New FF-2nd chance at Love-Completed-PG 81-08/08/2014 - Page 21

The car reached the guest house and Kalpana and Vihaan got out of the car. While getting out of the car, Kalpana suddenly stumbled. The lateness of the hour, the wine she had drunk and the emotional turmoil had taken a toll on her and she felt totally unsteady on her feet. She held the object closest to her which was Vihaan's arm. Vihaan wanted to lift her into his arms, but held himself back. He knew she was in no way ready for such a step. He supported her by holding her and walked her to the door. She removed the key from her purse and tried opening the door. She fumbled and Vihaan took the key from her hands quietly and opened the door. Her face was still crumpled, but she had stopped crying. She looked so heart-broken and sad, that it was painful for Vihaan to even look at her. He had never felt so helpless before.

Kalpi was in her own world. She could not believe that Raghav had done this to her. But Kalpi had felt the truth of Pakhi's words. In her heart, she knew what Pakhi had told her was true. She had been hurt so many times by Raghav, but why did her heart continue to love him. He had hurt her intentionally and unintentionally umpteen times, by insulting her during the Alibag trip, by not picking up her calls and asking her to resign after the Havaldar sacking fiasco, by not coming on the day when he was supposed to meet her parents and ask for her hand in marriage, disappearing for 2 days and then the final blow was getting married to Pakhi and bringing her to the Mandap where they were supposed to get married. She had still forgiven him and still continued trusting him. She must be the biggest fool in the history of the universe, she thought.

She had not sought out love; Raghav had literally forced it on her. She had a small short experience of heaven, but the pain he had given her was so much more. She felt that love was not meant to be a part of her life. Pain had been her constant companion since she had fallen in love. Love was supposed to lift up a person's sprits, but love had crushed her spirit. She could still not control her tears and she hated herself for it. Today, she had thought that she had become stronger, but this blow from Raghav had again destroyed her.

Suddenly, she realized that Vihaan was still with her. "Thanks for everything, Vihaan. I will be alright now, Good night" , she said. There is no way in hell that I am leaving her alone in this state, Vihaan thought. "I am not going anywhere", he said firmly. She protested, but he refused to budge. He said, "I can't leave you like this. Go get changed and freshen up, I will get you a cup of coffee." Kalpi smiled through her tears and said," Give me a moment, I will get changed and make coffee. I need to do something to keep myself busy". "You are smart, not to trust my coffee making skills", Vihaan tried to lighten the atmosphere. Kalpi smiled, but her smile was more heart-breaking than her tears, as it was so blatantly forced and false.

Kalpi went into her room and changed into a plain white Lucknovi kurta and a loose salwar. She looked at her face in the mirror and gave a grim smile and wondered why Vihaan had not run away. She looked a fright with her mascara and eyeliner running over her cheeks. She scrubbed her face clear of all her make-up. She scrubbed her face so hard, as if she was trying to scrub of all thoughts of Raghav from her mind.

She walked into the kitchen and made 2 cups of coffee. She did not feel like drinking any coffee, but it gave her something to do. All she wanted to do right now was curl up and die. She decided that she would send Vihaan away after this coffee and do just that.

She carried the 2 cups to the living room. Vihaan was looking up at her with so much concern, that she felt very guilty about involving him her emotional drama. "I am really sorry, Vihaan. I don't know what came over me. I hate myself for putting you through my crying bouts", she said. "Kalpi, what are friends for", he asked.

Suddenly, she remembered that she had not informed anyone at home that she was not going to come home tonight. She picked up her phone and called her dad, there was no way she could talk to her mom. "Kalpi, where are you, we were worried", she heard her dad saying on the other end. Hearing her dad's concern was causing her to tear up once more. "I have to stay at the office guest house today, as I have some work to do. I will come home tomorrow morning. Good night baba", she said and cut the call.

Her eyes fell on the message on her phone and involuntarily she opened the message from Raghav. She knew that she should not being doing so, but could not resist. "It kills me to see in anyone else arms. You are mine, Kalpi and I will not let you go." , she read the message. Reading the message was like rubbing salt on an open wound and she broke down again. She covered her face with her hands and started sobbing again. Vihaan who was watching her, could not see her in pain anymore. He went and sat on the couch next to Kalpana and held her hands and removed them from her face. "Kalpana, I cannot see you like this, please tell me what is wrong? Why are you so hurt? Please tell me." Kalpana looked up at Vihaan and saw the worried look on his face, saw deep concern etched on it. "Give me a minute", she said and walked into her room. Kalpi went to the washroom and washed off her tears and then thought to herself, "Vihaan has been such a good friend to me, he has supported me completely so many times, especially today. He deserves to know about my past. I am going to tell him everything."

She came back to the living room seemingly more composed. She sat next to Vihaan and started talking. "Vihaan, what happened today was just a culmination of everything that has happened to me from my childhood", she said. "Then start from your childhood, I want to hear everything", Vihaan said. Kalpi started talking about all the events in her childhood including the incident where her mother left her to drown. While talking about the drowning incident, tears started streaming down her face again, it was as if she was reliving that abandonment once more. Vihaan took both her hands into his hands, as if he could get her pain transferred to himself. At that instant, he hated the unknown lady who was Kalpi Aai. When she talked about the pen incident, her mother's slap because she worked in the Kapoors house as a maid, her mother sending her to hostel and never going to meet her, he could visualize the innocent child being deserted by her Aai and could almost feel the sorrow emanating from her body. "How much pain could a person endure and still stay so strong", he thought. Unthinkingly he put his arms across her shoulders and hugged her to his chest. Kalpi felt a strong sense of comfort in his arms and she allowed him to continue to hold her. She stopped talking for an instant and just basked in the comfort that Vihaan was offering her. She just said, "Thanks Vihaan". Vihaan understood that she was thanking him for the hug and indirectly asking him to release her. He released her and thought, "I could hold you in my arms forever, my darling." Then she started talking about Raghav, about their first meeting during adulthood, the Alibag trip, Raghav's confession and his pursuit of her. She opened up completely to Vihaan and Vihaan felt an intense sense of jealousy. He thought to himself with grim humour, that he hated everyone who was a part of Kalpana's life, her mom, the Kapoors, Raghav , all of them. Then Kalpi told him about how she had accepted Raghav's love, the confusion of who was the groom and the final jilting of her at the altar and Raghav's marriage to Pakhi. Vihaan's anger knew no bounds and he could not believe anyone who claimed to love this angel could ever hurt her and abandon her. He hated Raghav, but was also grateful to him for giving him a chance to get this lovely angel into his life.

When Kalpi talked about the Sindoor marriage in the temple and her acceptance of that marriage, he felt hurt beyond belief. The pain on hearing about her temple marriage was worse than any pain that he had ever endured. Unknowingly he moved a little further away from her. At that instant Kalpi put her hand forward and clasped his hand, as if she needed his strength to continue her story further. Then she told him about what Raghav had told her today and then she showed him Raghav's message. Finally she disclosed what had happened in the car and her whole conversation with Pakhi. She was already sobbing again and was almost incoherent while speaking about it, Vihaan could barely grasp her words, but he understood what had happened. Kalpana had moved closer to him and soon they were in each other's arms. The hug was not passionate or romantic, it was just a hug of support, friendship and camaraderie.

Vihaan thought, "She is not just one of the most beautiful, most intelligent, most generous hearted, but also one of the bravest woman he knew". She had endured so much pain, which would have completely broken many of the strongest people he knew, but she had still lived with so much dignity and poise. He lusted after her, he loved her, he cared for her, but now he respected her. She was perfect and he was going to make her his. He did not care about her Sindoor marriage to that jerk. If the jerk could move on, he would ensure that Kalpana moves on too. All the idiots in her life were not worthy of her, he was not even sure whether he was worthy of her, but as God was his witness, he would spend his entire life making himself worthy of her.

"The one thing I learnt from this whole fiasco is that I will never fall in love again. Maybe God has decided that Love is not going to be a part of my life", Kalpi said finally. Vihaan mouthed soundlessly "I love you, Kalpana and I will do everything possible to bring back love into your life".