Breakup - a love story

. 7 .

Two day ago...

"Where on Earth have you been?"

Returning home after almost four months, Riya expected at least a warm reception if not more. Considering the circumstances though, she had thought of different versions of it. But, to watch her mother scolding right away at the top of her voice was the last thing she had imagined. The barrage of questions continued before Riya could think of an answer.

"I have been calling you since night. The phone ringed the first couple of times and then just went silent. Bad thoughts have captured my mind since then. I couldn't even sleep the entire night. But why would you care, right? You're a big city girl now."

"Ma!" this big city girl tag always infuriated Riya. It wasn't as if she had gone there by choice. It wasn't her fault that there was no college in their village. And she was never a settle-in type of girl. She was interested in studies. She had made it clear right after school. Yet, her mother never supported her decision. It was always her father who stood behind her.

"How's Papa?" she asked all of a sudden. She totally forgot about him in all this banter.

"That's why I have been calling you all night. But you being you, decided to shut the phone away."

"My phone's lost Ma," Riya shouted, a little irritated by her mother's persistence to stick to that topic. "Now tell me how's Papa?"

The mention of those repeated phone calls frightened her a bit now.

Staying silent for some more seconds, her mother finally spilled the beans.

"He's out of danger now."

Riya heaved a big sigh of relief.

"Don't you ever frighten me like this again, you understand. Don't you ever...," The rest of her words never came out. Her mother's hands were already around her and Riya was crying in her embrace. Mother and daughter just stood there shedding the happy tears.

"That's what I wanted to tell you since last night. I knew you would be worried a lot."

"Thanks Ma," Riya said, still not leaving their hug. They both may have a difference of opinion over almost every other matter, but that didn't deter their love for each other at all.

"If you would have picked up the call yesterday, you would've known that there was no need to rush here in such a hurry."

"Nonsense Ma, you know I would have come here anyway. There was no way I was staying there with Papa admitted out here."

That statement would have been true on all other occasions, but this time, Riya wasn't sure if she would have. This time, she had an equally important reason to stay behind.

It was all over now though. There was no point in just thinking over it again and again. The past wasn't going to change.

However, it was easier said than done. Hours later when Riya was sitting by her father's side at the hospital, she was still lost in the same thoughts. A little more time would have meant the world to her at that moment. She could have made a lot of things right. It could have been her chance to save their friendship. But then, was it really broken? It wasn't from her side at least. And she wanted to believe he wouldn't think of it as broken too. Even in such helpless times, she had a hope that it would all change for good.

Riya was still caught up with those unanswered when she felt a light touch on her cheek.

"In which dreamland is my princess lost today?"

The question from her father brought a bright smile on her face.

"In the land of love and friendship," she replied the first thing that came to her mind.

It was a little game they played every now and then. Whenever he found her sitting idle, lost in her thoughts, he asked this question and she answered whatever was on her mind. And she did the same addressing him as king when she found him lost in some thoughts. They had this unspoken rule of not lying to each other about it. Not only did it lighten the mood around, but also helped them share the underlying problems. Only this time, Riya cursed herself for speaking out the truth. Love and friendship? What was she even thinking?

"Hmm...," her father rubbed his chin lightly, "the land of friendship is indeed beautiful. One can be there for years and not know how much time they actually spent. But my princess' land of friendship looks a bit different. It seems to have some doors to sneak to the land of love. Am I right, princess?"

A tinge of red flushed into Riya's cheeks. She didn't have to look at her father to know how big a smile he was carrying. She was caught red cheeked, and there was no running away from it now. Not from her father.

"Have you ever been wrong?" she asked playfully, "but it's still not how you think it is."

"Enlighten me then," he said, that smile going wider and wider with each passing moment.

With no other option in sight, Riya went on to narrate her relationship with Ram and the events that transpired in the recent past. At first, she thought of keeping the most recent past out, but eventually, she ended up sharing it too. After all, she never hid anything from her father. If there was one person who can help her get out of this muddle, it was him.

"You see," he explained after mulling over the information for a while, "it's one of those times when what I think doesn't matter much. It's all about what's going on in that heart of yours."

"All I know at this moment is that miss him. I miss him a lot." Riya confessed.

And that was all her father needed to know.

"Remember this beta, we may live a thousand lives and just find a handful of people that we feel like cherishing forever. And when we indeed find someone like that, we should do everything we can to preserve that person in our life."

Riya understood it perfectly well. She too wanted Ram to be in her life forever. Yet, there was nothing that she could do at the moment. Or, was there?

"Go and make things right, princess. Go to the man of your dreams."

"No! I'm not leaving here till you get healed. If he feels the same for me, a little more silence shouldn't matter that much. Actually...," Riya left the end hanging, thinking about it for a moment.

Her father raised in eyebrows, eagerly waiting to hear what his daughter's mind was cooking up.

"I've been such a fool," Riya hit her forehead lightly, "I can't go there right away, but I know just the thing I need to do."

***

Aha... so Riya has finally confessed her feelings for Ram.

But then, the question is still the same, is it too late?

And, what do you think she has on her mind now?