The Parting

After several weeks of struggle and long waiting, Anita could finally see her troubles ending. She was eagerly waiting for the discussion with the segment head.

The night before the D-day she couldn’t sleep. She was tossing and turning, rehearsing what she wanted to say. It was imperative that she made this meeting count. She just couldn’t afford to falter at the final hurdle.

Pradeep was aware of what she was going through. He himself was uneasy the whole weekend thinking of what would happen on Monday. He was hoping that she would get relief.

On the day of the appointment, Anita arrived ahead of time. Pradeep didn’t meet her. He merely sent his good wishes. Perhaps meeting him would break her resolve? Maybe or maybe not. But eventually, he avoided meeting her.

The segment head kept her waiting. He was a seasoned pro after all. Anita’s heart was beating fast and she broke out in a cold sweat.

He ushered her into his cabin after a full 30 minutes wait. She quickly gathered herself and made her plea. He tried to move away from the core topic. But Anita made her stance clear and extracted a promise from him. Anita was relieved. She was breathing more freely now.

Meanwhile, Pradeep had gotten impatient. All sorts of thoughts ran through his mind. He was hoping and praying that she should not break down or lose her resolve.

“Hey, let’s meet”, Anita’s phone call was a relief for him. He offered to drop her to the central bus station where she boarded her bus. Pradeep switched on Anita’s favorite music channel. She smiled. He glanced at her affectionately. She narrated the whole discussion. Pradeep merely nodded and replied in monosyllables.

Anita sensed the change. This was not the Pradeep she knew. The one who initiated conversations, who asked her about finer nuances of music or the one who openly shared his innermost thoughts. Pradeep was rather somber today. He was happy that Anita was about to get what she always aspired for. However, a small part of his mind was sad about the parting.

Events and memories of the past 18 months flashed past him. The project discussions, the conference calls with the onshore team, the joint workshops, the evening drives in his car, turning up the volume high on hip hop music, the occasional trip to the nearby hill, his own confessions on his feelings for her — everything was so fresh in his mind. And all this was going to come to an abrupt end. The thought was so unnerving.

Soon their car reached near the bus station traffic lights. The familiar flower seller approached Pradeep. The sight of jasmine garlands lifted his mood. He bought one and gave it to Anita. She took them and deep smelled the eternal fragrance. Pradeep couldn’t take his eyes off the sight. He loved it when Anita smelled that garland.

It was time to part. Anita sensed it was difficult for Pradeep to say anything. He was always awkward at such moments.

“The world is a small place and we will definitely be in touch”, Anita said placing her palm firmly on Pradeep’s shoulder. She quickly exited and ran towards the waiting bus. Pradeep saw her trailing image in the rearview mirror.

His eyes welled up as he sped through the traffic. Anita had gone — leaving behind the heady fragrance of jasmine flowers.