Noyontara

Three weeks since the discharge. Her body balance and walking abilities had only worsened, so much that he was compelled to get a wheelchair. And even though he had got it till the house, he couldn't dare tell her to sit into it.

Sindhuja was there on the sofa, shifting her gaze between the wheelchair and him while others in the house looked on.

"So... Can you help me onto it?" She finally asked cutting the silence around.

He was glad that she guessed it herself, and sorry that she ever needed to."Yeah... Come."

Slowly getting her on it, he felt his knees weaken watching her like this. So did Kaaki and Tapesh from behind him, he knew.

Trying to speak, he couldn't find his voice for a good thirty seconds until throatily saying, "Let's go out for a stroll."

They both left the house as Kaaki collapsed on the sofa, putting the Pallu of her saree to her mouth. Kaka kept a consoling hand on her shoulder while Tapesh just ran upto his room without a word, the sound of his door being slammed echoing through the house. Srinath watched on from a corner in the kitchen still feeling guilty.

Meanwhile he took the wheelchair out to a nearby garden, where they could go round more easily. She looked around quietly and so did he while pushing the chair ahead, noting things in his mind here and there. She turned behind to him after some time, to which he stopped the chair and bent on to listen to her.

"Stop here by the bench. You must be tired too."

"Yeah, okay..."

He helped her onto the bench and went to park the chair near it. However, while adjusting the chair he noticed a little girl not more than 6 to 7 years, sitting by a bed of flowers fiddling with something down on the ground. There was a woman standing nearby with a similar face to the child, who he guessed was her mother, busy chatting with another woman. The girl meanwhile was looking around, picking up things and carefully putting them up in a mound. It hadn't even been a few moments since he was watching, when he saw her bend over to reach out for something brown and shining. Realizing it was a shard of glass, he quickly ran there and picked the object before she could touch it.

"No! Don't take that!" He lightly scolded the kid as she tried to reach out and take the shiny thing from his hand with a cry of irritation.

The mother turned around and furrowed her brows seeing the unknown man near her daughter. She quickly came there and took the kid's hand."Yes?"

He understood that the woman was suspicious of him, and explained showing the glass still in his hand. The mother would not have been convinced, had the girl not tried to take it again and cry again when he didn't give it to her.

"Oh, thank you." The woman curtly said and walked away carrying the girl in her arms.

He looked down to the mound at his feet, made of stones and a few colourful flowers. Sindhuja meanwhile had turned around too, watching all that had happened. He picked something from the ground and walked back to her, settling on the bench.

She looked at his hand to see a bright lavender-coloured Noyontara flower in it, darker with a yellow dot at its centre. He lifted his hand tucking the flower above her ear, against the backdrop of her black hair pulled back in a low bun.

"I don't know how parents can be so careless about their children... Is it that difficult to just look out for your own kids?"

"How would I know?" She said slowly, thinking of how it would've almost been her second month by now if that attack hadn't taken place. She had so many dreams and hopes after knowing she had got another chance; But it was all over now. All already taken away from her. Again.

He read her thoughts and immediately regretted mentioning the topic at all.

"By the way, did you know Noyontaras aren't native from here?... They actually come from Madagascar in East Africa. A lot of exotic tropical species like these had been brought in to India in botanical gardens, not only for studies; but on initiative of wives of officers in the East India Company!..."

"Mitter babu..." The flower fell off her hair while she tried to speak.

"Ohho..." He picked it from her lap and put it back again, setting it properly.

However, she held his hand stopping him. "I've told you a hundred times. Don't care so much..."

He frowned while eyeing her hand holding his. Placing his other hand on it, he turned to her. "I will. I'll be caring for every single thing, every single time. You understand?"

She sighed. "Why are you doing this to yourself? We both know what's happening to me... Why are you not accepting it?"

"If you were in my place and all this happened to me, would you accept it?"

"Stop twisting the question."

"I'm not. You wouldn't just accept that fate, would you? I know you would try and do everything that you can for me. I'm doing the same."

"Mitter Babu, I... I don't want you to suffer after I'm gone. I don't want you hurt again."

He frowned again. "Why are you going, Sindhu? Where are you going?! For god's sake stop this! You aren't going anywhere away, stop thinking negatively first."

"Negative? I'm being realistic, Mitter babu. Practical." She said firmly.

He looked away.

She squeezed his hand that was holding hers. "Listen to me for once, will you? As early as you accept it and stay prepared, the less painful it will be for you. Please... Please, don't get so attached with me. Don't get your emotions stuck in me."

He was still looking the other way.

"Come on, you're ever-detached from all these weaknesses and emotions, remember Private Investigator?"

He turned to her this time. "You were never a weakness, Sindhu. You are my strength."

"No, Mitter babu! Your strength lies in you, I was but a medium that made you realize it. Your strength lies in your capability... And the pureness of your heart."

"My heart, which has been yours for years. You are where it got its pureness from."

She shook her head. "Everything has only been inside you. You named it Sindhuja, because you didn't believe you were capable of so much alone. But you are strong Mitter Babu, I know you are capable of starting again. I know you can get through life even without me."

"But I don't want to." His voice quivered. "I want you Rosogolla. I need you."

She sighed as her eyes glistened. "It's not in our hands. Just like meeting each other was not in our control, parting ways also isn't. We can only accept what is decided by destiny."

He muttered frustrated. "Destiny... God... Fate.... Why, why does it always play such dirty games with us?!"

She didn't have an answer.

The yellow evening rays made the world around glow like gold, against a calming pink sky hovering above. There were a lot of voices and sounds of honks around, but they both had their minds in utter silence.

He broke the pricking quiet between them. "Are you tired? We'll go home."

"No. I want to stay out for more time."

Her hand was still in his, hanging between both of them. He shifted close to her and caressed her fingers that were locked in his. "I want to love you as much as I can Sindhu. While I can. And Felu Mitter doesn't give up on anything once he decides; I will fight until the very end. I won't let destiny win so easily."

She put her tired head on his shoulder. "I'm only worried for you, Mitter babu. I don't want you to suffer yourself while fighting off everything."

Turning, he tipped her chin up with the other hand, eyes desperate. "You get better. Then I won't be worrisome, I promise."

She tried to roll her eyes. "Again after all this conversation Mitter babu? You're too stubborn!"

"As if you aren't." He said almost in a whisper.

Sindhuja smiled sadly at the words she often said to him, while a tear slipped her eye. She rested her head back on his shoulder, both of them looking ahead of them into nothing. The Noyontara had fallen down to the ground now, lying patiently on the gravel waiting for its fate; to be picked again or trampled upon.