Showing posts with label love and relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love and relationships. Show all posts

Oct 29, 2013

UBC Day 28 - Support - 26

Continued from Day 27 - Come back

It took a flash of a second for Sushant to understand the entire situation. He remembered his last phone call with Nitin when he had accidently mentioned Navya. On one of his last days in Singapore, he had overheard friends talking about his break up, and problem at work.

So here he was, jobless and heartbroken. His fiancé did exactly what he had done to Priya. She left without even leaving a proper message, and here he was, trying to claim his girl and daughter.

Sushant took a step ahead and wrapped an arm around Priya protectively. Sight of this movement made Nitin stop mid-sentence. But for Sushant, it wasn’t only love. He had seen his friend go through a lot, and he didn’t want her to shatter again.

Sushant’s protective arm helped Priya from collapsing. She had dreamt about Nitin asking about Navya almost every day, but upon hearing them, she was suddenly protective of her child. Nitin, who had not known of his daughter’s existence till a couple of months ago, had now come to look for her with a conviction that she was certainly his.

Thankfully, Sushant chose to answer that in a much better way that she could. “Nitin, it will be better for all of us if you give Priya some time and drop your contact details, you can see she isn’t feeling well and she needs some time.”

There must be something convincing about Sushant’s words that Nitin murmured something and left.

Sushant helped Priya into the car and took her home. Once home, he made her sit next to Navya’s pram and insisted to make some tea. He waited till Priya was feeling better. Then he got up and gave a light kiss on her forehead before leaving. As he turned, Priya held his hand.

“Sushant…” Priya’s voice was weaker than she had expected.

As usual, Sushant was quick to turn around and kneel in front of her.


“Sushant…thank you.” Priya couldn’t find more words. Sushant caressed her palm and nodded. Before he could get up, Priya continued… “I love you…”

Oct 27, 2013

UBC Day 27 - Come back - 25

Continued from Day 26 - Proposal

Priya called up Sushant and told him about her meeting with Deepti and someone whom she was bringing along. She asked him to pick her up in about half an hour and entered the café.

Upon seeing Deepti alone, Priya raised her eyebrow and walked up to her.

She had so much to tell her. Last two days, Sushant’s proposal and her own reaction, she needed her best friend to talk to.

Deepti seemed nervous. Priya questioningly looked at her, but she nodded in negative and called for a server. After asking for coffee, Deepti turned in her chair and began uncomfortably “Priya, someone wants to meet you. He says he wants to apologize.”

“Who?” Deepti’s worried looks and these puzzled statements frustrated Priya.

Before Deepti could reply, Priya turned to see Nitin standing behind her.

A shock enveloped her. Priya just sat there looking at him, while he came across and took a seat. Deepti got up and left. Her senses didn’t work. She couldn’t understand that why had her friend supported Nitin of all people.

Nitin sat there, waiting for Priya to respond. She was so numb that she couldn’t comprehend.

“How are you?” Nitin began after a long silence.
“What do you want?” Priya had no time for him or his non-sense.
“Did you get my mails?” He seemed to be adamant.
“Yes, and read about your engagement too.” Priya was surprised at her own bitterness.
It was Nitin’s turn to get shocked. “But Priya I wrote you more mails. Didn’t you read those?”

Priya had no intention of letting him talk more. She got up and moved out of the café. She had just stepped out when she saw Sushant coming.

“Ah! Priya, I thought I was early, but I was already in this area so thought I will say hello to Deepti too…” his voice trailed off as he registered Priya’s ashen expressions.

Before he could continue, he saw Nitin coming behind her. He walked up to them, and pulled her around to face him.


“Where is my daughter?” Nitin asked. 

UBC Day 26 - Proposal - 24

Continued from Day 25 - Meeting


Priya wondered what was wrong with Deepti. The way she called and said that she wanted to meet her and it was urgent, it had worried her. But very next moment she had continued to assure that she was fine and she wanted her to meet someone.

As she got ready to meet Deepti at the café that she had asked, she thought about past few days. Sushant’s sudden declaration of his love had come as a shock.

She had stood there at the door, trying to register his words till her mother bought her inside. Priya couldn’t understand what made Sushant say so, was it actually his love or it was his pity layered with his friendship?

It took a lot of courage to take a step ahead and call back Sushant. She called up and invited him over.

Sushant was quiet for some time when he came. Priya could sense that he was nervous. It had taken a strong resolution to declare his love, but when it came to discuss their future, he was scared of losing his friend.

“Sushant about what you said yesterday…” Priya nervously began.

As if Sushant was waiting for her to begin the topic, he got up and took Priya’s hand in his. “Priya, I guess ever since I have known you I have liked you. I managed to hide my feelings for your sake because you were dating Nitin. Later when he broke your heart and disappeared, something inside me told me to tell you about my feelings then. It broke my heart to see you lost and depressed. However, I didn’t want to be a rebound or take advantage of your situation. I gave you your time. You decided to come back to India and who was I to stop. Last few times I came to see you, I couldn’t gather up the courage. In the end, I had to tell aunty. She gave me the assurance and encouraged me to talk to you. Yesterday I saw that probably you were ready to move on and I somehow managed to tell you.”

He paused for a while and continued. “I love you, but that does not mean you have to accept me too. You don’t have to say anything if you aren’t willing right now. I’ll wait. All I want you to know is that I am going to be there by your side whenever you want.” He gave her hand a little squeeze and backed away.

In that moment, Sushant’s unbound friendship flashed in front of her eyes. He had never judged her, he never let her down. He had been there with her in thick and thin. However, she could not muster up the courage to trust again.

“Give me some time Sushant. I don’t think I can answer you right now. Thank you for everything. You have been there even when I wasn’t sure of myself. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot let go.” Priya slowly tried to put her point across.

Sushant moved ahead and stopped her. “There isn’t a need. I can well understand your emotions after all you have been through. However, I just want you to think in that direction…


Call from Deepti had interrupted their conversation.

Oct 24, 2013

UBC Day 24 - Friend - 22

“So he didn’t know. He didn’t know that he had a daughter and had expected her to move on so easily. How could Nitin be so cruel?” Priya sat in front of her computer, staring at the email that she had just finished reading and cried uncontrollably.

She had to put her laptop away, she didn’t want to read any more mails from the person who had conveniently signed her off his life. She got up and switched off her laptop.

Wiping her tears, Priya kissed her daughter and lied down next to her. She bitterly thought of Nitin who had taken the fact for granted that once he wasn’t there, she would abort.

Remembering the day at doctor’s clinic where she asked for her options, a sudden guilt enveloped her. She hugged her little princess and silently apologized. She dreaded the day when her daughter would want to know the entity of her father.

Between her sobs she let out a silent prayer for God to give her strength to love her daughter enough to make up for a missing parent, and wished that her daughter never finds out about her thoughts when she was conceived.

Next morning, Sushant’s call woke her up. It was a cold early morning. Looking at the time, she found it surprising that he called at that hour. Then she wondered that maybe due to time difference he forgot and answered with a sleepy Hello.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that Delhi is this cold in January?” Sushant’s voice boomed through the speakers. Priya could clearly hear teeth chattering.
“What? What are you doing in Delhi?” Priya tried to get up while making sense of what he was telling.
“Nothing. I will tell you, you have one hour, I am coming to your home. Ok bye for now, I need to get in the cab to get out of this cold.” Sushant finished his part and ended the call.

That was so typically Sushant. Priya annoyingly thought about his lack of planning and got out of the bed. In the kitchen, her mother seemed to be in good mood and was preparing her favourite mother. The smell of butter over her favourite paranthas replaced annoyance with a smile, and Priya got onto helping her mother with setting up the breakfast table for themselves.

Sushant was home, just in time for breakfast. His chirpy self was gone. He was serious and seemed tired. Priya served him breakfast and announced that he wasn’t going to the hotel and staying with them. However, this time he was sure that he wanted to.

He was ready to leave after breakfast. Priya went to see him to the door. However, he stopped in his tracks.

“What?” She raised an eyebrow.
“I have to tell you something.” He replied.
“Go ahead.” She walked ahead and opened the door for him.
He stepped out and turned. “Priya, please listen to this peacefully. I am here in Delhi to see you. We have been great friends, but I don’t know when I began loving you. I know all about you and your past, but if there is one person I want to marry or settle down with, it’s you. Please call me if you think you can talk to me about this. I’ll be waiting.”
With these words, he turned and walked away to waiting taxi, leaving Priya stunned and cold in Delhi winter morning.


Oct 23, 2013

UBC Day 23 - Email - 21

Priya was working till late that Friday. She had taken a day off because of Navya’s fever and had gotten no time to work the entire day. She finished her work around 12 am, and put her file to attach in her mail and went to check on Navya. Upon finding her sleeping peacefully, she came back and sent the mail across.

Having finished the pending work, Priya stretched on the chair. Sleepless, thanks to a large cup of coffee that she consumed, Priya idled around at social networking sites for a bit. She checked her Facebook, changed a picture there, updated her Linkedin profile and accepted some new requests. She decided to watch a movie online, but before that she planned to open her personal email account and check mails that she hadn’t checked for months.

Priya began to scan through some five hundred plus unread mails. Some Junk, some updates from sites that she had subscribed to, she scrolled further down. Her hands came to a sudden halt. There was a mail from Nitin. It was marked as Reply, and she instantly knew there was more than one.
She launched a search and came across all mails from Nitin.

Mails from the time they dated. Love messages, which they wrote to each other while at work. Then there was that one mail where he had broken up with her. Then there were three emails that were un-read.

Priya shifted in her chair. Fighting back the tears, she opened the oldest.

Recipient – Priya Gupta
Sender – Nitin Kumar
Date – 5th October, 2012
Subject – Engagement
Dear Priya,
How are you? I don’t know if I reserve the right to write to you or not. I won’t apologize and tell you that I was wrong. But maybe, my method was.
I hope you have moved on from me and found love in your life.
Priya, as you know when I was with you, I had no other priority other than career. You were there in my life, and you provided the support I needed.
I cannot explain how I felt when you announced your pregnancy. I was happy, and I was scared. I was relieved when I got to know that you didn’t want the baby. It felt immoral somehow, so I tried to convince us that we should not abort, and to my surprise you suddenly agreed.
Your sudden excitement regarding marriage and baby made me nervous, and then you went.
You said that you’ll be gone for ten days, after which I was to meet you but you extended that to three weeks.
In these weeks, you weren’t available on phone or otherwise and my life turned upside down. I was offered a position in Hong Kong and was asked to move immediately. This was a new opportunity, a dream come true situation for me.
If you remember, I tried to talk to you about the baby and marriage, but you were always in rush. Priya I just couldn’t continue. I knew you will understand why I left, and left without saying much.
I was hopeful that you will see some sense and move on.
And even today, I hope that you have moved on and have found someone else in your life.

Priya, I wanted to tell you, that almost nine months later, I have found someone whom I liked. At this stage, I am settled in my career and want to start a family. I will be getting engaged on next Sunday.


Nitin

Oct 20, 2013

UBC Dy 20 - Affair - 18

Priya found it difficult to work with Harsh any longer. She had seen a different dominating side of him when she visited his house. She had seen the sadness and anxiety in her friend’s eyes. On top of it, this new found information was something that she couldn’t handle.

“Ignorance indeed is bliss”, she thought to herself as she tried to push it away from her mind but her thoughts seemed to have been stuck there.

She had never made anything out of office gossip, but when the grapevine revealed that Harsh and one of their office colleagues were having an affair, she couldn’t ignore it.

On their way back, she tried to speak to Harsh about it, but she couldn’t. A part of her brain told her that it was none of her business. Another reasoned that it was about her best friend’s life.

“What is wrong with you?” Deepti tried to cajole some information from Priya.

Four of them sat at the bar. It had become more of a routine now. They were all chit-chatting but Priya found it difficult to digest the information that would shatter Deepti’s world. She tried to delay the news till she could and shrugged at the question.

However, her thoughts wouldn’t leave her. When on their way home, Deepti questioned the same thing again. Priya got serious.

Slowly she started, “Deepti, I think I have a bad news.”

Looking at Deepti’s expectant face, she continued. “I have got to know a few things about Harsh through office gossip. I don’t know if they are true. I don’t want to judge him, he seems nice. But you know, they say that he is having an affair…” her voice trailed off.

Deepti looked down and a silence stretched between the two. After a while, she said, “I know about that. I know that girl too.”

Priya was stunned. Her best friend, who had been such a big support to her, had been taking all her pain and hiding it away. She took Deepti’s hand in hers.


Deepti continued, “It has been going on for a month or so. I somehow sensed it. I had met her at one of office parties last year. I have decided to speak to Harsh about it. I want to get separated.”

                                                      ---------------------------

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. We give out a creative writing theme each weekend for Indian bloggers.

Linking it to my 30 part story for Ultimate Blog Challenge

Oct 17, 2013

UBC Day 17 - Baby - 15

Continued from Reunion - 14


“Try this one at least”. Priya pushed her students to work hard before helping them crack a problem. The boys got onto work. Priya resumed her working. She solved the question while her students worked.

The pain in her lower abdomen shot up suddenly. No matter how hard she tried, a slight scream was out before she could stop it. Tears welled up in her eyes and the world dazed.

Karthik, one of the students saw her first. He screamed, “Didi! What’s wrong?” Three sets of eyes turned towards her. For a moment all students paralyzed with shock but very soon sense prevailed.

All four of them got into action. One called her mother and another got her water to drink.

Even when two gulps of water later, sweat kept on building on Priya’s forehead, the group decided to take her to hospital.

Priya was thankful that these four kids were there with her at this moment. Her mother helped her breath. The only person she could think of at this moment was Deepti. She asked her mom to call her up.

An hour later Priya was being rushed into labour room. She was tired and dizzy. Her body was too fragile to take the pain that was shooting up. She thought she might faint.

A very friendly nurse and her gynaecologist were by her side, helping her deliver. “Common Priya.” He mother soothed. Priya tried harder. The pain was so bad that she fainted.

When Priya woke up, she was transferred to her room. Next to her was a crib. Her daughter was sleeping. Seeing her regain her consciousness, nurse came up and gave the baby in her arms.

She generally asked, “Madam! Where is your husband madam?”


She looked at her child and kissed. A fresh tear trickled down her cheek. 

Oct 16, 2013

UBC Day 16 - Reunion - 14

Continued from - Married Life - 13

---------------------------------

Priya had met Ritika at Deepti’s wedding but had not got any chance to talk. She was meeting Shriya for the first time that day. She was a bit annoyed to see two new people when she hoped to sit and talk to her best friend.

The conversation on the table was mainly around Deepti and her new married life. Her both friends seemed rather nice. Their care for Deepti showed. Priya slowly forgot her own set of issues and joined them in teasing Deepti.

They coaxed her into details of her life and teased her over minor details. Priya laughed till she had her tears in her eyes. She was grateful to these girls for she did not remember when she had laughed like this last.

“Common Deepti, tell us more about your married life” laughed Shriya.
Deepti blushed. “There isn’t much to tell.”
“Oh yes madam!” the duo teased and all of them burst out laughing.

It was after about one hour when Ritika and Shriya left. Girls promised to meet more often and hugs and kisses later parted ways.

Deepti dragged Priya to a nearby coffee shop and asked her about her health. Priya had told Deepti all about her pregnancy and her fall out with Nitin. Deepti was the only person who understood her position and supported her.

The girls sat there in absolute silence. Priya didn't have much to tell, and Deepti didn't feel like talking about herself.

After a while, Deepti broke the silence. “What next?”

Priya framed the sentence before she spoke. Then she started in a slow voice. “The baby is due in a month and a half. I will be home till then. Akash, Shailja aunty’s son wanted some help with his CS exams, so I agreed to teach him for a small amount. Just yesterday he said, that one of his friends wanted to join too. So for now, at least next four - six months, this will be all. Then I will have to look for a job. Mom is pushing me to get married, but I am not ready.”

Deepti sighed. She didn't really know how to respond. They were best friends. Sisters that neither had. They had been through everything together, but today when life was a bed of roses for Deepti, it seemed the thorns had been picked and laid in Priya’s way. She didn’t know if it was her own happiness or Priya’s problem that made Deepti feel shallow and vain.

They drove till Priya’s home in silence. Parting ways, Deepti said, “let me know if I can help in anyway.”


Priya hugged her friend and comforted her. “You don’t need to feel sorry. I am fine. Especially now that am back, I am doing quite good. I will let you know if there is anything you need to do. Otherwise, for now your support is all I need.” With these words she opened the door and walked up to her house. Deepti started the car to park it two houses away and then realized she had to go to her new home, to Harsh.

Oct 15, 2013

UBC Day - 15 Married life - 13

Part of my 30 part story, continued from Day 14 - Depression 

Parting from ones loved ones is always a tender moment but when it is post marriage, it is really a painful one.

Deepti tried to control her tears, but they seemed to have a mind of their own. She dabbed her eyes as she hugged her mother hard. She sobbed when her aunts blessed her. Patiently standing by her side, Harsh tried to compose her, but she couldn’t stop.

Priya came ahead. She wiped the tears of her cheek, and hugged her friend. She whispered good wishes and helped her get in the car. Even in that moment of parting with her family, Deepti looked at Priya and wondered how weak she looked.

Next few days were highly busy in Deepti’s life. Dinners and lunches at relatives and friends, and then a honeymoon gave Deepti no time to think of anything else. Harsh was doing all that a good husband would. He attended all the invitations without throwing a fit; he helped her when she got tired. He pampered her thoroughly during their honeymoon. He was as good as one could be. Deepti thought to herself that she might have had a wrong opinion about Harsh. He was well travelled, he had really wide knowledge, it maybe wasn’t completely wrong that he wanted to improve her a bit.

 Once back, Deepti asked Harsh if it was okay to join her office back and he simply replied that it was completely okay with him if she could manage the house and work both. She happily agreed. It was after a couple of weeks when Harsh one day asked her about her friends.


She suddenly felt guilty that she was so busy in her own life that she forgot about Priya. She asked Harsh if he was okay with spending the evening by himself. He happily agreed. She picked up the phone and called up Priya. After hanging up, on impulse she called up Ritika and Shriya too.

Wednesday 8 pm, girls decided to meet up.

Oct 12, 2013

UBC Day 12 - Tough times - 11

This post is continued from Last minute jitters - 10

--------------------------
Life had shown Priya more than a fair share of miseries in last seven months. She sat there and sighed as she wondered how she got the strength to even survive through all that she had gone through.

Priya was one of the meekest girls in her batch. All her life she had seek Deeti’s support and stayed out of the limelight. When she moved to Singapore, she was highly scared. She had somehow survived. But when her dad went through the accident, she for the first time learnt to take up responsibilities.

Sitting in the mandap of her best friend’s wedding she thought about the plans she had made for herself.

When she last came to India, Nitin was supposed to come down to announce their engagement. They were to have a small wedding in Singapore in a month.  They had decided to make their relationship official.

Maybe it was that assurance, that Priya wasn’t scared of her future.

She thought about the last time she was with Deepti. They had gone to the airport to pick up Nitin. It was on her way that she received a message from Nitin that he couldn’t tell her earlier, but he could not take the flight due to some urgent work. He was re-scheduling his trip.

Priya waited for him for next two days to re-schedule his plan, at the end of which she received a brief call when he said that he had to go to Hong Kong to the company’s headquarters.

She left for Singapore as planned still single. When Nitin did not call or answer messages, she had not thought a lot into it. However, when she unlocked her apartment and found several things, Nitin’s things missing, the reality sunk in.

He had left. Even without a proper word. He left a note, saying Sorry and asking her to check her mails.


She dumped all her bags and opened her laptop. In the mail Nitin had simply told her that he was shifting to Hong Kong and he wasn’t ready to take the responsibility. Neither hers, nor of her unborn child.

To be continued at Day 14.

Sep 30, 2013

Letter unsent - letter to my darling sister

My dear Vani,

I got a prompt to write a letter to my sibling/closest cousin and well! I could only think of you.

With our age difference and lives in different hostels, we hardly ever spent our childhood together. My memory of our childhood together is mostly limited to summer breaks where all of us would meet once a year under the roof of our mother’s childhood home.

When you shifted to Delhi in order to complete your graduation, my first thought of that was of indifference. However, after initial shock (on your part) and indifference (on my part) we graduated to being more friends than sisters.

In last five years, I have shared with you all my secrets and embarrassing stories. I have had so much fun staying up late, eating/munching and chatting. I love the memories of times I spent walking around the GK market with you. Especially the winter evenings, with a coffee cup in hand, endless conversations while we took rounds of the park.

Last couple of years; you haven’t been as close as earlier in terms of actual distance but it hasn’t made much difference. For all I know, you are the first person I would call if I am extremely happy or extremely distressed. And we both know that it is both ways.

My dear sister, I have never said it in so many words, but you mean a lot to me. I love you. I would like to assure you once again that I am there if you ever need me. You can count on me like I can.

Love you,
Sugandha

Sep 23, 2013

If only you were here...

So many stories untold,
So many sagas unheard.
So many songs unsung,
So many minutes unloved.

If only you were here,
I’d tell you what you mean to me.
If only you were here,
I’d share my dreams and fantasy.

Each day I miss you,
Every night I cry.
If only I knew,
While I continue to try.

The distance between us,
Cannot be measured in miles,
Life and death did not part,
But I couldn’t control your heart.

If only you remained,
I’d tell you no lies.
If only you were here,
I’d give you my life.


(My first attempt at a poem, written in one go without editing, ending only at 99 words...written for Write Tribe 100 words on saturday. Based on the prompt "If only you were here"
100 Words on Saturday - Write Tribe

Sep 16, 2013

Am I Truely Alive?

This question here is- am I truly alive?

When I hug my mother and feel her warmth seeping into mine, I am truly alive.
When I kiss my niece and her baby smell fills in my nostrils, I am truly alive.
When I sit in meditation and the chant of Om fills my mind through my ears, I am truly alive.
When I am lost in the taste of a delicacy I am especially fond of, I am truly alive.
When I dress-up and someone admires lovingly, I am truly alive.

In these small moments, yes I am Truly alive.

This post is based on prompt "Truely Alive" by Write tribe.

100 Words on Saturday - Write Tribe

Sep 10, 2013

Teenage suicides - can we help?

“As soon as she woke up, her father slapped her. That was the first and the last time her father slapped her. Immediately after that he broke into tears which he held for so long. Why? Because she had popped handful of pills in an attempt to end her life and had woken up after 22 hours of semi-coma.

Why slap? Because in that 22 hours, her father and her mother had died a thousand deaths thinking of all that could go wrong with their daughter.

Reason of attempt – fight with her best friend and depression.”

Why I am narrating this story? To remind every teenager, not to forget his/her parents at any given time and to every parent to have an open ear. How and why?

Aug 11, 2013

Eyes and heart

She has really pretty eyes. I have told her this several times. However, they aren’t something I would fall for. Today she stood there with expectations in her eyes and I had a sudden urge to laugh just when she was about to cry.
Sadly, not always the heart is as beautiful as eyes are.

**************

I don’t understand why he has to lie and hide things when the truth is fairly simple. He tells me that my eyes are pretty but I know he thinks that I have a heart of stone. I don’t care what he thinks of my eyes but I care what he thinks of my heart.



This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

Aug 9, 2013

Letters unsent - letter to my best friend/s

Dear Best Friend,

Or should I say best friends? It has always been a challenge for me to describe best friend as singular. In my journey called life I have shifted many places and each new place has given me a new set of friends. Amongst this each new set of friend, I have somehow many to always find at least one best friend which has left me with a list of best friends rather than one particular best friend.

One of you best friends always questioned and criticized me on this point and did not understand how “Best” which is superlative can be plural. I have wanted to explain you that as many people I meet in every new space, I leave behind a trail of familiar faces, happy memories and friends who have set out to different journey than mine.

Aug 4, 2013

To the girls I love the most...

Some of my posts in July have revolved around my best friend’s wedding and this friendship day (otherwise I find the concept a bit over-hyped) I get a bit nostalgic over the years spent with the friends who have been with me through most of my life.

Jul 30, 2013

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is the second last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge (Yipeee!!!), and the most challenging day in the entire month. I have been on road since 5 am and the day is almost about to end. I caught cold and have a pathetic headache since noon. I didn’t have my laptop and my phone constantly had low battery alarm. (Thanks to the maps on smartphone). Therefore, here I am, managing to put a small post just before the deadline.