Chapitre 8: Quiet Reflections...

Kulbhushan Raichand called around eight. The butler answered the phone.

"Where is Myra?" – Mr. Raichand asked.

"She has a guest." - the butler informed.

"Her family?"

"No, a gentleman."

"Did he give his name?" asked Mr. Raichand

"He said he was madam's friend and that she was expecting him." the butler explained.

"When did he come?"

"It's been more than four hours, Sir."

"Put Myra on the phone." – said Mr Raichand in anger.

The butler came to the garden and handed the phone to Myra. I called to inform you that I will be late. You shouldn't wait for me over dinner." – said her father-in-law.

"Oh…ok" – Myra responded

"I hear you have guests at home?" – he said again.

"Yes, a friend."

"I was thinking: who is this person, who overstays his welcome," he said sarcastically.

Myra walked to the other end of the garden before answering. "He is my childhood friend. We've met after a long time. We were just recalling our past and lost track of time."

"Send him away, it's already late." Mr Raichand instructed and cut the line.

Myra returned and gave the phone back to the butler. "Will the gentleman stay for dinner?" he asked,

But before Myra could respond, Aman turned to her and said - "I must go, they might be anxious for me at home."

Myra nodded. With one last look at her, Aman walked out of the premises and got into his car. He was about to start the car when someone knocked at his glass window. It was his security adviser, Major. He bent a little and said – "We'll take over from here."

"How did you know where I was?" – Aman was baffled.

"The GPS of this car was on, we followed you here. You don't expect us to let you go around unescorted." – the Major said. He then, opened the door for Aman, "If you please, Sir, you need to shift to the back seat."

Aman slipped into the back seat while two uniformed men got out of the car behind them and got into the front seat. The Major sat beside Aman. The engine was turned on and the car doors were auto-locked. "Lion safely secured, coming back home," Major reported to Anmol through his microphone.

"I thought I was Giraffe." – said Aman to Major. (They called him Giraffe because he was six foot tall)

"You were, but the way you have walked into the enemy territory unarmed, it commands respect," Major explained.

"So, I am Lion now," Aman asked. Major nodded.

Aman pulled out two mobile phones from his breast pocket. He returned the one Major had given to him and the other one he used to text to Myra. "This is my personal no. It is private, safe and works anywhere in the world. Save it…Aman."

She responded with "Ok"

"I will come again." – he texted

"Don't come, only call" she replied.

He was surprised - "Don't you want to see me again?"

"I don't think my father-in-law would like that." – she replied

Aman was thoughtful for a while, then typed – "You are right. I don't want him to know what plans I am making against him."

As an afterthought, he added – "But, you want to see me, don't you?"

What words could describe her sentiments? If only she could explain in words the immense joy his presence gives her. She felt complete when she was with him. But she loved his voice more. He didn't know what charm his voice held for her. She could keep listening to him endlessly. "Just call" – she replied.

The truth is that she needed some time away from him to calm her heart. The journey from the throes of anguish and dejection to absolute bliss was instant. It was taxing her heart and bewildering her senses. She required time to adjust to this change. She needed to absorb her own feelings and understand what place they have in this world.

"Your wish will be honoured. I will call only when you ask me to." – Aman texted.

Myra spent the next hour strolling in the garden. She stooped every now and then either to touch the flowers or kiss them or just to inhale their fragrance. It seemed as if even nature was rejoicing in their love and had turned on its delicious charm on them. She wanted to linger on so as to calm herself before meeting the others. However hard she tried, but she was enticed and enraptured and swept away by the love and the beauty of nature. She continued in this trance like state for the rest of the evening and retired early to bed.

While Myra was in a trans like a state, could Aman's heart be any different?

Driving in slow traffic is always torturous. But what is this torture to a lover who is returning from a rendezvous with his beloved? Even the snail-paced traffic seemed a blessing to him. It allowed him time to reflect on all that had happened.

A thrill went down his body as he recalled Myra's confession - that she had never forgotten him. That she had yearned for him as much as he had yearned for her. That, distance and time had made their hearts grow fonder. The sweetness of reunion had taken away the bitterness from the past, leaving a collage of beautiful memory even in suffering. Yes, the journey of love is bitter-sweet but its destination makes it even more enchanting.

He had left the house as an irritable lover but returned as a happy man. Kaki maa was relieved to see him and even though he sat quietly amongst them, she noticed that his features had softened and his thoughts were pleasant. He often smiled to himself and they smiled with him... at him…for him.

He remained in the living room long after everybody had gone. He was not yet ready to retire for the night. There were a lot of things he had to think about. A lot more decisions to be made and letters to be written. Slowly but surely, all the loose pieces of the puzzle were fitting perfectly and the pattern of his future was clearly visible to him.

The next day and the next and many others, were days of calm reflection for both Myra and Aman. They had a lot to think about. To merge and assimilate their present situations and their past. Their lives, their desires, their aspirations and more. Both of them welcomed the silence that followed their eventful meeting.

His friends found Aman pensive. As if, he was reaching a major decision in his life. In those times he kept chiefly to himself: not consciously avoiding company but not seeking it either. He hardly left home, and was either busy attending to his work or was thinking about something. He took walks in the confines of the garden or even in the long corridors or at nights in his room. The others thought it best to leave him alone with his thoughts.