Continued....
He sat on the bench opposite to the center lost in thought. The past few years had bought him so much satisfaction and happiness, that at times he almost felt that it was too good to be true. But he knew it wasn't a dream. It was reality which was only possible because of her. The love his life.
It was on an idyllic summer afternoon, when Ashish had come back home for two months of vacation. He thoroughly enjoyed his job. Flying an aircraft gave him a high and he felt that it was the most wonderful thing to do. He didn't want to come back for summer, but his parents had insisted. It had been more than an year since they had seen their son. A couple of hours into his break, he was already bored. Most of his friends had moved away from town or were happily married.
Ashish decided he would take a stroll to the mall, his mind was flooded with Krittika's memories. "Guess she must've got married by now" he thought conscious of the pain in him. Ashish had never felt so alone and empty. He often thought what if... What if he had just told her that he was helping Pavithra recover and that he hoped with all his heart that she would recover. Then as he introspected further, he realised, it was not a mater of what if but why didn't he? The way she had reacted when he had first found Pavithra, had always compelled him to protect Pavithra lest Krittika would launch a tirade against the already disturbed girl. Would Pavithra be better off if he had just taken Krittika's advice and come down hard on her? These were the questions that had always kept haunting him. Still sauntering in the past, something had caught Ahish's eye. It was a flier about the recent opening of a rehabilitation center and how it was different from the others. When the others concentrated on bringing an addict to full health and then brainwashing them against using drugs, this center wanted to go to the root and analyse why the victim had chosen drugs in the first place. A combination of pyschiatric, medical and exensive healing procedures would ensue that the addict was nurtured back to health and his confidence reinstated. It further stated that the center needed volunteers and had provided a phone number. Without thinking twice, Ashish called to register. "Hello, Pavithra Sanjay organisation, how may I help you?" said a voice. Ashish was numb. "It was too much of a co incidednce. Not too much, it cannot be one. How can it? Pavithra Sanjay? Sanjay was... was Kittu's brother. Had he started a rehab center? But why under Pavithra's name? Kittu?" Ashish's mind was racing. "Hello, anybody on the line?" said the voice."Uhh yes, hi. This is Ashish, I saw your add for volunteers and I'd like to volunteer," Ashish said. After the receptionist had listed out the formalities, Ashish finally asked "Wh.o runs this center?" The receptionist, said"Ms. Krittika sir, Sanjay's sister." Ashish's heart was thumping. "Krittika? His Kittu? But what had happened? She was in Berkely... When had she returned? Why hadn't she told him that she was back? What's with the organisation?" Ashish had a million questions and decided that he had to meet Krittika immediately. After pulling a couple of strings, he finally managed to find her number. There was a lump in his throat when he dialled her number."Hello" she said. "Kittu?""Ashu?"she said slowly after a gap. "Wow you still remember me! I was just in town and I realised you were back in town too... Can we meet sometime?" Ashish said."Sure, after all I can chuck coffee if you turn out to be an asshole, meet me in 10.. coffee shop at the mall" she said before disconnecting. "She still remembers," he thought as he smiled at himself involuntarily.
Krittika was already waiting when he had got there. "Hey you look great Captain!" she said her hand rising in salute. "Whoa! Kittu!" he managed to say, noticing the flicker of pain in her eyes. "What happened Kittu?" Ashish said after all the light hearted banter. Krittika looked visibily tormented with the memory of the past."Sanjay, as you know was in the navy. After I had left, well the ship he was serving on had collided into a rock. Sanjay was injured critically. Though the doctors were able to bring him back to normal, he was put on heavy sedatives and pain killers for a long period of time. Sanjay was so addicted that he couldn't survive without taking those pills. It was excrutiating to see him go through the whole stage, the pills taking control of his body and then him. He expired last year." She said sobbing. "It was then I realised, that I had been so wrong in my perception. It was not because they are losers people take drugs. There might be a more inherent problem there, when overlooked....." her voice trailed off. Ashish was speechless. Krittika continued"So I wanted to help people, to treat their self afflictations, their emotional turbulence once calmed, they would be normal again. So I started this organisation. As soon as I came up with this idea, I approached Pavithra's parents. They were more than happy to provide moral, emotional and of course the much needed financial support. I realised then, how much Pavithra had meant to you, how much you wanted her to have a normal life. " She was looking at him, her eyes pleading him to say it now, for it was not too late. "Kittu,I was distraught that you were leaving me, that day when Pavithra was missing, all I wanted to say to you was I beg you please stay back... You are as integral to me as Bernoulli's Principle is to flying!" Ashish stopped realising Krittika was staring at him. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you Krittika... you and I might have opposite perspectives and views about life, but we are empirically the same. I had gone through some of the worst days of my life without you and now seeing you like this... " he was unable to say anything else. There was heavy silence in between them. Both of them lost in thoughts of the past few years, the painful seperation, the loss of a loved one and guilt of not being with a loved one when they needed them the most."Kittu, I was so stupid, if I had thought about it then, I would've seen clearly that you would support me.You could've told me Kittu that Sanjay had expired, didn't you think I would come?" Ashish said. Finally Krittika held Ashish's palm, gave it a squeeze and said"This is my way of saying sorry Ashu, for the guilt and pain was so terrible that remorse wasn't enough. I just couln't take not doing anything." As if not wanting her to say anything else, he hugged her tight, this time promising himself that he would never let go.
He was still sitting on the bench when she came out of the center."Captain!" she said, eyes wide in surprise as she saw him. "Happy Birthday Kittu!" he said pulling out a coffee mug."Wow thanks! " she said, before noticing something else in the mug. By this time Ashu had got down on his knee. "Kittu, will you marry me? I swear you can chuck coffee on me for the rest of our lives, even if I'm not being an asshole!" he said slowly looking at her. "You took so long alpha male!" she said as she tried on the ring.
**THE END!**
P.S. P, I've used one of your lines here! So thank you!
