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He had a mission to accomplish this time – to bring Roshni back into his life! How could he achieve this? It was past 10 p.m., and he could not sleep. He gave up and got out of bed; a cup of chai would be refreshing.
The fresh ginger lay on the counter. He opened a cabinet next to the stove and found tea leaves, sugar and ground cardamom powder. Fortunately he did not have to dig into other cabinets to look for the ingredients. He boiled water and milk and added tea leaves and spices. The aroma of cardamom powder was enticing as he stood there watching the chai simmer with fresh ginger and spice. He strained the chai into a cup and moved to the family room in front of the TV.
~ ~ ~
At the hospital, Aunty fed Roshni and gave her the medicines. Aunty also had her dinner, and then she sat beside Roshni.
She held Roshni’s hand. “Roshni bete, I am so happy that Deepak beta is here. You will have a lot of moral support with him around.”
Roshni nodded her head.
“You know, bete, Deepak is so handsome and also seems like a nice person. You both make such a good couple. May God bless you both with a long married life.”
Roshni smiled in her heart. Yeah, right! How can I tell you, Aunty, that we are already separated. I do not know why he is here. He had to come to Bangalore for a job, and he visited me so none suspected. She was lost in deep thought and became quiet.
“Roshni bete, what happened? Where are you?”
“Oh, nothing, Aunty, nothing.”
Roshni was curious to know what arrangements were made at home. “By the way, where did you arrange for Akash bhaiya and Deepak to sleep?”
“Why, of course, Deepak beta will use your room, and I cleaned the guest room for Akash beta,” Aunty replied.
Roshni was not very delighted about Deepak sharing her room. She sincerely hoped Deepak would return to Mumbai or move to another place. She was tired, so she asked Aunty to help her lie down. Of course, Deepak yelling at her was ringing in her ears, and with great difficulty, she dozed off.
~ ~ ~
It was around 11 p.m., and Deepak heard the door being unlocked. Sheetal and Akash returned from their meeting, and they saw Deepak was still awake.
Akash and Sheetal were good friends and enjoyed each other’s company. Their personalities matched – both of them were calm, very composed and mature, and more importantly, they seemed to share similar interests. Akash had already shown interest in her, and this trip, it was obvious that Sheetal also had begun to like him. Roshni noticed the glimpses of this growth in their relationship, and she was happy for both of them.
“Deepak, you have not slept!” Akash said, not expecting to see Deepak still awake.
“No, couldn’t sleep.”
Akash sat next to Deepak on the sofa. “Are you thinking about Roshni? Is that why you are unable to sleep?”
Deepak nodded.
Sheetal noticed this, and she joined the brothers in the family room, making herself comfortable on a chair at a distance. “Deepak ji, don’t worry. She’ll be all right. It’s just a matter of time,” she assured Deepak.
Deepak was quiet, and Akash sensed his uneasiness. He put his hand on Deepak’s shoulder. “Deepak, what is the matter, mere bhai? You seem very down.”
Deepak was silent. He appeared very stressed, and his eyes became moist.
“Deepak, what happened? Please tell me; maybe I can help,” Akash said, noticing his wet eyes.
Deepak looked at Sheetal and Akash. “I want to share something with both of you. Sheetal ji, because you are Roshni’s roommate and by now you know a lot about her, and Akash bhaiya, you have gotten so close to Roshni after our marriage, I think I should share this.”
Akash and Sheetal glanced at each other and could not comprehend the situation. They wondered what he had to share.
“What I did today was definitely not right; I wounded her again,” Deepak started.
“Again! What do you mean?” asked Akash.
Deepak took a deep, long breath. He stroked his chin and was silent for a moment. “There is a secret that nobody here knows, the secret of our marriage.”
Akash and Sheetal were puzzled. They waited eagerly for Deepak to continue.
