Back to You

#12. Trying To Reconcile

Everyday is a new beginning. You're born every single day, and you try to do better than the previous day. That's how life goes, doesn't it? You have to find ways to make things work out, and if things go right, you know you've made the right decision.

Ruhana wakes up from her slumber as the sunrays kiss her head. She checks the watch; it's 7 AM. She looks beside her but realizes that Anamika is in the guest room. She storms out of the room to check on her. Suhanika and Anamika are like her younger sisters, and she has taken the responsibility of the latter. She has to settle things. All through the night, she's been thinking about how to get things right between them. However, she's still clueless about bringing them face to face again. But she has to do something.

Well, it's a new day, and she wishes to discuss her ideas with Vineet, who knows all of Suhanika's story. Together, they can bring the two sisters close. Ruhana enters the room and finds Anamika curled up on the bed, sleeping soundly. She sits by her side, moving her fingers through her hair softly.

As she looks at Anamika, her heart goes out to her, for she's lost her parents and holds grudges against her sister. Ruhana understands the pain of losing a parent and therefore wants them to reconcile so that their parents can be happy too. However, she's clueless about the reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Anamika wakes up and smiles. To her, Ruhana is the elder sister, and she loves being close to her. She greets her and snuggles close to her. Ruhana drapes her arms around her, and they stay like that for a few minutes. Next, as Ruhana begins to speak, Anamika looks at her as if reading her mind.

"Di, aap phir se shuru mat ho jaana, mujhe Suhani Di ke baare mein koi baat nahi karni," she says, her tone blunt.

"Lekin Anu, aise nahi chalta hai, kab tak tu Suhani se naraaz rahegi?" Ruhana asks, her tone firm.

"Zindagi bhar, unki wajah se hi aaj Mumma Papa hamare paas nahi hai. Aur kitni baar main yeh baat repeat karun, Di?" Anamika asks, clearly upset.

"Anu, aisa nahi hai. Na toh isme teri, na Suhani ki koi galti hai. Aur na hi uncle ki. Uncle toh experienced they, unhe pata tha ki baarish bhi hogi toh bhi tum safely ghar aa jaoge. Lekin Ana, time kabhi bhi ek sa nahi rehta hai na? 5 saal pehle time kharab tha, usme Suhani ki koi galti nahi hai," Ruhana tries to explain, her patience thinning.

"Par humaare pas option tha na rukne ka? Par Di jaldi se jaldi ghar jaana chahti thi. Unhone insist kiya aur Dad ne maan liya, galti toh Di ki hi hai," Anamika says, her tone firm and cold.

"Anu, ye cheez bahut zyada drag ho rahi hai. Tum bina baat ke Suhanika ko blame kar rahi ho. She still loves you, Ana, please ye gussa chhod de. Dekh, gusse se kisi ka bhala toh hua nahi hai. Ek baar Suhani ki baat hi sun le," Ruhana says, pleading with the girl to listen to her.

Anamika glances at Ruhana but doesn't say anything. She hops out of the bed and walks into the washroom without replying to Ruhana, who sighs deeply, clearly upset that she couldn't persuade Anamika to talk to her sister.

Ruhana walks into her room to freshen up and then makes her way into the kitchen to brew some coffee for herself and her guest. Meanwhile, her phone rings - it's Vineet. She quickly picks up the call, and Vineet's deep voice falls on her ears. She sighs deeply when he explains that now Suhanika isn't willing to talk to Anamika. She's seen her sister's rudeness and has decided to stay silent about it. They decide to meet at the bureau and think of other ways to bring the sisters close.

As they talk, they realize that life is hard, and you need to figure out ways to live it. You can't live with grudges throughout life, and that's why it is necessary to make the right decisions. All they hope is that both Suhanika and Anamika take the right decisions in their lives.

*****

Suhanika is in her room, sitting on the bed, holding her parents' picture in her hands. Her eyes turn watery as she looks at the picture. Her parents are beaming at her, as if giving her the strength to deal with all the pain and grief that life has offered her. It seems as if she's talking to them.

"Ana toh kuch samajhna hi nahi chahti. Usey lagta hai wo accident meri wajah se hua hai. Main bahut akeli pad gai hoon, Mumma. I wish aap yahan hoti. Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha ki main Anu ko kaise samjhaun? Vo toh Ruhana Di ki baat bhi nahi sun rahi. Please kuch raasta dikhaao," she murmurs, talking to the picture of her late parents.

As she looks at the pictures, her mind wanders into the past, and an idea strikes her. She remembers that during her childhood, she'd see her parents exchanging letters or chits.

One day, curiously, while her mother was reading the letter, Suhanika caught her mom off guard and asked about the chit. It was the same letter that her father asked her to give to her mom. Her mother smiled and explained that her dad had something important to tell her, so he wrote the letter.

She's also reminded of how she used to write letters to Santa Claus during Christmas, and on the big day, her wishes were fulfilled. That's when an idea struck her. She smiles lightly, looking at the picture, as if thanking her parents, and then hops off the bed. She grabs a writing pad and begins to write. Maybe this way, she could pour out her heart. Little did she know that this idea might change the sisters' fate.

To Be Continued..