Meant To Be

Chapter 21. Dhruv's offer

    It was growing darker, with the sun slowly setting down and the stars appearing in the sky. The birds were flying back to their abode, some in groups while some alone, to call it a day.

    Sam boarded the bus, which was going back to Khimsar, the energy in her body, draining away. Her feet had become heavy of walking. Her eyes too felt heavy, due to lack of sleep. She somehow ate the remaining biscuits (which didn't get dry), even though she didn't feel hungry anymore. She rested her head on the glass of the bus window, letting the cool evening breeze hit her face and make her feel light.

She kept thinking of the old man who had told her about the aunt's death. The voice of the old man kept echoing in her mind.
'Alas! She's no more.'

Sam suddenly remembered the death of her uncle.

He was a very fit and healthy man, and always believed in fitness. But one fine morning, out of nowhere, Sam and her parents had received the news, that her uncle had suffered a massive cardiac arrest. He was no more. The news had shocked Sam to the core. She remembered that she had cried all day and had begged her father to take her to her uncle's funeral, to atleast see him for the last time. But, his religious rules and traditions had forbidden him from taking her with him.

    Sam's mother had wiped her tears with her pallu (loose end of a sari) and had sat down beside her. She had tried to console Sam. For her, experiencing the death of a relative at such a young age, especially of her uncle, was overwhelming.

Yes, everyone has to die. But not so soon. How she had waited eagerly to receive that same warm smile from Boby's aunt, when she'd open the door. How she'd welcome Sam into her house. But it never happened and it never would. She hadn't even got the opportunity to say goodbye to her. For the last time.

The ride back to Khimsar, was longer than Sam had anticipated. The bus driver was driving the bus at a slow speed, fearing that some animal or someone might just appear in the middle of the dark road and would force him to press the breaks of the bus. Sam tried to keep her eyes open. She kept looking out of the window, trying to calculate how far she'd reached from Khuri and how much more time would it take to reach Khimsar. But to her dismay, all she could see was, darkness and darkness. The evening felt much darker than any other evening. Even the moon had refused to come out of her abode and help Sam to atleast make out how far she'd reached.

After several sudden stops (Sam had almost banged her head on the handle which had been fixed behind the front seat) and bumps, the bus finally came to a stop. Sam heard the engine die down. She saw people getting up and took it as a cue to alight the bus.

Sam got down from the bus and starting looking around, panic and fear building inside her. There was no sign of either Dhruv or Nish. All she could see, was people moving here and there with their belongings, while some bidding farewell to their friends or relatives. And just then suddenly someone tapped on her shoulder. Sam flinched and her stomach churned. She turned back, just to come face - to - face with Dhruv, whose facial as well as physical features had changed drastically. No wonder he sounded so different on the phone.

He had grown a small moustache above and also had grown some on his chin. It almost looked like a Van Dyke style of beard. He had grown his hair, which almost touched the tip of his shoulders, which was neatly oiled and combed. His eyes still displayed the same innocence which it had since the last nineteen years. Physically he had grown thinner and looked rather weak. And from what Sam could make it in the dark, with only the headlights of the bus giving her help, she could see that Dhruv had pimples on his cheeks and also his complexion had grown a bit dark.

"Hey!" Dhruv raised his right hand, and waved awkwardly. Sam could feel goosebumps on her hands. She wasn't used to this strong, masculine voice. For a moment, she felt as if she was talking to a man. Not to a boy.
How time flies!