A Coffee at Dawn

Chapter 28 : Unveiling the truth!

A month later . . .

The marriage went on just perfect and the couple had enjoyed their entire ride through out the rituals. With all the limelight and pampering from both the families the bride and the groom were showered with love and care and gifts, of-course. Payal had left her home, parents and her surname as well. She was now in Nishant's house, well happy, obviously. Nishant had become slightly busy than he was before, on turning to be a family man. He was happily getting adjusted to the new development in his life. Everything had fallen into place for them.

Tanmay had not left back to where ever he had come from. He had moved to Bangalore and I had never even tried to meet him post the marriage. The only rendezvous was on his arrival, at the wedding, nothing post that.Days had passed,I was stuck to where I was before.

I sat in my room checking a mail from Andy. It had the details of an upcoming event at the Delhi University. Work was the only thing I wanted to invest myself in. Every other entity in life, be it feelings or people themselves, proved to be too costly to afford.

"Yes, Mom come in," I heard my mom knock the door out.

"Can I get a chance to speak completely?" She seemed frustrated. I closed the lid of my laptop and sat listening to her.

"What have you become today? Where is that side of you which the world liked? Why have you killed yourself?" I could sense the shiver in her voice as she spoke slightly more than her usual decibel.

"Mom, calm down. I am listening today," I tried soothing her. She was obviously worried with the way I was handling things. I had stopped going out anywhere, Nishant getting busy only gave me chances to stay at my house. I had disconnected myself from the entire world.

"Answer," she yelled. I froze at the pitch of her voice.

"Mom, I would sincerely request you to calm down," I moved out of the bed.

"For how long do you decide to stay in the shell? It is dark inside. Go fetch the light out, trust me you will see colors in your life," the philosophical side of my mom was out.

"I am not rejoicing in the darkness Maa, it is scorching bright outside and I know I can barely see the world if I step out of the shell, I am not ready yet," I dropped my head.

"Your conscience knows you are at fault, see the way your head dropped," she mocked.

"I don't have enough strength to take in anything, why don't you understand that?" I questioned back.

"I understand, the point is I understand more than what you know. You do not stop eating just because your right hand is broken, you will have to learn to use the other one. That is how you grow. How many have you heard who have stood up strong and fought their battles and strived for victory? Very less. All we get to hear is how people perish. I don't believe my son is so weak that he falls into the second category," her words were bolts of fire.

"My zone of silence gives me strength. That is how I know to discover myself and pull myself up, I am trying Maa," my voice quivered and my eyes welled up.

"It is how the world functions, what you think would stay forever may vanish in a blink of an eye, but you cannot stop. She left, you know nothing of her, she has not tried even a bit. Do you really feel it worth to moan in her absence even now?" I looked up at her slightly furious.

"I know, love is such a thing. It is tough to think of someone else when that person is all you have wanted from the start, but.."

"Mom," I stopped her. I could not hear any word more. Not that she spoke something offensive. It was just that my heart was not ready to believe she had gone. Yes, there were times I had told myself that she was gone, but deep down there was a small kindle of flame that always said I was wrong.