Thoughts of the Past - XV

"Where are we going Kartik? You sound crazy to me. You don't even know the place. Everyone would be waiting for us back there."

"Mom, it won't take more than an hour. You got to have some patience. I have a surprise for you. Just trust me and walk with me" - said Kartik.

"You have come here for the 1st time and you got a surprise for me!!  At least you should have got your father with us. You kids are mad!!" - cried Rya and walked along with him.

Before long, they entered a cafe. It was a small, quaint cafe with a few people around. The air smelled good. Jars of cookies and coffee beans filled the shelves of the cafe.

"How did you find this place..." - continued Rya, seemingly interested looking around.

"Mom, meet Mrs. Meeta, Ryan Mehra's wife."

Rya turned her head instantly to find Meeta smiling at her, ready to give a hug. She was not sure how to respond to either her or the situation. She looked at Kartik, with an askance.

"Do not ask me how I met her or where I met her. She wanted to meet you and this was the only way I could reach out to Mr. Ryan. This is all for Kavya. I am sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I wasn't sure if you would agree to come, considering how you reacted the other day."

Rya was silent. Meeta hugged her and spoke "Finally!"

"Hi. Hi. I am sorry. I was a bit surprised..... or may be shocked.... I didn't anticipate all of this....Truly I didn't.... How are you doing? ......I didn't even know Ryan was married..... Actually we haven't been in touch for quite some time.....Hows he doing....You got kids?" - stammered Rya.

"Kartik, do you mind excusing your Mom and me for some time" - said Meeta.

"Oh Yeah. Sure. Not a problem".

"Thanks!!!" - smiled Meeta.

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"I don't know where to start or how to answer all your questions Rya. May be Ryan is the best person to answer them all. All that I know is you hold the same place in Ryan's life as does Ryan hold in mine. He has never got past you and trust me I have no regrets or no complaints. He had confessed this to me even then. I felt I could change things. I felt I could change him, his feelings from you to me. Even when we got married, it was my stubbornness to have Ryan. My will to possess him. My will to marry him. My will to love him. And it stayed the same way for years, even now. Initially I bore hatred for you. I wanted to erase you off his memory. I was unable to understand how a person could still have feelings for another person who has moved on in her life, who is miles away from him and who has probably found love and life in someone else. Ryan's selfless love and eternal commitment for you in the form of his silence tortured me. I left him, thinking it will affect him. He will miss me and he will beckon me. But I was wrong. He stayed in that small cottage. He named it combining your and his name and he stayed still and calm. He didn't long for me. I came back for him. I was the one who got affected. I still loved him and that's when I realized what he goes through everyday because I go through the same...every single day. What keeps me and him alive is probably the feeling which we have for the person we love."

"You must be thinking why I am saying you all this. Probably you have moved far ahead and you do not wish to look back. Ryan never told me how things were between you two. Neither did I dare ask. But the reason I asked you to come today is more out of my selfish motive. I want to see him happy. I want him well. He is at the hospital now and the doctors are unable to find him a cure. He doesn't speak to anyone anymore. He stares blankly and occasionally mutters your name. I want you to come with me and see him. Please help me!! For my sake!! God willed for us to meet and now I will to save my husband. Please come with me Rya." - cried Meeta.

"Where is he now?"

(To be continued...)