The colours of love

Broken self

The small city of Araku couldn't contain the amount of happiness surging through my blood vessels. I was over all the clouds at that moment. My wait ended. My life, My Dev is back.
He snapped his face to my direction and asked, " You called me?"
Just as I was about to answer, Tridha literally purred, " Baby, let's finish it fast, I am suffocating with out A.C here."
You don't need A.C in Araku, in September you fool, wait Baby?
"Right, Ms..." he paused and looked over to my name plate and continued, "Manya, Tridha and I wanted to have a destination engagement. We thought Araku was a good option and you guys do good job."
Those  words were enough to crash my entire world. I felt like I was pushed from the highest Hill in Araku ranges. In a minute my entire life flashed. My sufferings before  I  met Dev, my times with Dev, my wait for Dev, everything flooded my memory. Everything blurry, I could hear my daughter laughing, her calling me ma, her asking for her nana, everything. Oh God how am I going to answer her about her nana. With that I blacked out.

I had pounding pain in my head, as I got up. I was in the tiny clinic, my office had in the first floor. Itcha was sitting next to me, as I got up.
"Hey?" She said, probably not sure what tell. What happened. I pondered , and I remembered everything. Oh God, Dev!! No, he is not my Dev, he is Adrith. My Dev is out somewhere, he is not him...No.
"There, Mannu, let it out," My friend said.
"He is not Dev right? I mean he cannot be, he won't do this to me, to his blood," I wailed.
"Stop being in denial, his full name is Adrith Dev Vallabhaneni, the C.E.O of entire Vallabhaneni groups. He is getting engaged to Tridha Desatla, who is the heiress of Desatla Electronics. Right after their engagement was announced, they had a merger. I just googled  him, Mannu. May be he is not as righteous as we thought. It explains though, he never told you his actual name or any other details and he left as soon as he got to know you were pregnant."
True, every single thing she said was true. May be I was fooled, played, cheated, or may be not?
And may be it was right, when  they said, I am foolish and I cannot survive alone in this world. No, No, No, they cannot be right.
"One thing, is fishy though, if he is out of your life for good, then why come back and get engaged in a place where everything can go wrong?"
That had me thinking,
"May be, to show how big of failure I was, to believe him."
"May be....That jerk i am going to cut his balls and..."
"If he thinks, then I have to show him, it does not affect me, I cannot be broken so easily," I said cutting her off.

I got up wiping my tears, and walked into my cabin. On my way I saw Adrith and Tridha waiting in the hallway.
I fake smiled, thanks mom for teaching me how to mask my emotions. " I apologise for delaying you.  Shall we continue what was interrupted," I asked.
"Are you sure Ms.Manya. I mean we can come back tomorrow if you are not well."
'I am surely not well Mr. Adrith, but I am not giving you the pleasure,' I thought.
"It's fine, I have survived worst." If my own blood could not break me, you are nothing.
Mr.Adrith  looked like he wanted to tell something, but Tridha cut him. " Come on  baby, let's get over with it."
Right, let's get over with it.

All of us, including Itcha walked into my cabin. "Okay, I have been  informed that you are getting engaged on 24th of October, right?" I asked confirming the date.
"Yes, we want to start at dusk, and continue till late night, we have lot of guests coming over, of different ages, it will be difficult for your tiny group to handle it."
Obnoxious b...., no don't say the word.
I smiled and said, " if that is a challenge Ms.Tridha, then I assure we triumph over them."
She rolled her eyes.
For the next few hours, I sat down explaining every theme we had. Adrith seemed to have no interest and Tridha seemed to have no satisfaction.  Great! They are just made for each other. Tired, I finally suggested that the entire theme should revolve around her dress or suit or whatever crap they are going to wear. Being the self centered woman she is, she agreed. I asked her to mail the sketch of their ridiculously rich costumes. After that I showed them the place where their engagement is going to be held.

It was a farm house of a rich NRI's old father, who is now enjoying his time with his grandchildren. Just before leaving, we rented out the place. It was around five acre land, With a three storey building in one corner. When his wife was alive, all the five acres were covered with the shrubs of  flowers. Now the flowers are only at border forming a beautiful fence.

Dev wanted this place at all costs, it was few kilometres distance from our office, which had a backyard, enough for tiny functions. But he argued and argued. Finally I reluctantly agreed. Funny how till now, we held tiny functions in the backyard of our office, bigger one's in the garden area of the farmhouse. The first function we were going to perform in the place he rented, is the place where he is getting engaged and not with me.

Come to think of  it, it was my mistake. I mean, I knew, happy endings happen only in fairy-tales and in the lives of heiress, yet I thought, I, a scarred and scared girl hoped for it. Not wanting to show my depression, in front of the person who caused it, I smiled.

"It's beautiful, a wonderful investment i might add," Mr. Adrith said.
'Right, praise yourself,' I thought.
"Thanks, it was my boyfriend's decision," I said wanting to see his reaction.
He just smiled. That's it? I thought I had a degree of masking emotions, but you Dev, have a Ph.D in it.
"Is that it, can we go back," Tridha asked.
With that we walked back to office, talking about catering. He said, his mother would come and decide about it. Even when we were together, he loved talking about his mother. I wonder how a person, who regarded so highly of his mother, can cheat on another mother and his own daughter. Selfish rich prick, that is, my mind chided

When we reached the office, Adrith gave me his business card, and I gave him mine. In the process I hit the photo frame on my table. It was the photo after, muffin's first day at school. Me and my clumsiness.
Adrith held the photo to correct it but then froze.
A tiny hope flickered, may be he loves his blood. It vanished as soon as he kept the photo back.
"I am sorry for being nosy, is it your daughter?" he asked.
'No, she is our daughter,' I wanted to answer. But decided against it, I just nodded.
A small smile formed on his face, "She looks cute and ...familiar," he said.
She is your bloody daughter. I tried smiling.
"Baby,  we should get going."
Adrith nodded, he shook his hand and then walked away.

The minute he walked away I locked the room, and sat down crying. He is not my Dev. He cannot be. But he is! he may not be the same carefree person , but he is the same gentleman, he was before or it may be a facade. I did not know any thing anymore I was confused and I  broke down. I thought if my own blood cannot break me, no one could. But, congratulations Adrith, you broke me.
I cried. I cried over my fate, my life, my past, my hope that I would be normal once again and that I would find love again. I cried over my broken self.