Shaurya had come on a business trip to Patiala. It was to be a week long trip. On the night that he landed he first left 2 quick texts on the 2 family groups. Group-1 was Aastha and Shaan and him and Group-2 was Sabbarwaal clan. He then left another message for Anokhi. It was so quickly decided this trip that after the last incident and after the reveal of Anokhi taking up another job he hadn't really got to hang out with her. Anokhi was having to do study catch up and was also exhausted. He wanted her to feel better first. The color was absent in her cheeks even on their last meet. She was too burnt out. And all he could do to ease it her was take her into a quick hug and tell her it will get better for sure and soon. They will have fun in her vacations which was a month away. He will make up for all the separation. After texting Anokhi who was probably sleeping he settled into the bath tub for a nice relaxing bubble bath.
Shaurya (to hinself)- Kamal hai. Aaj tak kitne business trips kiye. Solo trips bhi. But aaj tak kabhi nhi laga ki room ek insaan ke liye zaroorat se bada hai. Par aaj yeh room bohot khali saa lag rha hai. Jaise tum naa ho. Tumhari kami pata nhi achanak se ek gehra ghaav dekar chali jaati hai. Aur fir jab ehsaas hota hai ki tum nhi ho par meri zindagi mein toh ho. Koi toh hai jisse miss kar sakoon toh marhaam saa thandak deta hai. I wish mein apne aankhon ke samne jo bhi dekhoon woh tumhe kaid karke bhej pata. Woh har pal jo mere palkon se guzre tumhara dil tak usse pohoncha pata. Par kuch tasveerien toh le hi sakta hoon. He began to take selfies. But the delicious luke warmth of the water with the foam dispersed on its surface could not be transported to her. Nevertheless him staring at the camera from the surface would have to do.
He so wished she would be beside. Opening a bottle of wine seemed so stupid now. But strangely downing a few glasses of whisky never seemed as melancholic as it did today. He nevertheless downed his drink quick. Wondering that love and the absence of the beloved had somehow managed to lower the high of being drunk. Sleep would be it for now. Except for the first time sleep was not what being drunk called for. What being drunk called for was a call with her. But he wasn't in his senses. Their love was new. And she was sensitive. He could not risk blabbering to her. So he continued to stare at a photograph of her until sleep summoned him.
The next day morning he woke up in the double bed to light peeking from the window. He immediately missed that moment when she would get a towel to shield his sleep from the rising sun, the day they spent sleeping in the balcony. But here there wasn't an Anokhi. He walked towards the window and looked at the stunning bougainvillea flowers that seemed to be ubiquitous. He wanted to send her flowers with a letter saying how he missed her. So he went onto a site for bouquets and booked a large one with white roses and lilies and a few violet flowers and penned a long note for her. It would be his love letter. Not exactly his first if one took into account the set of school notes he passed around in his seventh but yes his first one to a requited love.
Dear Anokhi,
Pata nhi Ms.Bhalla se Dear Anokhi ka safar tumhare liye kaisa rha but mere liye yeh safar lamba rha. Kash ek din, ek hafte, ek saal, ek Zamane pehle mile hotey. Shayd life kuch aur hoti. Aaj mujhe apni zindagi ke shayd kuch aur pal yaad hote. Shayd pal yaad karne layak ban jaate tumhare meri zindagi mein hone se. Kuch romantic karna ka mann kia. Isliye yeh letter bhej rha hoon whatsapp ke zamane mein. Hala ki tumhe issi waqt yahan apne sath chahta hoon, khat chun rha hoon jo ki video call se kafi zyada samay lega tum tak pohochne ke liye. Par video call bhi saksham nhi hai. Woh bhi hum dono ko ek pal, ek jagah pe lakar khada nhi kar sakta. Kyunki tum ho Chandigarh mein aur mein yahan Patiala mein. Tumhe bohot miss kar rha hoon. Kash tumhe apne kamre mein ruka sakta tha. I mean to say ki galat mat samjho. But yahan se view bohot beautiful hai. Tumse zyada nhi par hai beautiful. Aur view ke sath room kafi achaa hai. It's so luxurious. But still empty without you in it. Hotel rooms kabhi itne stupid nhi lage. Tumhare bina toh har cheez hi stupid lagta hai. Chahe woh Chand ho yaa chole kulche. I feel every moment would just be fuller with an "us" in it. I can keep saying stupid stuff. But basically I love you and I need you and I want you. And I want nothing less or more than you. Taking all my steps towards you since the day I met you, Love...
Yours and yours only,
Shaurya Sabbarwaal
Urf tumhara PS....
He re-read the letter thinking that he had turned from brevity to lyrcism over the short couple of days that were needed to fall in love. The number of ways that one changed when love struck!!! After checking for typos and correcting them he pressed on the send button. He would wait for the letter to reach before he could talk on phone. He wanted it to be a proper love letter and so he didn't pick up her calls over the next few days. But left a short message relaying that all was good in the hood and he would be back soon. His heart ached while doing it but Shaurya goodness resist the dramatic tension having lived a lifetime of subdued uncomfortable, unresolvable tension that emptied him. Not a tension like this which filled him. Every minute of this tension caused the ocean bed of his love to sink further unlike the draining tension of the household that he lived in. He knew right where this was going. This was stretching towards a moment of meeting, of outpouring of love. It actually scarred him a tiny bit. That when he would meet her how would pour all of this out. What would he do to make up for all these days.....
On the other hand Anokhi dearly missed him. She began to think of their time together. Trying to find something novel in the memories with and of him. Days seemed monochrome. And this monochrome was maddening after the rose hue of love had blanketed her life. Going to college didn't seem that exciting on some of the days. It felt like she was a set of actions, purely 2 pairs of synchronized limbs. The emptiness that she felt a year before at her home on some days. When she didn't know on some days was it joy she was truly chasing or was she chasing something inspite of knowing that that which she chased guaranteed only freedom. Joy wasn't guaranteed. Joy and love were never guaranteed. Lovelessness bloomed within her. Just like the shortest day blooms slowly over the winter months. But was he really that busy? Or was it always going to be this? That distance can put her out of his mind? Was love limited to see. And no see meant out of mind? Had he really forgotten her?
Reema knew why she was dull these days. Reema tried to cheer her up but it wasn't working. A best friend can't fill in the shoes of a beloved. Also vice-versa. Yet she tried. They went for gol gappe and pav bhaji. And also went for a movie with caramel popcorn, courtesy Ahir's treat. But Anokhi felt dull. Slightly shapeless in her thoughts and about herself.
Days passed and it was the day of his return. The wait had now turned into a fallen tide for Anokhi whereas for Shaurya he was full of energies anticipating some kind of grand reunion. He had texted her to meet at one of their cafes. The cafe where they had shared almost the entire menu together over they frequent dates. As he parked close to the cafe he opened the dickey to get the gift from his suitcase. The way his clothes had been thrashed into it was embarrassing. And somehow now he regretted it. He felt Anokhi could sense the energies of untideness from him. And what if that put her off? Too late to tidy a suitcase in the parking. He grabbed the box having a bracelet and tried to take measured steps towards the Cafe.
He looked around but he could not spot her. He set the box on their favorite table, asked for water and waited but she would not arrive 20 minutes later. He placed a call but she wouldn't pick up. He checked if the message was read. It was but where was she? Why wasn't she there. He called her up again and no response. He dejectedly pocketed the box and left. He called Reema and asked was Anokhi good and if she was why wasn't she picking up?
How was it? Do comment! I know I am back after really long. And very few people was reading my update in first place but I quite enjoyed writing this part. Hope you enjoy reading it.... Please comment. I know my updates no one missed. But I do miss your lovely and supportive comments. Will make me smile! Thank you.
YOU ARE READING
Discrete parodies
RomanceBasically this will be a continuation from where Anokhi meets Shaurya in Goa and there is no Babli to interrupt. They decide to be together but they have to keep this a secret. Will they be able to keep this to themselves? Read to find out.
