A Promise (Completed)

Chap 16

Payal’s POV

I got down from his car ignoring his hand held out for me and we kept walking and walking till we saw a Park. The park had a pleasant smell and sight to look for. It was like all colourful flowers and butterflies owned that space. There was also a small artificial pond built at the centre of the park with a fountain too. We sat on a bench.
“Its so beautiful ” – I said in almost a whisper.
“I Know, I have been here for more than dozen times “ Paused for a moment “Actually, Kaira loves this place, in fact I met her for the first time at this place.”
I looked at him he was smiling looking at the distant. She might be very special for him. Then his face became firm and serious. I wanted to see his smile again, so I asked him “Tell me more about Kaira.” To which he faced me, looked into my eyes trying to find why did I say that. “I just want to know her”. Really speaking of I was neither interested in his story nor his wife Kaira's , but I wanted to know what held him back, why his face beams on her name and no emotions at all the other times.
“Where should I start, I may not end if I begin” – He said standing and moving a feet forward.
“Start from the start. anyway I’m struck with you,so I got my whole, balance life to listen to your story.” – I said feeling tough to convince him to begin with his part. His back was facing me and even I stoodup,waiting to hear his words. But when it was great silence that troubled me more, I gave up and suggested him that we leave.
“As I said before, I saw Kaira here for the first time when I was struck in the traffic, she looked gorgeous in her white dress and was playing with some kids.” – he began
I looked at the surroundings of the park and said “ But there seems no road here, I mean no vehicle is moving in this lane.”
“Yes, this is again because of her.” He said
Now I was really getting sick of this round the coil story , but I thought being polite would be better so I said “ I didn’t get you.”
“She was a volunteer for an NGO. It is home for orphans and on weekends they all come here and enjoy their time. This park was built mainly for those kids after all the volunteers made an application requesting  to the local government body here. But still there was much honking, pollution and traffic in this area, then Kaira and other members of the organisation personally met the municipal head and explained the situation to him, to which the result came positive, you see no vehicles are allowed in this lane now.” – He said and turned towards me, to which I nodded in response and asked “So did you approach her when you saw her for the first time?”
“No, I didn’t try to nor I wanted to. But destiny is always predesigned, so we met again at a wedding of my friend cum colleague, Ranjan. She was from bride’s side and when we were having our food at the function with the bride and bridegroom; bride herself introduced her to us. Kaira was very friendly and she washed away all my hesitation with ease and we had a long chat that day and we exchanges our numbers and decided to catch up again and “ – he was about to tell something but then his mobile. ohh!! it always want its presence to be felt, so it rang again.
He answered the call “ You didn’t say that it was today, I was expecting you tomorrow, anyway I am heading towards home, I’ll reach in another twenty minutes.” – saying so he disconnected the call and started walking towards the exit of the park and I followed him not that I wanted to but I didn’t had choice. But the question in my mind was who has arrived at the palace. Are they any of his relatives or his friends or his business clients. While we sat in the car, I was staring at him expecting him to tell me who the hell is at his house, the house in which even I share some space in. He looked at me at a sudden and said “ its Manav, he is my cousin, he’s been in Canada and as he completed his studies, I asked him to come to India to decide further. But he said he’ll be coming on 19th and today it is ..”
“ 19th " – I said cutting him off in middle and looked away from him, lowered my window glass and looked outside; I wondered now what life is to unfold for me or for ‘US’.