Lekha (Completed)

Lekha 47

"Friends!" I exclaimed softly. This was not what I had expected her to say. "Why?" I asked before I could stop my suspicious self.

She gave me a know-it-all smile as if she was expecting this reaction from me.

"I like you... and... I don't think we should let the past come between us"

I kept my face neutral, unable to analyze the situation.

"You do know what past I am talking about... I mean ... Rudra and me..." she said in a hesitant voice.

What struck me was that she didn't add 'sa' (a form of respect) after Rudra's name while, I being engaged to him still used it. I wondered if she was trying to show how close they were that the formality of 'sa' was not needed or was it a genuine sign of a close relation.

I nodded my head in acknowledgement as hiding the truth in this situation didn't seem like a practical option.

"Please don't take me as a girl who would ever force herself between two people who are engaged... More over as far as I know my Rudra ... I mean ... now 'your' Rudra he would never go back on his words no matter how his heart breaks" She paused to look at me but I kept my head bowed not wanting her to see my emotions.

"I believe that a man who goes back on his promise is not worth anything. I too truly support him on this" she continued in what I felt was a patronizing tone. I felt discomfited by all this unable to believe that a person could have such a generous heart.

"Promise me that you would look after him..." she said as the hand holding mine tightened trying to elicit the promise out of me. I again nodded, truly baffled by the direction the conversation was heading.

"He is quick to anger sometimes but you have to be patient with him. He was once a boy full of laughter but it's my fault that it all ended. I was a naïve girl ... but ... I thought he would come back, just like he always did, even after our worst fights. I had waited for him..." I heard a soft sob and quickly looked up to see her eyes brimming with tears. I suddenly felt like a selfish person coming between these two love birds and this time I clutched her hand to comfort her.

"Do you still love him?" I asked despite feeling choked on the words.

She looked up at me with those beautiful soulful eyes of her and gave me a sad smile.

"How can I love him when he belongs to you ...now? "

My heart took a dive deep into the pit of my stomach as I sucked I my breathe controlling my tears. She had answered my question with a question of her own, but there lay the answer which broke my heart. 'I had to be brave' I repeated to myself. The selfish person sitting in a small corner of my heart prompted me to ignore her. I decided that I had to go ahead with the most important and the most painful question of my life, if that is what was meant to happen. Rudra's happiness was the only thing that mattered said the brave little heart which had pain of its own to handle too.

"Will you ... I mean..." I put my hand back in my lap unwilling to touch her least she sensed it tremble with the emotions I was trying to hide. I looked the other way before I could continue.

"I wanted to ask you if ... you would marry him if you had a chance... I mean if I was not there" I said the last part in one breath before it got stuck in my throat.

"What!! " She exclaimed suddenly standing up from the bed. "What do you mean? Where will you go?"

She sounded curious and I might have detected hopefulness in her voice but was too busy with my own sense of martyrdom to perceive it.

"Nowhere... I mean it was just a hypothetical question... but would you? I mean would you marry him?"I asked in a brave voice.

"I can't even bear to answer that question. You are such a sweet girl. I can't even think about it... but... had it been some other unsuitable girl for 'my' Rudra , then I surely would have tried to get him back. Moreover he would never marry me" she said sounding dejected. There was a pregnant pause at that as my mind got fixated on her use of 'my' again for Rudra.

"Like I said Rudra would never go back on his words till whosoever he had promised to marry was present...or... didn't reject him. So you see no matter how much both of us might want this hypothetical scenario to come true... it can't really happen in the real world. Can it?" She gave a humorless smile.

What did she mean by 'us' I wondered? This girl was surely going to make me paranoid. Was she ensuing that Rudra too was...? It could mean nothing or could it?

My conversation with self was again broken by her as she must have observed me in deep thought.

"I must go now. I don't want others to gossip about us meeting. You too please don't speak about our meeting to others. I had just wanted to assure myself about the kind of girl Rudra was marrying. All I want is his happiness. With or without me... he always is a priority. I being older to you give you my blessings for a great life ahead and also pray that you are able to erase my memories from his heart" She ran out of the room as her voice choked towards the end and her eyes brimmed with tears again. I was left standing aghast at all that took place.

I saw a movement through my peripheral vision near the staircase where Roopmati nearly collided with Rudra on her way to the third floor as he crossed towards his side of rooms. He held her before she could fall. I saw her giving Rudra a look of pure adoration. Her eyes suddenly turned towards my room and she quickly righted herself as soon as she saw me looking. My question had been answered by that one look of hers. I quickly darted back inside the room before Rudra could find me spying on their reunion.

I felt a headache coming after so much of emotional roller coaster.

Hope you guys are happy now :)

Its a bit short but then ... 

Enjoy and don't forget to send in your comments. I like to be in touch with each one of you :)