aurore - an unusual love story √

part ten

" Jai! "

Jai's trance broke after the third call. He discovered himself standing at the gate, his hands holding the latch he was trying to open ten minutes back.

Raghav sat relaxedly on the garden chair, having tea and watching his son stand awkwardly at the gate for quite some time now, neither getting out, nor getting in, far removed from the world and upto himself.

Jai turned.

" Good morning dad! "

" Sunday morning work out, eh? It's quite late I guess. "

Jai walked to him.

" Sit. " , Raghav showed the chair before. Jai sat.

" You were deeply engrossed in something Jai! Did Maya say something like getting into the business soon? "

Jai looked at him. " No. Not at all. She rather told me to inform her when I'm myself interested. "

" Good. Then what makes you look so disturbed? "

Jai kept quite. Then talked.
" I don't know. I'm all set to go somewhere for something.... that might not just...just...just suite me at all....
And I don't know as well what else could be the way I could do that.... "

" Really? Interesting. Will you mind sharing? "

Jai kept quite. He might not mind but Raghav Raichand would definitely mind a lot. Going to meet a Muslim lady factory worker for whatever, could not be something Raghav Raichand would take in with a smile of appreciation. And that's what troubled Jai more.

" How's Bhoomi? Did not see her for quite sometime. Did she return from London? "

Jai slowly nodded. That was like another hiccup he went through right now.

" You know what Jai? I hardly understand you at times. You mostly can listen to your heart quite well. Even when there's external resistance, which can somehow create resistance from your brain. Like Bhoomi's affair. I don't know why Siddhi and Maya dislike her. But did that affect your relationship?

Then why at times do you behave like a meek human? Battling between heart and brain? Follow your heart, as simple as that."

Jai stared at the ground. Was the equation so simple? Was he really battling family to keep a relationship going? Or did he just go with the flow? Would he really take an initiative to have something for himself if situations went against?

When he himself couldn't get his stand, how could anyone else.

Anyways, Jai got up.

He definitely had to walk out of the gate to find out where his fate, heart or mind wanted to take him.

" See you. " , Raghav smiled.

--

A day of dilemma.

Anyone of Jai's age, status, qualification, would brush aside the idea and step ahead. But he couldn't. Just couldn't.

Raghav Raichand played the best part in sowing seeds of orthodoxy in him so deep, that considering such discriminatons wrong on his part never even occured to him. Hence he couldn't step into the Dargah of Mallick Bazaar, very well watching a disturbed Sonara go inside after trying to reach him desperately.

Mallick Bazaar was one of the least crowded markets, and he had been there a time or two with Som. Sonara could be conveniently called there as well. She couldn't just be invited to a mall even if Jai paid her bill. It would be a toll on her self respect and she would never let that happen to her.