Crooked hearts 9

        Chapter 9

 

Jaba ‘s chain of thoughts broke when her mother came with a cup of tea for her. Bangalore station was crowded and the noises of children shouting, dogs barking, hawkers waiting for the train all came back in front of her when she looked around.

 

She took a sip and stared at the loomed up screen of her mobile. It was Pratik, “Hey.. how are you?”

 

As she stared at the screen the events of the past were flashing again. Since that day onwards .. no matter how much she missed Pratik she did not talk with him. She knew she would never be able to commit to him so she was trying to be strong.

 As far as Chirag was concerned she again started hearing his name every where she went. She tried to locate him and even if she saw him silently never dared to talk to him. She often felt she should confront him at least once and ask him why he did this but all in vain.

 

In the meanwhile the love messages did not stop. This time from unknown numbers daily. She would call back and try to find out.. the questions would be same. Who are you? You are not Jaba!! Can you meet me?? Even though the universe was calling her Jaba absolutely had no clue to what was happening.

 

She had called Pratik, one day, since she was thinking that he was the one doing it.

 

“I did not text you.. must be one of your lovers of the past”.

 

Jaba did not like his joke! She cut the call and went inside her room. The feelings were roaring in her heart. She was stuck in the atrocities of mental pain which was much more than the physical pain. Her entire world was shaking in front of her. She never expected Pratik to say this when he knew how much she liked Chirag. 

 

She was so hurt and in so much pain that she started fighting with everyone around her. The anger in her flickered flames of jealousy and selfishness. She went almost crazy. She started expecting that Kajal, Malini (who were her closest) would always be there for her. In any case if they couldn’t give her time she would shout at them. They had to listen to her otherwise she would create a scene.

 

Every time every where she would plug in her headphones and be with herself. She couldn’t eat or sleep. The messages still continued but she was responding to a madness not to any love or feelings in her. Malini had made new friends and was mostly with them.

 

 Kajal couldn’t give her much time due to her preparation for MDS entrance exams. Sometimes she would just cry in front of Kajal. She would try to go out with her friends and roommates, she tried to console herself, wounded herself to ease the mental pain but all in vain.

 

“Jaba, what are you thinking?”, her mother’s question returned her back.

 

“Nothing .. ma”

 

“Lets board the train”

 

“Hmm..”

 

Jaba locked the screen of her phone and did not further reply to him.

When she came back to her home town she still couldn’t forget Chirag. This was a deciding moment for her. She was busy with preparations for MDS admission. One day while she was at home she received a phone call.

 

“Hello, Jaba”

 

“Yes”

 

“Jaba please talk to me .. give me your email id.. I want to show you something”.

 

“Who is this?”

 

Again the process of phone calls continued. This was the last time she communicated with them. The unknown messenger with his group of friends trying to contact her. She was too frustrated by now. She understood whoever this person was would never come up with the truth and she would never be able to forget Pratik or Chirag.

 

She stopped talking to them but she kept receiving phone calls after phone calls. Everyday when she would attend her MDS postings she would be getting phone calls till her phone battery was low. She finally had to decide that if she would continue like this life would become hell.

 

She changed her number and before that had called Chirag once. Chirag didn’t receive the call .. it was his friend Atul.

 

“ Hello, sir .. please listen to me .. someone’s trying to contact me.. constantly calling me.. he’s telling you are getting married. Why is he telling me these things about you?”

 

“Who are you? Please tell me?”

 

“Jaba.. its Jaba sir.. I had called you long back”.

 

The phone got disconnected. Jaba understood that day she made a terrible mistake. She decided to completely move on. The last text which she sent Chirag was this, “Dear sir,

I am really sorry that I disturbed you so much. You told me that day that you will be friends with me and not anything more than that. I accepted your offer but you didn’t contact me any further. Since the day I have been texted from an unknown number which I thought probably was you but I think I was wrong. I was really upset with all this. Moreover, I couldn’t keep relations with you as a friend. I thought I might go deeper with my feelings for you. Well, I wish you all the best for your life ahead. I shall never disturb you again. This is my last message to you.”

 

Jaba changed her phone number and left Chirag Avasthi in a forever suspense about the girl who thought him to be her love.

 

Jaba Ghosh had done her MDS and now is settled in her life. The memories of all those days do not upset her any more but she feels that she had deeply hurt Chirag/Pratik or God knows who?

Whatever be the situation she just wants to apologize for her misunderstandings since even though she moved on.. the other person probably didn’t.

 

So, readers lets end this with the confusion that probably Chirag Avasthi was Pratik as assumed by Jaba or may be Pratik was a different person.. or may be someone else under the cover of Pratik. Jaba just wants to tell him,

 

“The beautiful moments

 The precious words

 The unknown joy

 The excruciating pain

 To forget it all

To grant forgiveness

To remember the good

To forget the bad

To move to a bright future

Leaving the past behind.”

 

The end.. to new beginnings..