Parinay (by Basanti)

Interlude

Interlude

'Hi. My name is Kushi Gupta. I'm a first year management student. I have paid an advance to rent a hostel dorm room. Here is a copy of my invite letter and the reservation confirmation document.'

The matron took the document from Kushi and verified the documents.
'But you were supposed to get here only in the night. Your room isn't ready.'

'Well... there was a sudden change of plan. I'm happy to wait for as long as it takes to get the room ready.'

The matron observed the girl intently, her face showed no emotion, but it looked like she was trying too hard, like she was trying not to react or display her emotions.

'I will see what can be done so that you can get your room at the earliest.' The matron spoke with a hint of affection, it was never easy moving to a new city and living without the family's emotional support.

Two hours later, Kushi walked into her hostel room near the campus. It was a simple room with a single bed and a study table that led to a small balcony. There was a shower room to the other end of the room with basic amenities. Kushi walked through the room once, not really paying any attention to the decor or the facilities in the room.

Kushi kept her bags down and paid a tip to the concierge who had showed her to the room and had carried some of her bags. Once the concierge left, Kushi opened one of her bags hurriedly. She took out a bath towel and a few toiletries and headed directly to the shower room. She took a cold shower and scrubbed her skin clean until they became red and dry, her skin crying out for some mercy. She then stepped back into her room with a towel wrapped around her and changed her clothes. She wore an old worn out pyjama first and then pulled a shirt over her her head. In the process her hair tangled up with something on her neck. Kushi pulled the offending hair to inspect the cause and she saw the beads of her mangal sutra tangled up with a few strands of her wet hair. She removed the hair patiently and once that was done she removed the mangal sutra and kept it in a small box, her movements mechanical and bereft of any emotion. She then had a glass of water and then proceeded to the bed. She lied on the bed, switched off the light and then pulled the duvet over her completely surrounding herself with darkness.

In the comfort of her new bed, Kushi did something she had wanted to do since last night. She sobbed loudly, letting the tears fall that she had been holding back. She made no attempt to reassure herself that it would all be okay, something she did every time she cried. For once she had decided that she wouldn't call upon her inner strength to stop the tears and she would let it all out.

'Kushi please listen to me, just once.' Arnav followed Kushi into their home. After the confrontation with Sid, Kushi had walked out of the venue, taken one of the cars to go back to Shantivan. A pleading Arnav had followed her in the other car, with a concerned Akash and Payal joining him.

Kushi ran to the room where she had been living since her marriage and locked the door of the bedroom.

Arnav kept knocking at the door. 'Just one chance Kushi, I promise.'

'I dont want to speak to you or anyone for that matter. All of you have misled me, lied to me to force me into this wedding. You have made me a sacrificial lamb.'

'I'm sorry Kushi, when I met Lavanya that day, I was...' Arnav closed his eyes. 'I was at a terrible place. I said and did things I shouldn't have. But I promise its all over between us now. Lavanya and I are done, she is moving to Paris. I want to make this relationship work for both of us. Please give me a chance.' He begged, his desperation increasing with every passing minute.