Episode 6 - The Paradise has a Heart

 ‘Yes amma, I ate lunch. Actually we ate a sumptuous Kashmiri Wazwan. And the Tabak Maaz was simply out of the world. It is a dish made from lamb ribs and I simply fell in love with it. The food was aromatically flavoured and subtle on spices but the taste was really good.’

‘So you are enjoying Kashmir,’ said her mother with a smile.

‘Yes, indeed,’ said Roja after a moment of hesitation.

‘Anyway take care and be safe.’

‘You too amma. Do tell Dad that I had called and I will speak to him later,’ she said and disconnected the call.

Quickly she washed her face and hands in hot water and changed into her track pants and T-shirt. Her thermal wear was now like another layer of skin over her body and she did not dare change it. By the time the boat ride ended, the sun was covered by the clouds and the temperature had begun to drop. Zayed was absolutely right, they would not have enjoyed the boat ride in that cold weather. Later they went to a restaurant and got their first taste of the Kashmiri cuisine. When they returned home, it was cold and dark. As soon as they removed their shoes, everyone trooped into the room with the fireplace. The tourists yearned for the warmth of the fire. Mrs. Wahib served them each a hot cup of Kahwa, which is an exotic mix of Kashmiri green tea leaves, whole spices, nuts and saffron. She also explained the several health benefits of drinking Kahwa every day. Roja instantly liked the tea and made a mental note of buying Kahwa mixture before leaving Srinagar. When Roja came out of her room, she could hear voices from the kitchen and the fireplace room. It was decided that they would cook dinner and not order it from restaurant. She was amazed that Karna and his gang had packed spices, few vessels, salt and sugar to last them for the trip. That evening on the way back to the homestay, they bought the required vegetables, chicken and mutton. Preetham was chopping tomatoes and Karna was sautéing onions when she came in.

‘Hey gays, what can I help you with?’ she asked rolling up the sleeves of her sweater. Karna was surprised but he was more than happy to accept her offer of help.

‘Sure, we could certainly use another pair of hands. You can start with making the ginger garlic paste,’ he said with a smile. Roja nodded and began peeling the garlic cloves. Soon they were in the process of preparing pepper chicken fry and mutton gravy. Vasu walked in and gave Karna and Preetham each a glass of whisky.

‘Would you have some?’ he asked Roja.

‘No Vasu, I don't drink,’ she said shaking her head.

‘We have wine too, if you want.’

‘No, thank you,’ she said with a smile.

‘Vasu, there is Tropicana juice in the bag of groceries. Get a glass of juice for her,’ said Karna.

‘Thank you, Karna.’

‘So you still don't drink. At least that has remained unchanged,’ said Karna adding little salt to the gravy.

Roja continued stirring the gravy letting his comment pass. After hearing from Agnivesh that he still was not over Roja, Karna wanted to know about Roja's thoughts on Agnivesh. If the feeling was mutual, then he really wished for them to get back on this trip. They continued cooking sipping their drinks. Roja noticed that it was indeed warmer near the stove and that was an added incentive along with the aroma of the food.

‘We need to check if the mutton is cooked,’ said Karna and put a couple of pieces on a plate. They both tasted and agreed that the spice was right but the mutton needed some more time to be cooked thoroughly.

‘Do you ever think about him, Roja?’ asked Karna locking eyes with her.

She took a sip of the mixed fruit juice and averted his eyes.

‘Maybe sometimes,’ she said in a flat tone.

A flicker of hope rose in Karna's heart.

‘Then why didn't you respond to his calls or messages?’

‘That was long ago Karna. The last message that I received from him was 6 months after he went to Canada. There has been no contact for over 3 years now,’ she said keeping her anger in check. She did not want to utter words that she might regret later but she also did not like to be blamed for the breakup.

‘Well, what do you expect? He tried to get back in touch with you but you never responded. How could you snap ties with him just like that?’

‘Why shouldn't I Karna? He made a decision without even knowing if I would agree to it. He made a decision for us without asking me even once.’

‘He only wished the best for both of you. At least he tried to get back with you,’ said Karna in an accusing tone.

‘Maybe sometimes, it is just not enough to try, you need to do more than that.’

Just then Roja's phone began to ring. She excused herself and went out of the kitchen to take the call. Later, all of them relished the dinner together. Roja and Karna behave ed as if that conversation did not happen between them. Vasu, Jenni and Sushma cleaned the vessels. After agreeing that they would have to be ready the next day by 8:30 AM, everyone retired to their rooms. Roja brushed her teeth and lay down on the bed. The electric blanket was switched on and she had another heavy blanket covering her. She pulled the woollen cap over her ears and closed her eyes waiting for her body to warm up before falling asleep.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. For a moment She considered the thought that somebody could be knocking on the next room’s door. But after a few seconds, she heard the knocking again and this time, it was loud and clear. She switched on the light wondering who it could be. When she opened the door, she paled as if she had seen a ghost. Agnivesh was standing in front of her in his track pants and sweater, holding a flask in his hand. A subtle smell of whisky wafted to her nose but he did not look drunk because his eyes were as sharp as ever. She stood staring at him without uttering a word.

‘I got you a flask of hot water,’ he said in a husky tone.

‘I already have one,’ she said pointing to the bedside table. He clicked his tongue at the stupid idea.

‘Well, there is no harm in keeping another just in case you need it at night. Let me keep it for you,’ he said and walked into the room trying to salvage the situation.

Roja crossed her arms against her chest and waited for him to get out of the room. Agnivesh placed the flask on the table and turned to leave. He must have walked out without giving her a second look but his heart was already out of control. He could not take his eyes off her. She looked adorable and way too seductive wearing the yellow woollen cap and grey sweater. Rather than walking towards the door he walked languidly towards her. She tightened her hold around her arms. He went close to her and her heart began pounding in her chest. Slowly his fingers reached out to her cheeks and tenderly caressed them. Roja closed her eyes and felt his touch, rekindling the intimate moments that they had shared in the past. His fingers grazed her lips and a shiver ran down her spine. Abruptly, the smell of whisky hit her nose and she immediately opened her eyes. The trance was broken and she pushed him away. Agnivesh looked at her in shock and disbelief. 

What the hell did I do?!

He wanted to kick himself right at that moment

‘Sorry,’ he mumbled and rushed out of the room.

Roja shut the door behind him and let out quick gasps of breath. She really could not believe what had just happened. She deeply regretted giving in to his touch. It was as if she had travelled back in time. She was cursing herself for almost losing control over her emotions. Right at that moment, she received a WhatsApp notification. When she saw it, her guilt was compounded. It was a message from him.

Pradyuman.

To be continued....