contd from Her actions were hurting many- Part 28
“Hello Papa, I miss you,” and with these words she started to cry.
Radha watched her sob for a while, before finally taking over the phone. Radha had not spoken to Shikhar in a long time and well it felt strange that she was now going to discuss as awkward a topic as the present one.
“Hello, hi how are you?” Radha spoke nervously into the phone.
From the other end, she heard a lot of things. Words she had expected to come her way, words of sadness, disappointment, longing, accusation. And then the world around her, which was also crashing without any noise, spoke on the sides too. The telephone did much more damage to her than all the tears of Arti put together could.
Why was it so, she couldn’t answer. Why a single call from Shikhar made her more depressed about life than any other thing, she couldn’t understand. Perhaps the sheer failure that stared in her face through Shikhar, the doomed marriage she lived through. It was that which scared her, which planted a doubt in her head.
I was sure about Shikhar also at one time, Radha thought out loud in her head. And maybe like that didn’t work out, Sangeeta also might not. How many times will I make Arti suffer the same pain? The pain of parting with a loved one. She had never said it in front of any person, no judge no family member nowhere, but she knew her divorce was the greatest source of sadness to her daughter. Not even Shikhar, as much as he would want to show how much sad he is.
“I understand, I will call you tomorrow,” Radha spoke these words after a long silence and hung up.
* * *
She was of course sitting there, sipping her regular cup of coffee. And the lilting music in the background easing her senses a bit, though nothing of the calmness was reflected on her face.
“Hello,”Radha spoke slowly and settled on the chair across Sangeeta.
“Hi,” Sangeeta replied softly.
A waiter suddenly appeared out of nowhere, a tray in his hand accompanying a glass of water.
Radha politely took the glass and gestured him appreciatively.
“This little place is fast becoming a very happening place, no?” Sangeeta tried to make small talk.
But then Radha had neither the time nor capacity for it. She had to react, she had to say something, she had to get things out of her system. The result or outcome mattered less to her, venting meant more.
“This over here is the one place where I met Shikhar for the first time. You remember?” Radha spoke with a strange bland voice.
Sangeeta had sensed it the moment she watched Radha enter the coffee house that she was not alright at all. Sangeeta nodded to communicate her affirmative reply.
“Right over here, at that counter. And for fourteen years I was with him, I loved him. I did. But then why I couldn’t continue, I wondered. I went in search of answers plenty and all of them stopped at you. I kept a photograph of us together and in my life’s most desolate times they served a happier purpose,” Radha paused.
“I never told you but this job here at the university was planned. I had come here to give my life a new beginning with you. I met you at the office the first day, you had changed and yet I could sense that change was exterior. I wanted to tell you even back then that I love you. You are perhaps the only person whom I could never forget. But then you told me about Kavita, I forgot about everything. How could you do this to me? I was angry and desolate but then I could not say anything to you. I had no rights. Out of a stroke of luck, I discovered you love me too,” Radha took a sip from the glass and rose her head to meet Sangeeta’s eyes this time.
She could see tears in them. Somewhere her heart broke into a million pieces.
“Sangeeta long long back I could not culminate my love for you because I was a daughter. I could not burden my mother with my own anomalies. Don’t look so shocked, it was an anomaly. What could I do? Tell her I am in love with a woman? I could not. I am ashamed of this fact but as much as I want to I cannot run away from this also. I could never accept my love for you to people,” Radha stopped again, she sort of tried to collect the rest of her cluttered thoughts.
Sangeeta knew there was more, she knew that the hesitation was in the next part. The deciding part.
“You never asked me, I had mentioned on Arti’s birthday that I had planned a dinner for five. You never questioned who was that fifth?” Radha spoke softly.
Sangeeta expressed her confusion through reactions and not words.
“Sushant never quite got married you see. He was always in love with me and things never quite got to a revealing stand. It was years after I had gotten married that I met him in a party and he told me the truth. By then I had Arti and Shikhar and I was very happy. When he heard about my divorce, he instantly called me and asked me out again. But I had flown down here to be with you,” Radha spoke the last bit haltingly.
Sangeeta could feel her coffee cold and her heart racing.
“I think I am going to give him a chance again. I am taking the next flight out of here and going to take up a job in his city. If all goes well I might marry him,” Radha spoke the last bit in whispers but with a strange sense of firmness.
The silence that dwelt around them was encompassing everything.
Sangeeta wiped away tears from her cheeks and began to smile weakly.
At this Radha broke down and said, “Years ago I did it for my mother, and today I am doing it because I am a mother.”
Sangeeta also began to sob a little now.
Just then Radha looked outside and saw Kavita standing on the street speaking into the phone. Radha turned around with a surprised expression and looked at Sangeeta.
“She is with me. I asked her to wait outside. Radha, I loved you a lot and still do but I cannot live without Kavita anymore. Her resilience has broken the guards of my heart. I don’t know how it happened, when it happened but she is now my life, whatever little is left of it. I came here to tell you this,” Sangeeta spoke softly and in between tears.
Radha stared outside and saw Kavita again. A strange smile played on Radha’s face, for the first time in her life she didn’t feel jealous of Kavita. Radha could not believe it herself but she felt relieved to find her with Sangeeta. She felt like a part of her guilt left her heart.
Perhaps it was all destined, perhaps destiny knew she would always choose a path opposite to Sangeeta, that her responsibility would always tie her down. And so every time she decided to leave Sangeeta half way, Kavita came around.
She would always love Sangeeta. Whenever her heart would flutter it would bring back memories bittersweet. But then she would again be haunted by her life’s miseries and responsibilities. And her same pained heart would remind her that to love Sangeeta she never really did have enough strength as much as Kavita.
* * *
Tomorrow we will have a special post on behind the scenes matter of the story. If you have enjoyed the story please do return to read our next Author speaks
You can also link your post at Write Tribe where we, a group of bloggers, are celebrating UBC together π
A writing contest to is also running on my blog.
Please do visit the link A contest to get published to get more details π
Also please do spread some love to my dear friend Apoorva Kapoor, who has just forayed into blogging ; Where the Mind is Without Fear
naaa….this is too much of a Hindi film ka ending. Sushant kaha se aa gya!!!
(pulling hairs in disbelief)
He he we have discussed much on this π π
*sigh* Well, I guess it is fitting because Kavita was there for her through thick and thin! This is a very mature ending, Richa even though it feels awful that love is not enough…there are so many other factors to consider!
Yes a lot of times love is not enough but then see Kavita’s life- love was enough perhaps!
Wonderful Richa. I have loved this story and followed it diligently, even at times when i had zero time on hand. This kept me hooked on till the end. Now I am looking forward to ‘behind the scenes’.
Thanks Kajal and I know how wonderful you have been in this aspect π Thank you sooo much!
Applause! What a fab story, Richa. So well narrated, with its twists and turns, kept us hooked to it for an entire month! Well done girl and way to go! Looking forward to read more from you! π
Thanks Shilpa from my side applause to you guys that you kept in touch all through the month π
Richa Congratulations!! You have done a stupendous job..i was hooked for the entire month! You always left your readers craving for more, and this couldn’t have had a better ending!!
Thanks a lot Aditi and its because of you people I could pull it off π
Congrats Congrats! That was an awesome story! Enjoyed reading every post!
π
Thank you so much π
Awesome!!!
I loved it and I’m so glad that Sangeeta and Kavita are together. π
Brilliantly written π
Thanks Hema. More thanks for accepting the end π given the opposition that is also something π π
Thumbs up!!! a befitting end to Sangeeta and Kavita… I always knew Radha did not have the guts to follow her heart ignoring her responsibilities… It would have shattered Aarti …the maturity to accept this takes time. Sushant I am not convinced… If it had to be a compromise why not Shikhar.. Even better if Radha for the first time would have stood firm without an anchor in her life.. she and her daughter ..would have been just enough. But what a story teller you are Richa… It was a hair raising-awe inspiring – goose fleshing…edge reading kind of narration..I loved it so much…Sad that its over
Though I have explained in consequent post but still would explain, because I never wanted her to compromise on her own mistakes and go back to Shikhar. Thanks a lot!! And I will start another series story just for you π π
My only hope is now that things work out well with Sushant and that he can fill the void in Arti’s life created by her distance from Daddy…
I loved this story Richa. Everything about it – the characters, the way you weaved your tale, your narration, your thoughts, the thoughts in your characters’ minds… every single thing.
Now, waiting for what you have to share with us tomorrow π
Thanks a lot Bhavya. And I hope Sushant can make things better for Arti and Radha π
This was an amazing story and I enjoyed it immensely. Brilliant job!
Kathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
Thanks Kathy π
Oh I loved it mmmuuuuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. so glad for kavita π π .. but i just don’t understand if she had to go back to a man then why not Shikar because if she is doing it as a mother…then that is what her daughter wants most right?? to be with her dad and mom.. so i am not really happy with her justification that she is leaving Sangeeta because she is a mother…
I just felt that she should not repeat a mistake. So no Shikhar, it would have really felt like a compromise then..
I missed reading these posts for the last few days, on account of other things. But returning here, I am pleased to read about the superb way in which you have ended it here. The resolve in spite of the doubt, the calm decision, the maturity, the mother scoring over the woman in the decision taking process. Everything was handled very well.
Richa, take a bow.
Thanks a lot Cynthia, I hope I could make the characters plausible and coming from a mother that as a mother Radha was justified comes as a huge compliment to me π
I won’t question the way you have turned the story because u r the storyteller here & it is your story but I must say that I loved the way you ended it π
Thanks Smita, I hope my sequel post answered some of your questions π
i never thought Radha would grow up, though in the end they all maintained the equilibrium of the worlds they live in, it is now upto Richa to tells what happens next with the decisions now made π π π
UBC or no UBC..aap kahin nahi jaa rahi RIcha.. Readership request.. Go on…!!!!!! Loads of Love my Storyteller
Hehe thanks Deepti π I would of course be around here as well as on your blog π
That was a surprising end, Richa. π
Thanks Corinne I hope you liked it π
that’s the most apt ending, Richa.. Kudos girl..I cannot stop marveling at the way u carried this story forward everyday, for a whole month!! we shall always stay in touch.
Yes we shall always stay in touch and thanks for your support throughout UBC π
I loved the way the story ended. I like Radha’s reasons for doing what she did. I also like Sangeeta’s reasons for choosing Kavita.
Bravo! Very well done. Excellent job.
Wonderful story and apt ending