Heart is a Fool

Chapter 26: Final Discovery

Missing Case of Earring

The next few days, the atmosphere in Noon house was lively  given Reeva's wedding date was fixed and everything was being planned with meticulous details.  Ritwik overheard conversation at home that Mamta was visiting the family jeweler and he decided to drop in the following day. He walked in to the store and met the owner and without mincing words he asked for the earring that Mamta had given them for making a replica. Seeing the stunned expression; with his trademark charm Ritwik said "Woh main e gift kiya thha ; I will get the other piece; Mummy thodi pareshan hai, mujhe bata nahi paa rahi hai ki kho gaya" ... The man was relieved since Mamta had told him the same and asked him not to disclose, moreover he would find it extremely difficult to replicate a branded machine cut piece. Ritwik assured him that he was going to London soon and will sort it out and get him the piece which they can hand it over to Mamta to save her from embarrassment. 

Ritwik and Geeta

Ritwik walked out with a swag ; he was closing in on the events that attempted to tear his life apart. He was rather upbeat and more happy to be back with his loves the following day. He met Geeta over lunch and had a nice long conversation on her health, work and Vikrant. Geeta did not divulge her nagging health issue and very tactfully avoided sharing the reports or doctor appointment details with Ritwik. All she wanted was to see Ritwik settled, Vikrant engaged and get back to America. She requested Ritwik to convince Vikrant for marriage since he pretty much wanted to live in and remain uncommitted though he loved Navya, the girl he was dating for years. Ritwik took it upon himself to convince Vikrant and get him engaged. He also casually told his mother Geeta about VP's idiosyncrasy trying to get him and Palak divorced so he decided to call all of them on his daughters' Ist birthday and shut them up for ever. Geeta was irked; she did not want him to get close to the Noons again !!

Ritwik Discovers the Truth

After a week, Ritwik came to Chandigarh and shouted Knock Knock while entering home and the twins giggled when they heard his voice. They were seated next to Manjeet who was trying to feed them but they crawled towards him in jet speed leaving her completely exasperated. Ritwik fed them, pampered them and played with them taking full advantage of disciplinarian Palak's absence. 

The new house was ready to move in and Ritwik was co-ordinating with the Packers and Movers with Pradeep's help. Manjeet and the kids were packed off to Palak's aunt's house for the day and Palak herself went on a field camp. While sorting out Palak's cupboard he realised what a mess she still is. As he was dumping stuff into suitcases and packing boxes, the old diary fell out. He picked it up out of curiosity; hesitated to read since it was something very personal but at the same time extremely tempting. After a lot of deliberation, he succumbed to his curiosity and started reading. He hurriedly turned pages and had tears in his eyes reading about Palak's emotional turmoil when she was carrying the twins and Ritwik was not in her sight. He further turned back the pages and there it was 

"Sometimes you stay together for love; sometimes you stay apart for love. I let go of him for love; since he needed his family and they needed him more than he needed me. In conversation with Mamta mom, I realized that Ritwik's dad would never accept me and both would not trust the truth about Geeta Mom. I pleaded for my love but when she said that her carefully built home of 24 years would fall apart just for my 4 month old impulsive marriage; I walked away with a final blow to Ritwik. I regret my action with the hope that someday he will understand and not judge me for what I did "

Ritwik sat like a zombie on the bed and read the last 2 lines over and over again. So it was Mamta's insecurity over Geeta that compelled her to drive a wedge between Palak and him without batting an eyelid. He banged the door in anger so much so that Pradeep came running towards him. He was filled with pity for Mamta who never got her husband's undivided mind since it was already filled with hatred for Geeta. He went about sorting the shifting to divert his mind and that evening Palak tried everything possible to make him smile but he was lost in thought which she interpreted as exhaustion. 

Palak's Birthday

He got back to normal in 2-3 days and was full of mischief a day before Palak's b'day. He woke her up at midnight with a Perk and kissed her happy birthday. He further told her he was not getting her a gift since she was a minimalist and he thought he would save up the money for his daughters' marriage leaving both of them in splits. Next morning; Pradeep came by with some document and handed over to Ritwik. Palak invited him over for the kheer which her mother made while Ritwik checked all the papers meticulously. He peeped out and returned to the dining area with a broad smile profusely thanking Pradeep for the papers. 

Ritwik insisted that Palak see off Pradeep to the door since he was finishing up his breakfast. Palak walked to the door and Ritwik tiptoed behind her and lo the brand new blue beauty decorated with a red ribbon and Happy Birthday Palak was parked in the driveway. He got her a small automatic car - Datsun Go so that she could stop using autos and her rickety scooty. Palak was shocked but happy and kissed Ritwik out of excitement. Ritwik held her tight and said "See; itna kanjoos bhi nahi hnu; but you definitely are, bas ek kiss; how unfair princess"

Palak went for a few driving classes and upgraded her license. Since it was an automatic car; Palak did not find it very uncomfortable but Ritwik was irked by her sudden urge to speed up and equally sudden brakes. He gave her a piece of his mind as well on her driving sense leaving Palak angry for a few hours. 

Couple Talk

The new house was spacious and had a study for Ritwik as well. One evening post dinner; they cozied up on the reclining chair with Palak on Ritwik's lap facing each other. She thanked him profusely for reading her mind and getting the car. From childhood she saw people driving by and wished to have her own car some day. Ritwik pecked her nose and told her buying jewelry for his practical wife would make no sense and they kissed passionately. As they pulled apart; 

"If I show you something will you give me an honest answer?" Ritwik asked Palak.  

She nodded while he walked towards his desk and retrieved the ear-ring from his locked drawer. He showed it to her and she shrugged her shoulders thinking that he was showing her the same piece that Pradeep had given them. He looked into her eyes and told her this is not the one you have, this is the other one got from the person to whom it belongs. Palak was shocked and stood up. He held her by the shoulders and made her sit. I bought this Palak so I know where I got it from and for whom so tell me what happened; let out your pain, trust me and feel light. Palak held him and cried for a long time and then asked him 

"Did you not ask the person to whom it belongs where she lost it and how?"  

Ritwik looked at her and said that for him his first priority is the mother of his children so he asked her; he will ask his father's wife whom he trusted blindly later. Palak could sense the words laced with anger and sarcasm and started speaking haltingly while Ritwik looked at her. She narrated the events in sequence, her desperation to be with him, her heart ache to be away from him and to be told that he did not care for her but was just another passing fancy which broke her into a million pieces.. At the end both felt guilty of not trusting each other enough. While most of the truth was told; he did not divulge the truth about reading her diary and she held back another truth which she knew would surely send him into an uncontrollable rage.

The passionate love making that night was at another level; it transcended the physical boundaries into a much deeper connection leaving them with an after glow....

Geeta Finds her Weapon

Geeta was happy that Palak and Ritwik were finding their groove and was waiting for Vikrant to say Yes to the engagement. She knew that if she returned to America this time, it would be a long way to return to India or maybe never at all. She was trying to clean up the house of all old papers and documents and was planning to call the lawyer and register her will. During one such search cleaning spree; she opened the locker where Dr Raheja had kept a lot of his documents. She found something which left her shocked but it gave her the confidence to destroy Vijay Noon for ill treating her Ricky....