Rashika

“Rashika! Rashika! Where are you?”

Payal called out to her five year old daughter.

“Mummy?” A small, fair skinned child with her long brown hair made into a high pony, and her cheeks red with the excitement, jumped from the window and fell directly into her mother’s laps.

“Ow!” Payal screamed, and Rashika giggled.

Payal lovingly took her daughter in a hug. “Did you complete your homework?”

“Was it there today?” Rashika tapped her forehead and shook her head. “Oho mummy, you make me forget everything.” And she ran away, laughing.

The amount of stars in the sky would be less as compared to how much Payal loved her child. Her dear little ball of innocence, had forgotten her own birthday. Today was it. Payal wished Dheeraj was there, and as she folded the fresh laundry clothes, her past flashed in front of her.

It all started on that day when Dheeraj proposed to her. It was raining. The wet of the mud and the droplets on the grass could be smelled mixed with the perfume of hot, sizzling pakode she made at her home, and Dheeraj; her crush; had dropped in for a visit. He was a very tall guy, extremely good looking and boyish

Yummmmmmmmy. Wow Payal. I can’t believe this is made by a girl who doesn’t even know the molecular formula of water.”Dheeraj teased.

“It is H2O.” Payal prompted.

I was talking of mud water.” He said, and ran away as Payal ran behind him with a pillow to fight.

Laughing furiously, he led her running to the backside garden, and pushed her to sit on the wet garden swing. Then he sat on a knee.

“Ms. Payal Lalwani, I love you, and will love you throughout my life. I will take care of you. Will you marry me?” She didn’t say anything.

While Dheeraj thought it was a no, Payal was actually speechless with joy. She was over the ninth cloud. Dheeraj proposed to her. Dheeraj – Her love.

So he rushed his next speech.”Look, Payal, I understand. We can still be friends, right? It’s just that I though that you loved me and I don’t know how it striked me —

“Yes.”

“Sorry?”

“Yes Dheeraj, yes I will marry you.” Payal said in a shy, quiet voice.

Everything was quiet for a second. But then, Dheeraj jumped and shouted

“YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!” the top of his voice. He loves her. She loves him. And that is how relationships are supposed to be, right?

Well, things turned out quite well after then. Payal thought as she was snapped back into reality by a shrill voice of Rashika reading her book.

Payal looked at Dheeraj’s picture on the wall.

After the proposal, they got married to each other. And the wedding was a huge ceremony – dances and wines and meals. Everything was lavish, yet had a homely feeling. Comfortable.

So after two years — “Payal. Make me a cup of tea, please?”

No answer. “Payal?”

No answer.

“PAYAL?”

Dheeraj shouted, now worriedly.

Payal emerged from behind the curtains parting the two rooms in a nervous walk. “What’s wrong?” He asked, concerned.

“Nothing. It’s just that…” “What?” “Nothing really…” “Is it something bad?” “No. It’s good.” “Then tell?” “I think… I think Dheeraj I am pregnant.”

He didn’t say anything, but a smile as wide as a gorilla’s stretched on his face. He got up, and hugged her so tight that it seemed she would choke. “I love you.” He whispered.

Well, then, time flew by. Four months before the delivery, Dheeraj came in.

“Payal, we’ll have to run.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing dear, I’ll tell you later. Just come.”

“What’s wrong, tell me!”

“It’s nothing much, don’t panic. Nothing would happen.”

“Dheeraj, just tell?”

“Let’s first quickly move away from this place, then I promise I’ll tell you.”

They rented a room, and then a house far, far away from their home. But why was he doing this? Payal wondered. There is definitely something cheesy.

“Payal…there’s something I’ve been hiding from you. And I’m really sorry for it. You see, I wanted to marry you as soon as possible, and that day when you got so silent, I thought you will refuse because you somehow knew the truth. All the while I’ve been living with you, I was afraid what would happen when you’ll know the truth.”

“What truth?”

“I play rummy.”

Everything went dead silent. Payal didn’t say anything, so he continued, “I have been addicted to rummy ever since I was sixteen. My so-called friends encouraged me to play. I kept on losing, and bargaining with time. But you see, a few weeks ago those junks asked me to give the money, all of my life’s lost cash, otherwise they’ll kill both of us. So I thought… I thought that it’ll be best if I forgot about them, because they didn’t know my address… But they were there. They saw me. And they are going to catch me now. I don’t know how they found out of where we live, but they were there…I’m sorry.”

Payal then spoke, in a very quiet, low voice, that made Dheeraj even more depressed, “How much money did you lose?”

He looked at her with pained eyes, and finally said,”forty crores.”

The next few days in the house were stressed. No one actually talked. They just silently did their own work.

“Payal, leave me.” He said one day, his voice burning with pain.

Payal sloshed as she walked towards him, and screamed, “I wish I could. But I have our baby inside me. I don’t want it to live without its daddy. You don’t have an idea how much you messed up life for me. You know but, even if there wasn’t this baby, I wouldn’t have been able to leave you. And you wanna know why? Because I stupidly, foolishly, love you like crazy. All thanks to you that we’re so ‘happy’ now.”

Days went away.

One day, Payal finally decided to step out of the limited area. So she went to the market, though alone, and seemingly cheered up because of the atmosphere. But then suddenly, her phone rang loud.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Payal ji, it is Ravi here – your neighbour.”

“Oh, namaste Ravi ji.”

“Actually, I called you because…I’m sorry but your husband’s body was just found. He’s dead. Murdered. The police are just on their way, and you should come soon too. Cover it up and all, please.”

“Y….y…ye..yes…of-..of cou…of course I…I will. Just c…co..comin.”She said as her breath nearly stopped.

So that was it, five years ago. Rashika never got to see her dad, but he’ll always be there for her. Somehow, protecting her.

“Mummy, look – daddy!” Rashika came bursting in the room. “You said he has gone to bring me a chocolate, when will he return? That day, Yashita’s dad brought chocolate for her so quickly!”

“Your dad would be bringing good ones. He’ll return soon.” Payal tried to control her tears. “Mummy, why are you crying?”

“Happy tears. You turn five years old today. Happy birthday, darlo!” And Rashika laughed,”Thank you!”

__END__