Chapter 56

"Is that you?"

I don't register Purvi's question, my mind racing with a million thoughts. My body preparing to run.

"Taru? Are you there?" she calls out over the phone.

"Yes. Yes! I am.. sorry. I.. I could not hear you clearly for a while. Tara is.. was, what I was called back home. Can you please repeat what you said?" I take deep breaths, reminding myself that I am not in danger.

"A man called the office asking for Tara. He said, he saw a picture of you in the newspaper and a friend of yours also confirmed to them, that she met you in Mumbai. After much investigation, they figured you must be working here. He was asking for your number and address. He said your family was desperately trying to find you."

Crap!! After hiding for so long, my face in the newspaper outed me to them.

My anxiety is quickly escalating. "What did you tell him?" I ask apprehensively.

"I was not sure, if he was referring to you. Besides, the way he was inquiring seemed a bit odd, you know?" she replies. "And it also got me thinking that if you wanted, you would have given your contact number to him already. So, I told him there is no one named Tara working here."

I am partially relieved by that piece of news.

"Is everything fine, Taru? That man left his number and said to inform him if we get any details of your whereabouts. Do you want me to pass on your information to him?" Purvi voice is laced with curiosity.

"No!!" I reply, the word coming out more forcefully than I intended. Calming down, I tell her, "please don't. I have left that life behind and I don't want them to contact me." We hang up after Purvi assures that she will not disclose my number and will inform everyone else in the department not to divulge any information about me to anyone.

Well that problem is shelved for a while. But what if they come to Mumbai in search of me? What if they find me? They have already started making inquiries. How long before they find where I live? Maybe Purvi or the others in my department won't say anything, but what if someone else from the office gives out my information? How far can they go to eliminate me? Will they hurt the people close to me?

That thought causes me to break out in a cold sweat. The palpitations and heaviness in my chest start again. My body starts trembling uncontrollably. I lay on the floor and curl myself into a ball, waiting for the panic attack to subside. It's as if I am back in the forest, scared for my life.

I have to leave this city. There is no other way. They know I am here. They will surely come for me.

A gnawing, growing dread is making me feel claustrophobic inside the house. I need to get some fresh air. Perhaps sitting by the seaside, will help give me some clarity. I wonder if I could go to the private beach. I throw on an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt and make my way through the entrance lobby, to the lawn on the other side.

The sea breeze is refreshing. I am already feeling a little calmer. I push against the gate leading to the sea, but it is locked. Feeling a little disappointed, I head back to my house, when I spot the swimming pool. If not the sea, maybe I can sit by the pool.

The indoor pool is dark, with all lights switched off except for a single light at the other end, where the shower area is. Even in the darkness, the water is glimmering like tiny diamonds scattered on black velvet, beckoning me to jump in, which I would, if I was in a better frame of mind. In Bengaluru, I took up all courses that I considered necessary for survival, including swimming.

Instead, I take off my slippers and sit at the edge, dipping my feet in the cool water. Closing my eyes, I let the water swirl at my feet, relaxing my agitated mind. This is bliss! I feel much better.

It is only then I hear the sound of soft splashing in the swimming pool. Squinting to focus my eyes in the dark, I notice someone gliding smoothly in the water. On closer inspection, it is definitely Jeet, who thankfully has not noticed me. He is swimming away from me, towards the far side, where it is brighter, allowing me to get a better view.

I should get out of here, walk away, but the way he swims, is spell binding. I watch as he floats nimbly till the edge of the pool. His lithe limbs make long, silent strokes, hardly disturbing the body of water - a natural swimmer. A long, lean swimmer whose bare body is emerging out of the pool.

Whoops, I better hurry out of here before he catches me spying on him. But my clumsy self could not withdraw my legs silently. The sound of water plopping is loud enough for Jeet to hear.

"Who's there?" he calls out, picking a towel from a nearby bench and wrapping it around his waist.

I should just go, with the light in his eyes, he cannot see me. "Who's there?" He calls out a little louder.

"It's me.." I answer, despite myself.

"Tarana? What are you doing here?" Jeet grabs another towel, wiping his hair as he walks towards me.

Watching a half-naked Jeet, coming towards me is the last thing I need right now. I try to keep my eyes on his face, but they trail down on their own accord to his muscular, exposed torso. He has a taut, toned body. His arms and abdomen are defined and adequately muscular, not one of those super bulky gym bodies. My brain is working furiously to keep my libidinous emotions in check, which are whirring out of control. Betraying my mind, my pulse starts galloping at super speed. When he reaches within touching distance, I swear, it raced all the way to the moon. I dig my nails in my palms to stop them from doing something foolish, like place them on his chest.

Taking one last swipe at his hair, he drapes the towels around his neck like a garland, his eyes scrutinizing my face.

"What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I was not getting any sleep, so I thought I could sit by the pool."

"Zenia said you are not replying to her messages," Jeet's words are like cold water splashed on me. It brings me back to reality. Jeet belongs to someone else. I have no right to entertain immodest thoughts about him.

"I, yeah, I .. was busy with work.. I'll message her tomorrow." I hurriedly step back wanting to put a distance between us. "Since you are here, I want to tell you, I will be moving out next week," I add, continuing to walk backwards.

"Why do you need to leave? Are you not happy to stay here?"

"I, uh, I guess it's time to leave," I reply avoiding looking at him directly. The thought of going away from Jeet forever, is choking me up, but I need to rein in my sentiments.

Jeet lets out a long sigh. His eyes, flash with sadness as he speaks, "This is so sudden, perhaps you should think over your decision."

I bite my lower lip, to stop myself from crying. "I..I can't. I have to leave. I don't have a choice."

"Why not?" he takes a step forward, but his leg slips on the wet floor. I hear a dull thump of his body hitting the floor, as he slides off the wet tiles, into the pool with a loud splash.

I let out a shriek, reflexively jumping in after him.

I cannot see any sign of Jeet in the unlit pool. I dive under to see if I can discern any movement or a silhouette at the bottom, but it is dark under water and the chlorine is making my eyes burn. I come up for air, calling out for Jeet.

"Jeet!! Jeet! Where are you? please be OK!" I cry out, splashing wildly. I dive in again, in a futile attempt to locate him.

Strong arms go around me, holding me at the waist pulling me above water.

I turn around to see a mischievously grinning Jeet. I pounce on him in a tight hug, immensely relieved that he is alive.

"Thank heavens! Nothing happened to you," I pat his head to feel any trace of injury or blood. There is none.

Jeet arms hold me tighter as swims towards the ladder of the pool, letting me go ahead before following. Both of us are dripping wet. The towel around his neck is now floating like a sheet of ice in the pool. Fortunately, the towel around his waist stayed put.

Once we are out of the pool, he gives a hearty laugh. "Did you actually jump in the pool to save me?" his eyes are twinkling with amusement.

A blush creeps up my face, my cheeks heating up. "I thought you hit your head and passed out. I was afraid you might sink, and I wanted to save you," I pout in indignation.

Jeet laughs louder, his entire body shaking with mirth.

"What is so funny?"

"Oh honey! It was sweet of you, but I did not hit my head. I just slipped and fell," he laughs. It was rather foolish in retrospect, to jump in without first waiting to see what actually occurred, though at that time the only thought I had, was to make sure Jeet was safe.

"Besides," he continues, "the pool has CCTV cameras," he points towards the corners of the ceiling where security cameras are discreetly placed, "if something were to actually happen, my security would be here within seconds."

"You have security here? You mean the men that are your drivers?" I ask, ignoring the fact that he called me honey.

"Them and others, in and around the building. They are monitoring us right now as we speak," he chuckles.

I look down at my soggy clothes dripping with water, feeling quite foolish, now that I know we have an audience who witnessed the entire fiasco.

"I.. better get out of these clothes," getting up, I hurry out of the pool house.

"Wait!" Jeet calls out and I turn around. "You still have not told me why you want to leave? Is it because of of Zenia's announcement or.." he pauses, "something else?" Jeet is no longer smiling.

I look away from his blazing eyes. "It's best for all, if I just go," I choke out, before I run home.

I had just about changed into dry clothes, when there is a knock on my door.

I open the door to let Jeet in, who has changed into long shorts and a tee, though his hair is still wet and falling on his face.

"We haven't finished our discussion," he enters without waiting for an invitation.

"There was no discussion. I am a tenant, who no longer wants to stay here."

Jeet's eyes exude fire as he angrily thrusts his hands in his pockets, which I can see he has bunched into fists.

"I don't believe it," he says looking at me, dead in the eyes. "There is something else. Something you are hiding. I can see the sadness in your eyes."

"I don't need to explain anything to you," I retaliate, pretending to be annoyed. It would be easier to let go, if he hates me.

Jeet covers the distance between us in one long stride. Grabbing both arms, he pulls me closer to him. "Damn it Tarana! you cannot just go! You have to hear me out first. I..."

"NO!!" I yell loudly, pushing at his chest, without much result. I cannot listen to his explanations. The thundering in my chest tells me, he wants to say something, I am not ready to hear. Not when he is about to get married to Zenia. I do not know what Jeet's intentions are, but I won't be responsible for jeopardizing her happiness. She doesn't deserve this.

Now my resolve to leave this city has become firmer. I will end up hurting everyone around me, if I stay here.

"I.. I.. am moving in with Akshay," I blurt.

Jeet lets go of me with a jerk, stepping back. His eyes look like a wounded animal.

"Next time you lie, close your eyes. They give you away!" he scoffs in disdain. "Since you don't want to talk, there is nothing more to say, is there?" He strides out of the house angrily.

I hold my head in my hands, sinking down on the bed, thinking of what just happened. What a mess! It hurts so much to lie to Jeet and to see him hurt. But I have to do this now. A small cut to a festering wound to stop it, is better than chopping off a whole limb later.

I console myself to sleep that, this is for the best. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to any of the people I have come to care for, because of me.

The next day I call Sister Ruth, my mentor in Bengaluru and asked her to arrange temporary accommodation for me, in one of their hostels, starting next week.

An unknown number calling, breaks my concentration on working out ways to manage the business away from Mumbai.

"Hello?" I answer in a bored tone.

"Tara?" a suspiciously familiar male voice, with a south Indian accent, speaks from the other end.

"Is that you?"