For earlier parts, click here:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
The sense of deja vu pressed Barkha down. Dheer, the prospective groom, sat where Sumesh had. His parents seemed like simple people who were willing to go with whatever decision their son took. Dheer seemed friendly and easy going. She just had to utter a word and all his attention turned to her immediately with evident interest. But she couldn't think of saying anything of interest, confining herself to answering questions directed towards her. No questions arose in her mind about his work, interests, personality. She had no curiosity about the kind of person he was. Though he had even features, he made no impression on her heart. Because it was already preoccupied with thoughts of another, one who had been distracted by thoughts of someone else when he had come to see her!
But now he was showing interest, a bit too late in the day. She could not hurt her sister, but nor could she pretend that it did not matter. She had to get away from here; that would be the only answer to all the troubles Sumesh and she were experiencing.
Shikha offered tea, but unlike last time, Barkha made no move to serve them. After tea things were cleared a few minutes later, Dheer and she were asked to speak to each other in private. She felt nervous and almost wished to send the visitors away. Though she tried hard to concentrate on Dheer's conversation, which flowed smoothly, she was struck by the contrast from her evening with Sumesh when she had done all the talking. She wished Amrita would come to her rescue, and before she realised it, a chuckle escaped her at the irony of her thoughts.
"Pardon?" Dheer asked, startled, bringing her back to the present. They returned early and Dheer and family took leave soon after.
"What do you say?" Shikha asked her daughter.
"Whatever you say, ma..." Barkha replied listlessly.
"So you have decided to settle abroad?" Shikha probed. "You didn't want to leave India, this city, because you wanted to build a meaningful business..." she reminded her daughter.
"We have gone through this earlier, ma... I have changed my mind," Barkha said. She was drained emotionally and could not bear the thought of discussing this further.
"Is it so easy, di? Changing your mind?" Amrita, who had been around this time, asked. Something about her tone made Barkha look up.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Sumesh changed his mind quickly enough about you. You changed your mind about Sumesh. Now you have changed your mind about going abroad... Only I seem steeped in dilemma, unable to change my decision!"
Barkha frowned. "What do you mean? What decision are you unable to change?"
Amrita laughed, but it sounded hollow. "Why, you, of all the people, should not be asking me that!" she said with suppressed anger.
Barkha's heart sank. "Amrita, please, I don't see what decision you have to change. Your life is perfect right now, don't rock your boat."
Amrita said vehemently, "Look who is talking! Having rocked my boat, you want me to keep it steady?"
"I didn't do anything! I...!"
"No, you didn't have to do anything. Yes, you didn't do anything! Only, I did too less," Amrita said indignantly. "I believed you when you said you didn't care for Sumesh. Even when I got to know about your true feelings for him, I still felt secure about Sumesh's feelings for me! But both of you let me down!"
"My feelings for him?" Barkha went blank, wondering if Sumesh had revealed anything.
"That day when ma and you were talking, I overheard you. I was upset, but I thought if Sumesh cared for me, then nothing else mattered..."
"But Sumesh does...!" Barkha started.
Amrita gestured for her to stop. "Please don't add insult to injury!" She turned away. Barkha put an arm around her, but she jerked away. Shikha felt flustered. "Beta..." she started. Amrita rushed to her mother and sobbed on her shoulder. "Ma... you could have told me! I would not have let my feelings grow for Sumesh! I felt nothing for him at first. But since I was to marry him, I allowed myself to dream... Why didn't you stop me?" she howled.
Barkha rubbed her forehead. "Nothing is lost, Amrita... There is nothing between him and me... I!"
"Oh, so you are going to become a martyr now!?"
"It's not about becoming a martyr!" Barkha snapped.
"Then stop acting like one! At least now, when you know he cares for you!" Amrita retorted with a vengeance. "You think I can't see how he is being eaten up by the conflict?" She turned to her mother. "I can't live with a man whose thoughts are elsewhere!"
"I will go away! Out of sight... out of..." Barkha fell silent.
"If you were not my sister, it may have work..."
"But I will never be happy if you didn't marry him because of me!" Barkha protested.
"Di, I will never be happy if I married him despite you!" Amrita retorted.
Barkha shrank in her seat, tears rolling down freely now. "Di," Amrita came to her now and laid her head on Barkha's lap, "Marrying me will make all three of us unhappy..."
"But how can I build my happiness after hurting you?" Barkha pleaded.
"Di, I was angry, yes, I was hurt. When I first realised Sumesh cared more for you than me... I felt spurned... I initially felt cheated that you had pretended to hate him! I wondered why, then, had you rejected him... I asked him bluntly and he told me the truth. How I hated him for putting you through this! I could never marry a man who had hurt you! I realised that what I had mistaken as your hate for him was just pain and love. What a fool I had been! I had misunderstood you, my di! I realised that I don't care for him enough to want this relationship to work... I cannot love a man who has hurt you di..." Amrita's voice dipped as she continued, "So I bullied him about it and he confessed that he loves you too... That he had been hasty and foolish." She reached out to touch Barkha's face, "If he truly cares for you and you love him, how can I stand in the way, di...?"
Barkha sat crying silently, caressing her sister's head, love overwhelming her into silence. Amrita grabbed her sister's hand and kissed it. "Wash your face di... It is a time to celebrate... To rectify mistakes..."
Barkha shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but Amrita stopped her. "No more silly sacrifices... Go, freshen up..."
Her mother kissed her and went to the kitchen, taking her puzzled husband with her.
Amrita called Sumesh secretly and said in a low whisper, "Can you come right away? Barkha is inconsolable. I don't know what to do!"
He didn't even pause for details but flew to their house on his bike. Amrita opened the door before he could ring the bell and let him in with a finger on her lips. "There!" she said, pointing towards Barkha's door. He frowned, worried and wondering what this was about.
She lead him to the room and opened the door softly.
Barkha was at the window, staring outside into nothingness, her heart in a turmoil. Some sixth sense made her turn and gasp in surprise. Sumesh stood there, puzzled and anxious. "What happened?" he asked. Barkha could see Amrita grinning and show a thumbs up before closing the door. Sumesh turned as the door closed and then looked at Barkha again. She stepped forward and asked, "Sumesh... I... I love you... Will you marry me?"
Sumesh stood still, as if he couldn't believe his ears. And then... The two held each other tightly, their gazes locked, their breaths clashing, their hearts beating, their lips seeking...
Concluded
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