Second chance

Second chance

“Mom, I will see you next week! Your coffee is in the microwave, a strong one for a strong woman”

Rashi heard as Anika left for her training. Rashi walked into the kitchen and took the cup of coffee out of the microwave. She smiled as she saw which cup Anika had picked, ‘World’s best mum’. Anika had saved her pocket money for several weeks when she was twelve, to buy Rashi that cup for her birthday that year.

As Rashi sat at the dining table, the cold morning breeze made her shiver. She walked in and got her shawl and stepped out on the balcony. Rashi loved the nip in the air that beckoned winter. Winter was her favorite season and ever since she had moved to Pune, she knew how precious those few days were. She had taken a few weeks off from work and for the first time in many years, she had a peaceful morning to herself.

Rashi had met Anuj at her graduation party. He was her friend’s older brother and he was visiting her from USA. Her friend had dragged him along, but he was fun and had quickly made friends. Rashi was intrigued and also mildly annoyed with him. Partly because it was her party and he was stealing the show but also because she envied him. She was a quiet person who enjoyed Ghazals more than rock music. She had only agreed to the party as her mother was very insistent and she really didn’t want to break her heart.

Just before leaving the party, Anuj had asked her if she wanted to go for a movie next day. Rashi wanted to say no, but she said yes. “I am just being polite”, she told herself but she knew that she was interested in getting to know Anuj.

Anuj never said ‘I love you’, never got down on his knees and yet, Rashi was drawn to him. He was impulsive, Rashi always weighed all possibilities before taking any decision. The worst case scenario was played in her head, so she always knew what was the worst that could happen. Rashi never thought she would eat ice cream on a cold winter evening, but she did. It was an exhilarating feeling and slowly, but surely, Rashi fell in love.

Anuj hadn’t really planned on what he was going to do after his post graduation. He had come back to India and luckily, with a strong support system at home, there was no urgency to find work. He had met Rashi and she was the exact opposite of the kind of girl he thought he would land up with. Yet, her calm and composed behavior brought stability in his perpetual high energy.

When Rashi told her parents that Anuj mentioned they should get married, she hadn’t expected their reaction. They were vary of their relationship. They suggested that Rashi and Anuj should wait for a few months at least before taking the plunge, but their love was young and it was impatient. So when Rashi’s parents didn’t agree, Rashi turned to her closest friend, Kabir. Kabir had been Rashi’s classmate since they were in pre-school. He had always been there for her when she needed a friend. Kabir had been a witness to Rashi and Anuj’s love story. Rashi and Anuj got married in the court and while there was no Bollywood drama, they had their share of drama. Rashi’s parents refused to meet them for a few months but eventually relented. Anuj’s parents also came around eventually.

When Rashi found out she was pregnant, she almost panicked. She wasn’t really thinking of starting a family and Anuj didn’t really understand that life had changed for them since marriage. Yet, she wanted to keep the baby. Something just felt right to her. What she found endearing about Anuj, started to worry her. She needed a partner in the parenting process and she started to feel, Anuj still was a child himself. Rashi and Anuj spent every waking moment arguing and the day Anuj asked her to abort the baby, Rashi put her foot down, and so did Anuj, never to look back.

First few months had been very difficult, while her parents and in-laws welcomed her with open arms, Rashi was not prepared to handle this on her own. Anika had been an easy baby and eventually they settled into a routine. Rashi got a job and with the help of the grandparents, Rashi and Anika began to grow together. There were times when Rashi missed Anuj very much, she waited for him to come back but deep inside she knew, he was not going to.

Her parents and in-laws were her support system through the ups and downs she went through. Rashi’s friends had also come through and supported her. She wasn’t the kind to do things impulsively, yet, life had made her take decisions on the fly. She hated last minute changes but this is how her life had been. Was she ungrateful? No, she had accepted long back, this was her life, at least for now.

This was more than two decades back. Life had indeed moved on and managing a child and a full time job had taken up all of Rashi’s time and mental space. Anika was working now, and was about to get married to a wonderful boy, Pratik.

Pratik had inched his way into Rashi’s heart. He was kind, caring and most importantly, very mature. He had been there when Anika had fractured her leg, making sure not only Anika’s leg healed, but also Rashi’s frayed nerves. A part of Rashi always feared that Pratik would leave Anika, but she had let go of her fears eventually.

Rashi was looking forward to the wedding ceremony, she had invited her close friends and she hadn’t seen some in several years. Kabir had been there through out the planning. Some times, Rashi wondered why he never got married. Back in college, he always told her that he wanted to wait till he secured a good job, before telling the girl he liked about how he felt. Rashi always relied on him to be there for her and he did, he was the shoulder to lean on. A few times later, she asked him about this girl, but he said “She moved on”. The hurt in his eyes was so severe, that Rashi let it go. She knew how it felt to be hurt and how hard it was to heal.

The wedding celebrations were planned and executed impeccably. To see Anika decked up, looking so happy, was a feeling that shone over whatever sadness she felt at giving her away. Pratik had promised Rashi that she was getting a son, not losing a daughter. As the lights dimmed, for their dance, Pratik said he wanted to say something. He pulled out a note. “My dear friend, I have wanted to say this to you for the longest time, but there was never a right time. I wish I could turn back time, and I wish I had told you how I felt back then. I knew you were my soul mate, but I knew you were happier elsewhere. I have waited for you and will always be here for you, but I wish I didn’t have to wait any more, but I could be with you.”

Rashi was confused, this made no sense. Anika had a smile on her face that could light up the room and it was not just because she was getting married, this was something else. She smiled at Pratik, and took over the note. “My dear, I knew you always had responsibilities and I knew that you would never put me ahead of your family. But today, I have written this note to you. This has taken tremendous courage and I hope, if you are reading this, I have also given this to you. Will you please spend the rest of your life with me, Rashi? Love, Kabir”.

Rashi was speechless and Anika and Pratik held Kabir’s hand and got him to the stage. Kabir’s face was flushed, but the smile was impossible to erase. Anika saw the confusion on Rashi’s face and explained how she had found this note crumpled in the back of the car a few months back. She had shown it to Pratik and they both knew, Rashi would never say yes, until Anika got married. They had plotted and planned for this moment, while Rashi and Kabir were planning the wedding.

Rashi, still shocked, looked at Kabir, tears rolling down her eyes. Kabir could only gratefully smile at Anika and Pratik, as he went down on his knees. “Rashi, will you please marry me?”. Rashi, continued to smile and cry at the same time, until Kabir said “Please, I am not getting any younger and I can’t be on my knees for much longer”.

“Yes”, exclaimed Rashi. Anika hugged Kabir, he was after all, the only father figure she knew apart from her grandfathers. “I can’t believe, you almost didn’t give her this note!” She reprimanded.

Rashi and Kabir found each other, maybe a little later than they planned, but now that they did, they planned to make the most of their time