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Part 10
Raghav had always thought that Kalpi would come to him one day.He had decided long ago to wait patiently till she achieved her dream before he tried to mend his bridges.When he wanted to meet Kalpi,he was assured by Sammy thatshe was doing well in hercareer.so he had stepped back.But now he wondered whether hehadbeen too relaxed.The events of the day had set him thinking...For starters, Kalpi was no longer an employee but director .She had changed,not only in her appearance but also in her outlook.Her poise and confidence all pointed to that.And it was obvious that theJoshis had had a big hand in these changes.It was clearthat Disha was her watchdog...she was aware what had happened in the past,hence the coldness in her attitude towards him.But what worried him was Daksh Joshi...he had thought that he had to mend the bridges and Kalpi would be waiting for him on the other bank.He had never considered the appearance of a third wheel.And Daksh Joshi was a formidable opponent.Whether the two of them felt anything for each other,he was unsure...but he was not willing to wait and see if it happened.He was confident of one thing...he had beenKalpis first love and no matter what it was difficult to erase the memories of first love from ones mind
As kalpi walked into the office,she noticed it was filled with beautiful red roses...a card read...congratulations and proud of your much deserved success...Raghav.As she gently ran her hand over the flower,she pricked her thumb drawing blood...reminding her of the way Raghav had filled her life with joy at first and then sorrow
Buiders associaion party...guestof honour... Daksh Joshi
Both kalpi and Disha looked stunning.The admiration in the eyes of the gentlemen made Kalpi feel uncomfortable.She was yet to get used to such stares.Paaki had taken extra care to look good.This was her only chance to impress Daksh.All attempts at friendship with Disha had proven futile for the latter had just not responded to her calls or messages.As the formalities were completed ,a dance was announced.Plenty of couples filled the dance floor as did Sammy and Disha.Daksh requested Kalpi for a dance.It was a slow romantic number and the floor was crowded.The two of them had to dance close to each other...as to how they felt ,each could see it reflected in the partners eyes.It felt so right as if they were two halves of a whole,the way Kalpi fit into him,he thought.Kalpi thought it was too close to comfort ..with any other man,I would have squirmed.Why then with him ,do Ijust want to melt further?They made a great couple dancing...seemingly forgetting the surroundings ,having eyes only for each other.The sound of clapping and somebody tapping them on their shoulders brought them down to earth.
My dance? Said a voice .Before she could reply,Rahav had swept her away.As for Daksh,Paaki had all but thrown herself at him
How are you,Kalpi?,Raghav asked.She replied politely,Fine thank you .Raghav was holding her tightly but it did not make her uncomfortable.At the same time,it did not evoke the same feelings as when she danced with daksh.there was none of the heartache and pain now ,as she had thought about the last dance. Raghav was telling her how he had missed her and how he had regretted his decision with every breath.But kalpis eyes were on the way paaki was fawning over Daksh.She was looking irresistible today and she was marking daksh as hers. But daksh had an expressionleess face.His eyes searched the room till they met.hers. The look he gave her spoke volumes. To resist paaki was difficult but daksh clearly showed that he was not interested. No sooner had the last chords been played,he was back at kalpis side.Raghav had no choice but to relinquish his hold.
At dakshs request ,the two went for a stroll.As they sat on the garden seat,daksh asked her,"kalpana, I think you are aware of what is transpiring between us.this connection is too obvious to ignore.I know you feel it too. But Everytime i see fear also in your eyes.i would like to know why.if you think me your friend ...but if you dont i respect your privacy.
it was then that kalpi told him her story,not leaving out anything,not exagerrating ,just stating the facts"i agree with you,Daksh.I too feel the unspoken bond between us.I am unable and scared to give it a name.i am unsure what it is and where it will lead us.Long ago when I loved Raghav ,i thought that love was for keeps.After I was shattered, I clammed up.I felt that I would never love again,never allow myself to feel again,never open myself to any hurt.Thanks to Disha, I am now steadily reacquainting myself with the old Kalpana.But whether I will ever love again,I really do not know.I also do not know whether I want to tread that path too again.I am confused ,Daksh"
"Kalpana,today a lot of doubts have been cleared in my mind.At the outset,thank you for trusting me enough to tell all to me.And yes I am glad that you were so frank with me.I agree that if you are to create a future,you have to settle your past.I think you are yet to do that.When you choose to do that,is entirely upto you.No one can help you in this.This decision has to come from you ,when you are ready.I have always grown up in an atmosphere of love and happiness.There has been no negativism,no sorrow in our lives.We were brought up to trust and believe .Mother always told me that I would find the love of my life,and once I find her I should keep her for life.I am sure that you are the one,Kalpana.None can change my mind for me.I am a patient man.I have waited so many years to find you,Kalpana.I will wait for you as long as it takes you to decide.But also remember,in this decision,your heart should rule over your head.Listen to its call.Do not for one minute be obliged to me and so be pressurised in your decision making.In the same way,do not harbour ill will against Raghav for what he has done,if your heart still yearns for him ,forgive him and go back to him."He took both her hands in his and gave her a reassuring smile.
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