Unreachable Destiny- The Curse Of Your Love

Chapter-34: The Goodbye.

"Bhayya..." Maya calls out to Amish as he leads her out of the house. Amish turns around and Maya can barely meet his eyes, expecting a scolding but none comes. She looks at Amish and finds him looking at her with a frown.

"Maya, what you did... I don't really know if it's right or wrong. I just know that you had a right to say those things. I know you are frustrated, but I am your elder brother. You should share your problems with me, Maya. Rather than trying to reason with people who don't intend to listen, you should just tell me. I would've got that cycle no matter where they may have dumped it, I would've found those sarees no matter how far they have been donated and I would've made you a new wind chime out of origami birds even if I had to learn how to do it. I would've restored the room to its original state in no time. I have to admit, I wouldn't have the guts to say what you said back there, but the last thing I want in this house is another fight. You have every right to answer, but just remember that you have someone who's answerable for you. Even if you choose to fight, have me by your side."

Maya nods her head, understanding why Amish is so anxious about another fight in the house after the fire that took place just a week ago. Maya walks forward and hugs Amish and Amish freezes. Amish felt his heart lighten with the hug as his breathing fell into a rhythm. This was the first time Maya really hugged him, not as a greeting but as a real hug. A hug that can melt away all his worries. Maya may not know it but that is the kind of power she held over her brother. Amish couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he placed his arms around Maya. He also couldn't help but plant a kiss on the top of Maya's head. At that moment, Amish was at peace, away from all the drama in a place with comfort and familiarity. The sound of a car pulling in breaks their bubble of comfort and peace as they both watch Ranav get out of his jeep.

Ranav approaches them with a smile, making Maya wonder what made him so happy. Ranav was always a fun-loving person but today, his smile contained more giddiness. Amish looks at Ranav cautiously as speaks.

"How come you're here?" Amish is sore about Ranav very conveniently choosing the wrong time to appear. The brother and sister rarely had enough time to bond and on top of all the drama, everyone around them seemed to have a weird timing of interrupting their moments. Last time, Ranav interrupted their sibling hug by fainting. The man really seemed to have a bad timing.

"I want Maya," Ranav says and corrects himself instantly. "I mean, I have something to talk to her about." Amish looks at Maya, who just smiles, so Amish decides to leave them alone shooting a suspicious look at Ranav. Ranav steps closer to Maya as soon as Amish disappears into the house. Maya looks at him curiously, wondering what's gotten into him.

"What brings you here?" Ranav's smile falters a little as he replies.

"Actually, I came to say goodbye." Upon hearing it, Maya's smile falls as well. In these few weeks, Maya has considered Ranav a good friend, so much so that she spilt all her secrets to him. They were both sarcastic about them being friends and always played it off as a joke but now that he said that he was leaving, Maya realized just how much space he occupied in her life. It was weird but whenever Maya was with Ranav, she felt like she was understood by someone. Though her family and Akshay gave her immense comfort, Ranav provided her with a way to channel her feelings and gave her a sense of being understood.

"Goodbye? Where are you going?" The unwillingness in Maya's voice is undeniable.

"My dad woke up from a coma." Maya was stunned into silence by the news, but she couldn't find the right words to say in this situation. "After 18 years, he woke. I have to go back to Kasauli, to our home."

"You are so happy." Maya has always seen Ranav smiling but his happiness in the moment felt more real. Now that she looked at him, she could see how unusual his previous demeanour looked. The enthusiasm he showed before felt like a shell compared to the look in his eyes right now. "You will do fine, don't worry. Just go and meet him. Tell him how much you missed him." Ranav nodded as tears formed in his eyes. He doesn't let them fall, though. This was not the moment of tears, this was his moment of true happiness and he really wanted to share this with Maya, no matter what she meant to him.

"I- I will leave this evening." Maya nods encouragingly. "I wanted to ask, what happened? I mean, when I came in, you seemed to be upset." Maya had all but forgotten about the showdown she just had with Ms. Meenakshi.

"Just another fight with Ms. Intimidating. This constant fight makes me question if the problem is with me. If I don't fight, will things really settle as Kaku said?"

"Were things settled before you came?" Ranav askes.

"I don't know."

"Then it doesn't matter. You can't be considerate of what you don't even know, Maya. Not all solutions are peaceful, some are only achieved after some fight. The only reason you shouldn't fight, Maya, is because you have no reason to. I can't give you better advice, but if there is anything I learned from my mother, it is to fight for what I desire. What do you desire, Maya?"

"I want Aditya to be equally loved." That was actually her intention all along. To find Aditya a secure place in the family. Aditya became the most playful kid, who no one takes seriously, in a group of three siblings. He may be ok with it, But Maya can't look at Ms. Kuhu and Ms. Meenakshi takes advantage of his easy-going nature.

"So, you have a purpose now, now decide what you should do next." Maya smiled as she knew what she could do.

"Thank you. You always seemed to help me find a way out of things."

"Glad I was of help. Now, I have to leave." Ranav was about to turn around when Maya called out.

"Mister!" Ranav stops in his tracks as his heart races. It feels so endearing when Maya calls him like that. He looks back at Maya, with a familiar smile. "Wait a minute," Maya tells him and runs into the house. She runs upstairs to her room, knowing exactly what she needs. She pulls out a paper and starts folding it. She comes back running, not wanting to delay Ranav anymore.

Ranav looks at her with a smile as she scuttles towards him with her hands behind her. Her hair bounced with her each step, making Ranav smile even more. It was rare to find Maya excited about something and her excitement was contagious. She stops in front of him, breathing heavily. She pulls out something from behind her and places a paper bird in his hand. He looks at her in surprise.

"You know origami?" Maya nods with a proud smile and Ranav looks at the bird again.

"This," Maya points to the paper bird. "is my 'all the best' for you. I hope you reach safely and meet your dad." 

"Thank you" Ranav stares at Maya for a whole minute before they both reluctantly say their goodbyes and he leaves in his jeep. It was the first time in Maya's life that someone became so significant to her in such a short time. Maya could not move from where she was standing until Ranav's jeep rounded the corner and disappeared. Somehow, she knew deep down that she wouldn't see him for a long time.

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