A Mistake...

(Pix courtesy google images)

Deepika and Advaith were sitting on the couch with Deepika watching the TV soap and Advaith reading some book. The soap was as usual, the girl shedding buckets of tears. The story was about her losing her parents and left all alone in the world. Deepika also had tears overwhelming in her moist eyes. She was looking at Advaith from the corner of her eyes to see if he was looking her with tears ready to drop anytime. He was not watching her...and the drop fell and flowed over her rosy cheeks.

She walked away into kitchen opened the fridge and had some water. Now the tears were in spate. She could not control, she walked straight into her room and closed the door, not before she had another look at Advaith who seemed totally in oblivion.

The next day both were in the office and Advaith got a call from Deepika,

"Advi baby, heard appa is not well. Can we go and see him and come?”

"Oh Deepu! U go da...I have some urgent con call and can't skip it" Advaith said in a flash.

Deepika kind of expected this answer from him and said with a wry smile "its fine da...will go n come".

"Call me once you're starting back I can come and pick you up somewhere on the way" Advaith told in a concerned tone.

"No honey, that's fine, will come by an auto. Alright talk to you later. Have lunch properly." Deepika caringly told him and snapped the line.

This time the tear drop didn't wait in the eyes rather dropped and made her extra soft cheeks moist. She wiped it with a tissue before someone can see. She walked straight to her seat and continued with her work, but somehow her mind was lingering with thoughts.

It was a year back, Deepika and Advaith got married after a gruesome resistance from Deepika's parents. Advaith's parents were ok but then they did not approve of the wedding without Deepika's family approving the same. They were stuck for almost 2 years before they decided to get married on their own.

Deepika was determined that she needed Advaith only and thought she can always convince her parents later on or worst case live accepting her fate. She wanted only Advaith. He too decided that when she decided he should also support her and informed his decision to his parents and hell broke loose at his home too. He simply told them we're getting married if you have a little bit of heart come and bless us else it's fine too.

Finally they both got married in a simple function amidst few close friends and Advaith's parents who came, saw and went. The marriage was finally over, new life started in a cute little apartment. A year ran by and here they were. They got what they wanted, she had him and he had her yet something was missing.

Deepika's mind was replaying all the words her dad n mom shouted before she walked off,

"He would throw you out in few months" - this was dad

"You cannot live happily after getting our curses, you'll cry all your life" - mom was not far behind

"You threw your parents for someone you knew for 2-3 yrs, you'll suffer" dad threw something on the floor....

Just then she felt her colleague’s hands shaking her and she came back to reality. The wet salty stream was running from her eyes to her neck through her extra rosy cheeks.

"Everything fine" asked the colleague

"Yup! Sorry..." She replied with a vague smile that came from nowhere...wiping her tears.

In the past one year, Advaith use to go to his home once a while and would tell how amma n appa enquired abt them though not fully convinced. Deepika went couple of times to her home but no one spoke to her properly, it was an uneasy feeling in her own house. She was not able to bear it; she wasn't sure where all her strength went. She would silently come back. She used to cry thinking abt her parents almost every day and this became a routine.

Advaith would just console her or say don’t worry we wanted it and we would face it. Deepika couldn't take it and slowly she used to think Advaith is not supporting her in her hour of need. Probably, he doesn't understand how much she in pain is losing her parents, her home, and everything. This would make her angry sometimes. Other times she would feel, what can he do it was a decision they took together and even he came out. But, at least his parents talk to him nicely, welcomes him home...what abt me...her mind used to play games with her.

By 5:30pm she started from work and headed straight towards her parents place for the third time. Her mind was full of tension and confusion; she was not prepared to see her dad ill and her presence would make him angrier which she didn't want to. Most important of all, she expected Advaith to say "yes sure we both would go and apologize and meet them" but that never happened too. She asked the autowala to go straight to her apartment instead. Again her tear glands were working overtime. Upon reaching home, she went straight to the bed and slept.

Deepika woke up suddenly with a shudder. She was looking at the watch for the time. It was 10:30pm, "Oh my god I slept off too long" She said to herself and she tied her flowing hair into a knot and got up. She got tense as she did not cook anything for dinner and by now all eat outs would be closed too. She went hurriedly around the home to see for any signs of Advaith. No trace of him. Her tension changed to anger.

"He doesn’t care about anything, for him his work, his parents, his life that's all he worries about. What bothers him if I am troubled....?” She was talking to herself as she started to wash her face and got ready to cook something. She was weeping and even thought "It's all fantasy...Life is not simple...I wish I had not done this...." That's when she heard the door bell. She walked up to the door, saw through the fish eye. It was Advaith standing outside looking tired and weary.

"Hi honey...I am really tired" he entered and sat in the couch. Deepika never responded trying to control her anger and tears. He said "I don’t think I need dinner today, you have properly and sleep da" he said and hit the bed straight. She was convinced that, what a mistake she had committed. "He could have just enquired about dad's health" She was fuming, Went straight to kitchen, switched off the burner and went to another room and slept off angrily.

Next morning, she woke up to a severe headache and she had decided not to go to work. She walked to the kitchen and started her chores.

"Coffee..." she kept the cup in table

"Hmm..." he was busy getting ready

"Do you need anything to be packed for lunch??" She asked him

"Not needed da, will take care..." he responded...

Silence followed before he left to the office kissing her on her forehead. Deepika felt uncomfortable. She went inside and was still fuming from inside. Something suffocated her. She immediately called her parent's home; the ring was going on n on. Then she tried her dad's mobile, all she heard was "This number is currently switched off". She grew more worried. She wanted to call Advaith, but something stopped her, she wanted to run to her parent’s home and cry her heart out...but wasn't sure if she can do it today. She spent the next couple of hours sitting and thinking just to be disturbed by the door bell. She went to the door and removed the latch without bothering to look through the fish eye...

As she opened she was stunned beyond imagination.

"Appa.....Amma........."

Next 15 minutes she neither heard what her parents were speaking nor could utter a word. She was not seeing their face but holding their hands tight as if they would run away if she leaves them...She Was sobbing as if she was determined to drain all tears in few minutes...

"Deepu....it's ok...fine...." her mom was consoling.

She composed herself and said will call Advaith to tell him to come home.....

"He only drove us here...He has gone to nearby medical shop to get some medicines for me" Dad's voice after sometime sounded like an oracle from the sky....

"What?? Adv...appa..." Again she started crying.....

"Yeah! He came home last evening and convinced so much to appa and me. In fact he was coming to our home for the past 3-4 months again and again like a ball hit on the wall. Trust me he was literally pleading to me and I was literally treating him like a criminal...Yet he was stuck to his job managed to calm me down and explained what you're going through...He was begging to a father to come and save his wife from the mental turmoil and I was standing there as a father not bothered about his own daughters state. That's when I realized he is the best choice for you and decided to meet you all. He suggested that he would come and pick us up in the morning as it was late and he had asked us not to call you” Deepika’s dad completed the story in one stretch....

Deepika wanted to see Advaith immediately and looked towards the door, that's when someone came running saying "Amma....sir has been hit by a tanker lorry outside the gate"