For You

Chapter 57

You tell a lie once and the rest of them come easily.

The hardest part is to live by those lies afterwards.

If you tell the truth, it becomes part of your past.

But if you tell a lie, it becomes part of your future.

~-----~

For the first time, Ajay and Amrita couldn't enjoy their holiday stay in their hometown. All their thoughts were with their dear friend Shyam, and how he and his family were coping.

It was a very sombre and grave Shyam, that met them after two weeks in their home town.

Mukesh Ajay and Amrita were glad to see Shyam finally, but were equally shocked to see the drastic change in him. He looked like someone, who hadn't had a proper meal or sleep for weeks.

Mrs Sharma was so worried that she asked Dr Sharma to do a thorough check up on Shyam.

Dr Sharma tried to put his wife's worries to rest. He invited Shyam to stay with them as long as he was in the town, and Shyam reluctantly agreed. Then with the forceful intervention from his friends, Mrs Sharma and Brijesh he began to slowly recover.

It was almost time for Amrita and Vidya to go back, as the holidays were nearly over. Brijesh had arranged for both of them to stay in a hostel now, in spite of protests from Ganesh. They would first go to Shyam's house though, pack their things from their rooms on the top floor, before settling into the hostel.

Ajay was leaving for the City in few days to appear for the Civil services preliminary exam

One day,  Shyam and Amrita were chatting in Amrita's room. Amrita was packing her suitcase, and came across the Sari Deepa presented to her. She was looking fondly at it, when Shyam came and touched the sari himself, and sat next to her.

"You know Ammu, the last day I was with her, she talked very little, but she mentioned how happy she was in the last year or so, because of you being in our home. I think you fulfilled her desire of having a daughter in the house. She was so fond of you. And you did so much for her, perhaps more than any of us. You stayed with her in the hospital, even at home when she was so sick. I sometimes don't know how I can ever thank you."

Shyam broke down again, and Amrita moved close to him and hugged him.

Amrita and Shyam didn't notice that Ajay walked into the room just then, and seeing both his friends crying, stopped.

"Please Shyam don't ever say things like thank you. She was very dear to me as well, and I felt so happy to be with her. Please control yourself. If she had her way, she would have probably kept me with her all the time, and I would have stayed with her too." Amrita chuckled, and Shyam joined her as she ruffled his hair affectionately.

She looked up just then and noticed Ajay looking sadly at them. Flashes of their previous argument over Shyam jolted Amrita; fearing that Ajay might misunderstand her sitting so close to Shyam, she moved away from him quickly with a guilt stricken face. Ajay noticed the sudden change in Amrita's behaviour, but couldn't understand why.

He approached Shyam and tapped on his shoulder.

"Mukesh and I are planning to go to the movies; do you guys want to join?" He asked casually.

"Sure, let's go." Shyam was keen to distract his mind.

"Ajay!! You got the most important exam in two days' time and you want to go to movies? You are really...Anyway you guys go ahead; I have got packing to do. Vidya hadn't done her packing either. I have to make sure she does." Amrita turned back to her packing.