Suraj just stood his ground, amazed at the view in front of him. The entire office was decked up like a bride, with decoratives everywhere. A cake had been specially ordered for the occasion, and a buffet lunch had also been organised.
For the first time in a long time, Suraj felt immensely happy. He wouldn't show it, but when his new colleagues brought out the cake for his welcome, Suraj could just about cry. This was the third time ever in his life that he would be cutting a cake, the other two times when Chakor had baked a cake for his birthday back when they were in college. He never did celebrate his birthdays at home, because he never felt like it was a happy occasion, his being born, that is.
Surprisingly, most of the menu for lunch was his favorites. He wondered whether they'd done their research on him, but shook it off as a mere coincidence. And somehow, the tawa pulav with a little extra masala felt so familiar, so much like home, but Suraj couldn't figure out why.
After the grand welcome, he was shown around the office, starting with his cabin. Everything had been neatly arranged, and he liked that there was a separate board provided to paste his post it notes. He remembered stuff easier that way. He also didn't fail to notice the paper weight, a pale blue colour, which was shaped like a swan. This was some thing no one knew, but Suraj really liked swans, for no particular reason though. He really felt like he would get used to his new work place soon, Hell, it would become his second home even.
Suraj had been left alone in his cabin for a while, but presently, someone at the door cleared their throat, obviously seeking his attention. He turned slightly from his place at the cupboard, and nodded at the young woman at the door.
"Good afternoon, Sir," acknowledged with a nod from his side, "I'm Priya, from the HR department. I hope you like your work space Sir. Is everything to your taste?" She added nervously.
"Very much so," Suraj said shortly, followed by a small smile. Taking that as a cue to continue, Priya added, "Would you like to have a tour of the office and maybe speak with the others, Sir?"
Suraj nodded, putting the file he had been holding back in the shelf. He followed the woman out, and one by one, he was introduced to the other office workers, and he exchanged small pleasantries with each one.
"I presume everyone's present today?" He asked her. "Well, not quite, Sir. One of them had to leave due to an emergency. That's her table at the end," Priya said. They kept walking in silence, till she added, "It would have been really great if you could meet her, Sir. She's the one who stayed back yesterday to complete the decorations and other arrangements. In fact, she's the one who redecorated your cabin, though that's our job." She said sheepishly. Suraj just nodded his head, though he was slightly curious about this woman she was talking about.
"Arranging the files, adding a small board to the side and buying post it notes and a new paper weight, though I don't know why, she took care of it all."
"Oh?" Now Suraj was definitely curious. This woman, whoever she was, had set his cabin exactly as he liked it. Even the very minute detail of the paper weight. He was lost in his train of thought when Priya suddenly giggled. He looked up at her, and she excused herself.
"I just remembered the incident today morning. The restaurant said they didn't have tawa pulav, so she cooked it herself in a jiffy. God knows why. Must have been very excited about your arrival, Sir!" She beamed.
So the tawa pulav was a home cooked one? But how did...
"That's her," she said, pointing to something on the desk. Suraj guessed it might be a photo. "Name's Chakor." And she held up the photo for him to see.
To say that Suraj was shocked was an understatement. There, right in front of him, was the love of his life, who, being honest with himself, he had been searching for for the past five years.
He gingerly held out his hand and clasped the photo between his fingers, as if it were made out of glass, or it would break the moment he held it. Jaw slack and wide eyed, he kept staring at the photo, till he noticed someone beside her.
A small boy, in a school uniform. Suraj furrowed his brows. He seemed so familiar... and realisation dawned on him, that he was the same boy he had met today.
YUVI. Did that mean...?
"And that's her son," Priya piped in when she saw Suraj staring at the small boy in the photo. Suraj squeezed his eyes shut, and balled his hand into a fist, almost crushing the photo in the process. That was the one thing he didn't want to hear. Realising where he was, he quickly tried to compose himself, like every thing was alright, but really, that one faint candle of hope that was burning in his heart had just been blown out by that statement.
"Nice family," he croaked out. His voice was failing him. He knew he should have braced himself, braced himself for the reality that if he ever did find her, she might have moved on. She might have gotten married and might have started a family. But... it was just so HARD. He couldn't imagine HER with anyone else, he DIDN'T want to imagine her with anyone else.
He had searched for her like a madman. He had asked the owners of the room in which she was staying about her whereabouts, he had kept ringing her phone 5 times in a minute, only to be met with the same monotonous voice that kept saying 'Not reachable', or 'Switched off', till one day, it said 'Number does not exist.' He kept contacting her friends if they knew anything about what she was doing right now, only to always receive a negative response.
And here, he had found her. In the most unlikely of places, in the most unlikely of situations.
"It would be good if that were true," Priya said, smiling wistfully, breaking him out of his own reverie. "She's a single mother, so she works twice as hard, playing the role of both the parents to her son. Even recently, for Yuvi's birthday, her son that is, she bought him a gift from his 'imaginary' father's side as well."
"Pardon?" Suraj said, confused. Priya looked up in shock, and immediately looked down in embarrassment that she had said too much. "Well, it's just that, for as long as I've known Chakor, I've never seen her husband, if she's been married that is. It's always been just Yuvi and her. It's more like she was abandoned by his father."
Suraj stood there, staring at nothing in particular, in deep thought. "W... well, I'd better get back to work. Please do call for me if you need anything," and with a sheepish smile, she left.
Suraj turned and walked back to his cabin slowly, the picture still in hand. Every thing seemed so muddled up. He tried to put bits and pieces together to form the entire picture.
Single mother, father never seen, and... abandoned?
"Yuvi is five years old!" The words resounded in his mind as he sat down heavily on his chair. Wait. 5 years? "Even recently for Yuvi's birthday..." Recently? His birthday was in early November or late October then.
That means... he must have been born in 2011. She left him in May. And November was... 5, 6 months away from May.
So if Chakor was Yuvi's mother... then... surely, he was his father.
'Papa, please no go.' Yuvi's words filled his head. Suraj almost choked when he tried to swallow the huge lump in his throat. His eyes were burning, and his cheeks were damp. Suraj didn't know why he was crying, but his tears just wouldn't stop. Coming back to senses, he quickly called Rishab.
"Pick up... come on... RISHAB! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Suraj screamed into his phone. "Whoa whoa! What's wrong? I'm just going to drop off the kid's mother and him back home, I felt like I ought to do it, you know."
And God bless you for that. "Stay there with them! Send me the address! I NEED TO MEET HER!" "O...kay? Are you fine?"
"No, but I will be, once I see her."
Yes, everything would be alright, once he sees her.
Vanshaj
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