We Found Love

Part 01

Episode 05 – Misery

Until here: Pranay has broken up with Leila and Rohan. He is hurt, sad and lonely. He has been living in Dawn City and working on his new album.

Nayanika had rushed to the City Hospital as soon as she got her mother’s call. Rajesh had met with a terrible accident on his way to work. He had been thinking about his daughter all the while driving the car. “Me and my ill cursed luck, for God’s sake why should I get a daughter that too a disobedient one as heiress? She wants to write books it seems, what on earth will you get from writing books? neither money nor fame. All my life I have made money and property why? Just so that I could hand it over to a son who would take care of it and double it of course. Now , that I have a daughter there’s more expenses on my side. Where shall I find a boy who is from well off , prosperous family who could be an equal partner in my…..this had been his train of thought when he was hit by an overspeeding truck from behind. The force with which the truck hit was such that Rajesh’s car travelled ten meters further and hit the divider on opposite road. The truck driver escaped, while the traffic police and people at the accident spot had come at once to help him. He had little consciousness when he was being carried to the hospital. Someone had found his dairy that had Shalini’s number in it and called her. Shalini had come running to the hospital and informed her daughter. She was totally shocked and was literally crying, not knowing what to do. The doctor had taken Rajesh to operation theatre saying that he had a severe brain hemorrhage and needed to be operated immediately.

After six tedious hours of operation the doctors said he failed to respond. Rajesh was no more. Shalini was devastated. It was true that her husband never supported her emotionally neither did he care but it is difficult for anyone to accept the truth that the person with whom you have been living for years is gone, is no more. Nayanika had no words to express what she was going through. She felt numb, she didn’t know whether to console her mother, or to go and look after the things that had to be done immediately. It took her hours to realize the intensity of the matter. She refused to believe that the man who embodied fear, aggression, authority and dominance all her life ceased to exist. Neverthless that didnt let her forget her responsibilities. She called her uncle and cousin, with their help she did what needed to be done.

For three months she and her mother lived their lives just because they were alive. Sometimes, Nayanika would suddenly slip into deep pondering. She would recall all those moments which could have been memorable if not for her father. She felt relieved that that fearsome man was no more to ruin her happiness. But the next moment we could see her curse herself for having such a terrrible and mean thought. She shuddered at the actuality of being a human, she knows its quite natural for her to have that thought yet she felt disturbed. She also felt sorry for her father who never realised the true meaning and purpose of life and with whom she can never share her happiness ever again. Her mother’s state of mind was pretty much the same. She was in a dilemma whether to be optimistic about her daughter’s future or mourn her husband’s loss. After thinking about it for days she concluded that it would be better if she perceived this as God’s plan rather than reasoning it.

Time is the best healer they say and true that Shalini and Nayanika slowly started getting their life back on track. Their relationship grew even more stronger. After all now they only had each other in this world. Nayanika started looking for jobs as sub editor in newspapers and magazines, she even began writing articles and short stories. Shalini wanted her settled, she would have loved seeing her daughter as a lecturer, a profession which she initially wished to join. But she didnt demur Nayanika’s zeal. She knew that one could create magic with things that they are passionate about.

On the flip side; film columns and entertainment blogs still gossiped about Pranay and Leila’s breakup. Few days after her fight with Pranay, Leila had left for New Zealand for magazine shoot and since then been travelling around the globe. She continuously switched between Paris, London, New York and Los Angeles. Many news reporters tried contacting her, but she avoided them all. If anyone casually interviewed her off runway and asked about her personal life she would cleverly dodge the questions. She busied herself in work, cause she knew that if she idled, she would destroy herself. Every time her mind recalled that dreadful day, she would divert her thoughts purposefully towards something else. “Not now, i’ll think about it later” this phrase kept her alive. Technically her conscience never accepted that painful separation.

Pranay continued his isolated life, he felt disgusted whenever he came across news or gossips about him and Leila. Once when he sneaked out to have lunch in a restaurant paparazzi tried to catch him. He had come out after days and those stubborn papparazis outside the restaurant door made him feel even more sickly. Since that day he went out in disguise. Besides he had also become a drug addict again. He took them to relieve his pain, he took them to find peace, he took them so that he could live. He had released his first single from the new album online but Country Music Records , his parent label were pressurizing him to start promoting the album. He did not want to, he did not know how to, his brother Ro was not there to look after it. He knew he was the reason behind his own failure, he was the reason why Ro was not there, he was the reason why Leila was not there.”Leila”….. Sometimes he remembered with a smile about all the best days he had with her, all the joy and fantasies they lived. He thought “It was not her fault that she got drugs to the party. She was just trying to help me. But why did she always do that? why did she always do the things that I obviously would do? Why are we so alike? Why are our minds so aligned with each other’s? And Ro my brother, my buddy he was only trying to clean up the mess…. why did I behave like a psychopath with them? I have hurt them very badly, they will never forgive. And and… why do I feel like its ok and I dont need them anymore… oh God…. I need to break away from this.”

He took cocaine in his hands but changed his mind and put it back on the plate. I will choose something else this time, he thought. He wore a hoodie, his glasses and stepped out into cold, windy evening of Dawn City…..

To be continued…