Chapter 6

RR through my eyes (Chapter 6)
The haveli was suffocating Rohit now. And he needed some air. HE stepped out to go for a jog. There was restriction only for Myrah to step out. Not for him. He had to decide the future course of events. And time was running out.
His thoughts again went back to Myrah's recuperation. After about three years Myrah was almost back to normal. Her speech was as good as before. She became quite outgoing. Started working in her father's office on the advertisement side. Her dressing style was similar to before. Though she never got back her memory, she readily accepted the family and friends and tried her best to be like the Myrah she saw in the pictures and videos. And considered Rohit her best friend.
There was only one incidence when she had got drunk (they were all in a party thrown by a friend) and when Rohit went home to drop her back, her speech slurred and she started talking in Hindi that too in a particular dialect which he found difficult to follow. And she kept on saying Major. He had long forgotten the dialect and her speech that day but the Major part remained with him which he shared with her parents who got her enrolled in the university for a major in arts which she did not pursue. But the university helped her to take an interest in helping NGOs particularly those who helped girls who were thrust into prostitution - particularly in developing countries. And by the fifth year she was accompanying these NGOs to Bangladesh and Srilanka for working with the local communities. Her parents had created a racket about her first trip (alone) but from the second trip onwards they gained confidence that Myrah will take care of herself. She strongly felt about human trafficking of girls - particularly across country borders though she never even once worked with any NGO on such cases.
All these community activities were taking its toll on Myrah's mind. And it was an unwritten rule that all at home should at least keep her happy all the time. Never to show her their emotions.  As her parents and Rohit were what she had to fall back on.


Mean while pressure mounted at his home to get married and after meeting many girls as dates over a few months - Rohit decided to pop the question to Myrah. He never believed in love. Neither had she had any lover before. They were the best of friends. And for him it was a better bet for both of them to be with each other and be happy and to be themselves rather than get tied to two different people who in all probability will make their lives miserable. He knew she will do anything for him and viceversa. And that point alone - they decided -  was a good enough foundation for their future together.
This trip to India was announced by Myrah a month back. In spite of her being independently traveling the last few years, travel to India and that too alone was a cause of concern for both him and her parents. But Myrah was persuasive and with the help of her darling Chachu she could get her way. He had been too busy with an M&A. They could mostly communicate only through video messages. And he had seen the last message from her. She had looked so worried and so confused. She had mentioned that they may not need the venue for marriage after all. He knew something was wrong. And he took the next flight to India.


He will be affected if Myrah falls in love and marries somebody else. After their wedding announcement, he had relied on her more and more. Started dreaming about attaining that ever elusive love with her - some time in the future. But he was not so selfish to snatch her love from her - if she ever falls for another person. He was not here as a villain. He was here in his role as a friend. To make sure she had made the right choice. To meet the guy in person. To make sure Myrah will be safe with the new guy.


She never mentioned anything to him in person. But she knew that he had seen the message. And he knew that she knew. There was no need for words between them. They always had this thing between them - to act as if everything was normal even when they knew it was not. They waited always for the other person to come around and to disclose on his/her own. Never put pressure on each other. And thus Rohit waited. With a wooden expression on his face.


But he was not blind. He could see the tension between Rudra and Myrah. He could clearly see the love they had for each other. He could not find out what was holding them back. He had tried to extract info from both Rudra and Myrah. She almost confessed. Why she was doing all this adoption for Maithili Bhabhisa. She almost said that she is doing it for him. Then corrected herself.


Rohit decided it was time to confront Rudra. Getting Rudra's company to have a drink did not work out as expected. So Rohit decided to be straightforward and asked Rudra. What is going on between Rudra and Myrah ? Rudra was not in BSD for nothing. He could handle the investigation very well. Gave an answer without giving a direct answer.


But Rohit got his answer when Rudra while walking out of the room, collided with Myrah. All the anguish and pain and love came out tumbling in words. Words of anger directed at her. For making Rudra go through this. And then Rohit saw how Rudra's face changed from anger to concern and affection the moment Myrah's eyes filled up with tears.


Rohit himself saw Myrah about to cry only recently and it did affect him. But the effect the tears had on Rudra Pratap Ranawat was stunning.


That night when Rohit was sleeping he was haunted by one word - Major. Myrah shouting Major. But he did not remember it the next day morning. Else he would have connected Myrah's desire to major in arts to ex-Major Rudra Pratap Ranawat !!
 
 
(To be continued ...)