Yakshagni - An odyssey of unbroken devotion - II

 19) The Intricacies of Love 

Rashika looked at Maurya in confusion, but she was beside herself with joy that he was not attracted to anyone else.

Under Maurya's scrutiny, Rashika cast about for a logical answer, "No, I thought you would want to postpone the date."

"Do you want to?" he asked, hoping that she would answer in affirmation.

"No, of course not! It is just that...I felt that you were drifting away from me," Rashika faltered, not mustering enough courage to confront him about Dharma.

Maurya shrugged, his attention returning to the glass.

Delighted that he had no intention of putting off their wedding, Rashika rose from her seat and rushed to Maurya, "Oh god Arya, I love you so much. I thought I had lost you,"

"Why would you think that?" he asked, tugging out of her embrace gently.

"I thought...Never mind! Anyway, I told Dad that if you are not interested in continuing with Krishna Industries, I would take over the business," hurrying back to her seat, she spilled the beans out.

Maurya regarded her guardedly, "What makes you think that I would lose interest in the business?"

"I thought you had other interests to focus your attention on...." She murmured, grappling to get out of the trap that she had caught herself in.

"Like?" he asked doggedly

"I don't know Arya. I just thought that you were losing interest so I told Dad that I would happily take over the reins of the business."

Maurya tossed the question very casually, "Did your father agree to it?"

"Oh yes, when I asked him if he was willing to hand over the business to someone other than you, he said he would hand it over to me," Rashika answered proudly, not considering that her answer would create irreparable damage to her relationship with Maurya.

"Really? Did he say that?" the mildness of his tone should have warned Rashika but she was too engrossed in the thought of being the only recipient of Maurya's affections.

"Yes, but of course, I am sure that he would never even think of handing it over to anyone else other than you, let alone me..."

The waiter arrived with their order and they fell silent.

"So, what have you been doing these days?" the sudden change of topic puzzled her.

"Oh, I have been doing this and that. Index Fashion is keeping me busy," Rashika answered, trying to remind Maurya in her subtle way that she was already involved in the business.

"And what exactly is keeping you busy? I hadn’t expected you to be so interested when I suggested to your father that you head Index Fashion …"

Rashika's eyes skimmed over his face sceptically, making her wonder if he was reminding her deliberately. Frowning, she replied, "Day-to-day matters, also Sonia guides me about the functioning of the business."

"Good, you and Sonia have become friends," Maurya observed aloud.

Rashika felt it in her bones; the widening rift between them. She felt helpless and was desperate to mend the growing chasm.

"Arya, I will stay at your place tonight," Rashika offered as an olive branch.

"Why? Isn't Arjun waiting for you?"

Rashika's face paled and their eyes clashed, one cool and the other agitated.

Thrown off balance, Rashika asked, "What do you mean Arya? I didn't know you were stalking me," Rashika implied.

"Your idiot friend has been posting photos of both of you all over social media. I am surprised that you haven't checked them yourself," Maurya's words and eyes, both expressed sardonic amusement.

Looking at him, her pupils were dilated with disbelief. Good lord, Maurya was jealous! Her single most objective to gain his attention had been achieved without her knowledge. Her heart swelled with happiness. No wonder he was so aloof. Oh dear, all her frustrations and worries had been for nothing. Maurya was envious of her friendship with Arjun, she savoured the thought with relish.

"Oh Arya, I didn't know you were jealous. Arjun is nothing but a friend," she claimed, her fingers stroking Maurya's arm softly while her gaze appealed to him with earnestness. But what repelled Maurya was the gleam of triumph that he caught on her face.

"Is he?" Maurya placed the fork and knife on the plate and leaned back. His eyes pierced into hers with a deliberateness that flustered her. Her gaze fell and narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Why are you so desperate to marry me?"

"What? I am desperate?" she asked, her rising indignation threatening to burst out.

He shrugged, waiting for her answer quietly.

Labouring to rein in her temper, Rashika burst out, "How dare you! Remember, you were the one who proposed to me and I thought we were in love. But all of a sudden, I find you distancing yourself from me as if I am this castaway that has been bothering you."

His glance mocked her accusation, however, she continued vitriolically, "Arjun was the only one who understood me. I tried to talk to you but you never bothered. And why am I desperate?... Because I love you, Arya! Don't you get it?"

"No, I don't get it, Rashika. If you love someone, you don't cheat on them. At least, that is what I have learnt in my life."

Maurya's answer rendered Rashika motionless. Her face blanched; her nerves went rigid with bewildering shock. How did he know? She had been careful when she stayed with Arjun. Did Arjun tell Maurya?

"I think this has gone too far. Let us leave," Maurya signalled for the bill.

Rashika excused herself to rush to the washroom. She had been planning to lead Maurya into her game so that he would feel guilty and confess to being wrong. But for all her preparation, she had miscalculated Maurya's acumen. As a result, here she was, regretting her dalliance with Arjun.

When she joined Maurya, she urged, "Arya, I did not..."

"Stop it, Rashika. Don't add to the lies. Just accept that you have feelings for Arjun," Maurya stated, steering the car out of the complex carefully.

"I have no feelings for Arjun, Arya. Believe me, I was lonely," she laid her palm over his arm, a tear dropping from her eyes, "It is you I love Arya. You are the only one I have ever loved..."

Strangely, Rashika's tears or her confession did not appeal to Maurya. He didn't know why he had become so indifferent to her. But what bewildered him was, how one could love someone so passionately, like Rashika did or professed to love him, and then cheat on him. It made a mockery of the emotion. Even if he didn't believe in love, it was baffling to discover that in the name of love, one could betray that very same love.

 "Let us give it a break, Rashika, and then decide."

"You won't tell Daddy?" she asked urgently.

"No, although he deserves to know," Maurya murmured, fed up with these silly games he played with Rashika. He really didn't care if she went with Arjun or married him.

"No, Arya please..."

"Relax, I won't," Maurya assured her finally.

"And please allow him to carry on with the announcement Arya," Rashika pleaded, hoping that she would have enough time to win him over once again.

Maurya nodded, stopping the car in front of her house. Rashika leaned forward to drop a kiss on his cheek but he drew back and she slid out of the car.

Maurya drove around the city, lost in his own thoughts. He had wanted to use their relationship to his own advantage, to get out of his commitment to Rashika and to make a deal with Vasukinath Krishna. But now, he doubted that he would do it. He knew Rashika would come up with more tricks to get back into his good books.

And it made him shudder. He just couldn't think of being married to her. Vasukinath's willingness to hand over the business to his daughter troubled him. Maurya was aware that the other man could have said it on the spur of the moment to please his daughter. And yet, it hurt him.

He recalled his mentor's letter, "Only your true love will guide you in the direction to accomplish your task." And Shankaran's response, when two souls seek each other to fulfil a Karmic debt!

Did he have a karmic debt in this life? And who was going to help him with that?

He was startled by his spontaneous ability to conjure up the image of Dharma and her soulful eyes. The only thing that stirred his feelings!

For the first time in his life, he realized that he had been nurturing a dead soul inside him. Other than his career and ambitions, he was left untouched by everything else in his life. For a brief time, Mahendran Namboodri's demise had made him sad but he had not been affected by it greatly. He had been sailing through life without an emotional anchor. Acute loneliness wrenched him. He wanted to lay bare his lifeless spirit to Dharma, whose luminous eyes carried lush promises. He recalled the painting, 'The Guiding Spirit'.

Sighing wistfully, he wondered what Dharma was doing in Ahmedabad. Probably, poking her nose around some other ruins of a monument. The corners of his mouth upturned with warmth. Not caring to give another thought to his action, he called Dharma as soon as he was out of the shower.

**************

When Dharma reached her hostel, she got the news that two police officers had come in search of her. 

"What?" In search of me?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Yes, dear. They said they just want to inquire a few things about someone who was troubling you," the warden explained.

"Oh?" Dharma mulled if someone had made a complaint against Chaitanya.

"Is someone troubling you Dharma? You should have told us. We would have kept an eye for you," the warden probed.

"No, he was, but I think, after my last warning, he would stay away from me."

"I heard you are shifting?"

Dharma nodded, and the warden opened up, "You bring sunshine to everyone you meet, child. Always stay that way and God bless you!"

The warden's unexpected words touched Dharma and she gave an affectionate hug, "Thank you!"

Settling on her bed, Dharma called Kamya to recount her trip to Modhera. 

When she ended her call, there was another call and it was from Maurya. Scrambling to answer the call, Dharma dropped the phone twice before answering him.

"Hello," she greeted breathlessly.

There was no answer for a moment and then Maurya asked, "Are you alright? You sound out of breath."

"No, of course not! I just came down from a run," she concocted a harmless lie, rolling her eyes at the absurd answer.

"Run? At this time? It is almost twelve," he said doubtingly.

"Sometimes, I take a brisk walk or run on the terrace," Dharma sighed at her foolishness. Why was she making up stories without reason?

"Oh right!" his distant-sounding answer reminded her that he must have called her for a reason and here she was babbling ludicrously.

"You called for something?"

"Yes! Have you drawn a plan for the show?" Maurya questioned.

Dharma glanced at the phone and grimaced.

"No, I need a couple of days to work on it," finally she gave a truthful answer.

"No issues but make sure that you highlight the historical facts about the temple. It will add intrigue to our show."

"I will sketch the plan and show you."

"Cool, meet me at my office when the entire plan is ready."

"I will," Dharma answered. Recalling that she had wanted to thank him, she expressed hesitatingly, "Thank you for convincing the collector to have the show in Modhera."

"It is Index's show and the company deserves a place in the fashion scene."

Maurya's answer established the fact that he was doing it for the company.

"Right! I agree."

The sudden coolness in Dharma's tone reminded him that he was calling her at a godforsaken hour. Nevertheless, he didn't end the call.

"Has that bumbling wastrel bothered you again?"

Dharma's face beamed in hilarity, at his description of Chaitanya.

"No, but two officers had come by this evening at the hostel, to talk to me," Dharma stated, speculating if Maurya had made that complaint.

"Good! Someone needs to keep that dog on a leash," Maurya answered, without confirming if he had been the one to lodge a report against Chaitanya.

"You are insulting dogs," Dharma conveyed, provoking Maurya to laugh aloud.

"Totally agree on that..."

Dharma liked Maurya's laughter. He seemed more approachable when he was amused.

"So, you lodged that complaint?"

"Not directly. I asked a friend to take care of him."

"To take care of him? What do you mean by that?" Dharma asked suspiciously.

"Meaning, I asked him to see to it that the scoundrel does not trouble you again."

Unsure, Dharma began, "Thank you for intervening but...."

Before she could complete the sentence, Maurya snapped, "The company has to take care of the employees' welfare and security. So, don't get into your head that you are given preferential treatment. Goodnight, Dharma!"

When he ended the call, Dharma glowered at the phone with pique.