Chapter 2

Index: Parts 1-13: Page 1.

Part 14: here.

PART 14:

Part 14 goes to Arushi(PrussianBlue) and Kriti(Ms. P. K. Tunn.)

Aarushi, you're doubtlessly one of the best writers on IF. Your writing style and choice of words is just impeccable. Thank you so much for writing those tremendously beautiful fictions that got us all glued up. This part goes to you. <3

Kriti, you make an incredible writer and you absolutely know how to keep us hooked up to your stories. Memphis is the first fan-fiction I read on SH forum and I absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for writing! This part goes to you too. <3

'Absolutely same. Same hair tied into lose pony at one side of the neck. Fitted kurti with baggy patiyalas and explaining eyes that said it all. Did she not grow up at all?'

Whoa. Ye kiski gaari hain?' Aarav peeped out from the building rep office. He ran out of the room and ran his hands over the glistening body of the Porsche parked outside their building. Cars had always fascinated him. "P a n a m e r a f o u r", he mumbled. He was a know-it-all, and you don't just doubt him when it comes to cars.

"Ye gaari kiski hain?" a little boy of Aarav's age came up to him running.

"P a t a n a h i n", he was too mesmerized to even look at his friend.

After sometime, he came back to the world and started walking back into the building. On his way up, he kept on speaking about everything he ever knew about cars. He knew almost everything, to be honest. And his friend? He hardly understood anything. He just kept on nodding his head, because he knew he would only be mocked by Aarav if he let him know he was understanding nothing and he definitely did not want to serve as an object of mockery to Aarav.

Randhir heard a tiny chirpy voice with a hint of pride, of a little kid, echoing through the downstairs hall way.

-"Aur pata hain? Is car ki top track speed 159.7 mph hain. Can you imagine?"

-"Okay okay! Bye Aarav."

The footsteps neared them. The voice was there again, this time louder, suppressing the sound of Sanyukta's sobs who was secured in his arms.

"Mamma! Ye mera bag yahan kyun gira hain? Kitni irres-p-pon-s-sib-ble-", Aarav stammered the last word of his incomplete sentence, as he witnessed his mother in the arms of an unknown man.

Randhir stared down at Aarav and looked into the boy's dark eyes. No, he looked into his own eyes, actually.

They broke the hug at once and Sanyukta wiped of her tears.

"Aarav? Andar aao beta", Sanyukta called him up.

Aarav ran to her at once and tugged at her patiyala. "Ye kaun hain mamma?"

"Get inside", she ordered Randhir.

Aarav ran into his room and Sanyukta followed him inside.

So she married. Why did she marry? Did she fall for someone else? My love, is it that weak!?' Randhir walked into the apartment. He looked around and his eyes fell on a photo-frame which was faced down. A family picture, he figured as he picked it up. Sanyukta, Aarav and- the door shut with a thump, breaking Randhir's thought chain.

-"Where were you?"

History repeats. Randhir turned back and looked at Sanyukta, who was staring at him with questioning eyes.

-"WHERE WERE YOU?"

The question came again, this time firm and louder.

"Sanyukta, I.." Randhir trailed off. Really, where was he? What was he doing? Having the time of his life? He realized, at that very moment, how self centered he could get at times.

-"Where on earth were you when my parents married me off to this person you failed to recognize in that picture you're holding?"

Randhir looked down at the picture in his hands and shut his eyes. He breathed out and took another attempt at speaking which definitely went unnoticed by her. She continued.

-"And you know what? I had to let them."

He finally spoke. "I'm sorry."

Another unheard apology. She stepped closer to him.

"I had to let this person touch me. Do you know how terrible that is?" she let the tears roll down her cheek. "Where were you when all this happened?" she broke down.

Randhir pulled her into and embrace. She did not force herself out of it. She just stayed there, in his arms, crying her heart out.

Randhir couldn't believe all this happened to her. He rubbed the back of her head and pulled his head back so that he could look at her. That is when he noticed the cut-mark at the edge of her lips. It seemed healed, but the mark was clear. It hadn't faded yet.

"Oh my god, Sanyukta. Did he hit you?" he held the side of her face and ran his thumb over the mark,

"He raped me, Randhir", Sanyukta mumbled. "And I let him."

Randhir's face fell. He felt as if it was him who had to hold on to Sanyukta for support. He too, gave into the yearning of his tears. "Dear god, no! I'm so sorry", his voice broke as he ventured, holding Sanyukta tightly to his chest and. What have I done? This is all because of me. How could I be so self-seeking?'

Sanyukta pulled out his grip and wiped her tears off. "I got divorced a year back."

-"Oh. Don't know if I should be happy or sympathetic about it."

Sanyukta couldn't stop her lips from curling into a smile but soon stopped. An awkward silence followed which was finally broken by Randhir.

"So, you and your son - you live in this huge apartment alone?" he asked.

Sanyukta looked up at him and nodded.

"How old is he?" he asked.

"Six", she said. "He'll turn 7 this May."

"Only six?" Randhir asked. "I mean, yes he looks six but I heard him speak of cars with so much authenticity back then. He sounded six by no mea-"

"Aarav is your son, Randhir." She cut him.

The dams broke. The water gave in. "WHATTT?!" he shouted. He took some time to recover from the mini heart-attack he just had. I have an entire kid?' "Why did you not tell me, Sanyukta?" he ventured softly.

"Tum thhey?" she shut him up.

Randhir looked down.

"Batao, Randhir? Tum thhey kya jab mujhe tumhaari sabse zyada zarurath thi?" her words cut him. "Aarav is the only reason I had to marry Sameer. Else, I swear to god you wouldn't have seen me alive."

"Shut up, Sanyukta", he spoke with a louder voice than before.

But his words went unheard as she sobbed and spoke. "Tum kyun nahin thhey, Randhir? Why weren't you there? I thought you'd be there. Because you were always there, before", she hugged him. "Tum kyun nahin th-they? J-jab ussne mu-mujhe chhuwa-m-mujhe hurt k-kiya, kyun nahin aaye Randhir?"

Her tears wetted his shirt and his wetted the shoulder region of her Kurti.

"Sanyukta, I'd do anything to contemplate-"

"Mamma! Ekbaar aao na please", Aarav screamed, cutting off Randhir midsentence.

Sanyukta let go off Randhir and spoke, "Wait."

"Han bolo", she walked inside his room.

"Bhook lagi hain", he pouted.

"Achha? Aaj achanak kaise bhook lag gyi?" Sanyukta caught his lie.

"Kaisi maa ho", Aarav spoke.

Randhir could hear the conversation and he chuckled to his son's reply.

-"Aarav, kitni baar kaha hain jab important kaam kar rahi hoti hun toh-"

-"Important kaam? Mamma, please. Main bachha zaroor hun. Lekin, Main Randhir singh Shekhawat ka beta hun. Mujhe sab pata hain. Corridor mein dekha maine. New boyfriend, haan?"

-"What? Aarav! Apni maa se aise baat karteh hain?"

-"Mamma. Khaana. Please!"

-"Fine. Bahar aao. Aur apni homework copy bhi ley aana."

Aarav sat at the table and worked on the homework sums, as his mother cooked his meal right adjacent to him.

"Randhir, tea or coffee?" Sanyukta asked Randhir who was sitting in her bedroom.

"Tea."

Aarav's pencil fell from his hand. He was still trying to process what his mother just said, let alone hearing the voice that replied.

-"Mamma?"

Sanyukta, who had her back tunred to Aarav, pressed her lips and smiled.

"Mamma!?" the kid grew restless.

"Hm?" she asked, without looking at him.

His shyness made him keep mum. Sanyukta, who was cooking his meal, finally turned and looked at him.

"Main bedroom mein jaau?" he tried to flee from the scene.

-"Nahin?"

-"Lekin kyun!?"

-"Bedroom mein khana leyke nahin jaa sakte."

-"Bhook nahin hain!"

A wide-eyed look from Sanyukta shut his whining up. With no other option, he sat at the table, his little chin resting on his palm, a hint of cringe on his forehead. Oh, and not to forget the pout.

Kal ka pre-cap ney thoda si umeed jataya hain. Issi liye aaj hi update dey diya. :D Comment, please! :)

Reminiscence2014-06-17 05:15:45