The Waves Whisper ✓

32 | walk away... just walk away...

He was cool as a cucumber and walked very calmly through the shore. Naomi and Kabir walked behind him, not knowing what was happening. There weren't many people at the beach.
"Sir, why did you take us here?" Kabir asked finally. He stopped walking.

"How are you still alive?" Naomi scoffed. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Guess I'm lucky." He smiled. She could see the dimples under the beard.

"Oh, everything is funny to you?" Naomi batted her eyebrows. "You know, my grandmother blamed herself for your death.".

"I know, kid." He said that, which made Naomi look at Kabir.

"How did he know all these things?" She thought.

"So you knew everything? And you still abandoned your pregnant wife?"

He didn't answer. A moment later, he said, "Do you think I'd abandon her?"

"But you did," she replied.

"You seem like the type who jumps to conclusions pretty quickly."

"Then what is it? Why did you aban?" she stopped. "Leave her?"

"I didn't abandon her. I left her alone." And then he started speaking.

"When I woke up at the hospital a day or two after the accident, everything had changed. I was rescued, and my injury wasn't serious. But I was unconscious. Everyone was there at the hospital: my father, my stepmother, and my siblings. The first thing I remember telling my father when I woke up was, 'I want to go."

'Where?' He asked.

'I can't tell you now. But I really need to go.' Then he said, 'Where? To that woman you're seeing? Isn't she married?' A chill ran down my spine. He knew everything. And there was a possibility that he might've hurt her. I circled back to being that teenager who was always afraid of his father.

'You are not going anywhere until the hospital discharges you!'

And I knew something was wrong. I was afraid that he might have done something to her because my father would end her rather than accept her as his daughter-in-law. I fled from the hospital that night. I had to find her before anything bad happened to her. But it was too late. I went back to Mumbai. I searched everywhere-railway stations, bus terminals, hospitals, even mortuaries. She was nowhere to be found. There was no trace of her. I approached the police. But you know what they did? They said she might have eloped while I was away.

I didn't lose hope. I went back to Rajasthan. I found nothing even after weeks and weeks of searching, and I had to rejoin the navy. When I went back, someone was waiting for me with an unpleasant truth-Chetan, my co-worker. He burst into tears when he saw me. I tried to console him and kept asking why he was crying, but all he said was 'sorry' over and over. 'I'm sorry, Apoorva. I did something bad.

'What did you do?'

'I met her, Roopali. I met her at the railway station."

At first, I was confused. 'When did you meet her? Why would you meet her?'

"I did it because your father told me to do so. He told me to go there and lie to her, saying that you died in the accident. I did as he said. He paid me from the beginning to watch you. I'm sorry, man. You know how hard things are at home. This salary isn't enough, and I know with this physique and brain I won't be getting a promotion in the near future. I am so sorry. I know you are looking for her. I wish I could tell you, but I don't know where she is or where she went. She left the railway station. I didn't see her board a train."

I wanted to rip him into shreds.
'Stop. Enough; I don't want to hear you say anything anymore." I was unsure what was killing me more-the fact that he betrayed me or the fact that even he didn't know where Roop was. And with that, ninety percent of my hope ended along with our friendship.

The next time I got off, I went to Delhi to see Vikram. I thought that he might know something about her. But he didn't even understand anything I had said. He was a mess, a lunatic, and a drunkard. I didn't give up. I searched everywhere in Delhi, too. Nothing. Next time, I went to Rajasthan, her home, where she spent her childhood. Nobody was there. It was empty. Everyone there had moved. I knew none of her relatives. And I felt like I was searching in the dark. That day, I took my anger upon my family. I cut off my ties with them that day. And it became a routine for me to search for her every time I was allowed off days from work. It became my mission to get closure. I was prepared to face the truth, but I wanted an answer. But the truth wasn't something that I had imagined.

Seven or eight years later, one of my superiors invited me to his home in Kolkata during Navratri. He was more like a friend than a superior. While I was there, I met his daughter, a very smart young girl. She was a student at the university and had a huge shelf full of books. I haven't seen her without a book during my stay there. One day we were having tea, and she sat across from me, reading a book. I asked what she was reading.

"Oh, it is a recently published book.' She squealed. "Here, take a look. You might like it. She handed me the book. My hands trembled as I held it in my arms. I traced the author's name with my fingers: 'Roopali Agarwal', written in bold, white letters. She was successful and independent, chasing after her dream. I didn't think she noticed my watery eyes, or else she'd have asked why I was crying.

'It received an award recently.' She said. At last, I found her. But as I said, it was too late.

It was raining heavily on the day of the award ceremony. I was there at the hall where it was held. I remember getting stuck in the traffic, and I thought I wouldn't get to see her. More than the thought of losing her, I feared that I might miss the chance to see her receive the award. She was already walking to the stage to receive the award when I reached there. She was cheerful, proud, and smiling at the applauding crowd. She looked more healthy and peaceful. That was everything that I needed. To see her happy and secure. She was dressed in a green and red silk saree and wore her hair down.

She walked down from the stage with the golden-colored award trophy in her hand. I wanted to run to her. I held her in my arms. But that didn't happen. A man stood up, holding his arms out for her, and she embraced him!

He held her in his arms.

I was supposed to do that. But he was there at my place.

Then my eyes traveled to the sindoor on her forehead, and two kids were by her side. A boy and a girl.

And I was nothing. I was not a part of her life. She could live without me.

And everything came to my mind, like a tsunami. Why her brother died, why she was married off, and why my father almost hurt her while I was injured. Because of me and my family.

For a fraction of a second, she looked in my direction. I ducked, hiding from her beautiful eyes. I was a rotten part of in her good life. I knew what I had to do. Walk away. I walked away until I was out of her sight

"Walk away... Just walk away..." I kept telling myself. I didn't know what was blurring my sight when I stepped into the street-the rain or my tears.
She was happy with a husband and two beautiful kids. I wanted her to be happy, even if it was without me."

...

Hey peeps, today's the birthday of one my readers who has been supporting this story from the beginning.
Happy birthday kat_reads4 🥳💐
She's a writer too. Please do check out her works.❤️