Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 33

Avni sat on the swing. It was such a lazy afternoon. The sun was warm but not hot and the gentle breeze that blew over the water flowing nearby was cool. It was Friday today. She wondered when Karan would be back. Why did he interest her so much? Why his nearness made her nervous? Why his absence made her want to meet him? Hadn't she decided he was dangerous? How had she arrived on that conclusion? On what basis? He hadn't done anything to hurt her. Instead he had helped her every other time. She sighed. Her inexperience made it difficult for her to find straight answers to her questions. She could not get involved in a personal relationship with anybody. At least not till she was steady in her life. And yet knowing that she was drawn to the gruff man. She looked over her shoulder towards the house where he resided. It would be two weeks here in Manali in this house tomorrow she thought. How time was flying?

She had called up Shalini last night and she was doing fine. They hadn't talked much just the basics of how they were both doing and if they were fine. She couldn't recall one single conversation with Shalini where they had talked for hours at end. She was a quiet girl yes, but she had her moments too when she talked a lot sadly that had never happened with ma. She thought about her time in Ludhiana. Had they been good times? How many happy memories did she have? Even before Sahil had come into her life had she truly been happy? Did she know what happiness meant? When she had done that art course though her family had been upset she had been happy. Yes. That was the time when she had felt free and had thought she could do things her way once she could figure out the means. She had wanted to start teaching and then save a little money on the side to have her dream, do that interior design course she had wanted to do so much. And as always life's meddling ways had shattered that dream.

She watched the sun go behind the tall mountains casting shadows in the valley now. How powerful was the mountain to block the sun from reaching out she thought. That even the full rays of a star so powerful couldn't penetrate the solid rock and break free. Even the flimsy clouds one saw in the sky which were mostly vapor could block out the sun's rays completely on days. So was it really that powerful? The life source for everything that grew on earth. Giving. Warm. Nourishing. And on the other hand scorching. Hot. Burning. Mothers were life source too just like the sun. The temperament was so similar. They were warm and generous. But also blazing in their heat burning everything in their path if that was what they chose to do. It didn't make any sense these parallels she kept drawing from nature. Why did she do that? She heard footsteps and came out of her thoughts looking in the direction she had heard the noise come from. It was Uday.

"Hey," he greeted cheerfully.

Avni smiled. His timing couldn't be faulted today. She had almost gone back towards the path that led her back to the memories she wanted to keep at bay. Again. Why was she so scared of facing her own past?

"Hi," she replied.

"Enjoying the sun," Uday said as he came to stand next to her.

Avni looked up.

"It is a nice afternoon," Avni replied.

"So it is," Uday said, "where is your cup of tea or coffee?" he asked and when she looked quizzically at him he laughed and went on to explain, "since it is such a beautiful afternoon you should be having a delightful cup of either things sitting out here," he said and grinned.

"I didn't think of it," Avni replied simply, "what are you doing home this early?" she asked.

"Oh that," Uday said, "I had come to pick up a few things I forgot to take with me this morning. Mostly new gear that arrived yesterday. The company I had ordered it from sent it to the residential address than at the commercial address. The fools," he said as he shook his head, "and we needed to check them out today if we are to start using them this weekend. So I just came to pick those up," he told her.