Maya ran as fast as her feet could carry her.....leaving a clueless, shocked Aalekh gaping.....she ran....ran to her room....away from the gathering.....away from the dance floor.....what she saw there was beyond her imagination........something had stirred in her mind.........
......she ran inside the room.....straight to her laptop....without bothering to switch on the light......pulled it open...her dupatta askew......it switched on....and she started scrolling through some old folders.....she had them transfered from her old PC.....her brothers emails.....were so precious....so dear to her....always kept them close......so many times did she read one email......she scurried through his emails......jan...feb....march....may....june....august..... October.....december....december 5th....December 10th.....December 16th....ahhh....these....letters....she felt were different....very different....they changed from September....more in October....by December, they were unrecognizable....he never wrote like that......and after that....for a few months....hey became agonized....worried....suffocated....never revealing any cause, always the same sweet brotherly gestures.....but, Meethi now, at 22, felt the difference.....and the constant mention, of all his cadets.....Huda, Aalekh, Pooja, Ali.....yes....yes.....and Naina????.......but why did he miss her always....never spoke much of her.....was she unimportant.....or exceedingly important.....more than all the others......was he trying to conceal something?......
......he was hiding from that name.....Maya sat all night and read all the letters......again....she was young.....barely 15....she never paid attention.....but today.....no....no....it cant be....she had tears rolling......she dint know anything....and she knew everything......all the pain....all the suffering.....all the ache.....all the turbulence....all the....all the....all...all...the LOVE??
************************ * ******************************** ************************ * ********************************
KNOCK----
He opened the door......his vision unclear due to sleep and fatigue.....his stomach burning due to acidity......he dint realize.....she walked in......straight.....she looked different.....wierd.....
"Tum....??"
"Haan....."
He attempted looking at his watch!
"Har kaam waqut ka pabandh nahin hota Major!"
"Nahin....tum itni raat gaye....yahan...."
"Kyu?.....aapse baat karni thi......"
"Tum....hmmmm....theek to ho....."
She didnt reply.....
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------
Book Talk
