BACK TO YOU...AGAIN
It was evening and the traffic was high. The crowded buses...the taxis...the private cars...all seemed to have got fixed on the main road...moving at a rate of one inch at a time! The horns from the vehicles and the simultaneous shouts from the irritated passengers and the drivers filled the road as far as it went! It was a very busy day...and it seemed as if the whole of Delhi is out on road today! To worsen the situation the rain continued to pour...
It has been raining since the morning! What's wrong with this rain?
She again looked ahead...the traffic was still the same. The car was stuck here for about an hour now...and it seemed that it would stay in this position for another or maybe more!
She hated this traffic jams in Delhi!
She took out her blackberry from her purse and saw 3 missed calls from Ishaan.
Oh god! Me kab pouchungi!
She looked ahead again...she saw that the front vehicles have moved a bit.
She called out her driver and said
"Mr.Joshi! jaldi chaliye please...thoda age jake jo alley ata he, waha turn lelejiye...shortcut hoga!"
"Par Madam...wo gali bohot chota he...gari atak ..."
"Please!! koi behes nahi sunni he mujhe! Gari to waise bhi atak hi he yahaan! Aap waise kijiye jaise keh rahi hoon!"
She looked irritatingly outside. She had to reach there at 7 and now it is almost 8'oclock!
She dialed a number on her phone. The person on the other side immediately responded
"Khushi!!! Where are you?"
"I am really sorry Ishaan! Please...try to understand! Itna traffic he kya karu? Just wait a few more minutes!"
"Khushi...the clients are getting impatient here!"
"Ishaan..please...give them a detail about our work! Show them a presentation...I will be there soon!"
"ok...come fast"
Khushi took a deep breath...she was trying cool off her head.
God! Aaj hi itna traffic hona tha?
"Mr.Joshi...please AC ka temperature thoda low kijiye"
The driver lowered the AC temperature.
The car moved finally. The driver sped the car and soon took the turn as instructed by Khushi. It was a narrow road but still the car could move easily!
Khushi now relaxed a bit. She placed her head on the seat head and closed her eyes..it has been a hectic day! First meeting with Mr. Sharma and then visit to the new school...it was such a nice experience there! She felt very warm, thinking about the children there...how lively they were! She was feeling very energetic herself when she was returning from the visit...promising herself to do something about the school soon...but now all this traffic within the city and this stupid rain have drained all her energy! She didn't even want to meet Ishaan and the clients anymore...she wanted to lie down on her bed at the guest house! But duties are duties!
She opened her eyes to see where they were now...it was a good road now and they were making good speed.
Thank God! Ab jaldi hi pauch jaungi!
She relaxed again and was about to make another call when...
...the car took another turn and ...she saw it...the building!
It was just for a moment but she was sure that it was that particular building!
The AR Building!
Thousands of memories flashed through her mind...memories that she thought didn't exist anymore! Memories...that felt so real that it seemed like yesterday's event!
NO! NO!
She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head...to stop them from disturbing her..to remove them permanently...but they seemed to fill her mind...her body...her soul!
A voice seemed to infiltrate her mind...
'KHUSHI...'
NO!! She didn't want to memorize that voice!
Khushi took 3 deep breaths and then again looked outside...
It was gone.
She saw other cars through the glass.
Khushi placed her head on the window...it was still raining.
The water trickled down the glass. Khushi kept looking at it. She put a finger on the glass and traced a water droplet as it trickled down on the other side of the window.
I didn't want to come here...why Devi Mayya...why did you bring me here again?
I don't want to see him again...I could not!
I have endured enough pain...and I can't bear that again!
She kept looking at the cars and the buses passing by...she kept looking at the people on the streets...she kept looking at the rain...she kept looking at the Delhi at night.
But she was just seeing them...her thoughts were somewhere else...
One word echoed in her mind...
... Arnavji...
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