Nishant Naik, billionaire MD of Naik Builders gets engaged but without love. Disillusioned, he gives up when a chance encounter leaves him intrigued and confused. For him, loving someone is giving your soul to her. Will he ever find someone to love...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Nishant was still sitting on the terrace when Lakshman brought the glass of milk. Seeing him in deep thoughts, Lakshman just kept the milk on the table near the recliner. Then, he placed a brazier near Nishant's feet and stoked the burning coals a little to keep him warm.
As Lakshman was going out, he glanced at Nishant and sighed. He was still sitting in the same position staring blankly at the mountains.
It was quite late when Nishant was awakened from his reverie. He did not know what had shaken him from his state: must be the drumming of his nerves against his temples. As he got up from the recliner, his eyes fell on the diminishing fire of the brazier and instantly his mind whirled back to his memories.
She sleeping in his arms while he stoked the coals to keep her warm.
Them making love against the faint light of the brazier.
She warming her hands against its fire and then pressing them on his cheeks.
Her fingers twirling against his and creating different shadows in the brazier's fiery light.
Everything came back in a rush and Nishant just sat down with a thud on the recliner. For the first time in all these months, he felt angry: not with her but with himself.
Dammit!
He got up and went inside his room, and unzipped his bag. Then he dragged out the bottle of Rum he had brought. Although he knew that he shouldn't be drinking when it was banging hammers in his head but frankly he didn't care.
Enough of this pretence.
Nishant sat down on the recliner and unscrewed the bottle. As he took a full swig from the bottle, it burned his throat heavily but he ignored. He gulped some more and let the alcohol do its trick, which it did but somehow, he saw her everywhere now.
He wanted to see the curtained canopy again. He wanted to feel her again. Most of all he wanted to hear her rested breathing while she slept next to him. And, also her sounds as she turned in her sleep.
Nishant was about to drag the sheet away from the canopy when a crackling of thunder was followed by heavy drops of rain.
The fluorescent lightning brightened the sky and he saw the Himalayas in front.
"I need her, please," he said in a slurred voice to the mountains.
But this time the mighty structures did not answer. They were as numbly silent as the growing pain in him.
Nishant staggered back to the recliner taking a big gulp from the bottle and collapsed on the floor. His gaze fell on the brazier fire, which was ebbing towards its end with the ongoing downpour. The rain pelted down and the fire finally gave up the battle for survival.
As it burned out, Nishant started to laugh, his voice ringing with the thunder and getting mixed in the rain. But as the laughter increased so did the anguish inside him. Slowly it turned to tormented sobs and then full blown screams, which rang through the stormy night.
**************
Aparna was sitting on the balcony when she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. As she wiped them off some more slid down. Irritated, she got up from the chair and clutched the balcony rail hard. As she looked up at the sky, she wished someone there would do some miracle to give her strength to bear everything. But nothing happened instead she saw him looking at her with a smile on his face.
You are just being a fool.
She turned and went inside the room, and opened her laptop. Somehow, she has to steer her mind towards the designs on the screen.
It was almost midnight when the rumble of thunder woke Nishant up. He clutched the recliner and dragged himself up from the floor and somehow staggered to the room. Drenched and completely worn out, he slumped on the sofa and buried his face in the cushion.
Suddenly he heard the beep of his phone and cursed hard as it annoyed him more than usual. He stretched his hand and picked it up from the table. Messages, calls and what not had already flooded it. He was about to switch if off when his gaze fell on the date.
14th July!
Nishant sat up straight on the sofa fully alert.
Dammit! It's Prakriti's birthday tomorrow.
The gift!
How could you have forgotten?
Shaking himself up, he dialled Dhruv's number and waited for him to reply.
"Hey! I need a favour," he said the moment his friend answered the call.
On the other side, Dhruv clearly realised that his dear old friend was fully drunk.
"Tell me," he replied sighing.
"There is a packet in my cupboard. Can you check?"
"Hmm!" Dhruv replied as he got up from the sofa and went inside the room.
Nishant closed his eyes as he heard him rummaging through his cupboard.
"Red coloured one?"
"Yes! Could you get this delivered to Madhu's place by tomorrow morning?"
"Why? And why delivered? I'll give it to Madhu," Dhruv said looking at the packet suspiciously.
"No! Do as I say, get it delivered," Nishant replied vehemently and disconnected the call.
Dhruv looked at the label and his eyes widened with realisation.
15th July!
Prakriti's birthday and Nishant's too.
*************
Aparna woke up quite early in the morning as it had been one of the most disturbing nights of her life. She dreamt about him the whole night and every time the same dream. She kept seeing him with her and as he was hugging her tightly that woman dragged him away from her. But what kept breaking her slumber was him making love to that woman.
She breathed hard trying to block the images but couldn't.
"Mama?" Prakriti's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Shaking her head, Aparna looked at her and smiled.
"Why are you crying?"
Not knowing what her daughter was saying, she touched her cheeks and felt the wetness.
Gulping, she took Prakriti in her arms and buried her face in her chest. As the sobs increased, she felt her daughter soothingly caressing her hair trying to calm her.
