Whispers Of The Heart

Chapter 16

Naye raaston pe kuch yun anjaan nikle the hum,

Ki manzil dikhti bhi thi toh gumaan lagta tha.

Seated on the couch, she found her chin sinking into her hands, her fingers interlaced in a tight grip. Her thoughts raced, struggling to make sense of the recent turn of events.

"There is no such relationship between you two that you should wait," Hamid's words echoed in her mind.

He was right. There was actually no such relationship between them.

The marriage of convenience that she had forced upon him hung like a weight around both their necks. He would have, as it is, not cared whether she stayed or went away.

But shouldn't she stay till he gets better? Her thoughts were tearing with the inner conflict that had arisen.

Her mind played the scene of Hamid entering, sitting, and talking with her. His actions were completely perplexing.

The more she thought about it, the more it struck her mind. He did not want her to stay there anymore. No matter how kind he acted with her, she got the feeling that her presence in their lives was disturbing him.

This wasn't surprising for her, though. She knew that no family would happily accept her clinging on to their son's life. She didn't want to be accepted either. She knew she had to go, one day or another.

So why not today itself?

"Arham was out of danger, as said by his father. Who knows, he must have sent his father to make sure that I leave from here," her mind tried to create reasoning.

In the next few minutes, she had made up her mind. She would leave. Walking into the room, she retrieved her already-packed bag and exited. Then, she put the dupatta (scarf) on her head, wrapping it around her face so that only her eyes were visible. She didn't want to be caught by anyone, especially after seeing her brother in the hospital.

Opening the door, she descended the stairs. On the road, she scanned for a rickshaw, spotting one approaching from a distance. The driver halted upon seeing her.

"Kaha jana hai, madam?" The driver inquired. (Where do you want to go, madam?)

"Station."

The driver nodded his head, motioning for her to sit. Once seated, he drove off. On reaching the station, she got down, paid the driver, and started walking towards the station. Her gaze fell on the accident spot. The remnants of the car were no longer on the road, but twisted metal frames and broken glass still littered the asphalt. The municipal workers were working to clean off the leftover pieces and clear the road.

Sucking in a deep breath, she continued walking towards the station.

The railway station was a whirlwind of activity that enveloped her senses entirely. With wide eyes, she watched as a sea of people bustled past her with their luggage in tow. Above the din of the crowd, the announcements blared from the speakers, each one punctuated by the shrill blast of a whistle.

As she navigated through the crowd, vendors weaved their way through the throng. The aroma of freshly brewed chai and spicy snacks wafted through the air, stirring her appetite. She hasn't eaten anything since the morning.

Amidst the chaos, she stood there, taking a bite of her samosa, not understanding where she should go. She had no acquaintance to whom she could go, nor did she know of any place.

Picking up her bag, she started walking, hoping she could think of any ideas along the way. Continuing to weave her way through the bustling crowd, she soon reached the flyover bridge.