Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

7: What Aditya Lost - Anjana and Harshwardhan Hooda

PC: @ClubBepannaah on twitter

The view was indeed breathtaking. The city looked beautiful from the almost-all glass 5th floor of Hooda Legal Services Pvt. Ltd. Especially after dark, Mumbai from this vantage point looked like an inverted sky as if the stars had descended on earth. The vast stretches of slums looked like a galaxy of zillion twinkling lights while the light pollution and haze blocked the real stars in the sky.

Harsh collected his case-files and was ready to leave. Anjana had stood unmoving looking out of the huge glass window-wall while he had taken his time choosing his files. Harsh lowered the files on his desk and joined Anjana.

He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her into a back hug. He placed his cheek on hers. Her cheek was cold and wet. Shocked he spun her around. Anjana had been weeping silently. Now what had triggered this.

Harsh brushed away Anjana's tears with his palms but fresh ones kept pouring down. Harsh gave up and pushed her head on his shoulder, hugged her, held her tight and rocked her gently, one hand holding her head and other wrapped around her back.

It was at times like these he completely lost it on Adi. If the boy could only see his mother now. Adi's initial hatred was justified. Even in his early tweens they had tolerated his immature high handedness with the hope that he will grow up soon and see the error of his ways. Now he was 32. They had made their peace but yet he found new ways to keep them worrying.

Harsh let Anjana cry for a few more minutes, with the hope that she will stop on her own but her tears kept pouring. "Now stop it Anjana. Enough. Enough. Stop it", Harsh tried to calm her down but to no avail. He pulled her away, cupped her face and asked, "What happened? What's eating you?"

Anjana: (barely audible) Adiiiiiiii (then could not continue)

Harsh: What about Adi?

Anjana: When will ... when will... (sobbing) ... normal...life

Harsh: What normal life!

Anjana: Job...wife...children...U had promised...

It was impossible to understand what she was blabbering. Harsh made her sit down and got her some water which she sputtered and coughed down her front. Harsh tried to sponge it off with his handkerchief and then tried to dab her face. She snatched it and blew her nose in it. Having martyred his pristine white handkerchief, Harsh changed tack and just held her tight and patted her till she calmed down some. After she calmed down a little he pushed the box of tissues tentatively towards her.

Anjana: (between sputtering sobs) Remember... when Adi was 12... You had promised me that you will build a huge empire for him to run someday and... and...

Harsh thought to himself, "We are sitting on the top floor of a tiny part of that empire", but said nothing

Anjana: (still sobbing badly)... but he is not interested... who will run this?

Harsh: (not enjoying answering Anjana's rhetorics) Arjun

Anjana: (hiccupping now) Adi used to be happy as a pilot now he does not have that job also

Harsh: Job for what? To kill time or for a living? (as Anjana did not reply, he continued) Adi does not need a job, Anjana. He has enough money. I have invested enough for him. Poo... (he stopped himself from saying Pooja had invested even more. Luckily Anjana did not catch him saying Pooja)

Anjana: What?

Harsh: Poor Adi in Paris! Adi survived in Paris without using any of my or his credit cards. He did not draw any money from his India accounts. Now he is here with us. Think again. Should we worry?