All the Chapters
Chapter 22
Next day Shaan woke up quite early in the morning and before he could set out with Kelly on the next day’s rescue operations, he went to meet Medhavi.
Kelly was already awake when Shaan woke up but kept lazing around on her mattress.
She got curious to know what Shaan was doing. Shaan took the direction of the camp and Kelly followed him. She had an inkling that Shaan wanted to meet Medhavi. She was in love with Shaan and wished to understand the relationship between Medhavi and Shaan.
Shaan reached Medhavi’s bed and sat near her. He smiled at her, “How are you this morning, Medhavi?”
“I am good. I could not even thank you properly yesterday.”
“No formalities. Aren’t we old friends? Formalities don’t have any place between the friends.”
Medhavi felt ashamed of herself. She had tears in her eyes. She mumbled, “I am sorry Shaan. I did not understand you then. I have started understanding only recently what you used to tell me about humanity being over and above the petty things like religions and castes. How wrong I was!”
“Medhavi, it’s all right. Just relax.”
“No, I need to tell you that I was utterly stupid. I was overambitious and very jealous of you. I was a fool then.”
“Medhavi, I must not forget to tell you that your husband reached here yesterday and in the evening he came to see you. You were asleep then. We did not think it proper to wake you up. He will meet you shortly. Take a full day’s rest and then you can move with him in his hotel after consulting the doctors.”
Kelly was standing a little away from the bed of Medhavi but out of her or Shaan’s sight. But she could hear the entire conversation that took place between Shaan and Medhavi.
Then she saw Shaan moving away from Medhavi’s bed only to turn back and reach Medhavi again. Kelly got more curious to know why Shaan wanted to meet Medhavi again.
So Kelly remained where she was positioned earlier and listened to the conversation between Shaan and Medhavi.
Shaan reached Medhavi and said, “Hey one more thing. I am curious to know why you still have my handkerchief with you?”
Medhavi smiled and replied, “Shaan, when you travelled with me to USA and dropped me at Anji’s apartment that day, I have been very angry with you all the time. On top of that I hurt myself while removing my bag from the carousel at the airport and you bandaged my wound by your handkerchief. So I was angry because of that too. In the rage of my anger I forgot to give back your handkerchief to you.”
“I wouldn’t have accepted it then because it was meant for your hurt leg.”
“Yet I wanted to be rid of everything that was associated with you. But your handkerchief remained with me. And then I don’t know what occurred to me, I could not throw it away. Not only that, over the recent months I started carrying it with me in my purse all the time. Subconsciously I always felt that your handkerchief would always protect me. I am so stupid and superstitious. But see in the end your handkerchief did save me today. It has literally given me the second life. I am so much indebted to you Shaan.”
She further added, “I was waving the handkerchief at each and every rescue team that passed my building where I had taken the shelter but everyone ignored me. I don’t know the reason. Then I remembered that even in the last rescue operations that took place in the Indian Ocean, the rescue operators had practiced discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion and nationality. So I gave up all the hope. Death stared straight in my face every single minute. But I kept on unfurling your handkerchief to attract the attention of the rescuers. And finally your handkerchief proved so lucky for me.”
“Yes it was the handkerchief that gave me the clue that the girl holding it must be Medhavi. I had never before left any of my handkerchiefs with anyone. When I saw it through the binoculars, I saw my name woven in it. My mom did that to all of my handkerchiefs. Then I saw your face once again to confirm if you really were Medhavi.”
“Shaan, even if you ask me that handkerchief back now, I will never ever return it to you. That’s my decision.”
Kelly was secretly listening to this conversation.
Kelly thought, “Is this girl still in love with Shaan? And what about Shaan?”
Kelly moved from there before Shaan could reach the place where they resided.
Then Shaan and Kelly resumed their rescue operations for the day. Shaan had no clue that Kelly had heard his conversation with Medhavi that morning.
But Shaan sensed some change in Kelly. Kelly acted every bit professional but quite detached from him at the personal level. Shaan wondered at her such behavior. Why such sudden change in her?
But they were too busy rescuing the people throughout the whole day and had no time to exchange any personal conversation.
………………….
Samskara was in constant touch with Medhavi’s parents. They arrived from India the early morning and met Samskara in his hotel room.
Samskara told them that he had met Shaan and through him he saw Medhavi in the camp. Since she was taking rest and already asleep he could not speak with her.
Medhavi’s parents felt quite puzzled. Medhavi’s father asked, “What way Shaan comes into picture?”
“Perhaps you may be knowing Shaan because Medhavi and Shaan were classmates while studying in India. Shaan now works for a humanitarian organization of America called ‘Humanity Forum’. He along with his associate Kelly saved Medhavi’s life.”
“Did he really save Medhavi?” Surprise as well as doubt loomed large on Medhavi’s father’s face.
“Yes, it’s only because of Shaan that Medhavi is alive today.”
Hearing this Medhavi’s father looked at his wife with some meaningful gestures but Samskara did not notice it.
Samskara said, “Let us go to the rescue camp.”
Presently they were in Medhavi’s company in the camp.
Medhavi addressed to Samskara, “How do you know Shaan? You mentioned that you met him yesterday.”
“I do not know him personally but got to know his whereabouts through your diary.”
Medhavi was taken aback at this revelation. After reaching Japan she had realized that she had left her diary at home in San Diego. She was quite apprehensive about it because she wrote so many things in the diary, which she did not want Samskara to know at this stage. But she thought now that the damage was already done.
Yet she did not continue with the subject of diary in presence of her parents. But she decided that she would soon discuss with Samskara everything that was disturbing her because Samskara already knew everything after reading her diary.
Samskara was also keen on discussing Medhavi’s concerns that she wrote in her diary but not in presence of Medhavi’s parents.
(Get your copy of the novel "Good People" as an eBook from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BHH37G only for $ 0.99. You may also like to get its Printed Book from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Good-People-Dream-Boundary-World/dp/1479333085/ref=sr_1_8_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380916602&sr=1-8&keywords=shyam+bhatawdekar%27s+books)
Novels and Stories
Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/
Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/
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