Chapter 35
2 and 1/2 years later.
It is a sunny Thursday morning Roshini drifted from her sleep when the bright illumination of sunlight fondled her eyelids. She slowly opened her eyes but it made it difficult for her to see the bright sunshine. She took her glasses beside her and wearing that Roshini raised from her bed. She tied her shoulder-length hair in a ponytail using a hair tie and walked near the window, she saw the bright sky and smiled.
"Hey Rosh, I am leaving," Anu said from behind.
"What is the time now?" Roshini asked knotting her eyebrows.
"It's 9.00 am," Anu replied and Roshini's eyes widened in shock.
"What have I slept that long?" Roshini gave a dreading expression.
"Yeah, get ready I will wait for you. I have prepared breakfast today, don't forget to eat that," she said while packing her bag. Anu was Roshini's friend for three years. They became friends instantly since both of them joined the company on the same day and to that Anu was also from Coimbatore. From day1 and till now they were getting along well without any conflicts.
They both stayed in the hostel for some days in the starting then Anu gave an idea of renting a room on their own. Roshini accepted because the cost of living will be less compared to when she stayed in the hostel. Along with them, two of their colleagues were staying in the house.
After coming to Chennai, Roshini's life has entirely changed. She learned an important lesson that how to uphold her life on her own, maybe it sounds simple but most of the time we don't realize what our life is and Roshini learned her priorities and goals after working on her own. At the initial stages, she was homesick and always think about returning back to Coimbatore. But whatever she thinks her ultimate aim is to survive so she managed she got used to it, and now she is liking this environment.
After coming out of the bath, Roshini like a jet engine got ready. At sharp ten, her mom called her. Roshini was not even looked who is calling her as she knows it must be her mom, "Hello mom?" she said in a hurry.
"Have you eaten?" her mom asked.
"No mom, but now I am going to eat," she said in a terrified tone.
"Roshini look you are not a small child; you have to look after your health. So eat before 9:00 or 9:30, okay? There is only a short time there for Sunday so go parlor and do something to look brighter when you come here," her mom advised. When Last time Roshini went to her house her mom was worried to see her becoming lean day by day. She scolded her for not eating properly and advised her on how to eat and what to eat and added to that she told about this marriage proposal.
Roshini doesn't want to engage in these meetups and marrying someone now is impossible for her since she is mentally not prepared at all, but her dad's compulsion eventually made her accept this marriage.
For how long she can say 'no' to their proposals, then there comes a question whether 'are you in love?' Yeah, she is in love but that's not a valid thing to show as a reason, her love is nothing. She can't tell her parents that she is still thinking about someone who she doesn't know her feeling, or whether he is having any feelings for her?
Out of everything she did, this acceptance was really bothering her, it is giving a guilty feeling like she doing something wrong. Just as a namesake she is going to meet that guy on Sunday and going to tell she didn't like that person.
At first, her parents and her Aunt were thinking about getting her married to Arjun then finally he opened up his love for his parents and he got married last month. And now they were all searching for a perfect groom for Roshini.
"Okay, okay," she nodded her head with a smile. After ending the call her face frowned. Roshini just listened to whatever she is saying and yes for her commands.
Later she had her food and went again to her room to take her bag, in searching for her ID card, she found it was hanged on the mirror.
She took it and turned her gaze to her imposing image. Everything is changed, she is not at all like how she is used to be in college. She looks like a different person with that specs. Though she has entirely changed her outer look, she is still that Roshini who was very kind, heartbroken and was still having feelings for someone who left her with an unforgettable scar.
She smiled seeing her confident self, she is making a lot of money and turned out as a perfect woman. Nevertheless, when she thought about that person, the past memories will flash before her eyes. She doesn't know any single detail about Siddharth, like what he is doing now? She does not even know that Siddharth was in India or not.
She heard that he is still abroad a long time before. And recently while talking to Nidhi she said Siddharth came back to India but she is not sure about that. But whatever it is, nothing going to give a change in Roshini's life.
Her days were passing like the white cloud traveling in the infinite blue sky, she doesn't know where it is going and what is her destination would be but she is still heading in the way where her life is dragging her to.
She came out of her house and Anu was talking to someone on the phone, Roshini knows it must be her fiancé, she going to get married on next week Wednesday and today she is leaving Chennai and tomorrow Roshini is leaving Chennai. She will return back after attending her marriage. She is excited for another one reason that after a long time Roshini is going to meet Nidhi who came from Delhi last week for her baby shower. Nidhi was working there in Delhi but now she's on her maternity leave and Varun has become a successful lawyer.
Seeing Roshini, Anu telling something on the phone ended the call. She started her bike and Roshini sat behind her. They headed to their office.
They took the elevator, it was filled with mostly men, and they are all good looking in their own way. Roshini just looked down, she not even liked the idea about seeing them, why she turned like this was her big question. Whenever she sees a handsome guy, only Siddharth's thoughts were popping before her. So she stopped doing that too.
She worked and worked until the clock strikes 7.00 pm and that's her limit Roshini decided to leave and Anu already left in the afternoon for packing her things. She took a bus and sat near the window side seat. The skies are void of stars and the lightning indicated that it is going to rain. When she reached her stop Roshini walked in a hurry to reach her house but the rain started to pour and she got drenched before getting into her house.
She felt defeated while heading to her room, she changed her dress and laid on her bed.
Again, I failed in my mission, you know what Siddharth I reminded you five times today, and yesterday ten times. Every day I am longing to see you anywhere, among the men who I came across like I am how I do it in the college. I am hoping and hoping but I know in the end I can't have you at all, Roshini thought and her eyes welled with tears. She instantly got up and went near the window to change her thoughts.
Seeing the rain Roshini reminded the moment when Siddharth ran to her on that rainy day and asked her as a friend, that was an unforgettable memory. She is still feeling those words he said near her ears. What kind of man he is, who just made her entire world with only his images?
Feeling tired, Roshini again laid on her bed and turned on her music player, and hearing songs she slept eventually.
On Friday evening...
"Roshini have you reached the station," her dad asked.
"Yeah dad I am in the central station," she replied and checked her watch, the time was 8.30 pm, she then went to her seat and placed her bag on the middle birth. Tomorrow she will be in heaven, her house, Coimbatore. That feeling itself was so alluring to her.
The train reached Coimbatore station at 5.00 am in the morning, she came out of the station and found her brother was waiting for her.
"How are you Karthi?" she asked in a caring tone.
"I am fine, how are you?"
"I am fine too." She replied by plastering a smile on her face.
They headed to their house on his brother's bike. Roshini's mom was happy to see her after two months. She just hugged her daughter and kissed her cheeks like she is still a small kid.
"Mom I am going to sleep," she whined. Roshini saw her dad was sleeping so she headed to her room and laid feeling the warmth in her bed, this feeling she will never get anywhere else.
Drifted in a deep slumber Roshini then again woke up at 10. She smiled to hear that chirping sound of birds. Heading into the bathroom she came out after finishing her morning chores. Roshini bought a cup of coffee and went to the backside of her house. That time she got a call from Nidhi.
"Hey, come to my house immediately I have to see you," Nidhi ordered first and Roshini chuckled.
"Okay, okay. Just half an hour I will be there," Roshini assured.
Like she said Roshini got ready to meet her best friend after eight months. She headed to her mother in law's house where she is staying now, her parents are now settled in Kerala.
"Nidhar?" Roshini entered her house and Nidhi's faces lit up in unknown happiness to hear her voice.
"Roshini," Nidhi smiled.
Roshini went to her and hugged her in sideways. "How are you?" Nidhi asked.
"I am fine," Roshini said in uncontrollable happiness.
"What are the specs? You are looking like a different person, but it is good on you," Nidhi exclaimed. Roshini beamed.
Nidhi's mother in law welcomed Roshini and gave some refreshments. Then they started talking about their life and Nidhi informed Varun will come on next week, Roshini said that she is leaving in three days. Hearing that Nidhi frowned.
Then their conversation moved to their college, classmates, and ended in Siddharth.
"Are you still thinking... about him," Nidhi whispered hesitantly.
Roshini just nodded her head conveying her answer is Yes. Nidhi sighed.
"How can you still think about him?" she asked.
"I don't know," Roshini said in a defeated voice.
"Okay leave that, you are going to meet a guy on Sunday right," she grinned.
"Yeah, I don't like it at all."
"Roshini there is a limit for everything, moving on from this is the only thing you got in your hands. If you keep holding it then in this lifetime you can never forget him," Nidhi advised.
"I am trying," she retorted but actually she doesn't want to forget him at all.