The Enchantress | COMPLETE | AbhiGya Fiction

5. Pursuit of Serendipity

Pragya:

"Between the ones' we have ever wanted, and the ones' we eventually choose, lies either our strength or our weakness." ~ Voice of the Ocean, Pragya.

I wish more women saw this. We don't need others to tell us if we are strong or not? Our choice scream out who we are, whom we let ourselves be, for the sake of loved ones. Sitting next to a hollow-eyed Alia staring lifelessly at Aadi's sleepy demand of stories, I realized, amongst all the grieve, agony, unfairness life has thrown at me, it had given me a weapon, my writing – my writing liberated me, but Alia?

After dinner, when we were about to leave, Alia suddenly turned to me and said, "Pragya, will you stay the night with me?" she didn't say more, and I didn't need to hear more. I had noticed Alia all evening, I was in fact waiting for an opportunity to talk to her. She had never looked more listless before, and I knew her. She was never a damsel in distress, she was a fighter. She was the same Alia who had lost her dad too early in life, and yet she fought to ensure Abhi never felt the void. She was always more matured than her years. If she was defeated, the cause had to be great. I nodded in affirmation, and deep within me pride nudged at me. I was happy I didn't feel the need to take into consideration, Abhi's presence here before standing by Alia tonight – if that happened; my guilt would know no bound.

"Alia, Aadi has dozed off. Let's get some coffee and talk?" I suggested quietly.

"Let's go for a drive and get coffee? I need some fresh air Pragya." She replied softly.

"Aadi will be fine here right?" I enquired.

"Don't worry, I will ask the butler to keep an eye on him"

~An hour later~

It was windy here, and at this time of the night, empty almost. We were sitting on the deserted benches in the inky night. The moisture laden wind from the Ganges blasting through my ears and nostrils and taking me to memories lost far back in time. As a child I would come here with my 'ma' and 'papa' in the evening. Pragsncep Ghat was the residential area for the elitists in town – where there were vintage bungalows on one side, there was the vast open river on the other. My parents would bring me on weekends in the evening, I would sit here with them, have ice-cream, laugh and have a good time. Maybe it was these memories here, or the soothing river itself, but the years of life that followed, I had found that, sitting here, staring at the river always calmed me down.

I turned to Alia, "What have you done to yourself Alia?"

She smiled a little in mockery, in response to my question. "Pragya, this feels so good. Just like old times. Only this time, the tables have turned. This time I am here with a heavy heart and seeking advice from you!"

I smiled. During the time Alia and I bonded in college, my father was few years into marriage with 'Mumma' and they had Mish, I had lost my 'Ma' and I was going through an identity crisis, I felt I didn't fit in my own family – This was the time Alia stood by me like a rock solid pillar. She didn't have a dad either. Just her 'ma' and a younger brother.

"Alia, you know you can talk to me right? Why didn't you call me yourself? What is bothering you? Since when did we grow all this distant? I thought------" but she didn't let me complete.

"Pragya, I want a divorce from Purab."

***

Bulbul:

We were leaving from Abhi's house in the evening, when Alia di, stopped di, and asked her to stay back. I wasn't surprised. Alia di looked disturbed for quite some time now, and it has to do with Purab jiju. Jiju hasn't showed up for the wedding preparations as yet, di hardly talks to jiju, and whenever Abhi or anyone asks about him, she changes the topic. It was good in a way that di agreed to stay with Alia di. I wanted to bring back Aadi, but di insisted he stayed with her. I sometimes feel, di doesn't trust us with him. I have said this to 'mumma' sometimes, but she rubbishes my thoughts every time. But it's true, di really doesn't trust us with her loved ones. It's not di's fault, from childhood she was distanced from every loved one because of us. Be it our 'papa', her 'ma' or..