Way back into Love - A short story- Chapter 4 uptd (Page 7) - Page 5

"Navya! I love you a lot and cannot live without you" said anant trying to hide his tears beneath his eyes as they were sitting in the college canteen. He had always been the more emotional one.

"You think I can live without you?" asked navya with a drop of tear from her left eye which she quickly wiped off before other's could notice. "But trust me, I was not aware of it until yesterday when Sheela auntie was talking so differently with me. I never felt that way before. But yesterday when she showed me some of the designer saree's she is planning to get for me, made me think why would she do so? After they left, I asked my mom, and she told me that my marriage has been fixed in my childhood with their son Avinash who lives in london and she wants to start shopping from now on as she is very excited. I was shocked to hear this and asked her why didn't they tell me about it? She said they were waiting for her studies to complete".

"Did you tell her about us?" Anant asked

"Yes"

"What did she say?" He asked hopefully.

"She said, it's impossible as everything is fixed and she doesn't have any say on this. She also said we both are very young now and all we have is just infatuation and nothing else. I told her I have never felt about a guy like this before which I feels for you. I can be happy only with you and nobody else. She said It's my grandfather who had fixed when I was born. He and avinash's grandfather were best of friends when they aspired their kids to get married one day but when both of them got sons, their hopes got shattered and then this idea came to their mind that if not their children then their grandchildren. After his friend's tragic death in a car accident, he was fully devastated and now his only wish is to see us married before he dies.

Anant hates to take his name but he asked " does avinash know about it?"

"I don't know"

"Maybe if he doesn't know, he might reject it" anant said but was unsure in his mind as who will reject a girl like navya.

"Let me talk to you parents?" He said getting up from his chair when navya grabbed his hands and pleaded him to sit back.

"No! If you go and tell them, you will be thrown out of my house. And my father is a heart patient. I am scared if he will get an attack ".

"So, what do we do now?"

Navya kept her hand on his and said "we have still one year to convince my family. I will try to talk to my dad whenever I get a good chance." Navya said tearfully which she couldn't control finally.

Days passed but navya couldn't speak to her father about anant. She told anant not to tell her parents now but anant already gave hints to them who are currently living in himachal who will never say no as they are very liberal and close to him. On the other hand, whenever navya collects the courage to talk to her dad, her mom stops. Many times they thought to elope and get married but at the same time they felt stupid as they are matured enough to do such things and moreover they didn't want to hurt their parents feelings.

After navya's mom came to know about her affair, she started telling her to keep a distance from anant and warned her that if any of her brother's see them together, they might create a very bad scene. Her mom was close to her but at the same time she was very devoted to her husband and cannot think of going against his wishes and her dad towards his father. Navya has two elder brothers who are very protective about their sister.

One day when her mom was out to do some grocery shopping, navya thought of speaking to her dad who was reading a book sitting on and arm chair of his study. Navya loves her dad who has never hesitated to give her anything she wants. He always loved her more than her brother's and kept her like a princess in their castle. She hoped that he will understand her love for anant and will accept it. She sat on the couch opposite him and called "dad"

Seeing her he closed his book and kept it on the side table and replied "yes beta"

Navya did know how to start and forgot everything she prepared to tell him when she was finally in front of him. She looked blank.

Not getting a response, he repeated "tell me beta. Do you need anything?"

"Daddy! I wanted to tell you that.." She started but was soon interrupted by a ring on his phone. It was a call from an unknown number and he said "excuse me" to her and responded "hello"

His face was suddenly horrified as he raised from his chair and said "what? How?"

Navya was clueless on what's happening and she also stood looking at asking him what happened.

He said "OK! I am coming there" and hung up.

He looked at navya and said "navya! I need to go to city hospital now. Your dadaji met with an accident and has been admitted there. Before Navya could respond, he was gone.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks when she was sitting besides anant on the bench of his favorite hill top. Navya was holding his hand and her head was leaned on his shoulder. Droplets of her tears were falling on his palm. Anant was looking speechless staring at the sky Hoping for some miracle to happen and her marriage gets cancelled. Navya's dadaji's condition was very serious and her family was planning to do the marriage next month. He felt down from the stairs of his uncles's apartment and had a serious head injury. Navya wants to run away with anant as she loves him and cannot think of anyone else except him to spend her whole life with. He was in her blood, her soul, her breath everywhere. But at the same time, she loves her family too who brought her to this world. She cannot think of doing anything against them and cannot hurt them. Anant's world was shaken as he cannot think of a live without navya. His whole life looks dark in front of his eyes and he has no other desire. After navya is gone from his life, he wants to die.

"Anant!" She called.

But anant didn't respond. Somewhere in his heart he was angry with her what ever may be the reason.

With a choking voice she continued "promise me you will not hate me and try to forgive me some day?

Anant with his eyes red turned to face her and cupped it hard with his hands which had hurt her but she ignored as she can understand her pain is much more lesser than his and he said " navya! Please! Marry me!".

"I wish I could but I can't! I am sorry" She replied tearfully.

Disappointment lured in his eyes and he stood your and Left from there without looking back. After that day he never tried to call her or contact her in any means. He wanted to erase her from his life. He wanted to hate her for doing this to him but he couldn't do it. Instead he left Mumbai and went to himachal to complete his last year of college.

In Mumbai, navya got married to avinash the next month but she was sure she cannot love anyone else other than anant. her mom was very sorry for her but she was very helpless and navya had to forgive her as she loved her a lot. Marriage with avinash was only her duty, towards him and her parents family. Soon after marriage her grandfather left his life.

Soon after graduation his parents sent him the Ohio for his further studies and now he is working in a software company in new York and travels from new jersey everyday. His has every comfort in his life, a nice house, he is paid handsomely, lively friends but only thing which is missing is his love. He had sweared never to get married in his life as its impossible for him to give that space to anyone else which was already occupied by navya even though she is with someone else. He doesn't know what had happened to her after he left Mumbai and never tried to find out. He assumed that she is happy in her new life and he is in his own empty life.

It was night time and Anant was lying on his bed with his laptop when he heard one noise. he got up and peeped from his window which was open. A car was standing in front of the apartment hiding the entrance. He could see one couple moving their luggages inside the house. He tried to look for their faces but he couldn't as they soon close the door and the taxi left.