At The Right Time

Chapter-11

Jai felt lonely as his boys left after Deepavali. Though he knew that they will have their own lives soon he missed them badly. One day Srikanth called him and told


‘Dad I need to talk something in person….’


‘I couldn’t recover the after effects of what happened last when you told this last time’ Jai laughed.


‘No dad..This is not a bad news’


‘Don’t tell me it’s about your girl friend.. whatever it is I’m coming near Coimbatore next weekend. Team outing to Ooty’


‘Team outing? ‘


‘Our HR is behind me. They seem to have found senior management involvement is less in collaboration activities and completely behind me. Pretty ridiculous considering the cold weather’


‘Ok Dad. Let’s catch up here.’


Jai just returned from abroad on the day when team was about to start. He travelled by road and joined the team directly in Ooty. It was pretty late at night when he reached the resort. Srikanth had plans to meet him in Ooty.


His team was sitting before camp fire and having drinks. Jai sat along with the team but he felt that his presence didn’t suit the atmosphere. He couldn’t gel well as most of them have started to unwind. His eyes searched for Priya as she wasn’t seen. Somewhere close by there was another gang of people but Priya wasn’t seen in them. Few of his one down were sitting in the resort’s coffee shop. He joined them and happily chatted for sometime. Jai took leave of them and started to his room. He was tired after long road journey.


Jai’s assistant who was also part of this trip followed him at a safe distance. Earlier when Jai came to speak to him he acted as if he was drunk. He has been allotted a task of following Jai’s activities which he carried out. It was such a simple task which was providing him rich rewards.


Jai had taken a family suite as his boys will be joining him. He went to the window answering an official call. He saw a lone figure sitting in the resort bench. He wondered who will be sitting alone on a chilly night. As he finished the call he got a good glimpse of the person.


It was none other than Priya.


He wondered why Priya was sitting alone. He knew that she mixed well with colleagues.He wanted to know whether she was alright. Most of the team were either drunk or went to sleep. He didn’t have her mobile number to call her. Something was blocking him to go up to her and see whether everything is okay. On an impulse he called Srikanth.


‘Dad what’s up? You haven’t gone to sleep yet?’ Srikanth answered


‘Srikanth do you have Priya’s number?’ Jai asked coming to the point straight.


‘Will send you. But why do you need that at this time?’


‘She is sitting all alone in the cold weather for quite sometime. Just want to…’


‘Dad I completely forgot about her… she was telling me she didn’t want to join this trip.’


‘Our HR was relentless this time, they made everyone to come. But why she didn’t want to?’ Jai was curious to know the reason.


‘She came to this very resort for her honeymoon that’s why.. .’ Srikanth replied.


‘Oh she is just missing her husband is it?’ Jai’s tone became normal. He was really worried about her. He saw from his window that Priya was sitting in the same bench.


‘Dad…This is bad.’


‘Come on Srikanth…She’s an army wife, she should know that she cannot stay with her husband due to his work. I was really worried…’


‘Dad don’t tell me that you don’t know about her…’


‘ What?’


‘Don’t you know her husband Col.Ganesh passed away three years ago?’ Srikanth asked.


‘No… I don’t’ Jai stammered as he caught the window pane for balancing himself.

 

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