Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

79: The Better-Halfs

Roshnaq was alone.

But the solitude was exactly what Roshnaq desired. She had walked around the golf course till her feet protested. She knew she had worked up her BP but she was confused on what to do as a mother, a wife, a friend...

She took Flu's chit out and just held it in her hand to calm down. She didn't need to read it. She knew it by heart now

On the path of love we are neither masters nor owners of lives. We are only a brush in the hands of a master painter...

She was seated at the farthest patio chair; one of the 4 around a tiny round low coffee-table in the narrow verandah of the top floor restaurant. She was trying to lose herself to the beautiful view of the sprawling Golf course.

But she gave up. She could not fight her rising anxieties. She was trying to talk herself into calming down. But the pessimist in Roshnaq dismissed whatever the optimist in her suggested.

Optimist: It is too early to panic. It has been just a week or less. There are still 12-15 more weeks.

Pessimist: But the days have been so full it seems like over a month. Zoya needs to relax; stay away from Waseem, Arshad, Aditya, Noor; anyone who talks of Aditya or Arshad.

Optimist: Think of some good excuse to send Zoya to Mussoorie.

Pessimist: Mussoorie holds too many depressing triggers; Yash memories.

Optimist: Then how about Clu-Flu's offer. Both are eager to take Zoya and Noor with them on their holiday. They have promised it will be an all-girl-gang trip.

Shyaam: Roshnaq! Why are you sitting here all by yourself? Roshnaq?

Pessimist: Waseem will never agree. He does not like the 2 girls. They are after all Aditya's friends.

Shyaam: Roshnaq?

Optimist: Send Zoya to Coimbatore with Waseem. Father-daughter could bond over the trip and Waseem would be too busy organizing the convention to keep harping about Arshad.

Shyaam: (tapping her arm with a chilled drink) Roshnaq?

Roshnaq was startled.

Shyaam: Roshnaq are you alright?

Roshnaq easily broke into a false smile. She seemed to have mastered this skill in these last few days. She smiled some more; less to calm down Shyaam who looked mighty concerned; more to avoid talking.

Shyaam was good company and easy going. It would require dedicated deliberate efforts to offend him. Exactly the kind of man Sohail would befriend.

But she wanted to be alone. Maybe she too should go on a holiday; maybe with Zoya but not Coimbatore.

Shyaam: Mind if I join you? It is good to do a group-worry on daughters with other seasoned worriers.

Roshnaq: (alarmed) How do you know I am worrying about my daughter...s.

Shyaam: Parents of daughters do little else (he sighed and forced a tall glass of fresh iced-tea into her hand) Zero alcohol. At least trust me on this one and do not worry about your drink.

Roshnaq: Thank you.

Roshnaq took a tentative sip and then another. She wasn't overly fond of Iced Tea but this one was refreshingly tangy with an innovative dash of lime and something else she couldn't quite guess. She hoped it wasn't alcoholic. Irrespective of that, the Master Chef in her was impressed.

Roshnaq: Thank you. This is good. I needed it.

Shyaam: Adi and Clu are entertaining everyone at the bar including the bar tenders with their comic antics...