Rainbow of our Love

Chapter 40

Adhyayan closed his eyes as the past memories flashed in front of his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but could not find words. Anvesha looked at him curiously and took his hand into hers assuring that she was with him forever no matter how difficult things would be giving him much needed support to speak up everything he had bottled up in himself.

The cool breeze blowing in the balcony was enough to calm his nerves. Taking a deep breath, Adhyayan said as a smile played on his lips, “You know, this place is close to my heart after all, my father was posted here when I learnt to cook biryani in seventh standard. A delicious biryani was the first meal cooked by me”.

Anvesha smiled as she realized Adhyayan was truly born to be a celebrity chef. After all, he learnt to cook biryani when she did not even know to light a gas stove in her home, she thought. “Man, you are terrific in a good sense”, she said admiring him sheepishly.

Adhyayan gave a small smile as he continued, “My father never appreciated me going in the kitchen to cook. He could sense my love towards cooking. My great grandfather served in the army followed by my grandfather and then, my father. He wanted me to choose the same career. It was a kind of legacy for us.”

“But children should get a chance to choose their careers. My family is into the business of tea gardens but dad wanted to be a professor. He wanted to do a past doctorate in Physics. My grandpa accepted his demand.” Anvesha said whining like a child mentally cursing the retired army officer, Hariprakash Joshi for being so heartless.

“Anvesha, firstly, every family is different and secondly, listen to me for once. Don’t interrupt the conversation because it becomes difficult to stay on the track then.” Adhyayan said sternly. He wanted to talk about it. He knew indulging into any conversation would make it difficult for him to talk about his share of struggles which required immense courage. He had not shared about his family relations with anyone so it was really difficult.

Anvesha nodded giving him a small encouraging smile though internally she wanted to smack his head. She wondered if he got angry at the comparison between his family and hers. Her family was indeed, a broad-minded and supportive one, she thought, feeling okay to brag about.

“We shifted to back to Dehradun when I was promoted to class ninth. My parents originally belonged to Dehradun so it was easier for my mother to manage things since my father was posted to Kashmir. There I met Sarah.” Adhyayan said earning a glare from Anvesha.

Despite she was asked to keep quiet, Anvesha could not help but comment, “Getting into a relationship around thirteen years of age is too terrific, Mr. Joshi”, scrunching her nose as she huffed while Adhyayan just chuckled looking at her annoyed expressions.

“Anvesha, listen to me for once”, he whined laughing while Anvesha kept on glaring him coldly. “It was kind of fashion back then to have a girlfriend in my school”, Adhyayan said trying to control his laughter while Anvesha chose to stay quiet.

“I began to date her”, he said earning a smack on his forearm from Anvesha.

He smiled as he kept his arm on her shoulder and said, “Her father was in the army too. Well! Fast forward, by class twelfth, I learnt to cook a variety of dishes and made my plan to become a chef.”

Anvesha nodded as he continued, “My father was posted in the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. He got in good terms with Sarah’s father, his colleague. Convincing my father to join National Institute of Hotel Management in Mumbai was a difficult task but somehow I managed everything. Though reluctantly yet my father sent me to Mumbai accepting my willingness to become a chef.”

This new revelation from Adhyayan had surely left Anvesha shocked. She realized Mr. Hariprakash Joshi had accepted his son’s demand to follow his dreams. She wondered what went wrong actually.

She raised her eyebrows questionably looking at Adhyayan who passed a small smile as he continued, “So I went to Mumbai leaving my family behind and strived hard for four years to become what I wanted. While leaving home my father had asked me to make him proud and I was trying my best.”

Anvesha was damn curious by now. She could not help but interrupt as she asked, “What went wrong then?”

“I being in relationship with Sarah”, Adhyayan said taking a deep breath and Anvesha opened her mouth to speak something when he interrupted her and continued, “She was not happy with me not joining Indian army. According to her, we had no future if I were a chef. I asked for a breakup when I met her after four years. By then, I had completed my degree in hotel management.”

Anvesha looked at him inquisitively like a small kid who is attentively listening an interesting story. He just smiled as he spoke, “I remember Sarah had met me in a café when I told her that I cannot leave my dreams or my profession. I had make her clear about my ambition since very beginning. She knew I was a graduate in hotel management so it was nothing new. She was appalled by my idea of becoming a ‘cook’.”

“Cook?” Anvesha questioned scrunching her nose clearly knowing the difference between cook and chef. “Such a bitch”, she mumbled which did not go unheard by Adhyayan.

“That’s what she said and she deserves to be cursed. Apparently she told an exaggerated version of our relationship to her father. Trust me, Anvesha, I knew my limits. Mr. Mehta and Sarah visited our house that evening. My father was relishing upon the beautifully decorated cupcakes baked by me when Mehtas destroyed the happiness of our family.” Adhyayan said taking a deep breath. Anvesha did not know what to say. She just squeezed his palm assuring to support him.

“That day, Mr. Mehta mocked me and my profession. ‘A boy from a reputed family having the legacy of serving in army has become a cook. Is it not shameful, Mr. Joshi?’ these were the exact words of that sly old man which infuriated my father. Later that man mocked me and said Sarah would definitely not marry a cook.”

Adhyayan said with an unknown emotion on his expressionless face. He seemed to be an enigma. He was hurt, Anvesha could see. She mentally cursed that idiotic Sarah and her father but chose to stay quiet.

“I announced my break up with Sarah and asked them to get out. My father’s head was hung in shame and I knew something bad was coming up. Once they left, my father asked me calmly to switch my careers. I tried to explain and convince him but he was taken aback by the insult his colleague had done. Mr. Mehta’s words were engraved in his mind. He said that I was good for nothing. He went on saying that I should break all my ties to save the reputation of the Joshi family if I wanted to continue being a chef. In the fit of rage, I left my house and my family.” Adhyayan said closing his eyes trying hard to control his tears that were waiting to trickle down from his eyes.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he said, “I was in touch with my mother but apparently he blasted over her one day when I was on the call. Since then, I am just in touch with my sister. I wish Parisa should not face his wrath. He did not speak to me for once in these six years.”

Anvesha’s heart bled as she remembered the ‘single child’ remark of Mr. Hariprakash Joshi. She understood that neither Adhyayan nor his father were wrong but they both were definitely egoistical to have ended their relationship because of a third person, the sly man, Mr. Mehta.

Lightening the atmosphere, Anvesha said, “I am thankful to your clingy girlfriend to have left you for myself”, as she winked towards him and pecked his cheek which was cold due to the cool breeze blowing in the air.

Adhyayan looked at her coyly, when she said, “Don’t worry. Things will be fine soon.”

Adhyayan looked at her curiously when she said, “Trust me for once”, pulling him in her embrace and slamming her lips onto his to shut him up.

After sharing a passionate kiss pouring all their love for each other sitting on the bench in the balcony under the blanket of shimmering stars in the night sky, they promised each other to stay together without exchanging words.

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