One Day At A Time

Chapter Thirty Nine - Time Travel(III)

"How are you, Kaka?" Khushi smiled and walked towards the restaurant's counter where Anna Kaka was busy lighting up an incense stick in front of Hanuman ji's photo.

"Waiting for the call from up there, bitiya." Kaka pointed his finger heavenwards with a sigh. "My son is well settled and married with kids and looks after the restaurant now. Not a wish left unfulfilled. It's time to go."

"Nope. No way." She said, shaking her head. "You have a long life. I can see it written on your happy and content face. People die of worry and unhappiness, Kaka, so you don't stand a chance of an early exit." She said with a smile, and Kaka laughed. "And I will bring my kids here to introduce them to—" She stopped, stunned by the words she had never uttered before. "Wh-where is Arnav?" She asked, quickly changing the subject.

"He just went up the small hill behind the cattle shed with two cups of tea."

She frowned. "Is there still time for the misal paav?"

"I just opened the kitchen, bitiya. Give me some time, and I'll send someone to call you once it's ready."

She nodded her head and took her time making her way up the small craggy hill behind the restaurant. She found him sitting on the edge of a big rock facing the lush green woods, which raised towards a huge mountain. Puffs of clouds hung over the trees, and a fine mist rose in swirls swallowing the peak, making it one of the most magical sights she had ever encountered in her life. Her feet took her closer to him, and she occupied the vacant space next to him on the rock. He handed the teacup to her without glancing at her and kept staring at the view in front of him.

"I've missed this place." His deep voice murmured as he sipped on his tea. "I used to think about it a lot in London. Especially this hill."

"We, I mean, I have never been here." She glanced at him sideways and kept staring at him, the sunlight catching his hair getting ruffled in the morning breeze. She took in a deep breath, let it out again, and blamed the breathless feeling on her hurried climb up the hill.

"No, you haven't. Because this was a getaway for Mathur and me when staying at home became unbearable."

This was perhaps the next most uncomfortable truth he had shared with her after the one a few minutes ago. The tea burnt her tongue as she blinked in discomposure, and her forehead wrinkled instantly.

"Akash used to be perennially stressed because of his parents. They would argue persistently in his presence and threaten each other with divorce very often. And the worse bit was, they chose not to separate because of their only son, and unfortunately, he was aware of it." He sighed. "Trying to avoid each other's company, they would always travel separately, leaving Akash with his grandma initially, and then with Chef Chachu as he grew up." His voice changed and became thick as he dragged in a deep breath. "Here, sitting on this rock, he has cried on my shoulder many a time."

Her heart turned over, an aching sympathy slowly wrapping itself around it. "I wasn't aware things were so bad. They always manage to project a completely different picture to the world. Payal didn't tell me much either."

"She wouldn't." He smiled. "That's what she is. You know her."

She nodded with a wry smile. Payal. The other stronger wheel of a stable relationship which kept the love alive and kicking despite the turmoil they seemed to have faced together. In the drumming silence that followed, she sat holding the cup in her hands, absorbing the warmth from it, wondering bleakly how different life would have been if things had not gone wrong so badly. Suddenly she remembered what he had said to her at the beginning of the conversation. "You said it was a getaway for you too."