Ramia cursed him under her breath

"Sorry"

"Huu...did you say something?"

"This is?"

"This...this is a scar, a gift from my all time enemy"

"All time enemy!" Ramia nodded her head and chuckled with her.

.

Taseefa hurriedly came into the living room with a bowl in her hand, “Taste it” she hold the bowl in front of Ramia who was trying to dry her mehndi.

“This is?”

“ Kheer ( a recipe made of milk and rice ), I’ve made it in a different way. Taste it and tell me how it is?”

“But my hand ...” she showed her two hands, one have a bandage wrapped around and other have mehndi on it.

“It’s ok then, I can feed you” Ramia tastes the kheer while looking at her aunty who was feeding her lovingly. She was wearing that saree she gifted... definitely looking beautiful.

“How is it?”

“Amazing, really...but” Ramia seemed quite absent minded.

“But, is it tastes bad?”

“No no it’s not that, it’s just this taste seems quite familiar but I can’t recall it”

“How’s that possible it’s my secret recipe, I myself haven’t made it for years”

“Hmm, maybe just an illusion” Taseefa completed feeding her and went to the kitchen hurriedly as she was cooking something... forgetting to make her drink water. Ramia was going to call her back instead she herself tried to hold the glass with her injured hand. She was about to grab the glass while...he grab it first and held it in front of her, she looked up to him and once again she find herself trapped in his intense gaze.

“ drink it” she came out from the trap and drank the water, she left long sigh when Tahir left the room.

.

.

Eid in village is really a different feeling, although she have grown up in this environment after this long it’s all seems quite new to her. There were a big fair set up at the village, all of them spend their day there with enormous joy, laughter, rids, food and everything they could do to be happy. Ramia thanked her almighty in her heart to make her be with them for a day, especially this day. She knew they were just strangers whom she knew for merely 36 hours and they will never meet again, still each second she have spend with them will be something she would like to cherish for long and it’s a thing that scared her most.... after all emotional attachments were never for her. After spending a tiring long day all of them were sitting together in the living room while Mahi says with excitement.

“ It was such an amazing day, Ramia Api this was your first time spending eid on village right? How was it?”

“Great, Thank you for all this, it was really fun”

Taseefa: What are you thanking about , it was just a day you spend with us.

Faria: come to think of it you really spent only a day and half with us. Still it feels like we know each other for long... Ramia, would you mind if I ask you to stay for a few more days with us.

Dan came out from his sit and sat beside Ramia,

Dan: Api, please only one day more.

Ramia: It was really nice to be with you all, even it was a day and I would love to spend some more but I don’t think I can. Some important works have piled up that need my involvement.

Farhan: Then give us your address we are planning to visit Tahir bhai’s place at Delhi on our vacation. We will come to meet you.

Ramia with a half smile: Really, will you do that! But you can’t meet me there cause I’m not going back to Delhi .

All of them seemed confused by her reply.

“ I’m leaving for U.S.A tomorrow not Delhi, something important came up at that branch” Tahir looked at Ramia.

“ Wow U.S.A, It’s my favorite foreign country ” Mahi exclaimed with admiration.

“How long you are going to stay?” She asked again

“I’m not sure maybe for a long time” Tahir felt quite uneasy with her each reply but why... he have no idea.

“Is that mean you are not going to come back?” Taseefa asked with concern.

“ Maybe, maybe not. It depends”

“We will miss you” Dan said with a sad face and Ramia pinched his cheek lovingly.

.

Ramia was lying on her bed but sleep was far away from her eyes. she get off from the bed and stood on the small balcony in front of the glass window. She looked up to the sky, leaving the country was not in her bucket list,

“There are really nothing left for me in this country ( a drop of tear fell on her hand from her eyes) yeah...I’m the foolish one” somewhere in a corner of her heart there were a slight hope that maybe her father will acknowledge her but after all this years when she looked at her father’s eyes there were still had the same hatred, nothing have changed at all, She was really a foolish to think something like that. She wiped the corner of her eyes and was about to get into the room while her eyes felt on the person just entered on the balcony of the next room...Tahir. She didn’t knew he was staying next to her. Tahir’s eyes felt on her it was unexpected, he had came for some air. Tahir averted his gaze and she gets into her room silently while he stayed there for a bit.

.

.

Tahir was driving silently with his eyes on the road while Ramia was sitting on the front seat, She was on her way to the airport. All the way they stayed silent it was awkward so he tried to break it first.

“Are you going alone?”

“I’m not a minor why would I need a companion”

“I mean your secretary or manager no one is going?”

“They have their work here ”

“Sounds like you are going settle there”

“Maybe” He looked at her for a second.. sure she have her future too, both of them have so many things on their mind but they choose to be silent after all they were just strangers and now... it’s ending. It’s good everything is going as per their prediction, nothing is weird at all. They reached to the Airport, Ramia came out from the car and tried to get her luggage while Tahir came from behind and took it for her.

“I’m being polite” He said and walked forward while she followed him behind. Ramia waited at the VIP lodge while Tahir completed all formalities, there were nothing new in this for Ramia as every time her secretary or manager used to do this for her but she felt something new while she watched him doing this, She didn’t understand nor she tried as...it was ending. Tahir reached to her and handed all the papers , soon they heard announcement.

“ Thank You” Ramia said with a slight curve of smile.

“ All of a sudden”

“It’s just...just like that”

“Hmm” He didn’t knew how to reply so he just nodded.

“Maybe we will never meet again... best of luck” She extended her hand for a handshake... he held out his hand and shook with her.

“For what?”

(for your marriage) she thought in her mind but couldn’t express instead

“for...everything”.

“ You too, wish you have a great future ahead” They heard a second announcement.

“Goodbye”

“Have a safe journey” Ramia took her leave while Tahir walked towards the exit door. Ramia felt something off , it’s not her first journey but this time she felt something left behind, she have always believed in looking forward leaving everything behind but this time she felt an urge of looking back....she stopped on her track with a battle of heart and mind...no nothing have changed...nothing can waver her heart she let the mind win and walked to the entry gate without looking back.

It’s not that Tahir have came to see off his someone dearer still he felt something is going away, he stopped on his track...how could this possible! There were no way his heart could waver, They were just strangers and now everything is going back to it’s place...it’s an ending for everyone’s good...no he can’t let that stupid heart win and he walked away to the exit door without looking back.

It was really an ending!