Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 3) Lost memories or illusions

"He felt weightless as darkness enveloped him... The powerful currents sucked him deeper into the water, even if he resisted them relentlessly. Where was she? He tried to call her name but every time he opened his mouth, water gushed inside, choking his lungs... As he flailed his arms and legs around, his last thought was that he wouldn't be able to live without her..."

Maurya jerked open his eyes, his body drenched in sweat and his lungs struggling to breathe normally. Switching on the bedside lamp, he noticed the crumpled linens kicked aside. He realized that he had thrashed aside the bedsheets during the nightmare. Steadying his nerves, he gulped down a glass of water and pulled a pyjama over his shorts. He sauntered to the balcony, his bare chest encountering the early morning chill bravely.

'What was that all about!' Maurya brooded. Although he usually found it difficult to fall asleep, he hadn't faced such nightmares before. The explicit dream had seemed so real that he contemplated if such a thing had happened to him before in his life. He did not remember his life before Mahendran picked him up from the beach. It was from Mahendran that he knew he had been found on the floor of a cargo ship in the middle of the ocean. Had he drowned and washed up on the boat? In that dream he had woken up from, he had been searching for a woman. He recalled the muddled thoughts about not being able to live without that woman. Had there been someone with him when he got lost in the sea? Why would he think that he would not be able to live without her? At the age of ten, it was not feasible that he had been in love. So, who had been with him? And why didn't his family search for him if he had drowned? Too many thoughts and possibilities puzzled him. Pulling the hood of the jacket over his head, he rushed out for a jog.

Amidst the chaos of images and memories, he recollected Mahendran's letter that was sent to him through Shankaran Murthy. Mahendran had written, "I believe that your stars have destined you to find the right partner and when you find her, you will know she is the one for you. Your one true love..."

Mahendran's mention of true love mystified him... He had assumed that his mentor had talked about Rashika. Now, with the dream fresh in his mind, he pondered if there was someone else that Mahendran had meant.

 **************

Dharma had accompanied Kamya for her interview. She was sitting in the reception area of the sprawling school campus while Kamya and other candidates, were in the conference room participating in a group discussion. She was studying the display board, where the photographs of the best students were pinned, when she got a call from an unknown number, "Hello..."

There was no answer. Hearing nothing from the other side, she severed the call.

Ten minutes later, another call from the same number irritated her. Frowning, she asked, "Hello, who are you?"

Again, there was no sound, only heavy breathing that made Dharma uneasy. She held on to the call but there was only silence from the other end. She considered lodging an official complaint nevertheless, she decided to wait for another day. She blocked the number temporarily to avoid further harassment.

Sometime later, Kamya briefed Dharma about the interviews, expressing her satisfaction, "I did my best. Let us see if they will get in touch with me."

After a quick bite, the girls headed to Brahim’s house. Dharma was just hailing an auto when she got the uncanny feeling of someone following her. She turned around to check the crowded market. There was no one familiar.

"Dharma, what are you searching for? Get in the auto," Kamya, already seated in the auto called out over the din and Dharma quickly slid into the seat.

"I just felt someone was following me," Dharma murmured.

"Who?"

"Don't know. Just a strange feeling..."

Kamya and Dharma were quiet during the ride to Brahim's house; both considering the possibility of Chaitanya stalking Dharma. Meeting Brahim and discussing the idea of moving in together, dispelled their worries.

Both the girls spent the following day in the hostel, catching up on beauty treatments, food, gossip, and sleep. Kamya had brought a lovely tie and dye dress from Mohandham for Dharma. She liked it so much that she wore it the next day for work. 

The midi-dress in bright blue and yellow attracted quite an attention at Dharma's workplace. Many of them complimented her on the style and colour of the dress. Pleased with the comments, Dharma began the first day of the working week cheerfully. She learnt that Rashika was back from her trip and would be coming to work that day. Taking a mid-morning break of tea, Dharma was sketching one of the designs with an altered collar and buttons when she was called for a staff meeting.

Like Dharma, everyone was brimming with curiosity.  She pondered if Maurya would be there, and apparently, she was not the only one to speculate because she heard others murmuring if he would be chairing the meeting. The hall was quickly filling up and when all the chairs were taken up, Rashika arrived with Lekha and Sonia.

Rashika made an announcement about the Autumn/Winter Fashion week that was to be held the next month, "Krishna Industries will be showcasing their new collection and all of you are invited to the show. I have got the passes and we will be distributing them soon."

Someone asked if Index Fashions too would be exhibiting their collection.

"No, we will not participate this time, but we will provide all the support that Krishna Industries would need," Rashika clarified.

The hall buzzed with excitement about the coming event. Dharma learnt that it was one of the most prestigious events in the city and, from haute couture designers, fashion houses, retailers, and stylists to celebrities, all looked forward to the week eagerly.

Rashika drew everyone's attention once again by making another announcement, "Index Fashion House will be holding a runway show for the fall collection. It will be held a fortnight after the fashion week. Our chairman wants to place IFH on the fashion map and this show will be the ideal opportunity for it. I want Lekha to head this project. Suggestions regarding the venue, the theme of our collection, the guests, the models, and the showstoppers are welcome from you. We will hold a meeting next week and I expect contribution from everyone. When I make the presentation to our chairman, I want to announce it as a collective effort of the team."

There was a loud cheer from the staff, and following a short discussion with Rashika, everyone returned to work. Dharma did not mull over Rashika's announcement, but rather on the sudden and surprising camaraderie between Lekha, Sonia, and Rashika. Sonia had been upset after her meeting with Maurya and she had informed Dharma on their way back that Maurya had asked her to have a talk with Rashika.

During the day, she received many anonymous calls from different unknown numbers. She registered an official complaint at the helpline of the service provider however, to lodge a complaint with the police, she was informed that unless there was an imminent threat, they would not register the complaint.

Kamya secured the job. Brahim and the girls celebrated the occasion that night. Kamya was going back to Parijatpur the next evening and all three made plans to move in together as soon as she settled in her job. They were too excited and did not notice the shadowy figure that followed Kamya and Dharma back to the hostel.

Leaving Kamya at the hostel the next morning, Dharma visited the fabric shop in the old city market. There was a lot of haggling over the price, however, they promised her that they would supply the fabrics on time. Their shipment, normally, reached them once a month and she would get their supply of fabrics by the 25th of that month. Satisfied with the discussion, Dharma returned to her workplace, only to learn that Maurya was present in Rashika's office. So, she scanned and printed a copy of the invoice and sent it through the peon to Rashika's office. Ten minutes later, the peon asked her to meet Rashika in her office. Hoping that Maurya would have left, she was disconcerted to see him, his face bent close to Rashika's, perusing something on Rashika's phone with keen interest. They drew apart abruptly as she came into their view.

"Good afternoon, you asked for me?" Dharma asked politely, avoiding Maurya's eyes.

"Dharma, next time you want to send something important to me, bring it yourself. Do not send it through the peon."

Dharma's temper rose but office decorum held her back. She nodded silently.

Dharma thought she saw a flicker of disappointment on Rashika's face. She pondered if Rashika wanted to pick a fight with her. Then she saw Maurya regarding her. His expression was veiled behind a cloak of indifference. Her phone rang and glancing at it, she slid it to silent mode.

"Don't you know that you have to keep your cell phones away when you come to my office?" Rashika berated Dharma.

"Oh! come on Rashika, don't be a headmistress! This is a workplace for adults and not a school for delinquent teenagers," Maurya snapped.

Dharma threw a grateful glance at Maurya while Rashika's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. Dharma, actually, felt sorry for her. If her own fiancé had chided her in front of the office staff, she would have given him an earful. Maybe Rashika would later, Dharma mused.

"Dharma, keep a track of the shipment with the supplier. Take the number from..." Maurya paused as Dharma's phone vibrated again and she ignored it but not Maurya, "If someone is calling you urgently, answer them please."

Rashika was growing angry by the minute and Dharma checked the number. It was again the unknown number.

"No, it is not urgent. It is a prank call."

"Prank call?" Maurya asked thoughtfully.

She blurted out, "Yeah, I have lodged a complaint."

That caught Maurya's attention, "Are you harassed by this unknown caller?"

"Yes, I just hear some heavy breathing and then silence."

"Where have you lodged a complaint?" Maurya asked, his forehead burrowed in a frown.

Dharma replied while Rashika added woefully, "Oh Maurya, even I have been getting these calls you know. There is just......." she went on but Maurya's concentration was focussed on a message he was typing out.

"If there is nothing else, may I go?" Dharma asked.

Maurya glanced at her but it was Rashika who answered, "Yes!"

Dharma wondered if Rashika existed on a planet of her own. Her ways of working were so archaic that Dharma deduced that heading a fashion house was not Rashika's cup of tea.

That night, after Kamya left for Parijatpur; Dharma began to work on the sketches. To her utter surprise, she got a call from Maurya, "Hi Dharma!"

"Hello..."

"I have lodged a formal complaint with the police. Can you send a snapshot of the number?"

"Sure!" Dharma did as she was told, "Sent!"

"Good, for how long have you been getting these calls?"

"Last couple of days I guess..."

"Any idea who it could be?"

Dharma hesitated and then answered," No, I have no clue."

However, Maurya had caught the hesitation and he scowled with anger.

When Dharma fell asleep that night, there was a small smile playing on her face. She felt grateful because; after many years, since Jaydev Mohan and his wife, someone else had taken the responsibility for her safety.

Nevertheless, a shock awaited her in the morning. She was jolted awake by the ring of her phone.

"Dharma, this is Garima calling from Mohandham..."

"Yeah?"

"Dharma, Kamya met with an accident this morning. She is in the hospital."

Alarmed, Dharma was wide awake now, "What? But how?"

"She was getting down from the bus and a car, coming from the opposite direction knocked her down."

"Oh god! How is she?" Dharma swallowed the tears that threatened to spurt out.

"Not good Dharma..."

"Oh my god, Kamya!" a staggered Dharma strove to control the fear that shook her. She pleaded, "Garima, I am coming there today itself. Please, please if Kamya gains consciousness, will you tell her that I am reaching soon?"

"Yes, of course!"

"And Garima, did they detain the driver?"

"Nope, he fled...."

Dharma and Brahim left for Parijatpur.