You Are Missing In My Heart!

Thanks dear Lata!!

 

Thanks SB.. Will post now!

 

For missing hearts, Every day is V-day
(I, apparently forgot the entire V-day )

Thanks so much PS, for waiting!

 

Thanks ritz!!

 

Thats so sweet of You, Adharv!!

 

Thanks dear Leena!! Btw, what does the hindi words mean?

 

Part 23:

Nethra peeped out from her window seat in the bus to Chennai. It has been one week since she moved out of Abhinay’s house. And, in this one week, she has not spoken to Abhinay at all and he has not tried to contact her either. She checked the time. It was 8 PM and the bus was about to start. That was the only bus which had seat availability. She again checked her mobile screen; it had become a habit in the past one week, checking the mobile every now and then – a habit which Nethra had not possessed till then. She had not informed Abhinay about her trip to home. After some thought, she unlocked her screen and typed a text – “Hi, I am leaving to Chennai tonight for the weekend” and after reading it for a few times she hit send and waited impatiently.

Her mobile beeped in another 50 seconds and the screen displayed Abhinay’s reply – “Oh ok. At what time is the bus? I will drop you in the bus stand”

She stared at the text for a few seconds. She expected that he would ask why she had not informed him before, but he didn’t. She wondered whether he would be angry if she tells that she was already in the bus. She typed, “Thanks, but I am already in the bus; it’s scheduled to leave at 8” she sent and awaited an angry response citing the danger she was still in.

He took a little longer to reply and she assumed a big message was in the making. After 2 minutes, her display flashed the text which read – “Oh” and there was nothing else. Somehow that single worded reply affected her more. She did not know whether it was disappointment or anger behind that response and she did not know whether she should reply back and if yes, what to reply. She threw the mobile inside her hand bag, pushed her seat back and closed her eyes.


Nethra walked into the Koyambedu bus stand and sat in a free chair. It was just 4 AM and she decided to start after 5 from the bus stand in public transport to her home, that would be safer, she thought. Till then it was safe to sit inside the overcrowded bus stand. She ran her eyes around her. People slept everywhere on the floor in every direction, making the walking group to take zigzag longer routes to reach their destination points. Most of the chairs were occupied with sleepy citizens. There was a lonely Tea shop which was busy even at that odd hour with men trying to chase off the sleep with a cup of tea. Even Nethra thought she could do better with some tea, but she was reluctant to go among those men and buy one for her. It would get her unwanted attention, she dropped the idea. Her mobile rang and she wondered who would be calling her at that time. Immediately, she thought of Abhinay. He was the only one who knew she was travelling. He may be checking whether she reached safely. A warm feeling rushed through her as she found her mobile inside her handbag.

The display said it was Arjun. She answered the call as a small disappointment sank in.

“Hey Arjun! Not sleeping?” she asked.

“Where are you?” He asked without answering her question, anger seeping in his every syllable.

“In Chennai” she said and she could guess what was coming.

“I know that. I am asking exactly where? In Koyambedu? In mofussil bus stand? or private bus stand? where?” he said impatiently.

“Inside the bus stand. In the chairs near the main entrance. Why?” she asked in a low voice.

“Stay there!” and the call was disconnected.

She frowned at the mobile screen but she sat there as he said. After a few minutes she spotted Arjun making his way towards her amidst the sleeping citizens on the floor. She waved at him enthusiastically and his face softened in spite of himself.

He got her luggage from her and walked with her towards the exit without speaking anything. She too did not ask how he came to know about her coming. She knew exactly how he would have got the information. The same warm feeling returned. Her spirits soared in spite of Arjun’s mood.

“Ajuuu…”

“hmm..”

“Chennai is safe only know! That’s why I didn’t tell you.. Don’t keep your face like that” she cajoled.

“There is no use explaining anything to you Neethu! You are simply not taking things seriously” he said. “Atleast in Bangalore you should have asked Abhinay or Karthick to accompany you. Did you do that? Here you are sitting here alone at this odd hour.. Exactly in which language should I speak to make some sense to you?” he added.

“Greek? Or Italian? You can choose either. I am proficient in both” she said seriously.

He glared at her and before he could reply she said, “I want tea.. I am so hungry and you are not even getting me a single tea” she pouted.

He hit his forehead with his palm and pulled her to a nearby tea shop.


Nethra lied on her bed. Her nine inch foam mattress absorbed her with love and she inhaled the familiar smell of herself on her pillow and mattress. Nirmala came and sat near her daughter and Nethra moved her head from the pillow to her mother’s lap. Nirmala caressed her daughter’s hair fondly and kept looking at her face. She suddenly asked,

“Are you not sleeping properly Papu?” in a concerned voice.

“Nothing like that. Why Maa?” Nethra answered without opening her eyes.

“There are slight dark circles forming under your eyes! Also, you look restless!” Nirmala declared.

“Maa! Don’t imagine things.. nothing like that” she rolled and hid her face on the pillow playfully but a small part of her was alarmed by her mother’s observation.

“Imagine? I am your mother! I know you more than you yourself do! You have travelled yesterday night, and normally you would have slept for hours after reaching here.. but, today you did not sleep at all. You are just tossing in your bed.. and you say I imagine things?” Nirmala asked sarcastically pulling her daughter back into her lap.

“Wow! Ma! You found out eh? You are pure genius.. Actually, I had a drug.. It’s so famous in Bangalore.. It just keeps you so active and awake” Nethra said in an ecstatic tone and inhaled slowly acting like inhaling some drug powder.

“And, is that drug’s name Coffee?” Nirmala asked and continued, “You know how to distract me, don’t you? Vaalu (naughtly child).. but, Neethu ma.. If there is anything that’s bothering you, tell Amma.. hmm?” She asked looking at her daughter with a worried expression.

Nethra wondered how easily her mother had found out her mood, when she herself was so unsure. ‘Is this something that comes with the motherhood package?’ she thought and said, “Sure ma.. who else will I talk to? There is really nothing.. You don’t worry, ok?” smiling, Nirmala went out to continue with her lunch preparations.

Again, as she was left alone in her room, her mind went back to Abhinay and she wondered what mood he would really be in. It would be an understatement to say that she thought about Abhinay most of the time in the past one week. There were only a few occasions, when she did not really think about him. She was aware how she was always occupied with his thoughts. In the beginning, she tried resisting those thoughts, trying to divert her attention to something else, but the more she resisted, the memories bounced back stronger, playing those little moments she spent with him and she helplessly noticed the warmth his memories brought along.


Anita sat on her bed staring at her mobile screen. A big tear drop formed and rolled down her cheeks blurring the image of Abhinay on her mobile screen. She blinked away the film of tear and looked at him. He looked much younger than he looked in the present. The picture was taken in their college canteen. Abhinay sat near her with a boyish smile that brightened his entire face. There were two other friends on his other side. Memories of that particular day shook her. She kept looking at him, at his smile. He had changed a lot since then, she thought. All the years in between and his struggle with a start-up business had made him tough. He had become more mature and reserved. A sharp glint of intelligence replaced the mischievousness of his eyes and he seldom smiled, or maybe didn’t smile to her she reasoned.

She wiped the traces of tear away from her face and sat straight. The purpose of her joining in Abhinay’s firm was not achieved, she was not even close. There was no improvement in her relationship with Abhinay. She did not have many opportunities to meet or interact with him. All the projects she worked on, was handled by Mithun and Mithun, who seemed supportive in her initial days, was not so anymore. She did not know whether he got any special instructions from Abhinay but the thought gave her a piercing pain. When she tracked where Abhinay was and planned to join his firm, she was aware that he would definitely be angry with her, but she also believed that by working together, she could re-establish the lost emotional connect with him, but working together did not happen at all. In the few occasions, where she tried to voluntarily seek his attention, his reaction was severe. She remembered the stone-like face that did not even waver on seeing her after all those years. ‘Maybe he is waiting for me to leave by myself’ she thought.

Her idea to get to him through Samyuktha also did not work. Samyuktha’s friendly nature and the expectation that she saw in her eyes was encouraging initially. But, even that had started wearing off. Last weekend, when she called to check whether she can visit, Samyuktha had politely told her that she was having some guests already. And, to top it all, when she called a couple of days before, though her friendly manners did not change, she started speaking about prospective matches for Abhinay to her. She spoke like she had already finalized someone. She remembered how with great pain she asked about Abhinay’s opinion regarding the alliance. “Oh! He has already left the decision entirely to me!” Samyuktha had said with pride. ‘Is that true?’ she asked to the Abhinay on her mobile screen. She doubted that Abhinay had given his instructions to Samyuktha as well. “No Abhinay! I will not give up so easily” she told him and his boyish smile did not waver!

(Contd.)