*A beautiful Turn*
She opened her misted eyes and a tear drop was dangling on her eyelashes like a fresh dew on the grass laid beneath her feet. Running a palm over her face, she finally let out a huge shaky sigh. Lifting her gaze up, she could see some pity yet curious looks were thrown on her way from the morning joggers who'd started coming since the park has been opened by the old watchman.
"Jodha! Get up! Run beta! I didn't brought you here for sitting idly and sleeping with open eyes." Her father's chiding command resonated from somewhere behind. Wiping her running nose from the full sleeve of her t-shirt, she stood up and curling her lips in a semblance that of a smile turned around towards her father and nodded.
He looked at his little girl, though 25 now, but would remain little for him . This morning he was getting ready for his usual morning walk and found his daughter sleeping on the sofa in the living room. Having a close look, his heart had bled watching the dried tears streak on her face. His daughter, so precious to him, so fragile and delicate was hurt, so terribly.
He had woken her up from the troubled sleep and ordered her to get ready and come with him. Just so, that she can come out of her despair, etched so deeply inside her that it's next to impossible to eradicate it. His little princess' heart has been broken by that moron of a guy. A knife has twisted in his gut when he'd found her lying lifelessly on the ground not responding to anyone whatsoever, on the very next day of that "unfortunate incident". His already sullen mood sulked a bit more when he received a heart wrenching smile from her.
Plugging her earphones back with songs bombarding her ears. She pulled over her jacket and slipping the sleeves a little up, her feet started to jog on their own cord. Picking the pace with tempo of song, her tears again started soaking her cheeks, yet again.
A month had been passed, her marriage had been called off.
She'd met this guy in her college days. A shy, timid yet pretty girl, that she is. Relationships were never a point in her priority list. A small hope and dream to support her middle class family by doing a job had been her goal since she understood what place money holds in today's world .
The guy with the stylish specs and cool dressing had charmed her with his confidence when he'd saved a girl from being a victim of regular ragging sessions at their college. He was a student of third year while she was just a mere fresher. The sweet teasing from her friends, the blushing stares at his way when he was in vicinity, the nudging at her elbow from her friends whenever he passes in front of their class, everything happened that a girl experienced with her first crush. All this started when she gushed about his academic skills to her friends on their daily bunking spot. She had been passing through the notice board of their college and saw the list of third year results were out. The name on the first position "Rajveer Saxena" had shone in pride, her eyes had shifted to the group of four boys who'd been congratulating the same guy with specs. He was her first crush, Rajveer Saxena. Finally after many encouragement from her friends, she had plucked out the courage to talk with him in annual fest of their college and rest as they say was history.
They'd finally got engaged after her graduation with families consent. She'd been reluctant for their marriage, her dream to support her family was still pending. Just time she'd requested from him, a few years. She wants to contribute to her younger brother's education and gather enough money to spend on her own marriage. So that, her father's shoulder should be freed from the burden, if not more at least a bit.
Readily he'd agreed to her plans. A year after that was a bliss, the meetings without knowledge of their families, late night chats on mobile phones, his sweet talks, her cute reactions, his pranks, her smiles.. everything seemed like a fairy tale. But like they say, life is not a fairy tale, it happened. Everything changed, when misunderstandings started to pile up. The understanding and sensible guy she'd fallen for , starts to fade away. He unusually started to force her for an early marriage, she didn't understand what happened so suddenly?
Depression starts to overlap her happy spirits. Day by day, bit by bit her smile starts to evaporates and gloominess starts to engulf the happiness. Finally, the date of her marriage had been fixed. The dream was still remained incomplete, her younger sibling was still in his second year of engineering and still she couldn't gather even a half of the amount.
Her father succeeded in making her agree to this early marriage. She'd accepted it but had kept two demands in front of her in laws.
Demand : 1 - she'll continue her job. To which his parents had agreed ever so smilingly.
Demand : 2 - her salary would be transferred into her father's account. Which has enraged his parents, though reluctantly that had given into her demands.
Just two days before the fixed marriage date, her father had got an heart stroke. Her mother in the heat of weak moment has spilled the beans about all this early marriage fiasco. His family had demanded a lump sum dowry from her family. A flat in the new township, a Maruti 800, gold jewelry and cash. Which to some extent her father had given, keeping their own house as a mortgage. He'd taken a loan against property to fulfill their demands and borrowed cash from his colleagues, friends and relatives. All the information about her so called fianc, has left her stumped and regret has mercilessly churned her heart.
That was the day, she'd so bravely had called off their marriage. Police was called but no one had the guts to tangle themselves in a police case. Hence, that was an easy escape for Saxenas with the hard earned money.
***
After that incident, she'd lost her job due to slipping into depression. She had started to consider herself worthless. All the happenings were taking a toll on her sanity.
Bharmal's salary wasn't enough to meet his son's college fees and household activities. He'd to compromise on his son's education, hence one year of hard work got waste as he couldn't pay his fee.
Bharmal was getting worried, his daughter has been unable to go back her usual self and it's getting hard to keep his house going with all the money he'd to return to bank and others. A friend had suggested him a well known psychiatrist after watching his daughter's condition.
***
Both father and daughter are sitting at his clinic. His daughter was oblivious of her surroundings, still immersed in self loathing.
Entering in the clinic, he found a sophisticated man sitting there with specs resting on his nose. Jodha flinched watching the same specs. Her eyes dilated and disgust ran through her entire body. She pressed her head to push back the ache, that had started to come up like a wave coming up from still ocean. Glancing at the name plate kept at his desk, the duo got seated.
"umm... Mr. Mohammad.. this is my daughter..." and he narrated the whole fiasco from the start. Jalal noticed listen with apt attention and noticed the girl giving him looks laced with disgust.
He shook his head, again a patient who had to face this cruelty of society. How much one should loath a society he lives in! he'd left that task a long ago. Every time a case like this came to his clinic, the loath for society increases. Writing some anti - depressants he gave them a date and called them next time. He needs to study her case. The question nagging his mind was why she seems annoyed with him?
***
"Hi! I'm Jalal!" He tried to make her a little comfortable with him. She glanced at him and his hand up for a shake, her face turned away. Ok! She doesn't wants to talk.
"So, what's your name?" he fisted his hand and again tried his polite approach. Again she ignored with a disgusting glance thrown at his way. He sighed out, he is not getting this. After reading and re-reading her case and noticing her behavior at their first meeting, he'd come to a conclusion that she needs to let it out. There are many reasons that came out of this case, that she can be afraid of but he can't pin point what exactly the problem is.
"Jodha! That's your name right?" several questions like this had been asked but she neglected him a dirt in precious stone. Removing his specs, he rested his head on the plush seat.
Immediately, he noticed her stance change from rigid to stiff then gradually relaxed. He didn't understand this, once again he took a deep breath and leaned a bit head with his chin in his palms, elbows rested on his knees.
"Your name?"
"Jodha!" he heard a mere whisper. She responded. Adjusting in his seat, a bit relieved with her response he tried again to try to initiate a conversation again.
"You..."
"I'm not mad!" she whined frustrated. Her father had brought to her a psychiatrist because he thinks that guy had taken her brain with him too. she mused irritably.
" I know..." he said, his voice so assuring that she was compelled to believe. Finally her shoulders slumped down in relief.
" So," and they kept talking , precisely him asking and her answering. In an hour, he came to know her likes, dislikes, hobbies everything. She seemed normal, because till now he haven't had touched her raw nerve.
"That's enough for now. You can go Ms. Singh." He smiled a very relaxed smile which to his surprise was reciprocated with a feeble one. A beautiful smile!
A few more sessions were conducted, where she shared how her days are going pretty hard going for interviews. Astonishingly, she asked him about his which he answered very gladly. That beautiful smile he got after every session starts to matter him. Her soulful eyes which shine every time, as her heart swells with hope that she'll get the job. The reason of her disgusted looks were the specs that he wore matched with her ex-fianc. So he'd ordered for the contact lens for himself. As his knowledge about her enhance, the more he got impressed with her.
Finally, in many of her one session, he'd questioned about her called off marriage. Then he got to know that this girl is much more strong then what she seems.
She wasn't depressed about that spineless guy leaving her, it's all about her father's health and financial condition that she was worried about. That day he'd witnessed a broken women burning into ashes and from those ashes emerged a strong girl who knows how to fight with typical situations of life.
She's getting better with every session. He'll miss her, for sure. He sighed.
***
She herself is feeling change inside her, the darkness that had started to blind her happy spirits was fading with time. Her hopes has returned again. Her family seemed happy with her recovery. She realized what a fool she was to let herself slip into depression and had sunken their moods. All the credit goes to him. Her doctor, who'd so effortlessly had pulled her out of the deep abyss that her depression had pushed her into.
She liked that guy. A friend, he'd become in such a small span of time. Holding her appointment letter, she smiled to herself. He would be very happy to know about this. Today she had her last session.
***
"May I come in?" she asked while knocking the door. He looked up and smiled at her. Signaling her for few more time, she had closed door understandingly and sat at the same bench, where she'd sat with her father few months ago, oblivious of her surroundings.
"Jodha! Come in!" he said standing at door, as he escorted his last patient out. She stood up with an extra spring in her stance, which he understood indicated to some good news.
"Yes! So what's up?" he asked stretching himself a bit. She handed him the letter with a constant smile playing at her lips. He read the letter with a small smile and congratulated her whole heartedly. Finally, she is going to fulfill her dream, which was on the verge of destruction once. A peaceful silence had soothed her and him as well.
This is the time! it's now or never!
"Would you like to move on... with me?" Nervousness is the emotion he'd never experienced for a long time. But this girl is making him a nervous puddle but he didn't showed off it on his face. She seemed flabbergasted.
Did he just proposed her? She isn't ready for anything like this yet, maybe never would be? Damn!
He stood up from his chair in a swift motion, he understand her position. But he knows , he so desperately wants to make him and her as a single unit, they.
Resting both of his palms on the both the sides, he maintained a considerable distance, not to scare her off.
"Just a chance!" he whispered with hope brimming in his black charcoal orbs.
"I'm not su.. sure." She stammered out, her heart thumped out loud in her ribcage. She is literally confused with this confession.
"Please!" his breath whooshed out, as he close just a minor distance between them.
"You'll not turn out like him?" her fears are still alive, though how much she had improved. She can't leave this fear.
"Never." Came his pat reply.
"I'll try." That's all needed for their story to start.
***
How's it?😕
After a long time I'd written an one shot and that too something like this.
Hope I didn't bored you people.🤢🤢
Sorry if it's not worth reading.😊
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