The Waves Whisper ✓

33 | for one last time

Naomi was in absolute shambles. Kabir thought she would crouch down and weep on the shore. The salty, cold sea breeze dishevelled her curls. He gently grabbed her palm, hoping to calm her, but he knew it would not be enough to soothe her mind. In front of them, a few feet away, stood an unphased Apoorvanand, looking at the sea and horizon. The sun was slowly drowning in the depths of the sea, casting its golden rays on the water. 
 
"I'm sorry." Two words. Two feeble words came out of Naomi's lips. "For doubting you, I thought you left her." 
 
Apoorvanand remained calm, and it seemed like he had never been angry in his entire life. "It is reasonable since you didn't know my side of the story." 
 
"But." It was Kabir who spoke. "How did you know about Naomi's dad?" 
 
Apoorvanand glanced over his shoulders at Kabir. "We met for one last time." 
 
Kabir could literally feel Naomi's eyes widen with shock, even though he wasn't looking at her. Apparently, there are things that are not included in the book. Naomi felt like whatever she read was pure fiction, and whatever was happening at that moment was the only reality.
 
"Months ago," with heavy words, Apoorvanand started to speak. "I was coming back from the gym in the morning. There she stood, on the front yard, in a green sari, hands crossed, her silver-streaked hair down. I thought I was asleep, and everything that was happening was a dream. But it wasn't. The guard had let her in. She didn't need an appointment. Everyone knew her, even the ones who had never touched a book in their entire lives. Roopali Agarwal needed no introduction; she was welcomed everywhere. I remember my legs being cemented to the floor upon seeing her. But she walked toward me. I thought she'd slap me across the face. But she didn't. In fact, a twenty year-old Roopali would have, but she was past that age, past that wilderness. Instead, she smiled, tears glinting in her eyes. She had changed so much—from that young, unknown, helpless girl to the most confident, influential woman. 
'I found your hiding place.' She said, looking around. I don't remember what I said in response because it was a blur. Every word that came out of my mouth seemed like gibberish. But I remember saying 'sorry' over and over. Because my vocabulary was drier than ever to justify what I've done to her. Apparently she had heard an interview of mine that aired on All India Radio. I never thought she'd have heard that. But she did. We talked for hours and exchanged a lifetime of stories. She told me about my kids, which I thought were someone else's. I've never felt that much guilt, regret, or pain all at once in my entire life. I cried so much that day. What kind of father fails to recognise his own children? I failed as a father. And I am forever jealous of Milan Chatterjee for living a life I wanted to live, and I am forever indebted to him for being a good father and a good husband."

Apoorvanand squeezed his eyes with his fingers, and for the first time during the conversation, Naomi and Kabir saw him cry. 

"How come this incident wasn't in the book?" Naomi asked, and her voice felt like she had fallen ill.

"I mean, she has written a book, her autobiography. We've read that. That's how we came to see you." Naomi clarified, in case he didn't know about the book. 

"I know. I am the one who read it first. She left it for me to read when she came to visit me. And we both decided to tell Tara and Sagar about me together. It was finally time." He stopped as if his voice got stuck halfway through his vocal cord.

A silence of a few seconds. 

"But you know what happened."

They know very well what happened. Roopali Agarwal was found cold and limp in her residence at Jaisalmer. Her heart stopped, a very rare occurrence in women. 

"It was like we were cursed beings who were not meant to be together. One time we are so close, and the very next time something drifts us apart. I wanted to go back to her, like I had done after her first marriage. But this time there was no her to go back to. This time, one of us was really gone. And I wished, so much that her death was just a lie that was fabricated by my dead father." He sighed, as if he had been waiting to tell someone everything. 

Naomi and Kabir stood there, dumbstruck, frozen by the sea breeze, not knowing what to do with the new found information. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Kabir spoke. "Then why didn't you confront your children?" 

Apoorvanand took a few steps along the shore. "There are few moments in life where fear shadows love. Mine was after her death. I'm not ashamed to say that I was afraid to tell them that I am their father, who never came to visit them at least once. How could have I visited them out of the blue and revealed such a big truth? Milan Chatterjee was their father, and they would've never accepted me. And I cannot imagine being hated by my own children. It was supposed to be her who was to tell them the truth, not me."

"But don't you think they deserve the truth?" Kabir asked. But before Apoorvanand could reply, Naomi's voice interrupted. 

"We give them the book." She said.
 
"What?" Kabir asked as if he had misheard her.

"We give them her autobiography to read." She said, looking at Apoorvanand, who was already in shock. "You told me that it was grams who was to reveal the truth. She can still tell them. Through the book." She smiled as if she were presenting an invention that would change the world. "She's not here, but her words are." 

Kabir and Apoorvanand exchanged glances.

"You're right. After all, the book has to be published one day." Kabir said.

"What do you think, sir?" Kabir asked Apoorvanand. A faint smile of approval crept into his lips as a response.

--- 

Naomi decided she would not be going back to Delhi from Pondicherry. Instead, she wanted to go back to California to meet her mom. It's been so long since she met her mother. From Roopali's home in Jaisalmer, she had found another completed novel and a couple of short stories that she asked Kabir to take to Sagar, and she decided that she would take the autobiography with her to California to give her mom to read first.

There were unread messages from her friend Mia and her boyfriend Corey, which were, as it seemed, sent after seeing her Instagram story—her picture taken at the Vyas Chhatri, tagging Kabir, who took the picture. It took another man to finally make her boyfriend acknowledge her. But Naomi Morris has decided that she will never open those texts. 

Naomi stood at the airport departure, glancing at the passengers going in with Kabir beside her. She knew that once she got inside, there was no going back to him. She almost smiled at the irony. Days ago, she didn't want him to accompany her anywhere. Now, it feels strange to leave him. 

"It's almost time for your flight." He said, which made her look at him. 

Outside, the airport lights shone through the darkness. She squinted her eyes so she could see his face through the blinding lights for the last time before she left. 

"I don't want to leave." She said.

"You were the one who said you wanted to see your mom immediately."

She smiled, a dry one. "It's this country." 'And this person.' She wanted to say. "It feels much better here." 

"You can always come back." He said, hoping she does.

"Goodbye, Kabir." She wrapped her arms around him. It feels good to be around him; she feels secure. The hug lasted a few seconds. She looked into his eyes as they broke the hug, her arms still wrapped around his beige shirt that was almost wrinkled from her grip. 

"Would you come visit me?" She asked, tears almost blurring her vision. 

"In America?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, I cannot imagine giving mom that book without you. It feels like you can handle these difficult situations."

"Sure." He said, patting a dishevelled strand of her hair. He knew he would agree to do whatever she asked for.
 
 

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Hey my dear readers, this is the last chapter of this story.

I don't know how to thank all of you. Words are not enough to show my gratitude towards all of you. Without you, this story wouldn't have been complete.

I am truly grateful to you all 💗