Unreachable Destiny- The Curse Of Your Love

Chapter-32: The Strongest Weapon, The Closest Person.

Maya couldn't help but think about the incident that happened that morning. She could still remember the heat of his hand on her waist and it felt bizarre for her to think about it. She kept signing throughout the dinner at Pearl's restaurant and it didn't go unnoticed by her brothers, who asked her multiple times if she was ok or if something was bothering her. She brushed off their questions with an 'I'm okay', but was she? The only person she ever liked since she was young was Akshay and it didn't change. She still has the same love for Akshay but somehow, it feels different. This is just stupid, Maya declares to herself. Ranav is her friend, a strange friend with whom she can share her vulnerabilities, which is why it is so hard for her to judge their friendship. There is nothing else to it, she said to herself. Maya gets up from her bed and goes out to take a walk to clear her head. What she didn't anticipate was to find Atul sitting at the fountain in the backyard of the hotel. Atul sat at the edge of the fountain, dipping his feet into the water below. Looking at him now, she could find some resemblance to the Atul that her mother described. Maya was about to approach him and thought for herself that maybe she didn't have to crack everyone in the family, maybe she would just ask Atul what was actually wrong with Ketki Bua and he would just answer her, but Atul's phone rang and Maya stopped. Maya decides that maybe this is not the time or the topic to talk about with Atul Kaku. She came to clear her head so it is better for her to go back to her room after she's done.

"Ketki." Maya, who was about to leave, stopped in her tracks. Don't, Maya. She told herself. "I am sorry, Ketki. I couldn't get him. You are my sister and I promised to help you and Aishwarya get out of that hell. I keep falling, Ketki. I am so sorry." Maya took a step back and leaned against the pillar. "I am really sorry." Maya still didn't know the whole story but she knew one thing. Her Bua(aunt) and Behen(sister) were not safe and Maya promised herself that she would get them out of that house.

That night Maya left silently, sure of her decision.

***

The next day, as Akshay was packing his bags, there was a knock on his door and he opened it to find Meenakshi standing on the other side. He was confused as to why she would find him at such a time especially when they barely ever had any interaction before. He lets her in and makes a place on the couch for her to sit and sits on the bed opposite to her.

"How is the packing going, Akshay?" Meenakshi tries to start a conversation.

"Very well. What brings you here, Mam?" Akshay asks, cautiously.

"We have never really talked much and I know this might seem odd that I am asking this, but there is something I would like your help with." It was hard for Akshay to understand what must bring her to him for help and more than that, what were her intentions in doing so. He didn't know how to respond to her when he didn't even know what she was going to ask of him and he knew that Maya hates Meenakshi. Under no circumstances did Akshay want to associate with her, but he couldn't straight out decline her since she was not only older than him but also Maya's grandmother. She was still Maya's family and he doesn't see any reason to be rude to her. 

"What could I possibly help you with?" he asked Meenakshi, knowing full well that one way or the other, it should be about Maya. There can't be anything else.

"It's about Aditya." Okay, that was unexpected. Akshay thought to himself. "He needs a job."

"Okay, but why would he need a job?" Meenakshi had already talked to Aditya about whether he needed her help in contacting Mr. Aurora, but he clearly stated that he wanted to do it on his own, leaving Meenakshi no hope of gaining favour with Aditya. The only other thing he was concerned about was staying at home all the time. One day, everyone would doubt why he was staying at home all the time when he supposedly got the mentorship and Aditya barely managed these past weeks by saying that he went to Mr. Aurora's office once in a while but he actually spent his time outside going around aimlessly the whole day. Meenakshi assured him that she would find him a job in the meantime so he would not have to constantly hide the truth and the money would help Aditya too. He refused the money Meenakshi offered which is something that Meenakshi didn't understand. Why was Aditya so reluctant about getting any help from Meenakshi? She didn't pressure him for answers because she knew that Aditya barely began to trust her and this is important for Meenakshi. She explained the situation to Akshay and he frowned with the most confused expression that she had ever seen.

"But why would you ask for my help? Especially, when you don't want Maya to know about this. Do you expect me to hide this from Maya?"

"It's not that I want you to lie to Maya about anything. It's just that Aditya's field of study is more relevant to your work and I feel that you can understand Aditya's situation."

"I will help Aditya, but not tell Maya... I have never hidden anything from Maya." Akshay has no interest in getting involved with Meenakshi but not helping Aditya is out of the options. The best solution to this is to just tell everyone the truth because Akshay was sure that Maya would not judge Aditya for his decisions. In fact, she would support him. Maya loves Aditya way too much to ever be disappointed with him, but he also understands that this is a matter of Aditya's pride. He wants Maya to only see his competence but not his struggle.

"Of course, you would never want to hide anything from Maya and I know how close you guys are, but some things need to be hidden not because you want to deceive the person but because you want them to keep away from worrying too much. I know you understand Aditya's feelings very well as you had to hide your own feelings for such a long time from Maya." The moment he realizes where this is going, Aditya grows tense. Aditya was really good at hiding his feelings, or so he thought. But in the past week, this was the second time he had been confronted by someone about his feelings for Maya. Was he that obvious? He wondered.

"My feelings? What feelings are they?" Akshay says calmly, not giving up so easily. "I think you have a misunderstanding, Ms. Meenakshi."

"Maybe. I wouldn't have come to this conclusion merely on suspicion, Akshay. You know me enough to get that since I am making such a statement, I have got some assurance of it being a fact." Akshay just remains silent because he has yet to know her intentions behind trying so hard to get Aditya a job. How does it benefit her? "You know I am only saying this because Aditya is my grandson and I just want him to have what he wants and he is talented enough to achieve it. I am just trying to pave an easier path for him and trying to keep his relations with the family intact at the same time." Akshay has to admit, that Meenakshi is good at putting a facade so cleverly that anyone who doesn't know her past actions would believe her to be genuinely concerned for her grandson. Akshay had heard enough from Maya to know that the woman in front of him was not the real Meenakshi Rajvansh.

"Of course, you care about Aditya. I will think about it." Akshay says to first end this conversation here so that he can contemplate the consequences of his actions and his options.

***

Meenakshi was quicker with her moves than Akshay expected because right after Meenakshi left him to weigh his options, Aditya found him later that afternoon to request him the same. No matter how much he may love Maya, Aditya was his closest friend since they were kids, which left him no way out of this. Ms. Meenakshi, what are you doing?

***

Meenakshi watched her granddaughter from afar as she got into Ranav's jeep yet again on the way back to Rajkot. Meenakshi can't explain how much she craves Maya's attention and the bond that she shares with Amish, Aditya and even Parul. Meenakshi wants everything to go right so that at the end of this road, she will find some peace with her past and find her way back to being a loving grandmother for her grandchildren. Maya has the potential to put her at peace but at the moment, Maya's focus is elsewhere and what she needs to focus on is her family. The Rajvansh family. Meenakshi decided that her next move should be the closest person to Maya. That person was Akshay. Maya loves Aditya the most in the world, which also makes him her biggest weakness but her weakness does not help her become strong. Her strength makes her strong, which is the extreme trust and dependency she has for Akshay, which is why she asked Akshay to give Aditya a job.

At that time, Meenakshi didn't know that the destination of her journey did not lead to love but despair. If one generation's painful life couldn't help Meenakshi see the light, would Maya's hatred work well in doing so? Will the path Meenakshi chose, lead her to peace or an endless torment? Time will tell.