An Unexpected Encounter
He had made sure Kranti would be away from Amritsar. She would be able to stay quietly in Shimla. She needed rest and there would be no better place than Shimla for that. She had been horrified at the idea of leaving alone without him. She had sulked and wept but he had been firm in his decision. She had wilted at the thought of leaving the family. All the members of the family had stood by her. His mother had disapproved of his idea totally. And his father had tried to talk him out of it. In the end, everyone had accompanied his wife to this place. It was almost a month and he earnestly wanted to see both Kranti and his daughter.
"I don't know if you remember me, I'm……."
Raj blinked. He could never forget that voice.
"Preet?" asked Raj.
"Hello Raj," she said. "Didn't expect you to recognise me."
"I didn't. But your voice was a dead giveaway."
"So you haven't forgotten me then?"
"No. Why?"
"I just thought ….." she said and shrugged her shoulders.
"What are you doing here, Preet?"
"I live here."
"What?? Since when?"
"Yes……my husband has business here."
"You are married?"
"Yes. You look surprised. Why?"
"So are you here with your husband?" Raj looked behind her trying to search out her husband.
"My husband is not here."
"Come, Preet. Let's go indoors. We could have something to drink to stave off the cold." He turned and led the way to the entrance.
"Preet?" called Raj.
Manpreet came back to the present. Raj held the door open for her. She walked in and he steered her to a table. It was warm inside the room.
Raj ordered something appropriate and sat back. His one hand was tapping the table lightly and the other lay over the back of the chair next to his. Manpreet sat across and could see him clearly. He was taking a look around the room. He allowed her to study him. He pretended to be engrossed in reading the menu. He looked up and caught her eyes. She was looking at him as if to memorise.
She was a beautiful woman. Her large chocolate brown eyes were her best feature. Her curly brown hair complimented her slightly round face. Her skin was smooth and flawless. She had been a wonderful friend and their companionship had always been more than warm. Raj had wanted to cement their relationship with marriage ….but after a some time. He had given her his reasons. But things had got hot and arguments had followed. And then Manpreet had given him the ultimatum. That was something he had disliked.
"Why the smile, Raj?"
"Something I remembered…..like how we sat in the caf years back escaping the rain." He fibbed.
Manpreet felt better. She was happy that Raj remembered the times they had had together.
"You don't know the number of times that I wonder how life would have been today if that fateful day had not happened," she sighed.
He looked at her straight and direct. She met his gaze and smiled wistfully.
"Aren't you happy, Preet?" asked Raj.
"Why did you marry her, Raj?"
"Because I wanted to. Because I felt a strong connection with her."
"Was it for love or was it for compassion?"
"It was for something more than love and compassion."
He did not like the way this conversation was going. He was neither going to discuss his feelings nor his decisions. He always believed that Manpreet was a good person and he would have made sure she would have been happy had they got married. But fate had intervened and they had separated. He had missed her then but had got over it. He was not the wavering type and that had kept him focussed on his study and career. He had met Karamjitji and his life had changed after that.
"Still can't do without brandy on a cold day?"
"No."
He swirled his glass and the dark red liquid moved along.
"You still haven't answered me Preet, aren't you happy?"
"Does it matter…?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I want you to be happy."
"I would be happy if you were in my life." She was forthright as usual.
"Our life is shaped by the decisions we take."
"I wish you'd stop throwing that in my face time and again, Raj."
"I am not doing that. I am not complaining about the way my life has shaped up. A time comes Preet, when you have to realise that you can't keep looking over your shoulder at what you've left behind."
"It's easy for you to say that."
"No it isn't."
She looked at him. She loved him so much. He had been so much fun to be with. He was everything a girl would want in a man. Tall, good looking, intelligent and well mannered. She took a deep breath.
"It's difficult for me." She said. "I would have liked to spend my life with you."
"I had called you several times after you said that our friendship was meaningless but you remained remote."
"I was angry."
"You didn't want to see my point of view, did you Preet?"
She remained silent.
"I had my commitments and I wanted to fulfil them." Raj continued. "When you agreed to finally meet me, I thought the ice had finally broken and things would be fine."
"It always had to be your way."
"A man cannot be impulsive while making major decisions."
"So you decided I wasn't important enough."
"I waited for over two hours at Trafalgar Square. You had said you would come but you didn't."
"And you never forgave me for that."
"Nothing like that. I respected your decision. I thought you wanted out of that relationship and I let go. And after that I never looked back again."
"It was a hard decision you took, Raj."
"I thought it was your decision, I just abided by it. I spent some sleepless nights in those days. But I got over it."
"How wonderful for you!"
"Stop being bitter Preet and stop blaming me. Take a good at what happened and try to judge it without being emotional."
"Make the best of life, you deserve it."
"Are you trying to make the best of life, Raj? Are you trying to compromise?"
"Compromise? Hell no."
"You feel Kranti is the best thing that's happened to you?"
"Yes. My welfare is always the most important thing to her. She is a giver. And I am a hopeless taker."
"Yes you are."
"So are you. In fact we are both takers and usually a relationship fails because of that."
"Really?"
"Ours did."
Ballu started to signal from the doorway that the mist had cleared. Raj nodded. He finished his drink. Raj paid the waiter who seemed a little confused.
"Could I drop you anywhere?"
"No, I'm waiting for my husband. Once he comes I shall leave."
"You'll be here alone?"
"Don't worry Raj, this place belongs to my husband."
"It does?"
"It was the first one he started and now he has gone on to starting many more such inns."
"I am so happy…..maybe we can meet up some time?"
"Sure."
"You take care. Bye Preet."
"Bye Raj."
Raj left the inn and went out into the night. The mist had indeed cleared and visibility was better. He got into the seat and fired the engine. It started quickly. He reversed out and hit the road. He drove along the road that would take him to his family and to Kranti ………
Manpreet watched him go. She saw him walk to the car. She had been a fool. She had been bull headed and had lost him. It was true that he had tried to patch up but she had remained unmoved. She didn't understand why she did what she did. And she was rueing that ever since. Her eyes filled with tears. She had lost a jewel and it was all her fault.
The mist had cleared somewhat…..she had to make her life now giving priority to things before her.
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Shiv Shakti
Cricket
