“So?”

“So, there is no way.”

“There must be a way.”
“What’s the name of your village?”

 “Sikandar Pur.”
“What?”

 “Sikandar Pur?”

“Yes.”
Vanshika and her father looked at each in sheer dismay.
 

“What is your father’s name?” asked her father.

 “Pradeep. Singh.”
“Son of Pradeep Singh?”
“Yes.”
“Do you really think that he will agree for this relationship?”

“I don’t know.”
“Wait, I am calling him here.”

“No uncle. Not now.” He refused.
 

My father arrived at Vanishka’s home only to discover that his faith was crashed to tiny pieces. My father did not even know that I was in Ballia.

 “You have broken my belief,” he said with moisture in eyes.
 

“Uncle please. Listen to me carefully. It’s not his fault. He was here because I asked him to.” She was lying.

She was now talking to both her father and mine. “When we were kids no society played any role in our lives. We came close due to a divine force within us. We shared everything, faced all hard times. We can feel our silence. We can die for each other. So, if you think you can find a guy better than him for me then I will wait.”

I stood speechless, helpless like an animal tied to a pole. But I wasn’t the only one speechless in the dining area. There were other big animals too. I mean her father—not mine.

After a long silence, my father said to her father, “Tiwari Ji. Your decision will be mine. I just want to see both of them happy.” And he left.

“Ambar, I believe that you two will be happy together. But I have worked hard all my life to be what I’m today. This society has given me everything I had always wanted. I can’t explain what aftermath you may conjure upon yourself, and my daughter, if you dare to go against this holy society. But if, still, you think I am wrong then Beta agar Bhaag ke karna chahte ho to kar lo. But my soul will never allow. I am not forcing you Vanshika. If you want to go with him, you can go. I will not stop you. In fact, I will not do anything. But if you care for us, your parents, then will you have to leave him now. And promise that you won’t see him again. “

 

I was listening to him, without a single effort to judge him. May be he was right. Or, may be, he was wrong.  But he loved Vanishka just like I did.

“Do you allow me to speak to Vanshika alone, Uncle?” I requested. He granted the permission. He trudged out as he looked at Vanishka once again as if to plead that she must not go.

The room was now empty. We two looked into each other’s eyes, tears dripping down the faces, she stepped closer. 

I was silent. And in my silence, I was thinking if an incomplete love is the only true love one can truly have.

We were crying. She wiped her face and broke the shoddy silence.

“Will you survive without me?”
“No,” I replied.
“But you must survive—for me.”

“ I will miss you.”

“Let’s exchange our diaries.  You will read it every time you will miss me. And so will I.” 
“Are you sure about it?”
“Yes”
I took a long breath to feel her fragrance, and, may be, to keep it safe within me forever.

I stood up to leave.

“Just five minutes,” she requested. May be for the last time.

“No,” I refused.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I think this is right.”
I began to walk out of the door, when she came rushing for me, hugged me tight from behind, like a lost kid in the crowd, who has caught a glimpse of someone he or she knows.

“You don’t have just 5 minutes more for me?” she asked again.
“No.”

She cried until I left the main gate from where I couldn’t hear crying. Her father stood there like he already knew I would stop for a while for an explanation.
 

“Mujhe maaf kar dena,” he said.

I touched his feet and said “Please take care of her she is very innocent and very special for me.”

I began to walk again. I did not look back. May be, I didn’t want to.

You must be wondering that why I could not stay there for more five minutes. It was a matter of just five minutes. This guy is cruel!  Was I? I don’t know.

But all I know is I did not stop. Because I knew she wanted to hear me say no. She wanted me to not obey her decision.

After one year, neither me nor Vanshika ever tried to contact each other. But she lives in my mind every day. Aisa lagta hain jaise kal hi ki baat ho. Aur sab theek ho jayega.

Kisi bhi unknown number se call aata hai to dil ki dhadkane badh jati hain.

Aaj bhi kabhi kisi ladki ko cycle pe dekhta hu to sochta hu ki!!
Kaash wo steering fail hi na hua hota,
Kaash ki maine usko propose hi nahi kiya hota,

Kaash ki mujhe usse pyar hi nahi hua hota.

Kaash main use kisi aur ke sath dekh loon.

Kaash ki wo shaadi kar le.

Kaash ki ye zindagi hi na rahe.

Kaash ki main hi na rahoon.

Kaash ki ye kaash na hota.

Kash ki hum sath hote.

Kaash ki ye wo padh pati aur batati ki kya-kya baki reh gya hai.

Kaash ki wo mujhse baat karle.

KAASH KI MAIN USE BATA SAKOON KI EK SAAL KAISE BEETA.

Kaash ki main use gale se laga sakoon.

Kaash ki wo samajh pati ki ek dusre ke bagair hum adhoore hain.

Kaash! Kaash! Kaash!

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