Twist in Time

Her goodbye

Ten days had passed.

The slowest ten days of her life.

She had barely eaten.

Barely spoken.

She sat numblessly in her room the whole day, just staring out the window.

Tear stained.

Completely broken.

Her contract with Birla Enterprises had of course been terminated that very day and she had banished from even being close to the company grounds.

She didn't care about that one bit.

She cared only about him.

She had contacted him.

Endlessly.

So many times.

But he'd never picked up.

She had gone knocking on his door, crying her eyes out. But the guards hadn't even permitted her from getting close to the door.

She had sat in the rain waiting outside for him, getting sick until Rosie had forced her to come inside.

"R-Rosie" she shrieked, "everything - everything is truly gone now" she cried as she felt herself fall into a sinking hole of despair.

Life had been cruel.

But now it felt like torture.

So she became numb.

Completely numb.

Rosie watched on, her own heart breaking for her child and no matter how hard she tried, she could not get Akshara to listen. She was in another world, all she did was hang on tightly to the bracelet. As if on auto-pilot mode.

The ghosts of her past haunting and sitting over her shoulders.

Until one day, Gayatri and Dalbir visited. Realising that something had happened, Rosie begged them to help her and together they concocted a plan.

"Akshara beta... we are sending chotu to a training camp in Surat so he can get the piano scholarship he is wanting. He is already there but they would like a guardian to be there with him for a little while... is there any chance...?" Gayatri trailed off as she touched Akshara's shoulder, noticing instantly that she was all skin and bones. Dalbir and Rosie watched hopefully from the door frame, Rosie praying that Akshara would agree and would start a new beginning. "Dalbir or I would have easily gone but the other kids need us..."

At the mention of chotu, Akshara's thoughts were broken as she broke her gaze from the window she was looking at.

She would not let these kids suffer.

Not the way she had.

Not the way any of them had.

"I'll go" she confirmed, "I need to leave this place".

***

Akshara sighed fidgeting around with her dupatta and tying a little knot on the end of it as she waited just in front of the haveli. She was leaving for Surat the next morning and there was one thing she had to do before she left.

She had to keep her promise to him.

Taking a deep breath, she let the pain run through her body.

"You have to be strong Akshu... his life is better without you," she told herself.

"Even if without him, your life is meaningless"

A sleek black car landed in front of her, one she could recognise anywhere.

A man stepped out and bowed instantly in front of Akshara, acknowledging her.

Akshara gave him a soft smile as he brought back memories of the man she loved forever.

"Charles" she uttered in recognition as he gave her a small weak smile.

She pushed back the tears that were overcoming her again, seemed like she did not know how to stop crying.

"Ma-am" he acknowledged, taking in her state.

"Call me Akshara please..." she sighed.

"No matter what happens.." Charles smiled slowly, "you will always be ma'am to me"

Akshara gave him a small smile at that and then brought the package she'd been holding under her dupatta.

"Could you get this to him? This is my final goodbye... I will never bother him again after this... I am leaving the city" Akshara whispered closing her eyes as she painfully uttered the words.

Charles took the box from her.

"How is he?" Akshara asked not being able to help herself and then she bit her lip.

"Don't worry" she said answering her own question. "I know you can not answer that... and I will not get you into trouble"

Charles looked at her, his expression was empathetic and sorrowful.

"Please take care ma'am" he said and she gave him a small smile, acknowledging his words.

And then he got into the car.

Driving it into the distance.

In the darkness.

Leaving a broken Akshara behind.

For that box held her most precious possession.

The bracelet he had given her.

The one that had provided her with hope and support all these years.

Now in his hands.

Like her heart.

And a box of rajma.

Her goodbye.

Another update coming tonight if you leave your comments <33 (and something tells me that you will love the next one).

Thank you for all your reactions, I have truly loved reading them!

N x