Say Don't Go

IX. escapists

"Yeah, this book.", Kavya said with a smile as she kept the book on the desk.

The book was called "The Wisdom of A Broken Heart".

Kavya had always been a bookworm. From Jane Austen to Collen Hoover, nothing had been left unread. As a young girl born in a rather well to do family she had been introduced to English music and literature way before average people are. She had grown up listening to ABBA, Beatles and Elvis Priestley. An extreme contrast to the lower middle class, traditional pass out from a government school, Vanraj.

Fiction had been her only solace when it came to books, but today she had chosen a self help one. Primarily because of a line she had read when she opened the book,

"When the one you love does not choose you on the deepest level, although he may actually love you in his own (bizarre) way, the pain of not being chosen is too much to bear. In a great show of self-respect and personal dignity, she elected to end it rather than tolerate being less than fully embraced."

Nothing could sum up her situation better than that.
"Ma'am, card or cash?", The man at the counter asked. She had pulled out her card from her purse when she came here. She placed it on the counter. The payment was done. She turned to leave. Her phone buzzed suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"Where is Mahi?", Anirudh asked.
"Sitting at the seat I left her in Anirudh.", She said irritably.
"Really?", He asked in the same annoyed tone.

Kavya immediately strode down there. And her blood ran cold.
"What kind of an irresponsible mother are you?! You left that kid here and went? And she's not here!", Anirudh shouted at her.
She did not hear him as she immediately looked around, heart pacing. The package with the book slipped from her hand.

She immediately picked up her bag on the chair. The purse was missing.
"She took the money.", She whispered more to herself - vision blurring with tears.
"Of course! Your daughter.. an escapist. Why am I shocked?! You were a pathetic girlfriend and wife already.. and now you are a terrible mother too-", Anirudh went on but Kavya stood frozen staring at her empty wallet.

"There's no justification to sins.", Her elder sister whispered over the phone call. Sighing.
"But I love him Di. Vanraj is the perfect man for me! He is protective, has a spine, helps me with work. In fact he respects my IIM degree more than I ever did. He hates English music and books but I manage to make him listen to it and he does listen! I can mould him the way I want!", She said bustling with excitement.

Kiara held silence for moments.
"Kavya, I understand he is your perfect guy, but this is no way. He could be the one for you.. I am not denying.. but you met him too late. You can't have everything you want.", She said, knowing her sister would wreck herself again.
"I will have everything I want.. even if I have to do wrong. I deserve happiness Di. Everyone does.", She had said and hung up.

She had never wanted her daughter to go the same way. To have everything you want comes with a huge price.
She wiped her eyes immediately and turned to leave.
"And now where are you going?", This time she heard Anirudh.
"To find my escapist daughter.. if the term suits you.", She said, voice ice cold.
"The police will find her.. We need to go-"
Kavya turned to face him.
"You can go to hell, Anirudh. I am not leaving without my daughter.", She snapped before striding out.

•

Vanraj sat staring at the sky, puzzled beyond understanding.
He knew he was missing a lot more than he realised. He remembered he worked as a corporate employee. He knew there was a daughter he had to find. And he remembered that woman who was in this room a while back. She had rushed out to find a doctor.

Just her face and name. The relationship, he did not know.
It was late at night now. New York sky dressed in a carpet of stars. He looked at his hand, and almost involuntarily removed the syringe.
His body was in an unimaginable pain, he would have rather lay back on the bed and slept.. but his heart paced in anxiety. Almost as if he knew something had gone incredibly wrong.