Chapter 6

[NOCOPY]

5.  Walking With A Broken Heart

The next day she woke up late and had to rush to work. She was a retail sales associate at Darveys International. From 9-5, she worked there and later assisted Shruti at her beauty salon. 

On her way, she received Tejas' call.

'Hi. How are you now?'

'Good. Why do you ask?'

'Last night you didn't look fine.'

'Nahi toh. Aisa kuch nahi hai.'

'You sure? You left early too,' he asked.

'Hmm. I left early because you know I cannot leave Dadi alone for long. And...' She stopped midway wondering to reveal more or not.

'And?'

'I was just taken aback by the revelation. You didn't mention her at all and then suddenly this...'

'Mujhe khud ko nahi pata chala yaar...kab, kaise ho gaya. Bas ho gaya'

Even though Kirti could not see him right now, she knew him enough to imagine that dreamy look that must have taken his face.

'I did not even realize when I fell for her once again.'

Kirti felt like a sharp knife twisting her chest. 

'Are you angry with me?' He asked.

'No. Why would I be? Tujhse gussa chahun toh bhi nahi ho sakti kabhi.'

'Thank God! I was so worried that I couldn't even sleep properly. You weren't even responding to my texts.'

'I was out of battery and there was an electricity cut so...' She cleanly lied.

'Kirti you should leave that pigeon hole and shift to somewhere better. How many times I have told you I can get you an apartment? Rent bhi nahi lagega!'

'You know my answer to this.' Even though he meant well, she always was offended when he belittled her place. Pigeon hole or not, it was where she had grown up. Her home, it was her ancestral home.

'Yeah, I know. Okay, so I had called to let you know that Sana will be calling you. She needed to discuss something with you. You're okay with it right?'

'Hmm. But tell her to call me during lunch hour or late evening otherwise I won't be able to answer.'

Then she heard him repeat the same thing to someone else. It was Sana she realized. She was next to him. It was still early to visit someone's place. Did she spend the night there? Why couldn't she? Sana had all the right on him and yet the knowledge of it hurt. The images that rose in her mind tortured her.

'I will talk to you later, Tejas. I need to go.'

'Bye. Take care'

'You too'

At work, the customers, their demands, and their complaints kept her pain at bay. She had almost forgotten about Sana until the lunch hour when her phone rang with an unknown number.

'Hello?'

'Hellow. Singh?' After the initial Kirti, Sana had soon switched to the old name that she used to address her with

'Sana?'

'Yes. You're not busy, right?'

'I can spare fifteen minutes.'

'Cool then. Now listen, I have arranged a get-together the next Sunday.  I have some of our old school friends and a few of our acquaintances. You have to come.'  You have to come. No, can you, will you be able to. Sana had always been bossy.

'Sana...I...' Kirti began to say but was cut in the middle.

'No, Kirti I am not taking no for an answer. I know you don't do get-togethers and trust me I wouldn't have called you to invite you if not for Tejas. If you are not there, then it's as if there's nothing there for him in it. He says you're his only barati.'

Despite herself, Kirti felt warmth fill her heart at Tejas display of affection for her.

'Fine, I will try.'

'You can bring along your significant other. Girlfriend...Boyfriend, whatever!'

'Are grandmothers allowed?

'Haha. No. Guardians are strictly prohibited.' 

'Gotta go. See ya, Singh. I will text you the address.'

Kirti put away the phone and sighed heavily. As if Tejas' wedding news was not enough, now she was supposed to mingle with her old friends. Classmates. They were just classmates to her.

She had lost contact with them over the years and wasn't sure she wanted to see any of them. So many years later, she was still the same Kirti Singh, a dirty worm who would still look out of place among those classy and expensive flowers.

[NOCOPY]

[MEMBERSONLY]