Part 11

The exams were finally over. Saroja heaved a sigh of relief as she returned to her room that evening, and casually flopped down on the bed. The papers had gone well, but she knew it would be foolish to predict anything beforehand. Now, would begin the long wait for the results.

Something flickered at the back of her mind and she got up from the bed. She looked around the small room taking it all in. This room had been her address, her sanctuary for these past months and now she would have to leave. That's what had been decided by her Mother and Ved's parents. It would ideally have made sense if she could have stayed behind till the results, but Saroja was erudite enough to understand that Vedant's parents would not be too keen on this extension.

As if on cue, Gopi Mama came to call her. Vedant's parents wanted to speak to her.

The meeting was brief, the words sparse. They wanted her to search for a new accommodation immediately, now that her exams were over. Both of them wished her well regarding the outcome and hoped that the results would be out soon, so that she could move on in life and do something with it.

Saroja replied in brief as and when prompted to do so. She informed them that she had already started initiating talks with the Hostel and should be able to close the loop in the next couple of days.

As she turned to leave, Vedant's Mother called her from behind - "We know what's happening, stay away from my son. I don't him to suffer Vishnu's fate"

...

They say, words cut you the deepest.

Every word hung around her as she went back to her room. There was another chit of paper on the table; she picked it up, tore it to pieces and threw them in the bin. She didn't need to read anyway, new what the contents would be.

Something hurt deep inside her. She felt bad for her Father. For her Mother. Who had decided to give love a chance then. She knew whatever happened in the past was way wrong and could never be explained nor justified; in fact, most of the times, she had herself failed to justify their actions.

She knew that love was not enough to wreck a family or destroy a home.

All these made her extremely angry. And equally sad.

Her thoughts flitted to Vedant. He was presently away to some remote village in Telangana where his company was working on a Project with the local Government. He had wished her the very best when he had left, before her exams, and had promised to be back soon.

But it has already been two weeks now and she missed him and their small interactions. Her feelings for him puzzled her. Though she had not bracketed every men she had met as imbeciles and lechers, though most of them hadn't given her enough reasons to think otherwise, yet Vedant has been the diamond in the rough. And she cherished her association with him.

Saroja knew very well that she was not safe anywhere. She did not trust anybody, least of all men who tried to win her favours. She liked staying in the safety of her cocoon, in her own world, 'safety' being the most underrated word in the world. 

However, Vedant was someone she felt she could trust. And also Gopi Mama.

Vedant was exactly the antithesis of men that she had known, heard about, and met. With her, he was exactly how he would perhaps be with any other human being. Caring and respectful. And that was something that attracted her.

She loved talking to him, listening to him, pondering over the information he shared. Their discussions were always interesting and evocative and she enjoyed them a lot.

Inside her room, Saroja paced around. She hoped that Vedant would return by the time she was ready to leave.

His Mother's words kept haunting her. She was sure that they were friends. Or were they?

She sometimes wondered if they were even friends?

If she herself was not sure, then why were others reading too much into it?

Was it some premonition for days to come, she worried incessantly.

...

It was after two weeks that he returned on a Friday night. They did not meet, but Gopi Mama casually slipped the news to Saroja.

...

Little Aaru danced into Saroja's room the next morning, as Saroja folded her dresses carefully. She slipped her arms around Saroja's neck as Saroja picked her up.

"Where's your Dolly?" Saroja asked, as she kissed the child.

"With Mama. I have torn her dress, Mama is fixing it up" the child replied.

Saroja laughed out aloud. She couldn't imagine Vedant fixing up the dress of a Doll, he would make such a good father she thought for a fleeting second.

And then mentally whacked herself for the direction of her thoughts. Of course he would do anything to make the child smile. After all, Aaru was presently the only child in the family.

The child now had her fingers coiled in Saroja's hair

"We are going to have guests today" she said gleefully.

Saroja put her down on the bed, and tied the child's ribbons properly, wondering if she should just leave, like the other day.

A knock on the door, Saroja and Aaru turned around to find Vedant there, carrying the doll.

Something inexplicable lurched inside her, and Saroja felt at peace.

"Here you go Aaru" he said. "I have done the best that I could. Be careful, otherwise next time she goes straight to the Hospital"

The little girl kissed her Mama on the way out and scampered to the Hall.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked, as he stepped inside. Vedant walked up to her table and picked up the papers to the ladies hostel.

"Leaving" Saroja answered as she neatly arranged her dresses in stacks on the bed. "My exams are over, the results will be out in a few months. It was pre-decided that I would stay here till the exams"

She knew that her words sounded incredibly stupid.

Something inexplicable lurched inside him, and Vedant lost all peace.

Saroja babbled - "There's this seat that has come up at the Hostel. If I don't take this up now... it's safe and clean. I was in fact trying for a seat there, way before my exams ... but lucked out"

"And when were you planning to tell me?" Vedant asked, a bit irritated.

Saroja looked at him, trying to read him. She missed the smile on his face. She offered simply - "I didn't know how to inform you ... I didn't mention earlier because the warden had mentioned that there was less chance of securing a seat there"

Vedant realised that somehow they had not shared their numbers; he felt like kicking himself. If he had been a few days late,  Saroja would have been gone.

From his life ? Forever?

An acerbic reply was on its way when a domestic help came searching for Vedant informing that the guests have arrived.

On his way out, he looked at Saroja

"This does not mean that you leave the house and go somewhere else. Like the other day. We need to talk"

And then he was gone.

...

Saroja stayed holed up in her room for most of the day. It was her last few days in the house, and she did not want Vedant mad at her. He was one of the very few people she had in her life.

She spent some time with Radha Mami who was healing well, albeit slowly. Her son and daughter in law had arrived from the village, and Saroja felt relieved.

Gopi Mama flitted in and out of the room, busy in overseeing the arrangements, his face grim as thunder.

Saroja went back to her room and packed the remaining stuff. She had three bags in total and she sat and stared at them, now resting by the side of the room. This was her life, those three bags, everything tucked inside them, as she flitted from one place to another.

Would I ever have a place to call my own? She wondered.

Her phone beeped and she read the message -

I have transferred some money to your account. Pay for the hostel on Monday morning, and get the hell out of there.

A Mother's heart, Saroja thought. Her Mother had finally known about those chits of paper. Saroja wished she could meet her Mother, hold her close and cry her heart out.

She knew that her Mother was in Hyderabad only, in some place that she didn't want her daughter to visit. And Saroja, like an obedient child, had obliged. Not because she didn't want to meet her Mother, but because she loved her enough not to cause any further stress. She was a burden already.

...

She could hear several voices outside post Lunch, and she stepped outside.

Vedant's aunts and her sister were showing a young lady around the house.

"She is beautiful" Saroja thought, as she turned away to go inside.

Sunitha called out to her - "Saroja, wait ! This is Sri Vidya, Dad's Friend's daughter. She is a Doctor"

Saroja greeted the other lady as Sunitha continued with the introductions, much to the chagrin of her Aunts.

"This is Saroja. She is here for her CA exams. And now that the exams are over, she is going back in a few days time. Isn't it?"

Saroja smiled as Sri Vidya murmured her appreciation - "I have heard CA exams are very tough to clear at one go"

Saroja could only smile.

"Come, let's go" one of the Aunts egged the group on.

As they prepared to leave, Sunitha exclaimed

"Oh I forgot! The reason why we are showing Sri Vidya around. She is going to be my dear sister-in-law; our Vedant's wife. Hopefully. Keeping my fingers crossed."

Saroja's smile remained plastered on her face as she offered her best wishes.

She looked up towards the balcony, hoping against hope that he would be there. Or not. His Mother was there instead.

Saroja returned to her room and sat down gingerly, unable to fathom the emotions coursing through her.

She looked all around and the walls seemed to cave in; Saroja felt positively claustrophobic.

She had to get away for some time, she knew. She quickly dressed and left for the Library, locking the door behind her.

"Oh God, why does it hurt so much?" she thought as she headed out.

She unconsciously wiped away the stinging tears, not acknowledging their presence, as she hailed a rickshaw .

...

End of Part 11