Chapter 64: chapter 64

It was Tuesday morning and Arnab  had received a call from Harpreet to come meet him urgently at the hospital. Not sure what was wrong as his friend had sounded worried. He knew it was not related to Jassi because Mowri  had told him she had spoken to her last evening and everything was fine. Then what was the reason? He had gone anyway. He knocked on the door that led to Harpreet's office and heard a 'come in'."Hey," Arnab  said as he walked inside."Hi," Harpreet said as he looked up from a report he had been studying then lifted his wrist and looked at his watch, "on time," he commented."I mostly am," Arnab  responded as he sat on the chair across from his friend, "but you know that. So what is the problem?" he asked."Tea?" Harpreet asked his voice bordering on worry and tension.Arnab  didn't know what to make of his friend. He seemed to be in a weird mood. But he kept his patience. Harpreet was never one to make idle talk. Arnab  nodded his assent for tea and studied Harpreet. He seemed on edge for some reason. Arnab  knew him very well and he couldn't help but wonder the reason. He watched as Harpreet called up the hospital canteen for two teas."How was the engagement party?" Harpreet asked trying to sound casual."It was good," Arnab  replied. He could sense Harpreet was stalling the real issue but he kept up. "Mowri  and I spoke at lengths about her broken engagement and it seems all is in the clear now," he told him."So you know her better than you did before," Harpreet pointed out."Yes," Arnab  said and smiled, "and her family too," he said."Good," Harpreet said, "at least one hurdle is out of the way," he murmured."What?" Arnab  asked confused."Nothing," Harpreet said as he frowned. Before Arnab  could ask why Harpreet was in a mysterious mood the tea arrived. They kept quiet while the tea was served but the moment the server left Arnab  couldn't contain himself."Will you spit it out?" he barked.He knew Harpreet would never mind whatever tone he used. They knew each other that well."I..." Harpreet started then paused."Oh, for God's sake man," Arnab  said impatiently, "you have never tried my patience with small talk before so get to the point. What is the matter?" he asked."Arnab  I don't know if you have heard but," Harpreet started then paused, then took in a deep breath, "there is news that Raheja might be transferred here," he said and looked at his friend.Arnab  didn't know how to react. He felt as if someone had just punched him straight in his gut. Nihal  Raheja was to be transferred here? What the hell was Harpreet talking about? How come he hadn't known anything about this? All the old memories he shared with that man started sifting through his mind. They had been friends. Once. But that was a long time ago. Now they were just...they were nothing."When did you hear?" Arnab  asked. His voice sounded strangulated and Harpreet winced.He knew how Arnab  felt or he could guess. They had been best friends since their NDA days and there was not much Harpreet didn't know about Arnab . In fact he knew Nihal  too. They had formed a trio back then. A handsome devil Nihal  had been and a rake too. Girls fell all over him and he had basked at the attention he had always got. Not that Arnab  was less good looking but he had always maintained his respect for women never engaging in any dillydally relationships. The only time he had entered one was with Nisha  his ex-wife and he had married her too. He had been that serious. Though otherwise he had been a fun loving chap. The three of them had been very different from each other but they had still been friends watching each other's backs and then the trio had broken. Nihal  had been the one to do that, betraying them in a manner where all rules of friendship had taken a backseat. When he had heard two days ago that he might be transferred here Harpreet had seen it as a bad omen. He hadn't told Jassi yet but he was sure she would find out soon too. Arnab  hadn't been here he had been at Ambala. But before someone else told him Harpreet had thought about talking to him on his own. It was better to have him prepared than have him receive the shock of his life."This Saturday," Harpreet said quietly, "at the club," he told him. "There was a party and I heard the commanding officer talk to the subordinate about him. There is only one Captain Nihal  Raheja I know of who is currently posted in Delhi," he said with distaste.Arnab  tried to digest the news. But he was still stunned. Why? Why would life do this to him? How was he supposed to react?"Is he getting a promotion?" Arnab  asked still in disbelief."I guess so," Harpreet said, "I wanted to let you know so you wouldn't be shocked if you got to know from another source or met him suddenly at the party this Saturday," he told him. It pained him to be the announcer of this news but...he had to let Arnab  know, "you will have to be present with Mowri ," he said and watched Arnab  look up at him."Why?" he asked stubbornly."It is a welcome party for some new officers, introducing them to ones who are already here," he told him sympathetically then watched Arnab  abruptly get up and walk towards the charts of human anatomy that hung on the wall of Harpreet's office.Arnab  looked at the charts seeing nothing, remembering everything. Why couldn't life go easy on him? What was he supposed to do? He hadn't even started to tell Mowri  about his past all she knew was that he had been married to a girl named Nisha  and then had gotten divorced. Only if it was that simple. His past was riddled with complications too. He had never talked about it to anyone though everyone knew what had happened but he had never voiced it in his words. This was so frustrating. And it was happening so fast. Would Mowri  be able to understand why he couldn't love anyone anymore? Would she be able to see how he had made the mistakes that had driven Nisha  away from him? He wasn't sure. She had just started to recover from her wounds how could he burden her with his? But it seemed he wasn't being given a choice in the matter. Either he tells her or she hears about it from someone else which was even worse. And he knew she would never forgive him if he hid something as vital as this from her. He knew her that much. The problem was he liked her too much to cause her any pain. Here he had thought he could take his time, build a stronger foundation and then tell her but it seemed that was not going to be the case."What are you going to do?" Harpreet asked quietly."What can I do?" Arnab  asked him angrily then closed his eyes momentarily to get himself more in control. "Sorry," he said as he opened his eyes again, "you didn't deserve that. In a way I am glad I got to know about this from you than anybody else at least I can react the way I want to," he told his friend and smiled mockingly, "life just doesn't know when to strike right, the moment she sees you are relaxed wham comes the axe," he said and saw sympathy and understanding in Harpreet's eyes."Mowri  needs to know," Harpreet said."I know," Arnab  replied trying to ease out the tension from between his brows with his fingers, "only I think it is too soon. She is still trying to come out of her shadows I don't think this is the right time to let her know about a few extra things about me too," he said."You cannot leave her in the dark for long Arnab ," Harpreet said as he rose from his chair and walked towards his friend, "if she finds out from somebody else or if she was to meet the people concerned she will be very upset," he said as he kept a hand on Arnab 's shoulder."Wrong," Arnab  said as he gave a half smile, "she will kill me," he told him then shook his head."You have no choice dude," Harpreet said then as Arnab  raised an eyebrow he quickly corrected himself, "sorry, I meant 'man'," he said, "Of what I have seen of her she is a strong personality and an even stronger person she will be able to take it. Besides it was never your fault," he said with conviction."That is what you say," Arnab  replied."Okay, so let her be the judge and decide where she should lay the blame," Harpreet said trying to get Arnab  to understand."I think I need some time to come up with the right words," Arnab  said broodingly."You have got to be kidding me," Harpreet said out of patience with Arnab , "why are you being such a nutcase? What are you so afraid of? And what the hell do 'right words' mean? You just have to tell her the truth and leave it at that," he said annoyed with Arnab ."I am afraid of losing her dammit," Arnab  replied, "what if she doesn't understand?" he asked."Arnab ," Harpreet tried again as he took in a quick breath and released it, "trust me, she will but only if you tell her. You said she is a strong, rational girl why wouldn't she understand?" he said.Arnab  knew the frustration Harpreet was feeling. He wasn't feeling anything much different from him. He was right and Arnab  knew that but a strange fear was gripping his heart. What if she thought it was all his fault? What will he do then?"Does Jassi know?" Arnab  asked."Not yet," Harpreet replied, "she has seen me preoccupied and she is like a hound you know her. She has been after my life to tell her what is the problem? But once I tell her there is no guarantee she will not talk to Mowri . She likes her and somewhere she has taken it upon herself to see the two of you happy. Besides she hates Nihal  with an intensity as if he had done a personal injury to her, reflectively, maybe he had. Look Arnab , we are there with you, for you anytime you need us," Harpreet said, "but this you have to do on your own buddy," he said.Arnab  released a frustrated breath and nodded. Then turned and walked out. He needed to think. He needed to act. He needed to vent out. The weight of his emotions was crushing his soul and he couldn't take it. What better mode than target practice at this time. It may sound childish at this point but it was the best idea he could come up with for now. Though as he shot round after round his mind was preoccupied with two things. One his past and two Mowri . What Harpreet had said he knew he couldn't argue with the logic of it. After an hour he stopped but he was still not anywhere near feeling better. He sighed. He will just have to talk to his wife and see how she was going to take things.What he didn't know was that there was another scene that would be waiting for him at home bringing a few truths he had been stalling for a while come and stand before him.***********************