For earlier parts, click here:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
"So, this is it?" Prateek said as he got up and shook Barkha's hands. "I think the content has come out really well, what do you say Sumesh?"
Sumesh nodded curtly. Barkha smiled in relief. The emotional drain was too hard on her.
"Make sure the payment is on time, Sumesh. Barkha, once it is launched, we will have to consider other content, of course... Blogs, case studies, marketing content... the whole works, you know."
"I..." she glanced at Sumesh, not sure whether she could take any more of this. "Well, we can discuss that a little later," she put him off.
Prateek laughed heartily, "Of course, of course. You must be busy with all the engagement preparations," he winked at Sumesh. Sumesh moved in his seat uncomfortably. Barkha's lips stretched in what she thought would pass off for a happy smile. "And then the wedding... Yes, yes... When is the wedding to be?" he asked.
Sumesh shrugged. Barkha said, "We will know at the time of the engagement..."
"Come on, Sumesh, it's not so bad! I am sure you won't have a long wait," Prateek patted Sumesh on his back and then winked at Barkha. "He finds the wait unbearable. He has been so glum for the last few days! He has such a long face that I think he will trip on it," Prateek laughed at his own joke.
Barkha glanced at Sumesh, who did seem uneasy. "I am sure as the days near, he will be different," she said.
"I hope so too." He got up. Sumesh was about to follow, but then he paused and told Prateek, "I just want a few minutes with Barkha. You go ahead... I will take a cab back."
Prateek winked, nodded and left. Barkha was flustered, wondering what was there to discuss. When he closed the door and turned to her, she didn't know what to expect.
"Why, why are you doing this?" he demanded. Barkha frowned. "Why are you refusing to marry, why?" He stepped closer.
Barkha sat in the visitor's chair comfortably. "What is it to you?" she asked coolly.
"It's...!" he jerked his hand and half turned, not knowing how to respond. "It's bothering Amrita and..."
"Amrita can tell me directly if it is. Does she need a mediator to talk to me?" she asked disdainfully.
"No, she didn't ask me to... No... But she is preoccupied, upset, unsure..."
"And you think it's got because of me?" she demanded. "How can you assume I am the reason why..."
Sumesh shrugged helplessly. "I just know it... It's affecting us..."
"Then you should talk to her! What business is it of mine?"
"You are affecting me! You are distracting me!"
Barkha looked at him incredulously, "Me? I am distracting you! How strange!" She snorted. "When you met me, you were distraced by Amrita. And now that you are marrying her, you are distracted by me?" She was amused as a thought struck her. "Good we don't have a third sister,!"
Sumesh smacked his fist against his palm. "Don't make me sound fickle! I am not. I am trying to work things out. Please help me!"
"I already did. You wanted to marry Amrita and you are going to, aren't you? You are getting what you wanted, right? What's your problem?"
'You, you! You are forcing me to think of you. Why are you refusing proposals?" he demanded.
Barkha got up furiously, "I don't think I am answerable to you! Your confusions have got nothing to do with me! And my decisions mean nothing to you."
"It does, it means the world to me, can't you see?" he pleaded.
She crossed her arms and pushed her backrest to lean back and stare at him. "Am I supposed to feel flattered? Fall at your feet? Marry the first man who walks in so that you can be at peace?" she taunted him. "Make it work with Amrita. And If you both can't make it work, don't blame me, Sumesh! Don't I keep out of your way?"
"You keep away, too much... And yet, you fill my thoughts!"
"I think this is ridiculous," she said sharply, straightening, her own heart in a flutter. "I am not responsible for how you think!"
"You are, don't you see? Everything you do makes me think more of you! You have cut me out, but I can see who you are, what you are... And everyday I think of a little more than I did..." he said desperately.
"Please!" Barkha stopped him, the fear of betraying her sister, the insincerity of refusing him, her own eagerness to hear him continue in this vein overwhelming her. She st down slowly, rubbing her forehead. He had to go, or she dreaded the consequences. "Look, Sumesh, thanks for... those words, sentiments. But this will not do. Don't think about me, please. I... I will... I can take care of myself. You make it work with Amrita."
"Arrogant fool," he turned on her viciously, slamming her table with his fist. "Politely turning me away! Trying to prove that you don't need anyone... That you can handle anything - emotions, challenges, work... Even physical threats! All by yourself. The superwoman." He swiveled her chair so that she faced him. He leaned forward, his face close to hers, his hands on the armrests on either side, pinning her, "But you know what, you are insecure, you are scared and so you hide your fears! You fear getting hurt and so you hurt those around you by acting superior. You have been hurting me with your indifference, by trying to cut me out. But all the while, you have been scared to show that you cared for me. Admit it, Barkha, admit that you care for me!"
Her lips trembled and she felt hot as blood rushed to her face. "I care for you! Why not? Why should I wear it on my sleeve when you want to marry my sister? What is it to you if I am insecure. Yes, I am scared of getting hur! I am frightened of rejection! Yes, I care for you..." She paused, unable to go on. "Yes..." she whispered as she broke down unexpectedly.
He pulled her up and she clutched him fiercely. They held each other tight, their lips locked, their breaths clashing, their eyes shut... Time stood still.
When they let go, they still held on. Barkha slowly buried her head against his chest, trying to capture a world of contentment in that one moment. Then she gently pushed him away and said softly, "I can't hurt Amrita! Don't let this come between us, ever! Forget me, forget this... please!"
He opened his mouth and then shut it as she shook her head gently. She turned away and whispered, "Go, go away... Go to Amrita... Please..."
"Fickle, fickle!" he cried and left, leaving her to cry alone.
Click here for Part VIII
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
"So, this is it?" Prateek said as he got up and shook Barkha's hands. "I think the content has come out really well, what do you say Sumesh?"
Sumesh nodded curtly. Barkha smiled in relief. The emotional drain was too hard on her.
"Make sure the payment is on time, Sumesh. Barkha, once it is launched, we will have to consider other content, of course... Blogs, case studies, marketing content... the whole works, you know."
"I..." she glanced at Sumesh, not sure whether she could take any more of this. "Well, we can discuss that a little later," she put him off.
Prateek laughed heartily, "Of course, of course. You must be busy with all the engagement preparations," he winked at Sumesh. Sumesh moved in his seat uncomfortably. Barkha's lips stretched in what she thought would pass off for a happy smile. "And then the wedding... Yes, yes... When is the wedding to be?" he asked.
Sumesh shrugged. Barkha said, "We will know at the time of the engagement..."
"Come on, Sumesh, it's not so bad! I am sure you won't have a long wait," Prateek patted Sumesh on his back and then winked at Barkha. "He finds the wait unbearable. He has been so glum for the last few days! He has such a long face that I think he will trip on it," Prateek laughed at his own joke.
Barkha glanced at Sumesh, who did seem uneasy. "I am sure as the days near, he will be different," she said.
"I hope so too." He got up. Sumesh was about to follow, but then he paused and told Prateek, "I just want a few minutes with Barkha. You go ahead... I will take a cab back."
Prateek winked, nodded and left. Barkha was flustered, wondering what was there to discuss. When he closed the door and turned to her, she didn't know what to expect.
"Why, why are you doing this?" he demanded. Barkha frowned. "Why are you refusing to marry, why?" He stepped closer.
Barkha sat in the visitor's chair comfortably. "What is it to you?" she asked coolly.
"It's...!" he jerked his hand and half turned, not knowing how to respond. "It's bothering Amrita and..."
"Amrita can tell me directly if it is. Does she need a mediator to talk to me?" she asked disdainfully.
"No, she didn't ask me to... No... But she is preoccupied, upset, unsure..."
"And you think it's got because of me?" she demanded. "How can you assume I am the reason why..."
Sumesh shrugged helplessly. "I just know it... It's affecting us..."
"Then you should talk to her! What business is it of mine?"
"You are affecting me! You are distracting me!"
Barkha looked at him incredulously, "Me? I am distracting you! How strange!" She snorted. "When you met me, you were distraced by Amrita. And now that you are marrying her, you are distracted by me?" She was amused as a thought struck her. "Good we don't have a third sister,!"
Sumesh smacked his fist against his palm. "Don't make me sound fickle! I am not. I am trying to work things out. Please help me!"
"I already did. You wanted to marry Amrita and you are going to, aren't you? You are getting what you wanted, right? What's your problem?"
'You, you! You are forcing me to think of you. Why are you refusing proposals?" he demanded.
Barkha got up furiously, "I don't think I am answerable to you! Your confusions have got nothing to do with me! And my decisions mean nothing to you."
"It does, it means the world to me, can't you see?" he pleaded.
She crossed her arms and pushed her backrest to lean back and stare at him. "Am I supposed to feel flattered? Fall at your feet? Marry the first man who walks in so that you can be at peace?" she taunted him. "Make it work with Amrita. And If you both can't make it work, don't blame me, Sumesh! Don't I keep out of your way?"
"You keep away, too much... And yet, you fill my thoughts!"
"I think this is ridiculous," she said sharply, straightening, her own heart in a flutter. "I am not responsible for how you think!"
"You are, don't you see? Everything you do makes me think more of you! You have cut me out, but I can see who you are, what you are... And everyday I think of a little more than I did..." he said desperately.
"Please!" Barkha stopped him, the fear of betraying her sister, the insincerity of refusing him, her own eagerness to hear him continue in this vein overwhelming her. She st down slowly, rubbing her forehead. He had to go, or she dreaded the consequences. "Look, Sumesh, thanks for... those words, sentiments. But this will not do. Don't think about me, please. I... I will... I can take care of myself. You make it work with Amrita."
"Arrogant fool," he turned on her viciously, slamming her table with his fist. "Politely turning me away! Trying to prove that you don't need anyone... That you can handle anything - emotions, challenges, work... Even physical threats! All by yourself. The superwoman." He swiveled her chair so that she faced him. He leaned forward, his face close to hers, his hands on the armrests on either side, pinning her, "But you know what, you are insecure, you are scared and so you hide your fears! You fear getting hurt and so you hurt those around you by acting superior. You have been hurting me with your indifference, by trying to cut me out. But all the while, you have been scared to show that you cared for me. Admit it, Barkha, admit that you care for me!"
Her lips trembled and she felt hot as blood rushed to her face. "I care for you! Why not? Why should I wear it on my sleeve when you want to marry my sister? What is it to you if I am insecure. Yes, I am scared of getting hur! I am frightened of rejection! Yes, I care for you..." She paused, unable to go on. "Yes..." she whispered as she broke down unexpectedly.
He pulled her up and she clutched him fiercely. They held each other tight, their lips locked, their breaths clashing, their eyes shut... Time stood still.
When they let go, they still held on. Barkha slowly buried her head against his chest, trying to capture a world of contentment in that one moment. Then she gently pushed him away and said softly, "I can't hurt Amrita! Don't let this come between us, ever! Forget me, forget this... please!"
He opened his mouth and then shut it as she shook her head gently. She turned away and whispered, "Go, go away... Go to Amrita... Please..."
"Fickle, fickle!" he cried and left, leaving her to cry alone.
Click here for Part VIII
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