FF - The Incomplete Journey - Chapter 6 - Page 7 - Page 4

"Let me get something for you", he said and got up.

"No... I have to go. I'll leave"

"Leave? You just came"

"I just came to see whether you are alright... I", she stopped as she saw him slightly smile.

"You smiled?", she asked him.

"Just felt happy that someone could worry for me"

She didn't know what to reply so she just got up. As she walked, he followed her to the door.

"Take Care", he said and she smiled before a slight nod.

But nature had other plans. The moment she was about to step on the ground, it started raining.

"You might want to wait for sometime"

"It's just drizzling. I can manage"

"I think it would start raining heavily"

"It has just started raining. I...", it started raining heavily before she could finish her sentence. She felt a little embarrassed

"Wait a minute", he said and went inside. He came out after a couple of minutes and handed her an umbrella.

"You can go now"

"Thanks. Thank You and... Have a great day", she said and this time, the smile on both of their faces were clearly visible.

"Arghh! I forgot to ask her name", he realized as she faded into distance.

***

She closed the umbrella after entering the home. She noticed her parents' looking at her like they were surprised when she took off her scarf.

"What happened?", she asked. They didn't reply anything.

"I am asking both of you. What happened?", she asked walking to them.

"Umbrella...", her mom started talking.

"Yeah. What about it?", she said puzzled.

"Nothing. You didn't seem to take an umbrella when you went out...", her father began.

"Oh... That's not mine. It's... It's a friend's"

"Friend?', her mom asked as she was curious to know which friend she went to meet because she didn't want to meet anyone all these days. She didn't even talk to her best friend when she got a call from the friend. She was behaving like a loner.

"You don't know ma. I want to drink some coffee. I'll go make one. You want coffee?", she replied and went into the kitchen. Her mother looked at her father and both of them felt happy for some reason. Her parents nodded no in unison.

"I told you na", her mom whispered.

"Yes but...", her father started.

"She wore sweater, scarf and now comes to home with an umbrella..."

"You're talking as if it's a very big thing..."

"It is. She used to roam around aimlessly. She wouldn't even care when it's raining. How many times had she come home drenched?"

"Okay okay I agree with you. I also want her to come out of her sad zone. Now, stop talking about this. She might hear us."

"She is in the kitchen. How can she hear us?"

"How many times have you picked up an argument with me from what I talked in living room when you were in kitchen? Sometimes I suspect whether there's a secret speaker in kitchen that you get to hear what's happening in the living room."

"You talk nonsense"

They stopped talking as she came out of the kitchen with a coffee mug in her hand.

***

He was walking back home after buying bread and milk. He hadn't been worried about food for the past few days but today, he felt he should have something to eat. When he went into the kitchen, he found that there was nothing to eat. So he went out to buy some bread and at the last minute, he bought milk too with a hope of making a coffee. His mom used to say that he can live even without water but not without coffee.

"Hey!", he heard Mani shouting and turned back to see Mani running towards him.

"Hi"

"I didn't expect to see you here"

He gave Mani a blank look.

"I am sorry that I didn't come home. I was busy in work and I also thought you needed some time"

"It's okay", he replied.

"Spidey had called me yesterday night. She whined about not being able to contact you and your phone being switched off. She doesn't know?"

"Ah It... slipped out of my mind"

"I told her about your mom and she said she's coming here this weekend"

"What???"

"What what? You think she could be there without talking to you after hearing the news about your mom"

"But her... What did you do Mani?"

"Sorry but I had to tell her na"

"Uff okay... I'll talk to her."

***

She heard someone enter the room and looked back to see her mom standing.

"What are you drawing?", her mom asked.

"Nothing mom", she replied and kept her drawing and pencil aside.

Seeing her mom sit by her on the couch and hold her hand within hers, she asked, "Is there anything you want to talk with me, Maa?"

Her mom hesitated and she waited.

"Rishi..."

The mention of the name made her face go pale and she withdrew her hand from her mom's grip.

"How long will you be sulking like this? I understand that you're hurt but people make mistakes. You shouldn't be holding on to them if you want to live a peaceful life."

"Please Maa...", she got up and faced away.

"Have you decided to not to go back ever?"

"If me staying here is a problem for you, I'll go away from here. But don't ask me to go to him again. I WON'T"

"But...", her mom was cut off by her father who was standing near the door. He took her mom away after telling her to rest.

***

The next day morning, she saw something through her window while drying her hair. It was the umbrella. Her father was using it. She thought of returning the umbrella after her father came home. Her parents, their hardener and people on road, almost everyone looked at her weirdly to see her wearing a raincoat and carrying a closed umbrella in hand. Well, she didn't want him to give the umbrella back to her if it starts raining again. After all, rain was unpredictable in that season.

She knocked the door which was already open.

"Ouch", she heard him shriek from inside. After few seconds she saw him coming out to the door while frantically shaking his left hand like he burnt his hand.

"You again?", he smiled.

She pulled the umbrella up in front of him.

"Oh! You could have kept it. You came to return it? Come inside please"

Somehow her legs automatically stepped inside before she could even think.

"What happened?", she asked looking at his hand.

"Oh this? I tried to make coffee. It came out somewhat okay yesterday. But no luck today. It got spilled all over the kitchen now"

She wanted to ask whether she could help but words didn't come out of her mouth.

"My mom would have been shell shocked if she had seen me in kitchen", he said and chuckled.

"Would you mind coming to my house? My mom makes good coffee", she asked him and he was more than surprised like his brain couldn't process what's happening.

Chapter 6