Born Again - Chapter 5

Go GOA!! 365 days on a holiday……!!!! Anubhav exclaimed as he walked down from the sea towards the sea bench where Bhumi was sitting. 

He came next to her and seated himself on the bench beside her. She handed him a towel to clean his body.

“So how are you finding GOA?” she asked Anubhav….

“Refreshing and rejuvenating!!! I must say it was a very good choice for a holiday!!” Anubhav replied

 Bhumi: “It is, so what happened between you and Selly?”

Anubhav: “Nothing much, what did she tell you?” replied sheepishly

Bhumi: “Well nothing as such, I just happened to meet her accidentally at the Iscon Mall the day before we left for GOA and she seemed out of sorts. No makeup, no more the bubbly ness or the energy she just seems like she was very SAD”

Anubhav: “How can that be attributed to me?”

Bhumi: “Cos, she told me everything!! She told me how she had fallen for with you and how you had spurned her” Her voice intensified as she continued: “Anubhav, I thought you were a nice guy just a little reserved…. But I never knew that you were a heartless idiot…..”

Anubhav: “Hello, mind your language; you can’t reach a decision without hearing both the sides of the story.” Clearly offended. "It was stupid of her to try to get all over me, she doesn't even know me and now she is using you to get to me!! Playing the victim card. as if I have done a terrible thing."

Bhumi growled: "How dare you....."

Bhumi would have continued but she saw Sanjay coming and stopped

Sanjay: “So what is the discussion going on?” He asked as he came and seated himself next to Bhumi

Anubhav: ”Well we were just discussing how beautiful the beach is and how refreshing it is to be here, Sanju, thank you so much!!!”

Sanjay: “You’re always welcome, So, now you appreciate that all the good things in life are meant to enjoy.”

Anubhav: “Yeah!!! I guess ……..now I would appreciate it.”

“Come on now we are getting late, we have to get ready for dinner…” Bhumi said getting up

The dinner went silently and neither of them uttered a word or spoke to each other. They just kept listening to Sanjay go on about the history of Goa, though wildly inaccurate those stories about Goa, were only giving some respite to the somewhat uncomfortable silence that was there on the table. 

Basking in the glory of Moonlight on the balcony little did Bhumi realize that Sanjay was standing behind her, he stealthily came from behind and held her in her arms…….

“Oh my God!!!” Bhumi exclaimed shock!!! “I didn’t know you were there.”  …….

“I just came now and saw my chand enjoying the chandni….” Sanjay replied romantically…

Bhumi looked in his eyes and their lips locked. Nature also admired the two of its most beautiful inmates making love. Sanjay carried her to the bed and switched off the lights.

The next day morning he was woken up by bright sunlight that fell on his eyes as Bhumi drew the curtains aside….

“Good Morning, Darling!!!” Bhumi smiled…. “It just reminds me of our honeymoon days isn’t it.”

Sanjay: “Yes Honey, somewhere in the busy life of Ahmedabad our romance seems to have lost. It just gets difficult to spend time with you"

He would have continued but a faint knock on the door. Quickly both of them got up and Sanjay disappeared in the bathroom while Bhumi adjusted her clothes and opened the door. It was Anubhav….

They exchanged an uncomfortable stare before AB spoke: “Er… I thought you guys must be ready for breakfast. I just thought of coming over to go along with you..”

Sanjay replied from the bathroom: “Why don’t the two of you push off, I’ll just join you in a bit…”

Bhumi: “It’s OK!! We’ll wait for you…” she clearly wanted to avoid any further discussions with Anubhav post yesterday’s argument and motioned to AB: “You may want to carry on we’ll just join you..”

Before AB could reply Sanjay’s voice came from the Bathroom: “You guys carry on I’ll join you.”

Bhumi pondered about it for a while and said: “Fine, we’ll go but you don’t take long.” – It is better not to give an impression of Sanjay that I am trying to avoid AB – She thought and made a move towards the door….

At the breakfast table, both of them sat with an unpleasant silence surrounding them which Anubhav broke as if trying to stitch together the conversation from where they left it yesterday

“Listen, I didn't mean to offend you, sorry if I have hurt you, you know Sanju & you are all I got, please don't be upset with me!!!" He continued "all said to Selly was that she doesn’t know me enough and it takes a lot of understanding and knowledge of each other in order to say that we are in love. Her feelings towards me can be called as infatuation or attraction and not love, but then the situation could have gotten out of hands and hence preferred to leave.”

Bhumi remained silent for a while wondering whether she should speak or not and after much deliberation she couldn’t hold herself back and said: “Why do you want to give a label to things, why do you want to compartmentalize everything, See AB, sometimes it takes years to be in love, sometimes it’s just a glance…..you may be correct but you could have at least said that you were ready to give the relationship a chance….unless you give a relationship a chance you will never know whether it would work or not…” 

AB got up and started to stare towards the sea from the glassed wall of the restaurant as if trying to absorb what Bhumi was saying….she continued….: 

“AB you can't plan everything in life, at times it's best to be in the moment if you don't give it a chance you'd never know she would be the one….you need someone to be much closer to you than me or Sanju….maybe she might be the person who would help you through this phase of depression” 

she paused as AB turned towards her slowly trying to gather his thoughts before he could speak……

“I don't know Bhumi, Emotions are complex things, which I have been the poorest at comprehending. I have seen so much hatred and abuse in my life that I have become numb to the emotions of love and happiness, it is exceedingly difficult for me that emotions of love do exist and someone can love someone without having any agenda, I guess you right” AB replied, still trying to contemplate his emotions. “She always is,” Sanjay said coming from behind and seating himself beside her. He heard only the last part and was seemingly interested in the discussion and said…” So what were you two talking about…”

“Bhumi and I were discussing Selly……She proposed me and me…” AB tried to reply and Bhumi interrupted: “And he walked out on her!!”

“What!!” Sanju said with a shocking surprise in his voice “You must be a fool doing that AB…my GOD just look at her……she is a damsel….and you walked out on her.”

He could not digest the fact that AB could do something like this…

“Yeah, I was not sure what to do, haven’t been in such a situation before so could really connect, look you must be thinking I am out of my mind or something….but to be honest I was not sure… glad that Bhumi gave me the perspective,” AB replied apologetically.

“Maybe you should talk to her once we reach there tomorrow do let me know if you need my help” ….Sanju winked….”OH, and BTW we are planning to go shopping interested…..”