Part 4
The next day Kabir was very excited about meeting Pia again. He went for a run and reached the park and began looking around for her He finally spotted her but noticed that she was playing with her friends.
He was disappointed but then he reasoned to himself
"She is such a small kid. Why should a happy kid like her spend time with me?"
He sat on a bench for a while and smiled as he saw her happy and running around. He had spent so many happy moments in this park. His first memories of this place went back to the time Ananya was pregnant with Kunal. The doctor had asked her to take a walk daily and he used to accompany her. They had had so many dreams and aspirations for their future.
And they had spent 4 lovely years with Kunal
And then it had all ended.
He got up and started walking. Suddenly he stopped as he felt something tug on his trackpants. He looked down to see pia tugging on his track pants asking him to stop.
Pia: Kabil uncle? Kaha ja rahe ho? Abhi to humara play time hai!
Kabir picked her up and looked at her lovingly.
Kabir: But baby aap to apne friends ke saath khel rahe the na?
Pia: Haan. To pehle Pia apne friends ke saath khelti hai, phir aapke shaath khelegi. Aap bhi lunning karte ho na. Chale khelne?
Kabir smiled and put her down. She led him towards the swings. He couldn't help but notice how different she was from Kunal. While Kunal had been a daredevil, Pia was such a careful child. She'd climb the swing with caution and listen to everything that Kabir said.
The lady he had seen yesterday called out to Pia. She came towards them.
Lady: Chale Pia?
Pia: But Pia is having so much fun with Kabil uncle!
Lady: Pia is a good girl right?
Pia: Yesh :(
Okay.. Bye Kabil uncle. I'll shee you tomollow. Tomollow we'll play on the shee-shaw.
Kabir: Whatever you want angel!
Pia hugged Kabir before running away.
Kabir: Ma'am I hope you don't mind Pia playing with me.
Lady: Of course not. She is a very warm and affectionate child but i have never seen her so comfortable with a stranger. I hope she doesn't bother...
Kabir: Not at all. In fact spending time with her makes my day.
Spending time with Pia became a part of his daily routine. He found it difficult to believe that someone could shower so much love and affection on him. But more than love Pia gave him trust.
He had noticed Pia looking wistfully at children who managed to hang from the higher bars of the swing.
Kabir: Pia, do you want to hang from that bar?
Pia: Yesh. But it ish too high and Pia ish too shcared of falling down.
Kabir: What if I stand closely. I can catch you in case you fall?
Pia: No.. No..
Kabir didn't press her on it. But a few weeks later she suddenly asked him to help her hang from the bar. Her face was overcome with joy as she hung from the bar. Kabir hadn't felt happier in years.
Suddenly she looked uneasy and yelled Kabil Uncle!
He realized that she was losing her grip and immediately came closer to her. He gently guided her off the bar and into his arms.She hugged him tightly.
Pia: Kabil Uncle you all the besht. I knew you wouldnt let Pia fall.
Kabir was overcome with emotion and his eyes became misty. He kissed her on her forehead and then gave into her demand of having ice-cream.
It was moments like these that helped kabir redisover happiness in life or more accurately rediscover life itself.
Things had also been going smoothly at work. His professiobnal rapport with Annaya had strengthened and they were an indomitable pair balacing each others strengths and weaknesses. She hadn't opened up on the personal front. but Kabir was willing to wait.
And then a storm rocked their world. It had started with a relatively minor thing. Every week the editorial team chose a subject for a special series. This week they were debating between "Road safety" and "Social Media and Crime" Ananya who was usually a thorough professional was struggling to remain balanced. Ever since Kunal had died as a result of the road accident, the cause of Road Safety had become extremely important to her.
Kabir could sense that things were going out of hand. He intervened and said.
Kabir: Ananya let's go ahead with social media for this week? The entire team is quite pumped up to design a series around it. We'll cover road safety another week?
Ananya's face had betrayed her emotions for a split second - she was angry and hurt, The next moment she wore her facade of indifference and aloofness again.
Ananya: Yes you are right. Sorry guys, I got carried away. I let my personal emotions interfere with my professional life.
Kabir knew he needed to speak to Ananya but she gave him no chance. It was midnight and he was just getting ready to leave He saw that Ananya was still in her cabin. This was the perfect opportunity to talk to her.
He looked inside to see that Ananya was holding Kunal's photo and looked misty-eyed. He knocked on the door. She quicly wiped her tears
Ananya: Sorry! I shouldn't be crying over personal matter in office. I am still not a perfect professional like you.
Kabir: We need to talk
Ananya: I apologized to everyone in the morning. And if I am not wrong, we are colleagues. You are not my boss.
Kabir: Ananya I know you are really attached to the cause of road safety. After Kunal's death... I care for the cause as much. But it was an editorial meeting and we need to be
Ananya: professional? Of course. And who better than you. A man who prefers to complete his story instead of come to the hospital to be with his dying son...
Chuck it! I am leaving
Kabir: No you are not. You are not leaving till you finish voicing your angst, yelling at me, doing whatever it takes to bring you at peace.
Kabir went and closed the door of Ananya's cabin.
Ananya: What do you want to talk about? How I felt when the doctors told me that my son wouldn't survive? How I felt holding my dying son and reassuring him that his father would come soon? How I felt when he breathed his last in my hands?
Kabir: Ananya every day of my life i live with the guilt of making a terrible judgement call. I thought I would be able to finish the story quicly providing a voice to those people. And then I'd rush to Kunal. If I had only known that Kunal was so serious I'd have left everything and rushed back.
Ananya: I tried calling you multiple times on both your phones.
Kabir: Ananya they had broken one of my phones and the other one was discharged. I..
Ananya: Such pathetic excuses. Anyway it doesn't matter. I lost my son that day. But things didn't turn out that badly for you, did they? For that coverage, you were felicitated by the prime minister's office for your "incisive reporting, for putting your professional commitments over your personal life" It brought you into the top league of reporters. Everyone singing paeans to your professionalism must have been music to your ears, isn't it?
Kabir couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Kabir: You think that made any difference to me? If anything that award was like salt on my wounds.
Ananya I lost everything that day. I lost my son and my wife. I also lost respect for myself in my own eyes. I failed as a father and as a husband.
After you left, I sometimes felt that i should end all this. But I couldnt I couldn't be so cowardly. And hence I chose to stay alive. To honor my son's memory.
Ananya: Stop it stop it! How did you honor his memory? By becoming an alcoholic?
She looked at Kabir's face and stopped.
Edited by paradigm - 10 years ago
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