Meera

Episode 12

"Meera! is that her? I finally found her! Yeah! And she's pregnant! That's my child! Meera... Meera... Stop my dear! I want to speak to you! I need you!"

Raghav was running behind a woman at the Mumbai International Airport. Everyone at the airport looked at him, puzzled. They were wondering what was wrong with him and if he was mad. He followed what his mind said and his intuitions were strong that it was his Meera.

He had been to Mumbai to attend a CA Student's conference as a guest speaker and was at the airport, on his way back Chennai.

Before he could reach the gate before which she stood, she had already passed through it to board the flight. Raghav was sure it was his Meera. He wanted to somehow contact her. But he was already late for his flight to Chennai. So he noticed the destination of her flight. It was bound to Delhi. He was happy that he somehow identified where she lives at present, so he made up a plan to visit Delhi to find her. But he was forced to keep those thoughts aside as 3.5 month young Jhanvi started crying.

Jhanvi! A name that he felt resembling the name of his late mother, Janaki. She was the apple of his eyes. He spent time in taking care of her and since this was her first flight, he made sure she was safe by his side. And since the time he knew his Meera was about to deliver their child, he was extremely delighted to experience his fatherhood with his two kids.

A week had just passed by since his return from Mumbai and his thoughts on having found Meera and that she was pregnant made him plan his trip to Delhi. This time he made sure he had made arrangements for a care taker for Jhanvi throughout his journey. He took necessary care in getting her checked with the paediatrician before the journey. He had planned a complete trip to go around the Rajdhani to find his love.

It was a hectic search for Raghav in Delhi. He approached people whom he believed to have been associated with Meera. All that he got as replies was that Meera was never seen at Delhi after she shifted to Chennai. He kept searching further but all his efforts ended up in vain as he could not find her even after searching through all the modes he knew. He started having a fear that he had lost her forever. He had no options but to return back to Chennai with a heavy heart.

'Enga pona Meera....!?', his mind screamed!

***

"Happy birthday to my little princess Jhanvi!" wished Raghav as he fed her with the Rasagulla he had prepared for her.
"Papa! How old am I?" she mumbled
"En chamathu kutty ku ippo vayasu 5 aagudham. Ava ippo periya ponna valarndhuttlaam!"
''Appa!''
''sollu da kutty!''
"kutty nu koopadra! Naan periya ponnu nu nee thaana sonna?"
"sorry sorry. En janu ku evlo kovam varuthu!?"
"seri. Nan onnu ketpenam! Nee badhil solviyam."
"seri soldren. Kelu kelu. En ponnu enna ketka poralam appa kitta?"
"appa nee inga irukka! Amma enga pa?"

He didn't know how to answer her. He was concerned not to disclose her about her adoption till she turns 18 by giving her the diary which her mother Sahana had given to him for her to read. So he tried to answer her and divert her attention from the topic.

"Jhanvi kutty. Aren't we running late for our lunch? Go wear that frock we had bought for you. Naama Marine Drive poitu appadiye lunch mudichittu evening Juhu beach poitu varuvoma! Naalaiku unakku oru surprise irukke, for the weekend!"
"Hai. Surprise ah. Jolly. Appa appa, enna surprise pa!?"
"Sollanuma!?"
"Hmmm"
"Kandippa?"
"Appa. Po un pechu kaa! Nee soldra varaikkum I am not getting ready for the outing"
"Ada da venaam venaam. Sollidren. Naama Matheran poromaam"
"Matheran na?"
"Adhu oru hill place. Jolly ah irukkum. Toy train la, approm horse ride ellam poga porome"
"Aiyya jolly! Appa! You are choo chweet!"
"You too my darling. Poi ready aaitu varuviyam. Po po"

He was happy he had somehow diverted her attention from the topic. In his 4 years of stay at Mumbai, he had somehow made his life as a penance for grooming Jhanvi. He tried contacting Meera through her personal mail which he had got from her friend. But she wasn't responding to any of his mails. Infact, all his mails were getting back to his mailbox, rejected.

He felt if he had a chance to dedicate a song to Meera, atleast for her to listen over the phone, he wanted to sing 'Uyire Uyire vandhu ennodu kalandhu vidu'. He was desperate to find her but had to devote more time for Jhanvi. He decided to put the burden on fate. He believed that if fate had plans to unite them, it would definitely happen.

****

In Mumbai, Raghav had started his own startup to sell ERP and Audit softwares. He was making good business. He was becoming a business tycoon with many awards to his credits. His innovative business ideas became a frontrunner in the industry. He started making tours abroad to expand his horizons. His life turned busier than before. But he made sure he allowed enough his time to watch his dream grow in the form of his beti, Jhanvi

It wasn't so long that Jhanvi grew into a beautiful teenager. She was an exact replica of Sahana. She stood the topper in her studies and was a pro in badminton. Raghav was proud of her achievements and he gave her the full freedom to choose her wants. And he made sure she was satisfied with some answer or the other whenever she asked about her mother.

Jhanvi, inspired by the success stories of her dad, took up CA along with a graduate degree in Commerce under distance education from the University of Mumbai. She appeared for the Entrance exams for CA. She successfully made it to the Intermediate level. She chose the institute which her friends had joined so that she could travel with them to and from the classes.

It was almost a month since the classes had begun. It was a batch of 50. Jhanvi was familiar amongst all the students in her batch for her exemplary presentation skills she exhibited whenever the law faculties had asked students to make presentations in the class. There was a new student to the batch. He wasn't sure with whom he could check for the notes. He noticed everyone asking for notes from Jhanvi whenever they were late or absent to the classes. He reluctantly went over to her.

"Hi. I'm Vedant. I've just joined for the classes. I find everyone getting your notes to copy. Can you help me out with the notes? I will take copies and give it to you in the next class."
"Hey Vedant. Nice meeting you. And sure I'll give you my notes. Here you go! These are the notes for accounting and costing. I've left my law and audit notes at home. I'll give them to you tomorrow. EIS SM isn't started yet."
"Thank you. Thank you so much Jhanvi."
"Mention not Ved. See you in the class tomorrow. You can ask me any help. I'll sure help you"
"Thank you Jhanvi."

As days passed by, Jhanvi and Vedant started going from and to the classes. They had become good friends. They felt they shared a unique bonding beyond friendship.

What was that?