Ardour - To The Square Of Infinity

Chapter 4

Chitaksh's POV

"Did you check the file?" I asked Medha on a video conference. She is my partner in our start up.Our main office is in Delhi but most of the time  I operate from here. I do visit important meeting,sign ups and mergers while she handles the other things.

When I'm doing most important chores like receiving Aadrika sending her off etc etc.

Perceiving my post graduation from Shimla and pretending that I enjoyed it is too bizarre for my own sake.But the presence of one little human being makes it bearable.

I can't tell her, that I get a call from University of Bologna, Italy and i willingly cancelled the admission and not the other way round. I was too determined to pursue further education from this University but her ANXIETIES make me stop.

I still remember the exact words of Aadrika's father from last summer when I returned from two week trip to Amerstdm for my Business commitments.

I went at her place to see her.I bell the ring, it feels weird , her HOME doesn't chimes with those tunes of music that she always listens which plays in the background so whoever enters they can hear them too.

And her choice in the music is impeccable,You can't beat her.

Therefore I got little worried is she sick? we didn't talk last week coz my schedule were very tight. But we do text each other but I didn't get a message from last week so I decide to surprise her by my prior arrival.

I was about to go upstairs but her father stops me and said "Chitaksh" I stand beside him touched his feet "Namaste uncle" I said joining my hands. "Namaste beta" by patting my back "I need to discuss something with you" he said.

Aadrika's father is a person with minimum words and most importantly he cherish her daughter and loved her too much. And I think that trait makes us to be in a good terms.

"Yes uncle tell me"i said. We are sitting at the backyard on a bench.First thought came to my mind did Aadrika again kick someone in my absence to offend him,not new for me actually she does things like that then I've to face the consequences.

She is such a mess But My Mess.

"It's about Aadrika" he said and I flinched. I can definitely sense something unlike. It's not his usual tone which he uses when she does something silly.

After a pause he continued "i know you care about her and in her case I can trust you", i hummed in silence "she's being off since last week, her eating habits are so rarified,she doesn't speak, and mostly she is locked in her room, her smile looks so forged to me.Initially we thought it was because of exams or she missed her friends and you but" and my breath hitched at the BUT.

I know this is not My Aadrika something is too wrong"four days back she had the panic attack which was so severe that we had to admit her to the hospital.Doctor said she is suffering from a situational depression. And it can cause her serious depression or trauma.She can hurt herself too.And they also find some marks on her skin". As those words out of her father's mouth, I can't even feel my skin I was so numbed."is she"? her father interrupted me before I can complete that sentence "no no no she is not being raped but yes forced and bullied."

I clenched my hand so tight, how come I didn't know about all this (Because you selfish bastard,get engrossed in your work that you didn't even try to know about how she is doing here).

That guilt suffocated me then there and i can't even face myself right now.

I just bend my head down fisting my hand and try to process his words "She still didn't let us know who did this to her in that Week Of Summer, so her mother thought you could help her,try to talk to her, ask her, assure her that she is not alone" and I just nod and he continued "Chitaksh we've have tried hard but she is not opening up to us and we need to know because if she remained like this, it will deteriorate her condition and we can't let that happen."