Chapter 5
"Oh my God!" O'Brien goes to his cupboard and pulls out a bottle of brandy. He pours out some in two shot glasses and hands one to LD. "No thanks. I promised Radha that alcohol would never touch my lips." "Then pour it down your throat, boy!" "No Sir, I know what I had in mind when I made that promise. She was pregnant with Charu then and I made the promise on her. I can't break my promise." "Well I need this drink and I'll take both. Don't mistake me. I am not a regular drinker but I keep this here for medicinal purposes and this is medical. I am in shock."
O'Brien sits back in his armchair and sips his brandy. When he is done, he sits up. "Well my lad, you have a year to woo your wife back." "Sir?" "I think God has decided that you have been apart for long enough and it is time that you get back together." "Sir?" "Boy, your wife still loves you very much. She was angry but never stopped loving you. She said she named the twins for you - Vivaan and Siddhanta! And she made sure I learnt the correct pronunciation." "Sir, but she doesn't even want to live in the next house." "Boy, you have an opportunity, you are smart. Make it work. For the sake of your children, for the sake of Radha and for your own self."
He picks up the intercom. "Brenda, could you get Radha here please?" "Sure." In a few minutes Radha is there. She frowns on seeing LD there. She then sees the bottle of brandy on the table and the two shot glasses. The disapproval is clear on her face. "Your husband didn't drink, I did. Yes, I figured out that Mr C is your husband." "So I can move to different accommodation?" "No you are staying where you are and Mr C is staying where he is. You are both professional people and I expect you to maintain that and honour your commitment to the school. It is up to you whether you want to make your relationship public or not. I am not going to interfere in your personal lives and I don't expect your personal problems to interfere in your work."
"Mr C, I need a few minutes with Radha." LD leaves. "Radha, I know you are angry with me. And I know that I said that I will not interfere in your personal lives. Radha, your children need their father and you need your husband." "I can manage." "No you can't. Look what happened when the children fell sick. What happens to them if you fall sick? Listen to me. Forgive him for whatever he had done. He loves you so much. He refused a drink because of his promise to you." "And what about all other promises that he did not keep?" "He is a human being, not God. I don't know what he did but there is a long road ahead for you and it is not easy to walk alone all the way." He sighs. "We both need to get back to our work."
Radha goes back to her office.
LD is checking the CCTV transmission in the security office and suddenly he notices Radha waiting in the parking lot. The school bus arrives from the Primary School campus and the conductor helps the children get off. A young boy holding the hand of a little girl walks towards Radha. Varun and little Charu! His heart does a somersault. Mr O'Brien was right. God had given him a chance to win his Radha over again and he would do it.
The week went by slowly. LD focused on his work completely so that he did not start thinking of Radha and the children. But he made sure that he was in front of the cameras before the school bus came in from the Primary School campus. The evenings were hard. If he left the window of his bedroom open, he could hear the prattle of the children playing in the living room of their house. He yearned so much to be a part of the prattle. But Radha had warned him against trying to familiarise himself with the children.
"Mr O'Brien may be able to force me to continue living next door to you but he can't stop me from leaving. This is the best place for the children to grow up but if you try to become a part of their lives I will leave and the children will suffer the most. And don't come anywhere near Varun." "Why Varun?" "Because he will know who you are and after you are gone in a year's time, he will be traumatised."
"Radha..." But she had gone.
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