The Enchantress | COMPLETE | AbhiGya Fiction

4. Turning of Time

Pragya:

I saw Aadi peeping out of the window as the flight started to tear down the clouds for its descent in Calcutta. He had a wide grin on his face; I couldn't help but laugh, seeing his childlike enthusiasm of seeing his 'nani' and 'maasi' again. I had kept Aadi as far away from all our complications as I could, but Aadi is an intelligent child, more often than not I felt he had sensed the ridge between me and my maternal family, but he never asked me anything.

***

Sitting on the couch by the table where Bulbul was enthusiastically displaying her array of wedding shopping to show me, my eyes fell on the kitchen slab where Aadi was now sitting with his 'nani'. Mumma was quietly smiling at his random stories and feeding him his breakfast of demand for the day – 'poori aloo'. Seeing her pamper my son thus, anyone would think it was a normal household, but not in our household. This was her way of indirectly telling me to not behave distant in front of Bulbul's in-laws – I laughed at the thought of this – if Bulbul's in-laws where any different family, I would understand why she wanted to put up this charade. But this was Alia's family, they knew me better than Mumma anyway. However, to be fair to her, as she hasn't ever been fond of us, neither has she ever let the bitterness seep into Aadi's heart. She has always shown cordial affection towards him.

"Di, di, see this earring!! Abhi bought this for me!! He said, it would look prettiest on me!! It's so beautiful naah?" the mention of Abhi's name caught my attention back at Bulbul who was now enthusiastically waving a box of earrings before me. It was a simple diamond dangler earring in the shape of a dew drop. My hands automatically moved to touch it gently as my thoughts moved on to the person who bought it for Bulbul.

After Abhi had left that day, I did think about those days for some time, but I was as clear as ever in my mind that those were memories that was tangential to my reality. I had a chance to create some perfect memories and store them in the hidden chambers of my heart forever, and so I grabbed the opportunity. There aren't many such fulfilling moments of love and passion in my life anymore – thus I knew the value of these – they were perfect because, none of us were ever going to visit the past to change it, none of us had a future to add to it – these were untouched virgin memories, and I held them close. But Abhi? I had reasoned with myself that the next time I will meet him, he will be my half-sister's beau. Other than being my best friend's brother, he will only be my brother-in-law now and nothing else.

Also to be honest, after Aadi returned from his boarding and Suresh joined too, I really didn't get the time to think about Abhi and my escapade anyway. Aadi and his mischiefs, his demands, Suresh's routine kept me busy. In a way it was good, because by now when I had to fly to Calcutta, I knew I was mentally sorted and over that phase of possible guilt and dilemma. Now I was ready to face Alia and Abhi and not feel awkward about it – why should I? I didn't seduce Abhi into sleeping with me, it was a mutual decision between two adults and I intended to uphold my share of the deal.

***

"Destiny waits alike for the free man as well as for him enslaved by another's bond"

~ Voice of the Ocean, Pragya.

I don't want to believe it was destiny that made Bulbul ask me in the evening to accompany her to Abhi's house. Alia had arranged for a small family dinner before the 'mehendi' and official commencement of the wedding functions – most of their guests had arrived and she wanted to introduce Bulbul to all of them personally before the function. I wasn't sure why I didn't want to go – it was Alia's house, I knew them all, they would be only too happy to see me, and Alia and I hadn't had a chance to catch up with each other in the longest time. But my first instinct was to say 'No'. I tried to reason myself, was it because of Abhi? It couldn't be, I was sorted in that lane – maybe I was tired? But what surprised me most was when Mumma spoke to me.