Love or Retribution?

Chapter - 10

Nandhini took care of the hospitality as a good host as Bhargav reeled inside with the sudden arrival of Subhashini.

All three of them were seated in his room sipping on the tea which Nandhini had ordered in, the hot samosas stayed untouched by any of them.

"Bhargav was more like my protector than my friend", Subhashini finally opened her mouth breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"You know what Nandhini, in class 2, a boy hit  me and pushed me down,  you should have seen how angry it made Bhargav, you remember what you said to him Bugsii? ", Subhashini asked trying to pull him into the conversation.

Bhargav continued to stare into the tea cup without replying.

"That's fine, let me tell you, 'how dare you hit my girl friend? ''.. he he.. now it sounds funny, but at that age, I was all rosy eyed, and you remember what I called you after that?" Subhashini again asked with overflowing enthusiasm, but there was no response from Bhargav.

"My hero, that is what I called him, he had always been my hero", Subhashini said with glittering eyes which even melted Nandhini a bit but not the stone Bhargav.

She continued to yap continuously about various incidents that happened between them with full enthusiasm, but the more she talked it broke Bhargav more inside as some of the things she said were know only to both of them, confirming she is Subhashini.

"Every one thought we both would grow up and end up marrying each other, we both wanted it too, but.. ", she stopped with a shrug and looked at him again.

"What is going on in your mind Bhargav?  I thought you would be happy to see me after so long", Subahshini said in a dejected tone.

"Hmm.. yeah.. I am happy, it is just that...", Bhargav dragged still confused as Nandhini looked at both of them curiously.

"Just what Bhargav? your hesitation and indifference is making me uncomfortable, may be it is a mistake on my part to come here after all these years, sorry.. I will take my leave now", Subhashini said in a giving up tone and got up.

"Wait", finally Bhargav spoke clearly and looked at her.

"Her eyes, hair and face cut does look like Subhashini, but then why am I not having the familiarity that I had the moment I saw Indira", he thought to himself as an anvil continued to hit his heart making it more and more painful.

"I am still waiting", Subhashini's voice bought him back.

"How do I know, you are who you say", Bhargav asked with doubt.

"You are kidding right? have you even been listening to me? how else would I have known about all those stuff if I am not who I say I am and most of all what is the need for me to impersonate your childhood friend? what am I going to get out of it?", Subhashini asked not in an irritative tone but in an intrigued one.

"I don't know, me?", Bhargav asked again with doubt.

Subhashini burst into laughter and sat down comfortably.

"You think I am here to re kindle what we had as kids? are you out of your mind? here take a look at this", she said and showed him her phone.

The lock screen showed Subhashini happily engulfed inside a handsome man's arms, while a little guy engulfed in hers.

"That is my husband and son, he is an army officer and my son is in kindergarten, we came to ooty  for a vacation, I got suddenly reminded of you, so I came here,  if you are still in doubt, you can come with me to ooty and check for yourself", she said in a calm tone which shocked Bhargav even more.