chapter 11

Chapter 11The trapped butterflyIshiqa was torn in two about winning the trip to Maldives. When Namita called the next morning, she told her about it. “I don’t know how to avoid going,” she lamented in an uncharacteristically weak moment. Her sister-in-law surprised her by saying, “Why should you back out! You must go! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And it is with your fiancé only, right? Don’t worry about your brother. I will let Akash know. I have heard that Maldives is a beautiful place. I wish you joy, darling.” Ishiqa rolled her eyes as she ended the call. She felt very alone suddenly. There was no one she could confide the truth in, especially not her sister-in-law. A knock on her door brought her out of reverie. Anita came in and said, “Madam, granny has sent for you. She says today she would like to have breakfast with you.”“Okay, thank you, Anita. I will be there in a jiffy.” She changed from her plain looking outfit into a fashionable but sober looking frock, red with white polka dots. She brushed her hair till it gleamed, leaving it loose on her shoulders, and went down. She took a deep breath and her luscious lips curved into a sweet smile before she entered the old lady’s room.“Good morning, granny, how are you”? she chirped. Granny hugged her lovingly. “My dear, I am so pleased to have your company. Come sit beside me and tell me all about your party last night. I hope Ved and you had a good time…” Her eyes twinkled mischievously. Ishiqa was unable to control her smile, but at the same time, she felt it was not fair to the grandmother. “Why are we cheating this sweet lady? What if she gets to know that the whole thing is a charade? It is all Ved’s fault. I must talk to Ved again and ask him to try and explain the truth to her.” she musedShe felt a pat on her knee. “What are you thinking about my child?” “Nothing granny. The party was very good; there was good food, excellent decorations, and wonderful friends.” She thanked Anita as she served her baked beans with toast, and cornflakes and milk for granny. “So tell me about your family. You must invite them home so that we can all meet up.” “I have my brother, sister-in-law and their sweet little daughter - an absolute blessing from above.” “And Ved? Is he not a part of your blessings, sweet child?” She forced herself to say, “Yes of course granny,” when she sensed him entering the room. She turned around to see Ved standing behind her. He leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek. She blushed and he grinned at her discomfiture. “Ved, my son, you must not embarrass her like this!” his grandmother said, but she seemed to enjoy watching Ishiqa overcome by what she construed as shyness. “See how her cheeks have gone from white to red!” Granny smiled mischievously. “Show me sweetheart.” He cupped her chin in one hand and turned it first to the left and then to the right. It was with great effort that she controlled her anger! What was the need for all this heavy duty romancing in front of granny!“Did she tell you we won a game yesterday?” He sat next to her, putting an arm casually around her shoulders. She tried to remove his hand subtly, but he caught her hand in a firm grasp, putting an end to her fragile struggles. She sat still, rooted to the spot. He went on as if nothing had happened. “We have won a four-day trip to Maldives and we leave tomorrow.” Granny clapped her hands enthusiastically, “Oh, that is wonderful! I am so glad you both patched up so quickly, even if it is for my sake.” She reached out and took Ishiqa’s hand in hers, “I know no one can remain angry with Ved for long. The foolish boy kept denying your relationship… But I knew how he felt about you just by the fact that he had your photo where he could see you all the time.” She smiled knowingly. “As if he can hide anything from his grandmother. I am so glad you both are going to spend some time together on a trip now.”Ishiqa’s emotions were in turmoil. While she wondered about the photo being where he could see it all the time, the more pressing concern was the trip. She had thought that Ved would not want to go on a trip with her. What was he up to now? Finding her lost voice, she said, “But granny, we do not want to leave you and go.” Granny smiled again, “Nonsense, you must not worry about me. I will be here to carry my great grandchildren in my arms. I am very fit and strong. Don’t go by what the doctor says.” Great grandchildren! Where did they spring from! Till when was this farce going to last? She felt Ved stroke her cheek lightly, “Yes, granny. Great grandchildren will be on the way soon.” She could barely stop herself from slamming him in the stomach with her elbow. She got up abruptly and ran out of the room muttering some excuse. “So shy and delicate, the girl is! Do take care of her Ved,” said the old lady with an indulgent smile.He smiled and strode after her saying, “Sure granny, see you in the evening.”“Hey! Ishiqa, stop!” He ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He reached her room and saw the small bag she had brought, with some of her personal things, open. She was stuffing it randomly, her cheeks streaming with tears.“Are you already packing for Maldives?” he laughed. Incoherent with rage, she planted her hands on her hips and glared at him through her tears. “Who do you think is going to Maldives? I most definitely am not! I am going home. I have had enough of this ridiculous farce! Why are you keeping your granny in the dark? She loves you so much and this is what she gets? Have you ever imagined, what is going to happen when she comes to know the truth? How long can you keep this show up? Her heart will break when she comes to know. Can’t you see how her expectations are building?” She mimicked, “‘Great grandchildren are on the way very soon’. If you lay one finger on me, Mr. Ved Kashyap, I swear I am going to drag you to court. Now get out of my way.” He reached out to her and made her sit on the chair. “Do not touch me!” she shouted a warning. Immediately he moved back. “Okay! Okay, calm down! I promise you, I will speak to granny again. But it has to be after our Maldives trip. Please understand, she has just started to recover.”  “What is the point of this trip? Nothing is going to change between us!” “Maybe, but we are going whether you like it or not. So pack your bags and be ready for the morning flight. By the way, your brother came to my office yesterday...” and he let her live with the suspense, not explaining why, just walking out calmly. It was enough, that subtle reminder, for her to land back to reality with a thud. He was the boss here. She ran after him. “Is every…everything fine?” she stammered.  He answered quietly, “Yes, as of now, it is. Will it remain so? Depends on you.” “I hate you!” she exclaimed angrily. She stamped her foot in frustration and walked back to her room, banging her door loudly to give vent to her anger.Â