Southern Avenue

Chapter #9

Chapter #9

Sharanya couldn't stop thinking about Ranvijay as the thin 18-year-old, a fair looking boy who had helped her years back. Those memories had conjured her mind for a long time even when she had grown up. Not of him, but of those days she had to spend on the road. Of the days that she had helped in the old-age home and had stayed in the orphanage away from her mother. She had been treated like she had no one, although she had both parents alive.

One had been dead for her, in her heart. The other was striving for food herself, to try her best so that she could take her back.

She never blamed her mother for whatever had happened at that time. As a matter of fact, it was her mother who always felt guilty for having left her in that situation. Sharanya understood that her mother had no other choice. Her love for her mother had never diminished for whatever had happened.

Her mother could have left her with the man who was the reason behind her birth. She had not. She had taken her away along with her, tried to get her away from that life. She had taken the blow on herself, and protected Sharanya with all that she had.

Yet, those stranger moments when people who had not known her, when people who got nothing in return for helping her, helped her, she was always overwhelmed. She had remembered every face. She owed her life to Shekhawat grandparents, no matter what they thought about it. They were the reason she had become who she was.

Dumping her purse and shoes on the counter, she moved into her mother's room even before changing her clothes. Sharanya spent as much time as she could with her. Her mother was a fragile woman now. The young nurse was seated beside her, preparing for the evening medicines.

Sharanya told the nurse to leave them alone for some while politely, just to spend some time with her mother, talking. The nurse smiled at her understandingly and left after she had given her mother the medicines required.

"Maa..." She called while her mom opened her eyes and smiled to sit up. Sharanya flinched internally, knowing that even this small task took up a lot of energy of her mother.

"Yes, Guriya." She answered and soothed her hair.

"Nanaji and Naniji... left me a letter."

"Yes? So, you went back to their house? Met Ranvijay baba?" Her fragile voice asked. Sharanya's mother had always called Ranvijay fondly as Ranvijay baba. People usually thought it was because he was the grandson of her employer, but the actual reason had been adoration.

"Yes maa. They wanted us to be friends. The support." Sharanya said in a quiet voice, thinking about everything that had happened that evening again.

"That's good, baby." Her mother smiled sweetly, her wrinkles deepening near the cheeks and eyes. Yet, she looked beautiful. Beautiful yet fragile. It broke her heart every time she saw her mother like that.

Why was this not in her hand? If it would have been then she'd never had let her mother go. She would keep her with herself. Always. She would make her better. Although she had no financial problems anymore, although she was now leading a comfortable life, she still couldn't do anything for her mother. It crushed something inside her, no matter how many times her mother told her otherwise.

"But I want you to stay, maa." Her voice cracked as she hugged her mother.

"I will always stay, just like Nanaji and Naniji do." Her mother hugged her back, while she certainly knew that life indeed needed one support to have and lead it with. A small sob escaped her lips as she held her mother tighter. Her mother just patted her head and whispered sweet nothings, giving her courage.

Ranvijay sat with his pets Nikki and Jimmy after he had completed his works for the day. They were indeed his most amazing pass time. Being lonely had now become a habit. He kept himself busy in work, and then later with his pets. He was also an enthusiast in different sports activities that took place. Every weekend he went to nearby sports centre club that he was a member of, and played table tennis or tennis, sometimes even indulged in swimming and basketball.

His friends stayed in different continents of the world, so he didn't quite have people to hang around or buddies in India. There were some he met with every weekend at the club or gym. While he couldn't say that he didn't have friends, but each one of them had a fine line till which they could be there for him. That line was unfortunately quite far away. Also, each one of them was exceptionally busy men as well.

His parents stayed in Manchester and were too busy for him. They always had been. Once in a while they called to ask him what he had been up to and gave him their own news. Other times, they just emailed or sent him a fine text.

His pets though always had time for him and he relished that time. But that evening followed by the night, the thoughts of Sharanya and her past did have an effect on his mind. Every moment and each word written in his grandparents' letter was turning something inside him. He had a lot of thoughts. A lot of questions which could be answered by only two people. Two people who were not alive anymore. The house seemed very quiet and empty, suddenly. With the main road being a little far away, there was distant honking of cars once in a while.

The barks of his pets kept the mansion alive. Gave it a soul, something he came back home to. His housemaid and keeper were nice people, but they didn't have answers.

The thoughts came rummaging through his mind.

Sadly he had no one to share them with.