All I Need is You

oh nakhrewaali

@oh_nakhrewaali

All I need is You

Journeying to Alibaug with his wife Priya, who had suddenly turned into a Sherlock Holmes, no thanks to her old college buddy, and the said old college buddy was a task. Yet Ram had successfully cleared its level one. After a hectic two and a half-hour drive, he freshened up in their hotel room. As soon as he lay on the bed, a blissful sleep wrapped him, and he was out cold. Even Priya's cribs about the overpriced hotel weren't enough for him to fight the arms of the Goddess of Sleep.

When he woke up, he was surprised to not find Priya in their room. Panicking, he stepped out of the room, his fingers dialing Priya’s number on his phone automatically. He walked into someone and looked up to find Krish, Priya’s old college buddy and currently Ram's hired private investigator. 

“Do you know where Priya is? She isn’t in the hotel room, and I have no reception,” Ram said, worried out of his mind.

“Oh yeah, she had left for the beach. She said it was too stuffy indoors, and a stroll would do her some good, give her some space to think.” Krish shrugged, not understanding why someone would want to step out in harsh summers.

"But that is Priya for you. Staying indoors would be a task for her unless there was a book," Krish chuckled, but it frustrated Ram.

Exactly how much time had Krish spent observing Priya when they were in college? Sometimes Krish acted as if no one knew Priya better than him, and this annoyed Ram. Because no one truly knew Priya, not Ram, not Meera Maa. They all may claim to understand her, but Priya was a mystery, her thoughts and desires waiting to be unraveled. It was a privilege that only a few people had the honor of, and Ram didn't think that Krish should be allowed that honor. No, Krish can't barge in 15 years later with his unrequited crush for Priya that no one except Ram understood, and be a part of Priya's life like it was no big deal.

"Yeah, ok, thanks." Ram thanked Krish and left for the beach, a few meters away from the hotel.

Ram spotted Priya sitting on the sand, her open hair flying on its own accord with the wind. The evening sun was still harsh, and Priya was holding her hand to her eyes to shield them from the sun. Ram went and stood next to her, and his shadow fell on her. The sun wouldn’t bother her anymore.

“Mr. Kapoor, I am so sorry. I should have informed you before leaving. But you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t have the heart to wake you up. I left you a text, but my reception was weak.”

“Don’t worry, Krish told me that you were here,” he said and sat down beside her.

As he looked at the calm blue sea, he understood why Priya wanted to come here. It was peaceful; even the tourists squealing at the beach didn't affect the calmness of the moment.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? I almost forgot why we are here. I almost forgot the stress of the last few days," said Priya.

"You felt peaceful, and then you saw me and I ruined it," Ram chuckled humorlessly.

"That's not what I..." she began, horrified at Ram's interpretation of her words.

"I know, I am just joking. I understand what you want to say. Honestly, I don't want to leave either. I want to stay here with you."

"That would cause you to get a tan. Will you be ok with that?" Priya laughed, and he rolled his eyes.

“How will we figure this out, Mr. Kapoor?” she asked after a few seconds. She scrunched her face, worried, and he felt guilty for pulling her into his family drama turned murder-mystery. But Priya tended to get drawn into such stuff because of her savior complex.

“It’s not your job to figure it out, Priya. It’s Krish’s job, remember? I just needed you with me because I don’t think I can still accept that someone wanted my father and Mr. Kumar dead. And I need you because whatever happens next, I know that only you will keep me strong enough to deal with it.” he smiled sadly.

Ram was being selfish, he was aware. But, just for once, in a long time since his father’s death, Ram wanted to be selfish.

“Plus, we are paying that James Bond rip-off, so he better not include you in whatever plans he is making.” He tried to reduce the tension of the moment but knew he had failed the moment Priya rolled her eyes.

“He is good at his job. Don’t call him a rip-off!”

“I know that, and that is why I trust him to keep you out of harm’s way. I am sure he has enough muscles to do that.” Although Ram didn’t mean to sound bitter, he did.

Priya frowned. Why would she need Krish to save her from anything when she had Mr. Kapoor beside her? Priya ignored her thoughts and continued the conversation. 

“You know, he had written an article in college about how consumerism is ruining lives, and it was one of the best articles I had ever read. He was just 21 years old when he wrote that. Isn’t that amazing?”

“Yeah, he is Karl Marx. I get it,” Ram said gruffly. Priya looked at him in confusion, and then her eyes went wide in realization.

“Mr. Kapoor, are you jealous of Krish?”

“No, I am not!” Ram’s voice betrayed his emotions. Priya tilted her head as if daring him to speak, but he looked at the sea and avoided her eyes.

“Mr. Kapoor, there is nothing between Krish and me.”

“I know, Priya. I would never say such a thing. You would never do anything wrong. But maybe you never realized it, but he had a crush on you. Maybe he still does.”

“That’s not true!” Priya gasped in shock.

“Priya, maybe you do not understand how boys are in love, especially when they have a crush on their collegemate, because all your attention was on books, but I do. He went to the library just to stare at you, even though you thought it was to gain other girls’ attention.”

“Mr. Kapoor, I am a college teacher. I know how kids behave.”

Ram couldn’t believe her naivety, he shook his head. Maybe she was trying to deny it, for her own sake, so he let it be. 

“It doesn’t matter what he felt fifteen years ago. If you don’t want me to speak to him, I won’t.”

“So, how do you plan on spending the next few days on this trip? Will you use sign language to communicate with him?” he chuckled as things started making sense to him slowly.

He had been letting things mess with his head without any reason. He looked at Priya, and it was enough to squash all the jealousy burning his guts for the past few weeks. It didn’t matter if Krish wanted to insert himself back in Priya’s life. Priya wouldn’t allow it, and even if she did, it wouldn’t affect their marriage.

“You needn’t shut yourself from people just because they make me uncomfortable, Priya. I can’t tell you what to do. I know you will murder me for thinking that I can control you.”

“Yeah, and then let Krish put me in jail,” she scoffed, and he couldn’t help but laugh. Priya had a morbid sense of humor.

“You know, my dad had a crush on Madhubala, and Mr. Kumar knew her. One day, he introduced her to Dad who declared that after meeting Madhubala, he was the happiest man on Earth. But Maa was unaffected. She wasn’t jealous, or at least, she didn’t express it, which made us very curious. So Dad asked her if she didn’t feel anything. She only laughed and said that many men loved Madhubala, but what mattered was who Madhubala loved. Men thought that just meeting her had made them the luckiest men on the planet. But winning the heart of a beautiful and enigmatic woman like her was a bigger win. My dad had just stared at her. He must have felt like an idiot for thinking that Maa would feel insecure, even if it was someone as amazing as the late actress.”

Ram smiled, thinking of his parents. Priya smiled and reached out to hold his hand, but didn't. He looked at her as she retracted her hand, and it was as if someone had punched him in his stomach. Ignoring the pang he felt in heart, he cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“I am trying to tell you that the only thing that still matters is what Madhubala wants.” He held her hand and looked at her, hoping she would understand what he meant.

Priya looked at him, surprised. Didn’t he understand what she felt? Was it so difficult? Had she made it so difficult?

Ram looked at Priya, who was struggling to find words to express herself. Ram smiled, hoping to make things easier for his introvert wife. Priya, who found it difficult to open her heart to someone, smiled back her most beautiful smile and blushed with happiness and peace. Ram’s heart exploded with happiness as Priya leaned in and kept her head on his shoulder. She had chosen him. 

“I must say, Madhubala has a great taste.” Priya hit him on his chest, making Ram chortle. He wrapped his hands around her.

“Maa was right. I feel like I am the luckiest man in the world.” He said and kissed her forehead. She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. He pulled her closer to himself, her head resting on his chest. The two watched as the sun slowly made its way home.