Aboli

Part 34

"Are you feeling all right Sanyukta?" Randhir regarded Sanyukta who looked like she was affected by his recent words. He wondered whether or not it was prudent of him to disclose something so personal. But then again, he had told her everything about his relationship with Nour, surely she could handle this much! It had felt right, he had not spoken about the Nour affair to anyone else after his break up.

"I am sorry Randhir, I have a slight headache. Also I am not sure how to process what you just told me!" She blurted out the truth. She was unsure whether she had heard right, could it be possible that she had misinterpreted his words, she asked herself. If she had not then this new development was unexpected. To her the possibility of Randhir getting together with his ex-flame had been as remote as the chance of a snowball in hell, a major reason why they had bonded in weeks after the awkward incident of her stalling his car. 

If there was another girl in the picture Sanyukta would not be friends with him, three is always a crowd. "My turn to apologise Mowgli, maybe I should not have confessed so abruptly.  But now the telling has already been done!" Randhir said. "What will you do now?" She asked him, unable to stop herself from sounding intrusive. If he did not trust her he would not have opened up about his past. "What do you think I should do now Mowgli?" He turned toward her, his words sounding earnest. 

"Honestly Randhir, I don't know what you should do, but if I were in your shoes I would find it hard to reconnect with someone after they have chosen to move on. Not everyone can be like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor." She paused, she was in no mood to ramble on, in fact she wished they were not having this conversation at all! "Randhir, if you don't mind, I must get back now or Mom will worry. Please drop me home!" She urged him.

"Of course, come on, let's get you home!" He said, and they began walking back toward the car. "If you feel I am eager to reconcile with Nour you are mistaken, I am not ready to get into a relationship with anyone, my priorities have changed! Her chosen path in the year gone by made it easier for me to place my professional goals ahead of everything. Even if I was still dating her it would be difficult for me to make time for her." He was unburdening, he had never discussed his personal life so nonchalantly before.

"You mean you declined her proposal?" Sanyukta wanted to kick herself for trying to get involved, but her heart refused to listen to reason. She was longing to hear his response. "How could I have declined?" He replied. "Wait, what do you mean? You are confusing me now,  Randhir!" She hoped that he would not make a volte-face now, she did not have the strength to imagine the worst. "I told you she only hinted at a patch up, she did not spell it out. How could I have declined a proposal that was not presented overtly?"

" Nour may be confused or conflicted, given her rather bold sybaritic lifestyle! Maybe sleeping with so many men is desensitising her because she is finding it difficult to deal with the moral comeuppance,  I am not really sure. But the fact remains that she initiated our severance. She found it hard to remain faithful given the physical distance between us. Mowgli, from what I know about love, one does not give up on the other that easily. If she had faith in our relationship she would not have set herself free." There was just a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Maybe you should give it a shot, who knows, things may work out this time!" Sanyukta could hardly believe the words she had just spoken. No, she was not actually this generous, she did not know what prompted her to say that. "I know Nour too well Mowgli, she was borderline bipolar even when I first met her. It is hard for her to remain consistent. Her past, her parents divorce and her mother's promiscuity manifested as her inner demons and she embraced addiction and a deviant lifestyle to escape them. My mother had always been strongly against my affair with Nour, now that she has become an escort Mom will disown me if I get back with her." He asserted.

"Love transcends everything, Randhir!" If he was in love with Nour he would find a way back to her against all odds, there was nothing Sanyukta could do. "I know. But heartbreak hurts too much, and I don't want to walk down that path with Nour again. I have a college year to finish and a career to build. I still care about her wellbeing and hope that she finds the solace she is after, but I cannot be her panacea. We are here, time to say goodnight!" He smiled at Sanyukta and she could not help but smile back.

"Thanks for the ride Randhir, and goodnight to you too! I am sure you will so the right thing for both Nour and you! I'll see you at work as usual!" She climbed out of the car. He waited till she went indoors before driving off. "Did you have a good time Sanyukta?" Anju asked her. "It was an informal party, there were plenty of games and everyone had a great time!" Sanyukta smiled at Anju before she went in to change. "I am tired Mom, let's go to bed!" Sanyukta slipped into her sleepwear and soon both the women went to bed.

Sanyukta tried hard to empty her mind but failed, how could she stop thinking about her conversation with Randhir. No, he is definitely not going back to Nour, she told herself. But what if he changes his mind? He did say that he cares about her wellbeing! On one hand she prayed that the reconciliation should never happen and on the other she felt guilty about thinking so selfishly. If not Nour some other girl would come into his life sooner or later, he was not going to remain single always. Just as these thoughts spooled relentlessly through her mind her phone lit up with a text message. 

"Thank you for listening to my rant so patiently! Appreciate it, but if you don't get enough sleep you'll look like a panda and we'll have to feed you bamboo shoots :)" it read. Just like Randhir to guess that she was unable to fall asleep! She smiled as she typed a reply. "I am not the only one awake at this hour, am I? Call me anytime you feel like ranting!" She hit the send button. Within seconds there was a response. "Happy to accept the offer, therapists cost way too much! Sleep now, don't reply or else both of us will be up all night!" He signed off. Suddenly Sanyukta felt lighter. She squeezed Bambi in her arms and drew the covers over her head before nodding off.