Episode 5 - The Paradise has a Heart

 Roja had been pacing in the front yard for the past i5 minutes. They were already late by an hour to leave for sightseeing. The driver Zayed had punctually arrived two hours ago. But the group was taking its own sweet time to get ready. This was also one of the reasons why Roja preferred to travel alone. She took a few pictures of the house interiors on her camera to pass time. Finally, after another 10 minutes, everybody trooped into the tempo traveler. Zayed suggested that they could look around Srinagar for the day because it was too late to go anywhere else. The next day they could visit Gulmarg but only if they left the house by sharp 9 AM. Karna sat next to Roja and Agnivesh sat diagonally behind her. Deep inside he longed for that one moment when she would, even accidentally, look back at him. It was bright sunny day and the Dal lake looked beautiful. The time was around 1:30 PM and Vasu suggested that they could have lunch and then go for boat ride. But Zayed insisted them to go first for the boat ride because the weather was quite suitable for it. Later it would be very cold and they might not quite enjoy being in the lake once the temperature began to drop. Everybody agreed and headed for the most-awaited Shikhara ride. A maximum of four members were allowed on a shikhara. The two couples boarded one Shikhara. Agnivesh and Nakul climbed onto another one. Roja hesitated and looked at Karna.

‘Go on, Roja. I will get in after you.’

‘No Karna. I wish to go on a separate Shikhara,’ she insisted. Karna threw a quick glance at Agnivesh. He was sitting as if he did not care about what was happening around him.

‘Sure, no problem,’ he said and helped her get onto a beautifully painted shikhara. He gave a missed call to her number.

‘This is the number of the phone that I am using here. If you need us, just give me a call. We will be right behind you,’ said Karna.

‘Thank you, Karna’ she said with a smile.

Quickly Karna climbed onto the Shikhara and joined his friends. The ride began with much anticipation and Roja immersed herself into the journey.

Nakul and Karna were sitting on one side while Agnivesh was sitting on the opposite side and facing them. A few minutes after the ride began, vendors on other smaller boats began approaching the Shikhara to sell their wares. There were also a couple of photographers offering to photograph the tourists in Kashmir's traditional attire. Roja politely declined to buy anything on the boats because Zayed had warned them that the goods sold on the boats were of poor quality. The Shikhara sailor explained that during summer, which was the peak reason for tourists, there would be floating markets on the lake with a greater number of vendors. After they sailed some distance into the lake, the tourists were left at peace to enjoy the view. The couples were busy clicking pictures of each other while Nakul and Karna began discussing about the house-boats which dotted the periphery of the lake.

The Shikhara stopped at Nehru Park point and the tourists disembarked there to go to restaurant or click pictures. The restaurant was closed but the view of the snow-covered mountains was pleasing to the eyes.

‘Shall I take your picture?’ asked Nakul when he saw Roja clicking pictures.

‘Sure, thank you,’ she said with a smile and gave her camera to him. She removed her cap and let her hairs loose for the picture. Nakul clicked a beautiful picture with the sunshine lighting up her face. Roja saw the photo and beamed.

‘Thank you very much Nakul. That is a indeed a nice photo,’ she complimented him.

Then they both began walking towards the Shikhara. Agnivesh and Karna had already climbed into the Shikhara. Nakul and Roja's banter did not miss Agnivesh's notice. Although he refused to admit it, pangs of jealousy peeped from the corner of his heart.

‘Such a lovely woman!’ said Nakul after sitting next to Karna.

‘Who?’ asked Agnivesh narrowing his eyes.

‘Who else! Roja, of course. Did you know that she is a sustainability specialist? That is so cool,’ he said gushing about her.

‘Nothing special about it, there are hundreds of them out there,’ said Agnivesh dismissively.

‘Really! Well, at least for me, she is the first sustainability specialist that I have met.’

Agnivesh rolled his eyes looked away from him. Roja's face gleaming in the golden rays of sun came into his view. There was an unconscious smile playing around her lips, which he was quite familiar to him. She usually gave this dreamy smile whenever she felt at home with nature. She would go quiet and endlessly stare at the scenic beauty. There were times when she had leaned on his shoulder and gazed at landscapes for hours. He could still remember the fragrance of her hair when he kissed her head. Karna quietly watched Agnivesh as he struggled to keep his emotions under check.

‘She left you four years ago, Agni,’ he said looking at his best friend. Agnivesh was rudely pulled back from his reverie.

‘I know and I have moved on. It is just that… she looks different. Maybe because I am seeing her after all these years.’

‘People change over years and that applies to all of us. But… looks like you have not yet moved on,’ he said locking eyes with Agnivesh.

‘It is hard to move on when the reason for our breakup was not really justified,’ said Agnivesh looking away from his friends.

‘I thought that you were happy in Canada. Its been four years, Agni. There is no point in still holding onto what you lost long ago.’

‘Karna, I also thought that I was over her but the moment I saw her again, I simply wanted to get back into her arms. All I wanted was for her to come with me to Canada and I had our entire life planned ahead. But she refused to come and then she ended our relationship. I could not let go of this opportunity to move to Canada, it was simply too good to refuse. I did try to contact her after that but she completely cut off all the ties with me. I kept waiting for her to come back and maybe… I am still waiting.’

His words and behaviour had confirmed Karna's worst fears. Agnivesh was not over Roja. But what about Roja? Did she still love Agnivesh?

To be continued...