Chapter 6
The car pulled away from the hospital and merged into the morning traffic. Ishita settled into the driver's seat. Aryan opened the rear door.
She looked at him.
"The front seat is empty."
He glanced at her.
"My shoulder."
She frowned.
"Your shoulder?"
“Aah…aaahhhh…”
"...Right…. Right…enjoy"
Without another word, she got in and started the car. Aditi sat quietly by the window, carefully holding the small packet of medicines the doctor had given her. Silence settled inside the car.
Aryan looked at her.
"So..."
She turned slightly.
"Do you always end up in front of moving cars?"
Aditi blinked.
"...No."
"Good."
He nodded.
"I was beginning to think it was a hobby."
A tiny smile appeared before she quickly looked away. Ishita sighed.
"Please don't encourage him."
"I wasn't."
"You absolutely were."
"See? She blames me for everything."
"I blame you for the things you deserve."
"That's a long list."
"It keeps getting longer."
Aditi smiled to herself. This time, she made sure no one noticed. Ignoring Ishita, Aryan spoke.
"So... what do you do?"
Aditi looked at him.
"I just completed my Bachelor's in Architecture."
His eyebrows rose.
"Architecture?"
She nodded.
"Planning to become an architect?"
"That's the plan."
"And?"
She smiled faintly.
"Now I need someone willing to hire me."
"I thought jobs found architects."
"I wish."
Ishita glanced at her through the rear-view mirror.
"You've started applying?"
"For the past two months."
"No luck?"
She shook her head.
"Not yet."
"You'll find something."
"I hope so."
The traffic slowed at a signal. Aryan looked outside before turning back to her.
"You aren't from Mumbai, are you?"
"No."
"Where are you from?"
"Jaipur."
"When did you move here?"
"A few months ago."
"With your family?"
The question lingered. Aditi lowered her eyes.
"No."
"I stay alone."
Neither Aryan nor Ishita spoke.
After a moment, Ishita asked gently,
"And your parents?"
Aditi remained quiet for a few seconds.
"They passed away."
The words were simple. Almost matter-of-fact.
"I'm sorry," Ishita said softly.
"Thank you."
The signal turned green. Aditi pointed ahead.
"It's the next building."
Ishita pulled the car over. Aditi gathered her medicines and opened the door. She paused.
"Thank you..."
She looked at Ishita.
"...for dropping me home."
Then at Aryan.
"...and for the company."
"It was nice meeting you."
Aryan smiled.
"The feeling's mutual Wif…. Dear…Dear Aditi."
She smiled before stepping out. They watched as she walked through the gate and disappeared inside the building.
Ishita started the car. She drove ahead in silence before glancing at the rear-view mirror.
"You know..."
Aryan looked out of the window.
"No… but do tell."
"You could've sat in the front."
"Aahhh…My shoulder."
She gave him a look.
"Really?"
He smiled.
"No."
"I knew it."
"So? What are you thinking?"
"I am thinking my dear Ishita that we got the new architect and I got my dear wife.”
“Whatttt????”
“Be prepared my dear friend…. I'm going to marry her.”
Present Day
The door to Aryan's cabin clicked shut. Silence settled between them. Aryan walked towards the glass wall overlooking the city. His hands slipped into his pockets as he stared outside. Ishita remained where she was.
For the first time since seeing Aditi...
Neither of them knew what to say.
Minutes passed.
Finally...
"I still can't believe she's alive."
Aryan didn't respond.
Ishita let out a slow breath.
"We mourned her."
"We accepted that she was gone."
"We learnt to live with it."
A painful smile crossed her face.
"And now..."
"...she walks back into our lives as if nothing ever happened."
Silence lingered.
"If she survived..."
"Why did she let us believe she was dead?"
"If she never wanted to come back..."
"Why return now?"
"And if she did..."
"Why pretend she has never seen us before?"
Aryan's reflection remained still in the glass. Ishita lowered her eyes.
"We should've been with her that night."
"Maybe..."
"...maybe none of this would've happened."
she whispered,
"And..."
"...what she said to Aunty..."
"...what happened to Aunty..."
"Stop."
The single word thundered inside the cabin. Ishita looked up. Aryan still hadn't turned around. His fists had clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
"I was just..."
"...stop."
Another silence followed. His eyes were empty but hundreds of reasons seemed to be dictating his clenched fists.
"I could've burnt the whole world for her."
His voice was frighteningly calm.
"And you know that."
"I would've stood against anyone."
"I would've fought the whole world..."
"...for her. You know that too”
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"But after what she said to me. Hell, I could have forgiven her. I could have taken my responsibility. I was wrong. And that's what I did. You were there. You know this. You know this damn very well.”
Dust seemed to be ruffled from the three year old grave.
“I had taken responsibility for my misunderstanding. I had done that. But what she did to her was wrong. What she did to her cannot be forgiven. She wasn't part of this. She never had to be part of this bloody thing. Stil… still she di…..."
His words were leaving his side. The weight of the buried memories were dragging him down. He pushed the dirt down and inhaled sharply. A frightening calm voice broke the silence.
"Watching her disappear into those flames..."
"I wasn't grieving. I was angry."
"Angry… because she got away. She got the easy way out. Her fortune blessed her. It bless… damn her."
He finally turned. His eyes were filled with a rage Ishita had never seen before.
"And now..."
"Now she comes back. She comes back… haahahaha… hahahaha"
"It feels like every prayer has been answered. I don't pray but he really answered my prayers."
"I wanted her back."
"Yes..."
"I wanted her so so back."
"With my whole heart. With my soul"
"I asked the heavens..."
"With every breath I took..."
"I asked to bring her back."
"Every second of my existence..."
"I begged… I begged for her to come back."
"I wanted her back… I wanted her back."
"For every second my mother has spent in that coma. For every that second"
"I wanted her back..."
"For every second you tried to hold me together because you were scared I'd collapse. For every that second"
"I wanted her back..."
"For every tear my family dropped watching me for the past three years. For every that second"
"I wanted… I wanted her back…”
His eyes glistened with fury.
"Oh damn God… oh damn bloody god"
"She never even knew."
"She never knew… hahaha… how desperately I begged for her to come back. I wanted her back"
A long silence filled the room. The air seemed to leave. The sound lost existence.
Then...
His face turned cold.
"But now..."
"Now those prayers have been answered. Those tears have been answered. Those seconds have been answered. So now… “
He exhaled.
"So now..."
"She answers."
"Yes….. she answers.”
”She answers for every second my mother has lost."
"She answers for every tear you've cried."
"She answers for every smile my family lost because of her."
"She answers for every second I mis..."
The words stopped. His jaw tightened. He looked away. Time took a pause.There was nothing left except rage.
Then he spoke again...
"This time..."
"She won't escape."
"I'll turn her life into hell. I’ll turn her every second to living hell."
"And this time..."
“She won't have flames to save her.”
“She won't have flames…… TO SAVE HER.”
Silence settled once more.
Ishita stood frozen. She had seen Aryan broken. She had seen him devastated. She had seen him grieve. But she had never seen him like this.
The man who had once loved Aditi enough to dream of spending a lifetime with her now carried a rage fierce enough to burn the whole world.
And this time...
Aditi stood in the path of those flames.
Udne Ki Aasha
2