All the Chapters
Chapter 23
Medhavi was feeling much better today. She was generally tossing and turning on the bed waiting for her discharge from the camp. She was quite impatient to resume her professional work for which she was deputed in Japan.
The aftermath of the tsunami had affected every soul and people were trying to get out of it gradually. And so was Medhavi.
The doctor had just completed the morning round. He would soon declare his decision on whom all to discharge. Every day some people were discharged and new tsunami-hit patients were coming in for the treatment.
Medhavi’s mind loitered around many events that took place lately. She started mulling over them. Suddenly her thoughts rested on thinking about Kelly. She tried to remember when was the first time she heard Kelly’s name? She asked herself, “Was it in the articles that I had read about ‘Humanity Forum’ where Shaan’s name was mentioned and so was Kelly’s? No, perhaps it was earlier than that. Oh now I remember. I heard about Kelly for the first time from Anji. She had told me meeting Kelly at LAX along with Shaan. And I remember Anji telling me that Kelly was beautiful.”
Medhavi could not stop thinking more about Kelly, “I agree with Anji. Kelly is very pretty. Has she become Shaan’s girl friend by now or their relationship is just professional? But Shaan told me the other day that Kelly knew about what had happened between Shaan and me. So she can’t be Shaan’s girl friend. In fact I had been curious and asked Shaan pointblank if Kelly knew about his past with me. Then he told me that Kelly knew everything about our past. But I was afraid to ask Shaan about his relationship with Kelly. Perhaps I am not ready to accept the existence of any intimate relationship between them. My guess is that Shaan and Kelly are just professional colleagues.”
She was trying to concoct some arguments to feel convinced that Shaan had nothing to do with Kelly. So Medhavi further argued with herself, “I am sure that Shaan is not at all in any serious relationship with Kelly even though they work together all the time. I think this way strongly because even after knowing that I was Shaan’s earlier girl friend Kelly is so cool towards me. She visits me often in the camp to take care of me. She makes sure that I am comfortable and the nurses are administering the medicines in time etc. It is so unlike a girl to be nice to a rival. If I was in her position I would have definitely ignored the other girl.”
She further asked herself, “Am I falling in love with Shaan again? Then why am I thinking so much of Kelly and Shaan?”
………………….
Kelly and Shaan had an early morning breakfast with Samskara and Medhavi’s parents in the hotel where Samskara and Medhavi’s parents were put up. After the breakfast Kelly left the hotel for the rescue camp.
Shaan stayed back with them. He wanted to take rest for a while. He had worked all the night all alone. He had advised Kelly to take it easy for a night and not accompany him for the rescue operations. So Kelly was quite rested and fresh.
Kelly mentioned, “OK then, I will go to the camp. I will most probably return with Medhavi. The attending doctor hinted yesterday that she would be discharged from the camp today. So I will check up with the doctor and you guys can expect us back here soon.”
Then she turned towards Samskara and addressing him said, “Cheer up Samskara. Your wife will be home soon.”
On her way to the camp Kelly started pondering over the events of the recent past. Finally her thoughts rested on thinking about Medhavi, “Is Medhavi in love with Shaan? Particularly after Shaan saved her, she seems to have become quite sentimental towards him. Also she remains quite tense in the company of Samskara. Even Samskara is quite uneasy communicating with Medhavi? Has something gone wrong between them? Their relationship looks strained. And is Shaan getting inclined towards Medhavi lately? He seems to be spending a great deal of time with her. Or is it just the usual humanitarian consideration?”
Then on second thought she concluded, “No. That cannot be true. Shaan has been honest enough to tell me everything about his past relationship with Medhavi. And he also told that he had gone past that now and Medhavi was totally out of his system. He has already declared his love for me recently and I believe in him fully. I cannot think of life without Shaan now.”
By this time she had reached Medhavi’s bed in the camp.
………………….
Medhavi was shaken up from her daydreams by Kelly’s sudden presence. Kelly had just approached her and said, “Good news for you Medhavi. Doctor gave OK to your discharge from the camp. You can now go to Samskara in his hotel room. I will escort you there.”
Kelly and Medhavi marched towards the hotel.
As they reached the door of the hotel room, Medhavi stopped Kelly from entering the room at hearing the mention of her name by Samskara.
Samskara was in the middle of some conversation with Shaan, “Shaan, in light of what Medhavi wrote in her diary, I have come to this conclusion. I must allow Medhavi her freedom from me. Both of us will remain unhappy in this marriage the whole life. It does not make sense. To start with we thought that we had similar opinions on everything and we fell in love and got married. But lately I realize that our thinking on some vital aspects of life is getting quite divergent. Medhavi has lately changed her mindset on religious issues quite significantly but despite my giving it a lot of try I am sure that I cannot change my mindset on religion and the associated rituals.”
Samskara was quite frank about his limitations.
Shaan interjected, “You have an year’s time. You can change if you want. As per you Medhavi wishes to save the marriage. That’s why she thought of giving each other some space for an year by taking a transfer to Japan. She still has some religious inclinations though she is in the process of moderation. If you too can shift yourself from the staunchness you carry about the religious dogmas, you two can meet at some mid point and then carry on well together.”
“That seems less likely. The limitation is from my side. I have thought about it from every angle every single minute after I read Medhavi’s diary. I have been brought up very differently from my childhood and to me all the religious dogmas that I learnt and practiced since then are very important. They are like life and death issues for me. You may call me extremist or fundamentalist or radical but I cannot change.”
“I suggest, give it a try.”
“I consulted my parents and they advised me not to move away from the religious path we as a family have adopted. My parents even talked to Medhavi’s parents yesterday and told them our decisions. Medhavi’s parents having gone through the strong sentiments documented by Medhavi in her diary and knowing my limitations in reforming myself have agreed with my conclusions.”
Medhavi’s parents nodded. Medhavi’s father said, “Shaan, we also request you to consider Samskara’s suggestion. He requested me to speak about his suggestion about your marriage with Medhavi. Samskara says that Medhavi still seems inclined towards you. He says that Medhavi has expressed it in so many words in her diary. We also thought the same after reading her diary. In any case we were contemplating your marriage with Medhavi before Samskara came into her life. You yourself had proposed that. But you never met again after that. We wondered why. But now that you have saved Medhavi and thus met her and us again we request you to marry her. It solves everything.”
Samskara added, “I will soon find a wife for me. So you need not worry on that count. Medhavi will be very happy with you.”
Shaan responded, “Samskara, There are some more missing links that you are not aware of. When I initially proposed Medhavi, she had declined me for her reasons similar to yours. She and her parents could not accept a person like me who had no alliance to any organized religion. I overheard Medhavi’s conversation with her friend Anjali where she told her that she had no interest in marrying me. I understood that she was never in love with me. That’s the reason why I did not meet Medhavi and her parents to pursue my proposal. Then onwards I never thought of Medhavi. I did not know this Medhavi at all. I was in love with an image of her. Medhavi did not love me and so how could I impose myself on her?”
Medhavi’s father felt sheepish and he uttered an “oh” involuntarily.
“And one more most important missing link that you are not aware of,” Shaan said. “Now I am in love with Kelly. I love her immensely. She loves me too. I will propose her to marry me soon.”
Outside the room, Medhavi took Kelly’s palms in hers and squeezed. She looked at her as if her eyes were saying, “Congratulations, Kelly.”
Kelly responded by the reciprocal squeeze of Medhavi’s palms. Tears filled Medhavi’s eyes. She turned her face and wiped them. Kelly did not notice.
Kelly asked Medhavi, “Do we go inside now?” When Medhavi nodded in affirmation, she knocked the door that was left half ajar.
Shaan rushed to open it. He saw Kelly and Medhavi entering the room.
Everyone else in the room joined Shaan in welcoming Medhavi. Medhavi gave them a bright smile.
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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/
