The Moist eyes.....

Chapter 2:

(Please read the Chapter 1 "Melting drops of soul" before you go ahead)

Pranav had not called Anshika for the last 1 week from Oxford. She was waiting thinking he would be busy. Finally she called Pranav's mobile, but there was no response from the other end. The mobile kept ringing. She called several times, but there was no response from the other end.

She got restless and worried but had no option, as she knew no body else who could get in touch with him. Pranav was one of the persons whom she could trust and someone who cared for her. She had just gone through difficult times in the recent days, and needed a true friend who could not be anybody other than Pranav. But this moment even he was not there with her.

She started remembering the incident when she was just as upset as today and was not even talking to Pranav and he was trying to cheer her up by sending her stupid messages. Well, that was just before Pranav had left for Chennai... she started smiling thinking about that small incident. She thought about how she had gone with him for his shopping and how much Pranav was excited to have her with him for the entire Chennai shopping...

But, just then she recalled the scene of the football ground where Pranav had proposed her. She was so sad that day... She came home and was feeling a sense of loss.... she never wanted that day to come, as she always was scared that it would be the end of their relationship.... Pranav was her friend, and sometimes more than a friend, she cared for him as a true friend, that's why she was praying God that such a day would never come, which had finally come that day.
She had actually already sensed the love Pranav had for her when Pranav was leaving for Chennai... and was waving bye from the moving train... A drop of tear had fallen from her eyes, not because Pranav was leaving Chennai, but because she had sensed that Pranav was moving on a path which she can't accompany him further.

She loved the time she spent talking with him, the calls from Pranav were always a priority for her. Seeing him succeed was a true thrill for her... his success was as important to her as to him... But whenever she asked her what was Pranav to her, she got the answer "A true friend".
The fear was growing in her as she was sensing that Pranav's dependency on her was increasing after he had moved to Chennai... she was sensing in his talks that his emotions were moving in a direction that she wished them not to... she tried hinting him a couple of times, but thought it would not be good for her to talk then and she should wait for Pranav to come to Delhi on leave.... She was however not sure how to tell Pranav that she took him as a good friend and he was going the wrong way.... Finally Pranav proposed her before she could explain him anything....

The night he proposed her, she could not sleep and kept looking at the red rose that Pranav had given her and tried her best to convince herself that she loved Pranav; but she just could not.. she was helpless, she could not feel the same reciprocatory way for Pranav... He was a precious soul for her, and did not know how to tackle with this entangling situation . But she could not fake her love for him, as this would put him into a bigger pain than the one Pranav would be going through then.

She was confused and thought that may be some silence on her part will change Pranav, as he might need his time and space to accept the things as they are. She was hesitant to say anything that may lead Pranav to misinterpret her. So, gradually the free flowing friendship that she had started changing into a thoughtful resticted one. Before every action, she had to think twice, as Pranav's feelings were getting stronger and he was always insisting on her for the same thing that she did not feel. The helplessness she had in this aspect could not be understood by Pranav, who was in his own world of pursuit.

She did not want to be rude with Pranav, but when she finally saw Pranav not being able to accept the fact that she could not go ahead with him and he had started pursuing her relentlessly, she started feeling suffocated with the interactions. She had started to feel the loss of a friend, and could not help but had to start distancing him from her self. She used to get so many mails from Pranav on the same thing that had by now taken a toll over her.

By that time, she probably had no choice but to talk it out with Pranav, but in spite of all the conversations, she could not see a change in Pranav who was no more a comfortable friend to talk with due to obvious reasons.

Ultimately, from her end the only way was to keep silence, a hand of help from her end was not what Pranav needed anyways. And what he needed was a feeling which she could not feel. So among these emotions, she saw the death of a beautiful friendship which she could not save in spite of her efforts.

She thought it correct to stop responding to Pranav's mails and calls as this was the only way for Pranav to start looking at life without her. It was too painful for her to behave as a stone hearted person for Pranav, but she was helpless as he was relentless, and would fast grow exhausted and tired if he did not stop. She was feeling tired and helpless too.

Gradually she saw a decline in his mails and calls, as she started turning them down and one fine day they finally ended. It was also much painful for her to see the bias some of their common friends had about their relationship. Some started taking her to be the cause of Pranav's hurt and she became the culprit, but she did not say anything. She had nothing to say and what was there to be said anyways. When even the one whom she thought understood her the most, had gone from her life, she took things as they came.

Frictions developed between other friends and she was left lonely at some stages of life. Life was not kind to her, she had her own pains, but had not many souls to share with. But, she believed this was the way she had to live. She changed. She was no more a lively person that she once was. Life was seemingly rude to her. But, the inner strength made her cope with it, an she smiled at the troubles as they came her way.

She wished Pranav all the happiness in life and asked friends about his well being from time to time. She had no other option, and was hopeful that Pranav must be doing fine in his life.

Under all these tough times that life was showing her due to her family and some other reasons, one fine day she came across a guy named Alok. A charming and understanding person, to whom Anshika started getting close to. He cared for her and she could see in him what she had dreamt of, in a life partner. Alok also felt that his pursuit for love had eneded after he met Anshika. They understood each other to a great extent and Alok supported Anshika in her tough phases of life. He was there with her in her every struggle, and so was she.

Together things were growing stronger and stronger between them and a sense of completion was coming their way. They wanted to get married, or atleast Anshika did. But, somehow she was taken a back one day when suddenly she saw Alok not responding to her calls since morning.

She ran from the college to his hostel room and found him over there disturbed and smoking. She scolded him and asked why he was not picking her calls. Alok did not reply for a moment and after that stood up and said... "Anshika look... I don't know how you will take this, but the fact is that I can't marry you. You may need the reasons, I have them but they may not make any sense to you.... Because, they might sound selfish and actually they are..... I am not ready for this Anshika, I am not. ...Please leave me alone.... and forgive me if I have caused you any hurt, which of course I have. I have some aspirations in life, and this is not my time to go ahead with you. I don't want to go anything further, as its going to be harsher for you and difficult for both of us."

Anshika was frozen and still standing against the wall with her head looking at the roof all this while... The books she had in her hands had fallen on the floor... stream of tears rolled down her cheek as she shut her eyelids... she did not say a word to Alok, stepped out of his room, and ran without knowing where she was heading too.. she ran all the way in the sun from Alok's room to her hostel and finally while getting up the hostel stairs she fainted... fell down 15 steps... and fractured her shoulder.
When she regained consciousness she found herself in the hospital. Alok was standing beside her, feeling guilty of what he had said... She saw him and looked the other way and requested him to get out of the room, and that was the last time she wanted to see him. She needed none of his pity just because she was in the hospital due to him. She wanted Alok, but not the Alok whom she had seen a few hours before but the one she had loved. She was alone in her room and tears were bleeding down her cheek. Just then the face of Pranav came in front of her and she thought of the immense pain that he might have gone through.

She was going through a greater pain than what Pranav must have gone through all these years. Sitting in the hospital, she called Megha, their common friend and asked her for Pranav's number. She felt like to listen to his voice this moment. Megha told Anshika that Anshika may not be able to speak to Pranav as he was flying for London in just a few hours from then. He had recently got a Phd offer from Oxford..... Listening this, Anshika was so happy that she forgot her fracture pain for a moment. She from the hospital room called Pranav.

She hid her pain and showed her joy in spite of the severe ache in her shoulder. But, she felt nice talking to Pranav, who was equally elated speaking to Anshika. For the next 3 hours in the hospital she was oblivious of her pain and their old friendship was back. She felt at peace and spoke to Pranav till he sat in the plane and wished him luck... and said ... she will miss him... and then the pain in her shoulder caused a drop of tear to flow down her eyes, which Pranav could never see.

She did not tell anything about Alok or the fracture to Pranav. She wanted him to go smiling to his destination, and so was pretended to be full of joy. Pranav could obviously, not imagine all this that was happening at the other end of the phone as she never wanted Pranav to know about all that trauma she was going through.

Among all these thoughts of the past.. she suddenly came to the present when suddenly her healing fracture gave her an acute pain.... and she saw the mobile and waited for Pranav's call to know if he was all fine....

After losing her patience she called Megha, who knew to some extent about the ups and downs of Anshika's life. However, on knowing about the fact that Anshika had undergone such a trauma, Megha could not resist from telling about all that to Pranav. Pranav was shocked to know about how Anshika had faked her joy when she was in the hospital in immense pain and was talking to Pranav for 3 hours for the mere reason that Pranav should go smiling.

He also came to know about Alok from Megha, which he already knew from the mails, but now the clarity of incidents had cleared all the doubts he had for Anshika. He knew that he had to be with her and that is what mattered to him now.

There were no more jumbling of equations anymore and Pranav was no more impatient for Anshika. He had accepted her as a person whom he had loved, and may be still loved. But, more than that he knew that Anshika wanted a friend in him this moment. And may be this was what made the difference in their relationship.

Pranav was patient this time... they grew as a support for each other... two friends who ultimately complimented each other... in their laughs and in their crys...
He was back from Oxford after an year to continue his research in Delhi... and they met each other almost after 3 yrs now....

Anshika wanted them to meet in the same football ground where Pranav had proposed her.... and as they were sitting and watching the children playing football, Anshika, who was in the same white Salwaar Kameez today as that day, suddenly stood up and asked Pranav... "Hey Stupid... where is my rose".... and Pranav smiled and said... "Sorry... this time its a Pink one"... and took it out of the packet he was hiding and said..."The shop had no red roses".... And Anshika laughed snatching the rose from his hand...

She then pulled Pranav's hand and they walked holding each other towards ..... the sunset.... hoping for a new sunrise....