Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 63

Avni waited anxiously to see Karan's car in the driveway. He was to come home around five thirty he had said. She was in her room. The gift had been finished, wrapped and delivered an hour before Karan was to come home. She paced the floor of her room. She had already played the game will he like it or will he not a thousand times already. But it was not that there were several dark clouds in the sky today though it hadn't rained yet, the wind had picked up and it looked stormy if one was to peek outside. In case it rained before he came home the gift would be ruined. She clasped then unclasped her hands even as she was reminded of their conversation on his birthday.

"Hello," Karan had said with authority and confidence.

And for a second she had been silent. Despite the familiarity of his voice she had felt strange. She had never called him up before. But when he had enquired who it was sternly she had replied.

"Hi," she had said shyly.

Maybe it had been his turn to go silent on the other side. For a second she thought she had lost the call but before she could check he had spoken up.

"Avni," he had said a bit unsure, "is that you?" he had asked.

"Yes," she had replied, "am I disturbing you?" she had asked.

"Not really," he had said a bit lazily, "but if it is okay can I call you in a bit, I am a bit tied up here," he had told her calmly.

"Sure," she had said calling herself ten kinds of fool for calling him during work hours. She could have called later. "I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday," she had immediately answered, "sorry to bother you," she added as she rushed to finish, "have a nice day," she had said, "bye," and with that she had kept the phone down.

What had she just said over the phone she had pondered over later? And had come up with only one answer. It was the dumbest thing she had ever said to him. In one breath she had wished him, apologized to him, asked him to have a nice day when the day was all but over and said goodbye. If he never spoke to her again she would be the one to be blamed for it. What was wrong with her she had wondered? It was his birthday. And all she had to do was wish him nicely. She had slapped her forehead for her sheer stupidity then. But what was done was done. And with a sigh she had gone back to finishing what she had started. What she hadn't anticipated was that he might call back later and he did.

As Karan's number had flashed around nine she had almost dropped the handset. Why was he calling her now? But she had wiped the sweat off her hand at the back of her kurta and taken the call.

"Hello," she had said not sure if he was angry at her or not. And so her voice had held a certain amount of tremor.

"Hey," she heard Karan's usual, self-assured, confident voice. But there was no hurried pace it was very leisurely. "Sorry, I was tied up when you had called earlier," he had apologized, "now you can wish me all you want," he had said in his teasing voice and Avni had realized she had lost hers somewhere.

"Avni?" he had asked as concern had entered his teasing voice and she had responded immediately.

"Yes," she had said a little unsteadily, "I am here," she had said, "I am sorry, I didn't realize you would be busy...I mean I should have called you later," she had said trying to unclog her head, "they were working hours and..." she could have gone on but his laughter stopped her.

"Avni seriously," he had said in between his laughs, "you should learn to loosen up a bit. It is alright. With business anyway there is no such thing as working hours. Actually I had taken my colleagues out for lunch and we were still finishing coffee when you called so I wasn't really working and you hadn't interrupted anything important so relax," he had informed.

And Avni felt foolish.

"Sorry," she had responded back.

"You know you really should stop saying that word as often as you do," he had said and she had been positive he was shaking his head on the other side.

"Happy Birthday," she had wished then.

"Thank you," he had said suddenly serious, "thanks Avni, your call made my day," he had told her and she forgot how to breathe as those words sank in.

She had made his day with just one call. He couldn't have made her happier had he given her the world, just those heartfelt words had made her realize how much he had come to mean to her. That she wasn't falling in love with him anymore she did love him. The staggering effect that realization had on her she had tears in her eyes.

"You are most welcome," she had said softly still reeling with the effect of her admission to her. "What did you do today?" she had asked so he could talk and she could come to grips with her emotions.

And he had. He told her about Manya's midnight call, then Uday's morning call, his mother's wishes and what he had done the entire day. The party his colleagues and coworkers at office had thrown then the lunch they had had and now that he was finally alone in his rented apartment he did feel the need to be home. She had heard everything and yet nothing had registered. She was happy and sad at the same moment. Happy because she was in love with the best man on earth and sad because she would never be able to tell him that. Of course, he would never think of her in the same light anyway. When he had wished her goodnight she had responded back and clicked the phone shut.

After that she had sat late in the night and finished his gift. Then had cried her heart out at the cruelty of fate. For the first time she had felt anger stirring inside her at the injustice of it all.

Avni was brought back to the present with a loud bark. She jerked her head up to see Karan had returned. Her hungry gaze took his distant form in. It seemed it had just started to drizzle. Karan rushed his dogs inside when he saw the huge package waiting for him. As Avni held her breath he saw the name tag then turned his head in the direction of her room and she quickly ducked her head then turning back he picked it up and took it inside. As he closed the door behind him Avni released the breath she had been holding. She had done her best and she hoped he would like it.

What she had no clue about was that fate had its ways of getting people together. And time never remained the same. Things changed and the power to change people or their opinions rested in the ever changing time. Something Avni would realize very soon.

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