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An Enigma

Discussion in 'Stories (Fiction)' started by GeetaKashyap, Apr 25, 2019.

  1. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    Part 3

    For the next few days, Simran tried to ignore Angad. She did not want to get entangled unnecessarily to regret later. Much as she tried to ignore Angad she thought of him all the more. He seemed like a very familiar person from her past. Finally, with some encouragement from her friends, she messaged Angad on WhatsApp.


    Angad readily responded. Soon the ice between them melted and she found a true friend in him. Apart from their work, politics and other general topics, regularly they discussed Dr Sahani and that helped Simran rediscover her father slowly.


    *************************************************************


    A few weeks later, one of Dr Sahani’s friends, Mr Walia met Simran at the bank. In the course of their conversation, he mentioned that a few days before his death, Dr Sahani had mentioned about a friend in Mumbai, who had a son of marriageable age and the initial correspondence was on with them. Mr Walia wanted to know whether Simran was aware of this.


    This news disturbed Simran a lot as she wondered whether Angad was that eligible bachelor! That thought made her very angry and feel cheated; she felt that Angad should have been candid. After meeting her and after being in regular contact with her for over a month, Angad had still hidden the truth behind his visit! She assumed that this meant that he did not find her suitable and so he safely avoided the whole issue of matrimony but preferred communication over WhatsApp! She was also angry with her father and his silence on such a crucial issue concerning her life. After mulling over for a couple of days, Simran decided to confront Angad and get the answers.


    She sent a series of messages to him on WhatsApp-


    “Ever since my father’s friend, uncle Walia, mentioned about a groom from Mumbai who happens to be my father’s friend’s son, I am disturbed.”


    ”What was the real purpose behind your visit to Ludhiana? To meet my father or were you here in search of a bride?”


    “Why did you choose to be dishonest? I will never trust you.”


    “Don’t contact me again.”



    She cried as she typed the messages and sent to Angad. Again and again, she thought of him and felt humiliated. Yet she waited for his reply. She had grown fond of him, she had trusted him and the new information that he was the groom chosen by her father made her perceive Angad differently. She was confused about her own feelings. She checked the old correspondence between them repeatedly. She saw that he was friendly and neutral in all his messages. Most often his messages were about her father. Angad was still unearthing new information about Dr Sahani and sharing it with her. He had sent many messages about tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness and such lofty topics. All messages were platonic. She knew that all these pointed to the fact that Angad was decent and reliable. But Mr Walia’s information had turned her world upside down! She couldn’t get over the fact that Angad had violated her trust and cheated her.


    For the first time since their correspondence began, Angad had turned absolutely silent. As the loneliness over the weekend got the better of her, Simran willed herself to not check her phone repeatedly to see if Angad had replied. It had been about two long days now. This sinking feeling to find absolutely no communication from him was becoming unbearable. She did consider blocking and deleting his number, yet she hesitated and waited as she wanted answers from him. Simran also wondered whether she had overstepped her limits in her impulsiveness. Angad was active on WhatsApp and she knew it as she tracked his ‘last seen at’ status. But he had not replied to her! Simran was enraged equating his silence to his callousness. She was tortured by her own oscillating feelings and thoughts as she continued to wait for his reply.


    That day, even as she indecisively played with her phone she desperately prayed for Angad’s message. She felt compelled to message or call him and seek clarification but resisted fearing that she would come across as too wanting. In frustration as she was about to toss her phone, her phone chimed; there were multiple messages. With her heart thudding in her ear, she unlocked her phone and opened the WhatsApp. As she hurriedly read the messages from Angad, she was too stunned and numb to react. She nearly stopped breathing. She wondered whether Angad was joking!


    His message read as,


    “Sorry. I couldn’t answer earlier as your questions perplexed me.
    I am not that ‘eligible bachelor’ from Mumbai.”


    “I am in fact your half-brother. My mother, Dr Santosh Kaur Sachdev and our father, Dr Inder Sahani were classmates and they were secretly married. Due to the bitter opposition from their families, they were forcibly separated. My mother was pregnant by then; she rebelled against her family and settled in Mumbai. By the time she could again get in touch with our father, he had been forced into marriage with your mother.”


    “My mother decided to accept her destiny and she never contacted him again. She wanted his happiness. She never even spoke about him to me.”


    “I grew up believing that my father was dead. After my mother’s death on the eighteenth of December, while sorting her cupboard I found her personal diary and came to know about my father, for the first time in my life! So I visited Ludhiana, to meet my father.”


    “Several times I did consider sharing this information with you. But realizing how little you yourself knew about him and how critical you were about him on various issues, I had no option but to withhold information till you were ready to accept the reality.”


    “I am sorry. For the last two days, I battled with myself as to how best I could reveal this to you without upsetting you any further.”


    “My dear sister, please forgive me for creating confusion in your head. If you are ready to talk I would like to call you right away and clarify any other doubts you may have.”


    Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she re-read the messages trying to digest what Angad had revealed! She clutched her phone and cried bitterly for her parents and Angad’s mother. Destiny had indeed played a cruel game with them. Now she understood her parents, especially her father and his predicament in a new light. Even as she analyzed her parents’ situations another set of messages from Angad arrived.


    “Our parents did whatever best they could, under their own unique circumstances. Accepting and moving on would be the ideal thing for us to do now. Unnecessary analysis and criticism will not alter our past; it will only breed more resentment and unhappiness for life.”


    “While I do understand that it is not easy to accept, forgive, and forget, wisdom is in doing just that. I am thankful to God, for at least letting me know about my parents and the deep love shared by them till the end of their lives and for having met you!”


    “I am happy that I have found the right placements for all the pieces in the jigsaw puzzle of my life!”


    She realized that Angad had always tried to project her father in a very positive light. Yes, Angad had been preparing her all the while for this truth! She had always acknowledged the information he shared and the noble thoughts that he sent through messages with smilies or the thumbs up sign! Never once had she thought deeply about them. Now the sudden revelations by Angad made her acknowledge and accept her unchangeable past. After the initial downpour of emotions, she warmed up to the idea that she wasn’t alone anymore in the world; she had her brother with her! She could now relate why she had found Angad so familiar; his mannerisms were very much like their father’s! Without waiting any further she phoned her brother.


    ********************************END********************************
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2019
  2. shravs3

    shravs3 IL Hall of Fame

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    Loved the way how you depicted their emotions. Glad to know that atleast they have each other now.
     
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  3. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks, @shravs3 , for the positive verdict. You made me feel good.:hearteyes:
     
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  4. Adharv

    Adharv Gold IL'ite

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    :cheer::cheer:yippee I guessed it right Gurugale :banana::banana: So make sure you write a sequel and invite us for the wedding since two wedding are going to happen we can fix both Punjabi and Karnataka style. For time being for their reunion will arrange for some small party (continental food) :beer-toast1: hope this is not ur reaction :eek::hearteyes::hearteyes:

    @messedup sis for now please console yourself for ur wrong guess :roflmao:As I am busy deciding abt our costume. We can trust Geeta ma'am for the menu.

    :number_one: cool and happy end gurugale enjoyed reading :clap2::clap2:

    Simran's anxiety until Angad's confession was well captured. Awesome!!

    You have quoted it rightly :worship2: there is no point wasting time in blaming and opening the dam. Best part they both accepted each other :sunglasses:

    Over all you were very precise :thumbup:

    Thank you and keep rocking Gurugale.
     
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  5. muggs

    muggs Gold IL'ite

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    Every emotion captured perfectly. :clap2::clap2:With the last piece on the puzzle, completed a picture of a new relation and life long support for each other.

    Now Angad's responsibility is to find out that eligible bachelor in Mumbai:blush:
     
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  6. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    Yaar, you are planning ahead of time!

    Punjabi wedding needs robust Punjabi menu, our Karnataka menu pales in front of their zabardast rich Paranthas, chole s, shahi paneer and saags! Karnataka breakfast, Punjabi lunch and international dinner should satisfy all, what do you say?
     
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  7. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    Thank you so much for your wholesome feedback, dear Adharv.:thumbup: You made my day!:banana:
     
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  8. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    You said it perfectly, "a new relation and life long support for each other."

    Thanks, dear muggs, for your support, encouragement and approval. :thumbup:
     
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  9. Adharv

    Adharv Gold IL'ite

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    :confundio1: o_O we will have to go with our budget gurugale, so let us fix with Punjabi.
    ** Ask ghee and milk to stay away from me.
     
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  10. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    You are cute and funny!:roflmao:
     
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