CHAPTER 14
Kashish woke up next morning but
wished immediately that she hadn't. Her head was splitting open and her eyes
were hurting. Maybe she made some noise or movement coz the next moment a very
angry Ridhima was breathing down her neck, shouting about, immaturity,
irresponsibility, idiocy and something else too but Kashish was hardly able to
listen the piercing noise much less make sense of it.
"Shhh… plsss…" Kashish moaned
and gave up on attempts to open her stuck eyelids.
"Oh you want me to shut up do
you? Do YOU? You are unbelievable, do you have any idea…." Ridhima scolded Kashish
ass he made her get up, handed her a wet towel to wipe her face and gave her
some painkiller and juice to drink.
"Thanks Ridhima." Kashish
muttered when she was feeling more alive a few minutes later. Ridhima made a hmph noise and went out of the room for
a while. Wisely Kashish used the time t get up and use the bathroom.
Some 20 minutes later as Kashish
made her way out of her room she was Ridhima about to leave for her work.
"Ahem.. Ridhima?" Kashish said
hoping that Ridhima wouldn't listen and leave.
"What is it?" Ridhima asked one
hand on door.
"About last night.. I… I am
really sorry.. I never thought that-" Kashish began to apologize but Ridhima
cut her off coolly.
"No Kashish don't apologize are
give me excuses. I have put up with you and your feelings which I don't
understand. I even tried to help you do something I don't approve of at all.
And yesterday when I specifically told you not to go, you didn't listen to me. Maybe
coz you think I am an idiot, or coz you place too much faith in Akshay. Or
maybe both, but I have had it. I don't want to spend another night worrying myself
sick over you. He dumped you Kashish, get it over with. Stop being so clingy
and pathetic. I can't take this anymore okay!" Ridhima said and stormed out
before Kashish could say anymore to her.
Kashish hadn't wanted to make
anyone worry or get into any sort of trouble.. Also it wasn't that she didn't
know that she was well and truly dumped by Akshay and this behavior was indeed
pathetic. Kashish knew it all, yet she had to do all this, yet…. Kashish slumped
down on her bed and hid her face in her pillow. Yet…
-oOo-
Sujal found himself waiting
outside the mall at 1.00 pm, feeling absolutely ridiculous, yet he waited.
Ofcourse he knew that the fire breathing Ridhima wouldn't let Kashish out of
her sight now, especially not to come and meet him, yet Sujal couldn't help
being hopeful that Kashish may come. Besides he wanted to know how she was. Was
she ok?.. Did she have any side effects in the morning? Did she remember any
part of the ride home?
Sujal contemplated and got
surprised by a light tap on his shoulder.
"What's that frown on your face
about?" Kashish said smiling sunshine down upon him.
"I was thinking if you were ok.. If
you were well enough to come today.." Sujal said making a note of Kashish's
face, her slight puffy eyes.
"Oh.. I.. I am. Sujal I am really
very sorry for last night. I should have been more careful and yes you are all
right I shouldn't have gone there in the first place but.. I did and I am so
sorry, I got you and Ridhima so worried and into so much trouble because of me.
I… I am really sorry. I have even decided to stop this now." Kashish said
looking determined yet sad. As if she had come to some disheartening decision.
"You mean you are not going to
meet that slime again?" Sujal asked elated.
Kashish nodded, eyes downcast,
she said, "I wanted Akshay.. But.. Now that price is too much. Lying to my
parents was one thing, but I can't go on like this, while hurting you and Ridhima
and making trouble for the people close to me. So.. I have decided to give up
on Akshay. I am not going to run after him anymore. I am not even going to meet
with him if he calls me. I am.. I am Done.." Kashish said wringing her hands
all the while, swallowing hard between words.
Sujal maintained a long, understanding
face for sake of her grief but seriously… he couldn't be happier. She was
finally doing the right thing, now everything will work out just fine for her.
Controlling his wide grin Sujal
said a few words of sympathy to her and then dragged her inside the mall.
There they shopped for long time
often arguing over what he should buy. Sujal was going to buy the standard
jewelry pendant for his mother and a tie for his father and other standard
nic-nack for everyone else. It was
the standard safe gift. Everyone liked them and used them. But apparently Kashish
wouldn't agree. According to her, his gifts were impersonal.. Well he was buying them and giving them, how much more
personal could it be?
"But c'mon… I mean wouldn't your
mother be bored of all that jewelry and your father of all the ties.. Why not
give them something else different.. You know… like… like what does your mother
like? What are her hobbies? Interests?"
Sujal scratched his head and
shrugged his shoulder. His parents were busy, important people. What time did
they have to pursue any leisure activity? And even if they did… Sujal was sure they
wouldn't be doing it front of him, "I dunno.. I guess mom likes doing charity
work and stuff. I mean either she is around dad, or she is doing some charity
work or organizing some event."
"So does she travel a lot?"
"Yeah.. she is hardly ever home…"
"I am sure she misses being
home." Kashish said looking sad for Sujal's mom.
But Sujal couldn't agree… If she
really missed being home then why not just stay at home? Who told her to flit
over the whole world.
"Didn't you say your mom was Indian?
Why not buy her something Indian?" Kashish said perking up, coming up with list
of things which seemed absurdly ridiculous to Sujal…
Finally we settled on buying some
pickle from an Indian shop and some ethnic looking bangles which could go well
with western outfits. Bizarre right?
But somehow Kashish coerced Sujal
into buying equally bizarre and erratic gifts for everyone in the family.
After shopping for 7 hrs Sujal
was thoroughly worn out. Even though he enjoyed Kashish's company and liked
some of her choices. One thing was decided. He would never again go buy gifts
with a female again. Too opinionated and flighty for him. Sujal thought warily
as he drove Kashish back to her place.
"Hey thanks for all the help
today.. Although I still have my doubts… but umm thanks." Sujal said .
"Trust me they are all going to
love it" Kashish said enthusiastically, a satisfied smile on her lips. Sujal
couldn't help but look at her and smile back. She made such a pretty picture.
Something about being with Kashish always raised Sujal's mood.
"Well we'll see. What are you
doing during Easter holidays?" Sujal asked.
"I don't know." Kashish said
growing all sad in a second.
"You mean you don't have any
plans, you don't have anyone to celebrate with? Why don't we get together? You
met my friends we could all meet and go somewhere and Ridhima can come too. It
will be-"
"No. I mean, I don't know what I
am doing coz… I don't know.. I mean.. Maybe I'll be back in India by then and really
I don't know what will happen back there so… Well you know my ticket is for
next week. So I am going to enjoying this week to my fullest. This is my Easter
holiday." Kashish said giving a wobbly smile and then turned her face away to
look outside the window, but Sujal saw the hand raised to her misty eyes in the
window reflection.
"You r.. Leaving?" Sujal too felt
stunned, his hands a bit unsteady at the wheel.
"Well yes…. I came here for Akshay,
didn't I? I mean my home is in India… I have to go…" Kashish said not looking
at Sujal.
"But… but you have job here,
don't you?!" Sujal said, finally stopping the car at the edge of the road. This
was wrong. Kashish shouldn't leave.
"Girls in our house don't have
jobs… I told everyone that this was just social work." Kashish said miserably.
Sujal could see it clearly that
even she didn't want to go. So why did she have to?
"But.. can't you just stay and
continue working? I mean… you can be the first girl from your house to work,
start a new trend and I mean it's archaic that girls don't work. Just stay. Why
should your life be dictated by some slime of a guy? Ridhima also lives here
and works. Why can't you do the same?" Sujal said grasping at straws. For Kashish's
sadness and finality of tone it was clear that she would leave, no matter what
he argued.
"Ridhima is a far away relation
form my mother's side. And it doesn't matter what she does anyway.. They want
me to get married if not to Akshay then some other guy they will choose for me.
Let's not think about it. You know I still have a week here. and I am going to
enjoy it to the fullest. Agge ka sochne se kya faida?" Kashish said finally
turning to look at Sujal.
"What did you say?" Sujal asked
confused. Although he did have an Indian mother he had no grasp of Hindi whatsoever.
"I said it's no use worrying
about the future." Kashish repeated and then beamed, "What are you doing day
after tomorrow? Are you free? Let's go watch the movie which is going to be
released."
"I can't believe that you are
leaving." Sujal said shaking his head turning on the ignition and driving
again, "Yeah sure lets go to the movie… We can have dinner then, I know a great
place." Sujal said unenthusiastically unable come even with the fact that
Kashish was leaving.
Kashish smiled enthusiastically
and they made plans but both knew that the smiley happy front was just that, a
front, a facade. As Sujal turned another corner, Kashish said, "Drop me at the
next signal, I didn't tell Ridhima I was meeting you today."
Sujal nodded, he too had no wish
to face the she-dragon.
As Sujal stopped the car at the
red signal Kashish leaned forward suddenly and gave Sujal a half hug, "I'll
miss you." And then jumped out of the car and left. The signal turned green and
Sujal leaned down to look at Kashish's retreating figure out of the side window
as he put the car in slow forward motion. And that was the last thing he saw
before experiencing a crushing pain on his left side and blacking out.
-oOo-
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