The Yellow Umbrella Part -4

At that point in time, a message popped up on her phone, Hi Nitya, Sorry to ping you late. This is Rishabh, Ankita's friend. I am really sorry for my friend's behaviour. She is not like this. I have known her for a long time. Can you forgive her?

Nitya smiled and thought, He is really her best friend and she replied, No problem Rishabh. It's okay. Please take care of your friend. She needs your support.

He was surprised to see this sweet gesture and replied again If it's okay with you. Can we meet tomorrow at some other restaurant where we can talk? Actually, Ankita wants to meet you again

Rishabh was eagerly waiting for the reply and well the answer came, Sure, we can meet at my place. 8.00 pm. I'll text you the address.

He was happy to see the response, but the challenge was to bring Ankita along with him.

Bindiya was shocked to hear from Ankita that not only she was having 2nd thoughts about marriage, but she was having trouble knowing who she was actually.

She said, Beta, I know you are under a lot of stress, there is something bigger that's troubling you, it's not just the thought of marriage. I have known you since you were a kid, and no one understands you better than I do. I am now going to share some harsh reality with you, which might hurt you.

I know a part of you doesn't want to get married to Vaibhav and correct me If I am wrong but does it have to do with your current situation?

What I mean is, are you going through all this, because you are in a wheelchair and you are scared you can't confront your father and brother that you don't want to get married because you don't want this marriage to happen out of favour?

You think Vaibhav is not marrying you because of love, but because of the way your family has supported him financially to build his career

Does this all look like a deal to you, that you don't want to be part of it?

Beta, please pardon me for saying all this, but I have seen the way, you look at him as if searching for the ray of light that you can hold on to it, get married and live your life accordingly. But it's all long short and you have your doubts whether you can sail through all this.

Yes, once you were in love with him and maybe he loved you too, but things have changed drastically post your accident.

The relationship is supposed to help you grow and evolve, but I think right now you are feeling frustrated and helpless in this relationship and you are unable to find a way out of it.

What happened at the restaurant with Nitya, was definitely not you, it was your pain that was speaking. I may not know that girl, but if she could feel that even without knowing you well, it means your pain is visible to everyone.

Just ignoring the pain, won't help it, you need to address it.

Ankita was in tears, she said, Aunty, what you said, may be true, but I don't know what to do? The pain I am carrying with me is making me all insane, I know my behaviour with Nitya and Rishabh is not justified, but I don't want anyone else to take the heat of my pain.

Bindiya patiently said, Beta, I understand that, but you should know people who love you can't see you in pain. Just because you are carrying pain doesn't mean you need to suffer alone.

That's what family and friends are for. So that you can share your pain and who knows, by sharing your pain, you might find some solution to your pain as well.

Rishabh is your best friend, so he completely understands you, but Nitya, doesn't know you well and out of good spirit she wanted to talk to you and help you.

Pain might be yours, but you have a choice to share it with the people who love and care for you.

If they are willing to move forward towards you to help you, you too need to take a few steps towards them.

Shutting everyone out, won't help. You need to give them chance to help you out.

Ankita said, Aunty, Thank you for the talk. But after what has happened, I don't know If I can face both of them again. The way I behaved with them, at least I'll not trouble them with my pain anymore.

Maybe I should learn to accept, embrace pain and move forward.

Anyways, Aunty, did I tell you about Nitya. She is so pretty and beautiful, but more important she is such a good person at heart. That poor soul was trying to help me, but instead of being Thankful, I was a complete jerk to her.

In her very own restaurant, I insulted her. I made her cry, I don't have any idea what she might be going through and just because I was going through pain, I made sure to pass on that.

I still remember Papa, Mumma, Rohan and I used to visit that restaurant, and not only the food used to be so delicious, but the ambience was so amazing.

It was something about that place, that I always used to love visiting there again and again.

Unfortunately, Nitya's father expired and I don't know how the restaurant now belongs to the guy Raghu.

Poor Nitya, she herself was looking so troubled and in pain and she was so kind enough to give me a call, not only to return my umbrella but because I earlier left the restaurant without having anything and left the bill amount and tip, she invited me to so that I can eat something, and she just wanted to have a talk with me.

You know when she called me to invite me to the restaurant, she said, Her dad always used to always tell her to take care of the customer's and it's not fair on her part to accept the bill amount without me actually having something. 

She also said, "This may sound weird to you, but I'll not be able to sleep tonight, thinking you paid me, without having anything.

How could I have hurt that girl, Aunty?

Bindiya said, Ankita, Based on what you told about Nitya, I feel, you need to meet her again. For some surprising reasons, you seem to care for her and 

Ankita interrupted and said, No aunty, I am just going to mess up the things again. It's in her best interest that I don't meet her.

Anyways, after today's episode, I am sure, she would not like to meet me too. In fact, she might be thinking what a bad person I am.

Bindiya said, No Beta, you are a good person, who just happened to have a bad time.

Anyway, the choice is yours, I can just suggest you only.

Let me go and heat your food again, it became cold.

When Bindiya reached the kitchen to heat the food, she got a call from "Rishabh".

She picked the call and said, Rishabh, she is very hurt and sorry for her behaviour. You were right, this is not only about her having 2nd thoughts on marriage, but it's more than that. Due to the wheelchair, she has lost confidence in herself.

We need to help her, and I don't know but I feel "Nitya" can help her. She is in so much pain, that she wants to stay away from everyone, so that others may not suffer due to her pain.

She had no intentions of insulting Nitya, it was just she realised Nitya was trying to help her and so pushed her away by being rude.

That's the reason she behaved that way.

She liked Nitya and have high regard for her.

Beta, now we only have to do something and bring these 2 strong-headed women together, so that they can help each other.

I cant see Ankita in a miserable situation and at the same time, I know Nitya also needs help. Maybe they are apt to help each other.

It was good that you called me and informed me about what happened in the restaurant.

Rishabh said, Yes, Aunty, you are right. We need to bring them together. The good thing is I texted Nitya and said, Ankita is sorry for her behaviour and wants to meet her in person to apologise. She was so sweet to tell me, it's ok, it's no big deal and that I should take care of Ankita. 

And, she agreed to meet tomorrow at her place. I'll share the address.

Bindiya smiled and said, Rishabh they sound so similar as if they were destined to be brought together to help each other. But, how can we do that, Ankita is reluctant to meet Nitya.

Rishabh said, Aunty, you are in safe hands because I have a plan, but it would require your support.

And then he shared his plan. Listening to his plan Bindiya smiled and said, "That sound's great. Definitely, I can do that.

He said, "Great aunty, let's put our plan in action and bring these two together.

To be continued......