Abhinav spent a restless afternoon. He hated secrets. What’s with all the right time, right moment rubbish? When shall the world be sensible?
Abhinav dressed up and called out to Neha. No reply. “Nehaaaaaaaa, where is this girl now! Mommm... where s Neha?”
“Oh she went out an hour ago!”
***
Totally confused by now he drove steadily to the beach. He found her bike parked besides another. He dialed her number… a giggle replied… “walk straight to the first shack on your right.” What’s with all the secrecy? He was sure it was one of her stupid pranks. He wouldn’t be surprised to find one of the gals he’d dumped sitting across the table with her.
“I hate her sense of humor. She’s still a kid. For god’s sake Neha grow up!” his feet stopped at the steps of the shack. Across the table sat a dark guy, a no-gooder by the looks, and Neha was smiling at him. She drew her hands off the table as she noticed Abhinav (were they holding hands?) she smiled at him, the guy smiled too. Abhinav dragged himself to the table, still in a state of shock. Neha dint look like a kid any more.
“Bhaiyya this is….” The name dint register, but something else did. Abhinav was silent. The guy and Neha tried hard to keep the conversation alive. It must have barely been an hour, the guy took leave. Neha said her goodbyes and returned to the table.
“What are you thinking Neha?”
“Those are hardly the first words I expect from you! I expected a better response.”
“You aren’t going out with that guy, are you?”
She blushed.
“For god’s sake Neha what are you even thinking? He is a…”
Neha cut him… “he is a nice guy, as you get to know him of course. We are dating for four years now. Don’t raise those issues now at least, meet him, interact with him, then if u still feel it’s not worth, I shall gladly oblige…but please don’t bias yourself!!! give it a chance. Just don deride it cos we not the same kind. I don’t think god holds such preferences when packaging your soul mate.”
He din’t know what to say, but it dint seem right. Nothing she said would convince him. Why Neha? Why our house… of all we, the holders n up lifters of the name, the believers.
“It is not right.”
“I guess I will never understand ‘why’. I can’t associate myself with that line of thought. I don’t see him as any different from any of us. I know mom-dad will never understand my point of view, but I was hoping you would. Well that’s not why I got you to meet him. I just wanted you to know…to know him” pause “you will keep my secret, I trust, they aren’t ready to hear things yet”
Abhinav dint reply.
They rode back home in their own thoughts.
***
Why are their reasons still relevant? Why do we differentiate from person to person, why don’t they ever understand that we are all alike by nature? We live on the same land, share the same emotions and yet… I will never understand them. Neha pondered.
Everything else after that fateful evening had been thunderous. Abhinav could not keep the secret, not this one, not when he felt time was crucial. He felt burdened by it. He thought speaking would probably get Neha out of it, like love was some psychological disorder which could be cured by therapy. He dint know why he was upset, or what about the whole matter made him upset, the guy seemed decent, well-to-do, but he was…
***
On the day before he was to resume his duties, trapped in a now or never situation Abhinav reached their father. That Neha was in love with a guy from another religion made him furious. He blamed himself, her, the guy, her misuse of liberties, the accusations were endless. They wouldn’t even meet him, it dint matter if he was the smartest guy on earth or a total dick. It was like his worst fear had suddenly taken form. There stood his daughter, from the purest of families, set out to contaminate the pure line... Neha left the house. She lived with the guy for a couple of months before they got married. Neither Abhinav nor their parents blessed her.
There was no news from her, though his friends would often speak of her and the guy. They were happy together. Neha was happy. But was he? It had been so easy to disown her, to ask her to leave, but Neha refused to leave his head and heart. How could one forget all the bubbles and cheers the voice would bring to the house, the moment it stepped in. He missed her stupid sense of humor, missed their arguments, the running around the house, missed her music, her chatter. Neha s presence always made him smile (deep within it always did, even in the midst of their worst squabbles), she would light up the house, and without her, the house was nothing but a prolonged silence. The house kept asking her back, to bring life to it… the members of the house refused to acknowledge it.
***
The lift took him up the seven levels to flat no. 701. “Neha and Neil” the nameplate read. Designed by Neha, definitely, he thought. He knocked softly…
“I’ll get it.” Neha opened the door “I knew you would come. Welcome home” A hug.
***
Epilogue
As he walked out he smiled at the bright thread glittering on his wrist. He had failed the thread once… he promised himself never again!
Abhinav dressed up and called out to Neha. No reply. “Nehaaaaaaaa, where is this girl now! Mommm... where s Neha?”
“Oh she went out an hour ago!”
***
Totally confused by now he drove steadily to the beach. He found her bike parked besides another. He dialed her number… a giggle replied… “walk straight to the first shack on your right.” What’s with all the secrecy? He was sure it was one of her stupid pranks. He wouldn’t be surprised to find one of the gals he’d dumped sitting across the table with her.
“I hate her sense of humor. She’s still a kid. For god’s sake Neha grow up!” his feet stopped at the steps of the shack. Across the table sat a dark guy, a no-gooder by the looks, and Neha was smiling at him. She drew her hands off the table as she noticed Abhinav (were they holding hands?) she smiled at him, the guy smiled too. Abhinav dragged himself to the table, still in a state of shock. Neha dint look like a kid any more.
“Bhaiyya this is….” The name dint register, but something else did. Abhinav was silent. The guy and Neha tried hard to keep the conversation alive. It must have barely been an hour, the guy took leave. Neha said her goodbyes and returned to the table.
“What are you thinking Neha?”
“Those are hardly the first words I expect from you! I expected a better response.”
“You aren’t going out with that guy, are you?”
She blushed.
“For god’s sake Neha what are you even thinking? He is a…”
Neha cut him… “he is a nice guy, as you get to know him of course. We are dating for four years now. Don’t raise those issues now at least, meet him, interact with him, then if u still feel it’s not worth, I shall gladly oblige…but please don’t bias yourself!!! give it a chance. Just don deride it cos we not the same kind. I don’t think god holds such preferences when packaging your soul mate.”
He din’t know what to say, but it dint seem right. Nothing she said would convince him. Why Neha? Why our house… of all we, the holders n up lifters of the name, the believers.
“It is not right.”
“I guess I will never understand ‘why’. I can’t associate myself with that line of thought. I don’t see him as any different from any of us. I know mom-dad will never understand my point of view, but I was hoping you would. Well that’s not why I got you to meet him. I just wanted you to know…to know him” pause “you will keep my secret, I trust, they aren’t ready to hear things yet”
Abhinav dint reply.
They rode back home in their own thoughts.
***
Why are their reasons still relevant? Why do we differentiate from person to person, why don’t they ever understand that we are all alike by nature? We live on the same land, share the same emotions and yet… I will never understand them. Neha pondered.
Everything else after that fateful evening had been thunderous. Abhinav could not keep the secret, not this one, not when he felt time was crucial. He felt burdened by it. He thought speaking would probably get Neha out of it, like love was some psychological disorder which could be cured by therapy. He dint know why he was upset, or what about the whole matter made him upset, the guy seemed decent, well-to-do, but he was…
***
On the day before he was to resume his duties, trapped in a now or never situation Abhinav reached their father. That Neha was in love with a guy from another religion made him furious. He blamed himself, her, the guy, her misuse of liberties, the accusations were endless. They wouldn’t even meet him, it dint matter if he was the smartest guy on earth or a total dick. It was like his worst fear had suddenly taken form. There stood his daughter, from the purest of families, set out to contaminate the pure line... Neha left the house. She lived with the guy for a couple of months before they got married. Neither Abhinav nor their parents blessed her.
There was no news from her, though his friends would often speak of her and the guy. They were happy together. Neha was happy. But was he? It had been so easy to disown her, to ask her to leave, but Neha refused to leave his head and heart. How could one forget all the bubbles and cheers the voice would bring to the house, the moment it stepped in. He missed her stupid sense of humor, missed their arguments, the running around the house, missed her music, her chatter. Neha s presence always made him smile (deep within it always did, even in the midst of their worst squabbles), she would light up the house, and without her, the house was nothing but a prolonged silence. The house kept asking her back, to bring life to it… the members of the house refused to acknowledge it.
***
The lift took him up the seven levels to flat no. 701. “Neha and Neil” the nameplate read. Designed by Neha, definitely, he thought. He knocked softly…
“I’ll get it.” Neha opened the door “I knew you would come. Welcome home” A hug.
***
Epilogue
As he walked out he smiled at the bright thread glittering on his wrist. He had failed the thread once… he promised himself never again!
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