When
Antara spotted Kalika's car in the driveway, she ordered Dhruv to turn around
and drive towards Rosemary Resort. She
was in no mood to face Kalika, and she hoped that she would never have to face
her.
Once one
of the receptionist guided their way towards Shekhar's office, Antara lightly
knocked and opened the door when she heard Shekhar's voice telling them to come
in. She pushed open the door and stepped in with Dhruv and Yash right behind
her.
"Antara,
what a pleasant surprise!"
Antara
smiled, as much as she hated Kalika, she loved Shekhar. She never understood
how in the world those two ended up being together; more surprising was their
marriage surviving till date. "Hello uncle," She greeted. "I was just um
wondering if you knew where Ishika was."
Shekhar
gave her an amused look, "Why she is in Manali, she didn't tell you?"
Antara's
gaped at him that was one answer she had not expected. "No, she did not. When
did she leave?"
"Today
morning," Shekhar replied, "That's funny why won't she tell you. It's been
weeks now since she is insisting on moving back to her old school."
"And you
agreed?"
"No,
after all this time when we managed to get her here why would I just let her go
back? She just went there for few days to her home since, you know."
Antara
nodded and then when she replayed everything in her mind she freaked out,
"Uncle how could you? Do you really expect her to come back? She probably just
said she wanted to go for few days, but once she was there, she could clearly
choose to not come back."
Shekhar
opened his mouth, looked down at the file that was in his hand, and closed his
mouth without saying anything. He had clearly not thought that Ishika would
play him around with such a delicate topic. He mentally smacked himself for
being so careless.
"I can't
believe she would talk me out using the situation. I just felt obliged to not
hold her back, at least not with this time of the year around. I should have
known better." Shekhar finally said, standing up to join Antara in her pacing.
Boys
starred at the duo with confusion and amazement. Shekhar spotted them and
asked, "Who are they?"
Antara
stopped to see whom Shekhar was referring to. "Oh I completely forgot they were
here. They are my friends."
Shekhar
nodded and announced, "I am going to Manali."
Antara
said, "No." When she got starred down by all three men, she added, "I mean I
don't think auntie will agree."
"Oh
Kalika does not need to know."
Antara
looked at him and bit her lower lip, "Are you sure about that? She has her ways
of finding out."
Shekhar
slumped down in his chair, "I can't believe she is my wife."
Antara
stifled a giggle, "Don't worry I will go, and make sure to bring her back."
"Are you
sure? I mean she played some really big cards to get permission to work at Mystic."
"Oh I
could just imagine that, but yeah I am sure dad and mom can manage with one
less employee."
Shekhar
corrected her, "You mean two less employees."
"Well,
they will have them both back by the weekend. If I don't go then they will
definitely have one less for the good."
Shekhar
smiled, "You girls always remind me of how much you have grown up. I could just
imagine why Arjun treated you like his own."
Antara
smiled a sad smile at distant memories. "She is going to be a whole lot angry
at me for bringing two more people along with me." She faced her friends, "That
is if you want to come along."
"Be
careful and call me once you reach there," Shekhar called before she stepped
out of the office.
Antara
turned around a certain angle to smile at him fondly. No matter what, Ishika
still had a father and she has to come back for him.
____________________________________________________
Antara
walked over to the Basil plant near by and pushed some mud aside and smiled
when she found a key. Unlocking the door, she stepped in the dark, moist room.
She walked in to let the boys come in.
It had
gotten dark outside. She had called her mom as soon as Dhruv dropped her at her
place to pack some clothes before he left to do the same. Twenty minutes later,
she was ready when he pulled up at her front gate. She fiddled with her fingers
nervously and listened to music through out the ride. Yash and Dhruv stayed
quiet too. Silence just hung over them for six long hours.
"Ishk,"
Antara called and walked a step further but there was no response. The house
was still, she can't hear a thing.
She felt
the wall to her left and searched for the switch board, when she flipped the
switch no light came on. "Duh AT, it's been two years since this house was
abandoned," She told herself in a low murmur, which was loud enough in the
strangely still and dark house.
"Here,"
Yash said and switched on the torch light in his cell phone. Pointing it around
he added, "So, this is her old house. It's really small compared to the current
one."
Antara
shook her head, but knew he won't be able to see her in the dark. "No, this is her home." She walked in and called
Ishika one more time, and strangely she did not here a familiar ring tone as
she was expecting too. The boys followed her as she led the way, clearly knowing
her way around the place. If not for the darkness, the dust and the huge white
sheets covering most of the furniture reminding her of how much time had passed
since she had walked on those floors, she felt as if it was just yesterday when
she was thirteen and running in through the front door towards the kitchen to
see what Ishika's mom was cooking for dinner that night.
She
smiled as more memories flashed through her mind, she almost ran towards the
kitchen, but stopped herself and walked towards her favorite room. Ishika's
bedroom. She had slept in the room more than her own room. She remembered all
the things she and Ishika did in that room. She slowly creaked opened the door,
and stepped in to see Ishika playing with her soft toys. Ishika had a huge
collection of teddy bears.
A tear
escaped her eyes when she didn't see Ishika as she had expected too. She
thanked God for the darkness, because no matter how hard she tried tears still
made their way down her cheeks. She walked towards the bed, Ishika was not
there but all the soft toys were still laid perfectly one by one.
"Where
are you Ishk?" She said and turned around from the bed, not wanting to pain
herself. But the memories still ran wild, almost as if she was watching herself
and Ishika as kids bouncing on the beds in hopes of falling down and getting a
little hurt so they didn't have to go to school next day.
She
pushed between Yash and Dhruv and ran out of the room. If not for the reason of
why she was in the house in first place, she would have ran out the front door
all together. But, she turned around and walked towards the other door. Door
that led to Ishika's parents bedroom. When she didn't find Ishika in that room
either she called out, "Where are you?"
Then
suddenly as if someone answering her question, her legs moved in another known
direction. She stopped in front of the stairs and looked up, "You better be
here getting yourself sick."
She ran
up the stairs, two steps at a time and didn't stop until she pushed though the
terrace door, and a low wall stopped her from going any further. She heaved a
sigh and climbed the fence and down on the roof of the balcony of Ishika's
parents room.
Ishika
jerked up from her sleeping position when she heard footsteps. Her eyes widened
when she saw the person, "What in the world are you doing here?"
Antara
replied in a stern voice, "I take it, you were not expecting me to come over.
Well you were not expecting them to be here either, and yet they are."
Antara
tilted her head motioning behind her shoulders. Ishika starred at her not
believing her at all when she saw Dhruv and Yash stop by the short wall lining
the terrace.
____________________________________________________
Antara
stepped up towards her, and Ishika said, "I don't want to talk with anyone."
"Sorry
right now I am in the mood to only listen to my heart and no one else."
Ishika
scoffed, "Yeah? How about you listen to the other half of your heart that is
telling you to go, kiss him and tell him how much you love him."
Antara
stopped in her tracks for a brief second and starred at Ishika's back. Quickly
forming words she sat down next to her and said, "Sorry honey you are not
getting rid of me anytime soon."
Ishika
sighed and lay back down to look up at the sky knowing Antara was right, she
would not be able to get rid of her that easily."
Dhruv and
Yash sat down with their back against the wall. They were not going to leave
the girls alone, but didn't want to look at them and make them feel their
physical presence. Antara had brought them along and that was her way of
saying, both of them will always be part of her life. But, as far Ishika goes
neither knew what to do. So, without looking at them and hiding themselves
behind the wall they sat in silence not sure what to expect next.
After
about half hour of silence Antara looked away from the sky and tilted her head
in Ishika's direction. "You cannot just pretend like I am not sleeping next to
you."
Ishika
sighed, "You are going to miss your classes."
"Says the
girl who does not care when she is missing her own classes."
"I am
just saying you should not have come. I want to be alone."
"You have
been alone for two years. That's more than enough time and space."
"That's
not true. I had friends over here."
"Like the
way you have in Kashmir."
It was
not a question, but a statement that stated Antara's point that Ishika had
indeed been alone for past years now. It was time for her to start living,
start letting people into her life again.
"What's
the point?" Ishika said, as if she could read Antara's thoughts. No, she cannot
but Antara's statement delivered more than one message. She continued after a
pause, "People just leave one day. No one stays in one's life forever. Better
to shut everyone out from the starting itself."
"I never
leaved you. I am still here aren't I?" Antara said hurt by her best friend's
word. True, she did leave town, but she never left her. Not the way Ishika was
hinting. What if she was not physically there next to her, but she is here now.
She is determined not to let go of her hand. It was Ishika who was pushing her
away. "You cannot shut me out, because I am already there in your life."
Ishika
didn't say anything. She didn't have the strength to utter a word. She felt
drained out, she felt lost.
Antara
said, "I did come with mom and dad. You were not there. I looked for you,
everyone was looking for you but you had just walked away. Next morning, I had
no option but to go back with mom and dad. I waited as long as I can. That evening,
I was relived when Shekhar uncle called to inform that you had came back home.
You have no idea how much you had scared me Ishika."
"You were
here?" Ishika asked. Of course she was, Antara would not leave her alone and
just send a pity card to make her feel better. She repeated, "You were here,"
to herself, assuring herself.
"I was,"
Antara confirmed. "It was you who as
not here. You did come back that evening, but still I won't be wrong when I say
you never really did come back. Did you?"
Ishika
finally looked away from the sky and tilted her head to look at Antara. Tears
blurred her vision as she saw Antara's face shine under the moon and several
stars.
Antara
locked her fingers into Ishika and pointed up towards the sky with her other
hand. Ishika followed her finger. "They would never approve of what you are
doing to yourself, and for first time I would agree with them. Ishk every one
deserves happiness, and you have people who still care for you. Why are you
making yourself unhappy on purpose? Do you have any idea how big of a crime are
you committing?"
"I am
happy. I smile and laugh," Ishika defended herself.
"Are you?
Whom are you kidding?"
"Fine. I
will try to be truly happy, but I don't want to come back. In that house, I see
myself as anything but happy."
Antara
sucked the inside of her cheek before saying, "I am not going without you. We
are staying here for few days. I won't take that away from you, but forever,
forget it."
There was
no argument left. Antara was going to live up to her decision, and Ishika was
adamant on hers. No matter what she said would get Antara to agree. She was
letting her stay for few days was a miracle itself, not wanting to let go of
what little she got, she sealed her lips. She would go on with the flow for
now, and when the day comes, the day announcing they should head back, she will
just face the circumstances then.
____________________________________________________
Next Part: ________
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