Hearts in Waiting

HEARTS IN WAITING

The sun was setting over the hills giving them an orange glow. Priya knew once the sun disappeared the twinkling stars would gem the indigo sky with their splendor and the hills would glow a deep purple. This was her favorite time of the day; she sat curled up by the bay window her favorite book of poems open in her lap as the light cool breeze of spring freshened the room. Ram strode in wearing blue Armani jeans and a mint green Lacoste t-shirt tucked in, as always his hair was gelled and on his feet he wore black leather moccasins. Priya smelled Attitude by Armani on him and smiled her favorite cologne from his collection.

“I got another email from her.” He said his voice curt and cold.
        “What did this one say?”
        “It was about Rajeev again,” Ram groaned, pacing the room. “I don't know what to do.”
        “Did you ever tell her how you feel?”
        He nodded. “Twice, God, Priya, I love her so much.”
        “Maybe you shouldn't reply to this one, it'll give you time to think and her time to miss you.”
        Ram looked at her with disbelief and said, “Are you joking? I can't do that. What if she thinks I'm mad at her? What if she decides to marry this Rajeev guy and I can't stop her? I can't live without her, Priya. She means everything to me.” His voice matched the look of shock on his face
        “Well what do you want me to do?” Priya screeched.
She didn’t want to be rude, but she couldn’t bear to see Ram pine for Mona another minute, and before she said something she would regret she stormed out of the room, blood pounding in her ears.
This was the third night in a row that Ram had come to her to talk about Mona. She hated the name and hated the person even more for stringing Ram along, he was a suave, sexy, handsome, decent and a one woman man who was head over heels in love with a woman who did not care for him or at least he thought he was in love with Mona.

Priya had fallen in love with him the first time she had seen him in college, since then there was no turning back. Mona was a beautiful woman with auburn wavy hair and hazel eyes, a small pout for lips; she was the type of woman who got any man she wanted with a smile. Initially she had wanted Ram but once she had his attention she was onto her next conquest. Priya hated the fact that Ram’s mood was dependent on Mona, unwavering sorrow, jealousy or exalting happiness, she wanted to be the reason for his smile for his happiness and she still hoped that one day she would be the reason Ram smiled.

        The first email had come with a picture—that was the only reason she knew what Mona looked like. Ram had shown it to her immediately while they were both at the office finishing a presentation for the next day. The pride in his eyes had been immeasurable, and even then it had made Priya seethe and her stomach roil with jealousy. There had been a note at the bottom—Take care Ram, I'll always love you, signed with a kiss. Priya had wanted to scratch Mona’s eyes out with her freshly painted manicured nails.

        Since graduating from college Priya had joined Kapoor industries and worked in Ram’s company as the head of M&A, there was a special bond between them. Ram may not love her but she knew he trusted her with his life and she trusted him with hers. But with Ram she had a reason to trust him, he had saved her life when she was drowning in a boating accident their second year in college, it was when her life flashed before her eyes that Priya realized she couldn’t live without Ram and he was her world. But for Ram she remained his best friend someone he trusted, someone he confided in and someone he turned to for advice.  Priya had just started believing, hoping that Ram loved her, especially since she had become his regular date at social gatherings, but then Mona had appeared like a mirage between them and Priya was the third wheel. She did not want to come across too needy but she wanted Ram to know she loved him and wanted him to explore his feelings for her, with Mona around she knew that would never happen.

                 “I am going to ask her to marry me!” Ram declared.
         “Why?” Asked Priya
         “Priya what type of question is that? I have decided to spend the rest of my life with her.”
         “Ram, is this what you truly want? Is this will make you happy?”
         “Yes”
That one simple word broke Priya’s heart to bits          , she knew she couldn’t be around Ram if he married someone else, it would hurt her too much. She had to get away as soon as possible, she still loved him and always had and always would, but now there was no chance of Ram loving her. There had been a ray of hope which had lit her life but with the presence of Mona that light had been extinguished forever. Ram would never be hers.

         That night while tossing and turning in bed Priya made up her mind to leave Kapoor Industries and the country. She would look for a job in a new country; start a new life without love, without Ram. She knew Ram would miss her, he would miss their friendship, he would have no one to turn to for advice but this one time she could not stay, not even for him. She had to leave if she was to survive and pretend to exist, with her mind up she let the damn open and tears cascaded down her face, this one time Priya let them flow, she did not try to stop them. This was the worst night of her life and she needed to the tears to soothe her.

         The next three days were the longest and hardest days of her life. Priya was not sure how she found the strength to survive. She contacted every international head hunter she knew and submitted her resume she contacted every contact she knew looking for a new position.  She contacted realtors in London, Toronto and Sydney and requested their listings of flats and houses for immediate move in, got quotes from the moving companies and storage rooms. At the end of the second day, a longtime associate with a respected company in London offered her his position as Director of M&A, said he would be retiring in 3 months and she could take over his position, but she could start now and work besides him. By the end of the third day Priya had a signed a lease on a flat in Chelsea, a hot and happening area of London, booked the movers to come and pack her belongings and booked herself a flight out of Mumbai exactly 3 weeks from the dreadful day. Writing her resignation was the hardest thing she had ever done, how are you to tell the only person you have ever loved that you are walking out of his life when he needs you the most. Priya did not know but she knew it had to be done.
       
        It took Ram 2 days to plan the perfect proposal. On the third day Mona promised to go out to dinner with him. Ram pulled up to her house in a black stretch limousine wearing a black suit with a pale blue shirt, Mona was dressed in a burgundy column skirt with a slit up to her knee and a square neck strap stop in the same color, her nails freshly manicured with diamond ear-rings.  On reaching the marina Ram stepped out and guided her to his waiting yacht. As Mona stepped inside she was surprised to see the yacht had been decorated with her favorite flowers. The deck was lit with fairy lights and the glow of the setting sun, gave the deck a golden hue as the yacht set sail. When the yacht stopped with the sun exactly behind Mona Ram walked up to her, took her hands in his and stared into her eyes, unable to say a word, unable to ask her to be his wife. Instead he dropped her hands and left a stunned Mona standing on the deck alone and ordered the captain to return to shore at once.  Ram could not ask Mona to be his wife when he did not love her.

Ram was in the office early the next day wondering if Priya would come to work today, he had called her mobile several times last night only to be greeted by her voice message asking him to leave a message. He had, with no return calls. If she did not call him within the next one hour he would drive down to her flat to check on her, he also had to share the news with her, she did not know that he had not proposed to Mona last night and never would. Smiling he picked up the receiver to try Priya’s number one more when the object of his thoughts knocked on the door and walked in, dressed in a white salwar kameez inlaid with mirror work surrounded by silver embroidery, her dupatta was translucent white with silver edging. In her ears she wore pearl tear drop ear-rings and her wrists were adorned with white and silver bangles. Ram couldn’t help but stare.
“Something wrong?”
“No, absolutely not” Ram answered and continued staring and grinning.
“Then why are you staring at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“As if you are seeing me for the first time and why are you so happy? Priya questioned.
“Why am I not supposed to be happy or does there have to be a limit to my happiness?”
“Nothing like that, I was just wondering.” Priya answered hoping Ram would not bring up last night; the last thing she wanted was to hear about his date last night and his proposal to Mona. But today was not Priya’s day, when the next words from Ram’s mouth were,
“I had a wonderful time last night, how were your three days off?”
“Very busy, that is why I am here.”
“Oh, and I thought I you are here because you work here.” Ram quipped
Standing at the edge of his cherry desk Priya handed him an envelope with the word Ram scrawled on the front. Surprised Ram took the envelope, as he was reading the content Priya turned to leave, just as she was turning the door knob she heard,
“Priya, wait.”
Priya turned and watched Ram walk towards her, “I miss him already and I haven’t even gone.” She thought how will I survive? But Mona makes him happy and I want him happy.
“What is this and why? I thought we would be together forever? Tell me the offer and I will beat it by 25%, you’re not leaving.”
“Ram, I am not asking but informing you of my decision. I have made up my mind and I hope you can respect that.” Priya replied her voice cracking.
“Why? Why now? What’s going on? Is it because of me, something I did, something I said? Priya talk to me!” He ordered.
Priya stood in front of him, her head bent drilling holes into her shoes, twisting the corner of her dupatta in the her hands. Not wanting to look up lest he see the truth in her eyes. Then she felt his left index finger under chin pushing it up, and heard,
“Is it me?”
“Not you, it could never be you.” It’s Mona, Priya almost blurted, instead she said, “It’s me, I feel like a third wheel now that you’re getting married.”
“I’m not getting married.”
“What? Why? Did Mona say no, how dare she! There is not one person in the world who’ll make a better husband that you. She needs her brain checked.”
Ram threw his head back and laughed before he said,
“It’s not her, it’s me. I didn’t ask her, I couldn’t. I stood there on yacht in front of her and realized, I can’t ask her to marry me, I can’t spend my entire life with her. And so we returned to shore.”
“Why not?” Asked Priya flabbergasted.
“Because I am not in love with her, I love someone else. When I stood in front of her, all I could think of was how I don’t want my children looking like her. How I don’t want my children taking after her and how I don’t want her face to be the one I see first thing every morning.”
“Then who?”
“There is someone I have known for a long time, someone whom I thought could only be my friend and someone who now at this very moment wants to leave me all alone and go away to another country to start a new life.” Ram said, his voice softy, husky, the warmth enveloping Priya in a hug. All she could do was stare at his face, until she heard,
“This was not how I planned to ask you, but since you are leaving you leave me no choice, holding her hand and bending low, whispering in ears, he said,
“Priya Sharma will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?”
Without a word, with tears of happiness filling her eyes Priya nodded her head in assent threw her arms around his neck and said,
“Yes. I love you. I am the happiest person alive today.”
They stood there hugging each other until Ram’s phone beeped signaling it was time to join the rest of the world. Leaving their private sanctuary the future Mr. and Mrs. Kapoor stepped out from the office to face the world together.