Dreamy Red

Episode 31 - Newly-Found Fondness

"This is a chance for you to get away from your griefs", Rahul commented. I sighed again. "Maybe", I said and turned to walk away. Rahul quickly grabbed my hands and pulled me toward him, very very close to him. It felt like a magical moment. I silently imagined Rahul as Viku in my mind. From nowhere I could hear faint pleasant music and could feel a cool breeze on my face.

The moment only lasted a few seconds. I felt a shiver of chill pass through me. I came back to my conscience. "Where are you going, Bibbi?", Rahul asked politely but enchantingly. Suddenly he looked more charming than my Viku. His thin white t-shirt and worn-off blue jeans made him look like a handsome prince in disguise. I felt ashamed of myself as I was in a bit of a trance. "Nowhere", I replied foolishly. His eyes had a sparkle and were drawing me closer to him. I shook my head, parted his hands from mine and turned around.

The worst part was that Karan was looking at us all the while with doubt as though he sensed something cooking between us. To worsen it, Rahul asked Karan to go home to give us some privacy. He had asked it out loud and clear, "Karan, could you go home so that you could give us some privacy?" I was more embarrassed. "Why?", I asked. "I need to tell you something", Rahul replied gently. But it was shocking to see Karan leaving without a word.

Rahul announced to me mechanically, "I have called off my wedding". My pupils dilated in response. "What? Why?", I asked. That was all I could manage. "Because you said so", he responded. "What?!", I asked again in shock. "When did I ask you to call off your wedding?", I yelled at him. I tried to recall if I had said something like that, just to make sure that I hadn't said something as stupid as that. Rahul interrupted my thoughts by saying, "Not directly. But you put sense in me. The words that we spoke in the campfire are still afresh in my mind", he paused, gave a deep breath and continued, "and in my heart". The last word sent my blood racing through my veins and a shockwave passed through me. My heartbeat was faster than usual. I turned away again. I felt a bit shy. I felt a new kind of energy within me. I felt that I was no longer alone in the world. I felt that I had someone to love me.

Rahul softly grabbed me by my arms and pulled me closer to him. Though he was still facing my back, he embraced me and said, "I don't think I need words to express what I feel for you." The words were soothing like a pain reliever. It was quick. I didn't even get the time to think. All I did was blush. He slowly turned me around without breaking the hug, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "I know what you feel about me. But I want you to think and react."

He loosened his grip. And when I took a step back, he removed his hands from me. It was a bit awkward. I told him softly, still blushing, "I need some time to think through."

He nodded gently, turned away and walked in the direction where Karan went without even looking back. It appeared as though he was hurt by my actions and words. But I couldn't give in that easily without thinking. It would be foolish. I had already faced a failure. So the next love in my life had to last for eternity. I had to know if it was worthy. The man whom I knew A to Z itself turned out to be a cheater whereas I didn't know Rahul even a teensy bit. What if it turned out to be better? Should I give him a chance, I wondered.

*****

I went home casually. It was around 10:30 AM. I saw Ravi waiting for me in the hall. "Ravi, what are you doing here?", I asked him in surprise. "Came to see you, of course", he remarked. I hoped that he had not seen me with Rahul on the way. "Usually, it would be you coming to my station. But since you are protesting foolishly, I had to come", he commented. I scowled and asked, "What happened?" "Nothing happened. Should something happen for me to come to visit you, Bibbi?" "Why are you so bitter, Ravi? Is it because I rejected to help you solve the case?", I asked him straightforwardly.

"Naveen too had a copy of a book authored by Samrahul", he said changing the topic. He pulled out a light pastel orangish coloured thin and small booklet from his leather satchel. It was the same colour as the transparent cover which had Naveen's phone. Ravi handed the booklet to me. It had a similar design as that of Red and Violet, the booklets owned by Nishanthi and Arpitha. The booklet was titled Peach. "I thought you would ask me why I got it here?", he asked sceptically. "Hmm. I would have. But I think I have changed my mind. Karan got another lead in the case through Ashutosh. With so much happening, I thought it would be irresponsible of me and I have no other go than giving in", I replied wittily.

"Is it because of Rahul?", he asked doubtfully. I didn't know from where he got that thought. "What?", I questioned in surprise. "I have seen you two hang out a lot for the past few days. He has even cancelled his wedding with Samantha after meeting you. I don't know if it is right to discuss it here. But Bibbi, be careful. Do not trust the Sharma brothers. They are dangerous and cheaters", he said continuously without giving me a chance to respond. I put my head down. I was ashamed. My parents were there in the hall too. Such good people, they acted as though they didn't hear a thing. 

Ravi called the Sharma brothers cheaters because of the incident with his sister. Without even thinking, I retorted angrily, "We saw your sister that day! She seemed quite happy to have met Karan!". It was foolish to say that. His face turned red. He was boiling in anger. He shouted at me, "Bibbi, you of all people. How dare you show Karan to her?! Are you trying to spoil her marriage life?!" I lost my patience. I couldn't tolerate him shouting at me in front of the people I love. "No, are we spoiling her marriage?! I think it's already not going well. Can you not see that she is not happy with her marriage? Well, perhaps you have turned a blind eye to your sister's happiness and future. Moreover, you didn't even tell us that she got married!" I blurted out all my anger. It was an intense argument. "I have been working with that guy for so long and he couldn't manage to even ask me a word about her. A man without ethics. My sister is better off with that Rocky", he said angrily. "I'm not saying you marry her to Karan. You should have found a groom who would be a good match for her. In order to take revenge with Karan, you married her to some idiot!", I confronted him. Surprisingly, he didn't have anything to say about that, he just put his head down.

"I know that I was wrong. But what else could I have done?! You and I were not that close at that time, so I didn't feel it necessary to tell you. Moreover, you were much closer to Karan than me. I didn't want him to know about her marriage. So I finished it off silently", he said sadly. "It's okay. It's never too late Ravi. Ask her what she wants. If she wants to stay with Rocky, let her be. Otherwise, please help her to get her freedom. And please let her choose her life partner by herself next time", I spoke wisely as I could. "No way. If I let her choose, she will obviously go for Karan. And I don't want that to happen", he said strongly.

"What happened has happened Ravi. If she is able to trust Karan and is also ready to forgive him, why are you blocking her?", I asked him politely. "Maybe you are right. But it's hard to accept what he has done. He still roams around with girls which I don't like at all." "It may be because he needs a girl in his life, Ravi. He can't keep waiting for Shilpa forever", I replied softly. I tried explaining to him, "See Ravi, after he saw her, he never laid his eyes upon any other girl. He got depressed knowing that she was married. I think you have to give them a chance." Ravi nodded. "Ok. I'm leaving then. Bye Bibbi, bye uncle, bye aunty", he said while bidding byes to me, maa and dad.

While he was leaving, I saw a familiar person whom I did not wish to meet coming toward our home. It was Vichu. I went inside and straight to my room without turning back. I was inside my room doing nothing for about twenty minutes until Maa came to my room. She shut the door behind her and sat down beside me on my bed just like how she did when Mamu came. "Bibbi, I know you are angry. But I think you have to give her a chance to explain. Maybe whatever you have thought or assumed is completely false. I believe that you are a wise girl. Talking to her will help you know better", she said calmly.