Destiny

28. HIM Thinking Of Coming Back To HER

The morning breeze was pleasant but there was a nip in the air. Anand wrapped a scarf around his neck, afraid that the weather would give him a cold, and then a cough.

In life, every decision has a side-effect, too, he mused, and we should always
calculate the pros and cons of a particular course of action before taking a decision.

But somehow. . .Anand sighed. His mind stubbornly continued to recall the things he wished to forget, made a conscious effort to forget. He tried to rationalize his decisions, but his mind was in constant turmoil.

Normally, he took his morning walk in his garden, which was spread over an
acre of land. There were so many fruit trees and flower-beds that the combined fragrance would waft in the breeze and make the entire house smell sweet.

When Aadya (Anand's Younger Sister) came from Bangalore with her baby daughter for a visit, the gardener plucked the flowers from various plants and strung them for her to wear in her hair. Sunaina was no longer interested in all those things; she had grown old, and arthritis had crippled her body.

And what of Anupama? Anand’s thoughts stopped as he reached the parijata tree. The ground below it was covered with its beautiful and delicate flowers.

Sunaina always said, ‘This is the flower brought by Lord Krishna to please his
queen, Rukmini.’ As far as Anand was concerned, the parijata always reminded him of Anupama.

When he had left for England, his heart had been in India. Anand was very
ambitious by nature. In an attempt to discourage him from going, Anupama had said, ‘We just got married. Why do you have to go to England now? We already have everything we could possibly need. Besides, Mother is growing old; we should stay near her.’

Anand had told her, ‘Anu, you don’t understand life. If you go to England and get a degree, then the people here respect you. And, after all, it is just for three years.’

His mother’s wishes and his wife’s entreaties had not dissuaded him in the least.

In England, Anand had met Shivani Arora. She was a doctor from Bombay,
who believed that, with her fair skin, green eyes, and auburn hair, she was very beautiful. Anand, however, thought she was not a patch on Anupama.

Shivani was hurt when he made no attempts to be friendly with her. She had approached him one evening and said, ‘Anand, don’t you have any time at all to talk to your colleagues?’

‘No, I hardly get any free time.’

‘This is the best period of our lives. We are young and we don’t have any
responsibilities; we should enjoy ourselves now.’

‘That is true, Shivani. But this is also the time for us to study and build our
careers.’ Anand cut her short and went away.

He was eagerly waiting for Anupama to arrive. Then, Shivani would understand the meaning of real beauty. He would feel happy for days after speaking to Anupama or receiving a letter from her.

He could have brought her with him, but his mother had put her foot down. ‘Anand, I have accepted the girl you have chosen, and she should accept my condition. She can go only after the Lakshmi puja is completed successfully. Don’t hurt me by saying no.’

Anand could not refuse his mother’s plea. She had not only consented to the
alliance without a fuss but had also borne the expenditure of the entire wedding.