Remembering you

Chapter 5- The First Meet

‘I feel like I have done all of this before but when…’ wondered Anokhi while combing her hair and staring at her reflection in the mirror intently.

‘Should I read that diary once? Maybe I did it yesterday? Or the day before? Or maybe everyday…?

Her everyday morning routine started off by blankly staring at the sky, reading the same note over and over again and then proceeding to go to the bathroom and so on. Her body felt habituated to all these actions but why could her brain not comprehend all of it? She felt as if all her actions were involuntary but not in a weird way. Was it like this every morning? What does she do all day? The pile of economics books flashed across her mind. ‘Perhaps I study?’ she thought to herself.

“You were a professor Anokhi.’ announced Aastha while breaking her chain of thoughts.

“I didn’t see you coming in…Aastha ma’am?” what was supposed to come out as a statement, instead came out as a doubt.

“Yes Aastha ma’am, your Aastha ma’am” reaffirmed Aastha while smiling and settling the steaming mug of coffee on the study table.

“Professor? I don’t recall anything as such. Going to college, classrooms…or anything at all. And how did you know what I was thinking?” asked a confused Anokhi.

“That’s how it has been for a year now. Anyways someone is coming to meet you today”

“Me? But why? Do I know the person?” questioned Anokhi

“No. He is a psychologist…perhaps he might help you remember things.” said Aastha while smiling ruefully.
 
Driving through the rainy streets of Patiala the only thought that ran through Shaurya’s mind was that of Ms. Aastha Kashyap. Badi maa had always told him that his mother had left him for her career. But was it true? With years passing by and his evolving conscience his mind believed that maybe…maybe there was some other reason? But what can be it? That made her leave him at such a young age? That made her choose that certain reason over him? It is impossible for a mother as well to stay away from her own child for even a few hours let alone 25 long years. He had heard stories about how his parents were so much in love but one day it all came crashing down with her departure. He wanted to listen to her side of the story as well. He has been bottling up a lot of questions over the years…about her leaving him. Why was her career suddenly so important to her after 5 years of marriage? 4 years after his birth? To her, was it only her own choices and wishes that mattered? What was his place in her life after 25 years? But the fear of what her answer could be to all this refrained him from voicing it out to anyone in the huge yet claustrophobic Sabherwal mansion. What if Badi maa had been speaking the truth all these years and it was only him who was holding onto the last string of hope pointlessly? With unheard questions, doubts and uncertainty swirling around his mind he finally ended up in front of Prof. Aastha Kashyap’s house.  

It was a pretty little two-storeyed white house. The light layer of fog surrounding it brought about a sense of calmness and peacefulness to it. Climbing up a mini flight of stairs he awaited for someone to open the polished light brown door after ringing the bell.

The door rather opened up to an unknown face. He came eye to eye with a beautiful woman who looked like she was in her mid twenties or maybe a little more than that. She had sleek, long, jet black hair that ran down till her waist. The sudden light winds blew her hair locks over her pale round-shaped face. She was wearing a bright yellow coloured kurta which seemed to perfectly attach itself around her small dainty figure, a fringed churni hung around her left shoulder and a blue palazzo completed her overall get up.

For a moment he found himself lost in her numb doe-shaped eyes.

5th part
Enjoy :)