CHAPTER THIRTY

Jwala:
I must go to the city soon. I should reach him. He needs me at this time. I can't leave my husband all alone. He is not an orphan anymore, and he had his wife to take care of him when he is ill. I will reach you Agni. I won't leave you like that.
I wiped my tears and went home.
"Dad, I want to talk to you," I said to dad.
"Tell me, Jwala," my father said.
"Dad, I can't marry Aadarsh," I said
"Jwala, what are you talking? We are planning your engagement, and now you are saying this" my brother interrupted me.
"Samhith, wait. Let her talk. This is her marriage. We can't decide by ourselves" dad said
"Sona, tell me don't you like Aadarsh or do you love anyone?" Dad asked me so lovingly.
I burst out into tears. Dad consoled me by caressing my hairs.
"Dad, I love someone else," I said in between my sobbing.
"Who is he? Tell us; we will talk with him" dad said
"Dad, now he is not well. I need to go. Please, Dad, I will bring him to you as soon as he recovers. Allow me to go; he left me thinking I am going to marry Aadarsh. He had no one except me. I can't live if anything happens to him" I cried.
"Ok sona, go but don't come without him to our home. No one should know this in our village. We can understand your love but can't bear accusations from society questioning the way we raised our children. So, tell us when he recovers. We will come to the city to talk to him. Everyone here in the village should think it's an arranged marriage" dad said to me.
Bhaiya dropped me at the bus stop. I took the bus and reached the city. I went to the farmhouse as it's already evening. Maids said they didn't know about Agni. I called his PA and a few staff members whose number I took while working with them. I noted in my diary, so I called them. But, no one knew about him. Everyone said he went abroad on unknown business purpose. I know he lied to them. But, how to find him? It's been a week but still no information about Agni. I was crying unable to locate him.
"Madam, please have your dinner."
"I don't want. I am not hungry" I said.
"Madam, sir loves you a lot. I am sure sir will come back for you. Don't cry" the maid said
"Madam, did you try Agni sir's mobile?" Maid asked me.
"Yes but it's switched off."
"Madam, try again to his private number."
"Private number? But I don't know his private number."
"Then try to call Vedika madam. She will know about sir."
"Vedika? But from where will I get her number?"
"Her number is with me," she said
I took the number and called her.
"Hello"
"Hello, Vedika here."
"This is Jwala."
"Jwala, sorry I don't know who you are."
"We don't know each other, but we both knew Agni."
"Agni? It's a wonder to get a call for Agni. If you have called for any business purpose or deals, sorry to say he went abroad. You can't speak to him right now."
"Vedikaji, please don't say this to me. I know he is in the city and is not well. Tell me where is he?" I asked crying.
"Jwala, may I know who you are? As far as I know, Agni never shares his grief with anyone. But as you knew about his health condition, you might be the most important person in his life. Who are you?"
"I am his wife," I said
"Wife? Oh, so it's you who his wife is. It's a wonder to get a call from you asking his whereabouts. I think a wife should know about her husband. But it's quite shocking to me to hear a wife asking about her husband to someone else. However, it's not your concern to know about him when you left him during his surgery.
You left him and doubted his love and loyalty. You gave unbearable pain to him when he is ill. Now, why are you concerned about him? I think now you should be happy with your would be. Oh, do you need any sign on divorce papers?" She said hurting me.
"I don't want anything except Agni. I love him, and I came for him."
"Oh really? You asked Agni to prove his love towards you, right? Now you prove your love for him, and only then you can see him" she said.
"Vedika, please help me. How can I prove my love? I want to see him. I want to know how is he, please help me."
"In life, if you want proof for everything, it's highly impossible. Right now, Agni is lying unconscious on a hospital bed as an orphan having no one to care for him. I am not going to tell you where he is. If you love him, reach him by yourself. When you left him because of the game played by someone else, he searched for you everywhere in the city neglecting his health and worrying about you. Whatever you give; it comes back to you. Now find him and reach him as he did when you left"
"Vedika, I know I did wrong. But I can't go everywhere searching for him as I am pregnant. I beg you; please help me. Tell me where he is" I asked crying.
"Jwala, please don't cry. I forgot about your pregnancy where I remembered only Agni's situation. But, I am sorry. I can't reveal his whereabouts without his permission. Call me the next morning."
"Thank you," I said.
Next day morning I called her.
"Jwala, I will give mobile to Agni. Talk to him" she said.
"Agni, a call for you," she said to Agni.
I heard their conversation on mobile.
"Not interested in talking with anyone, Vedika," Agni said.
"But it's someone who is very important in your life."
"No one is important in my life."
His words made me cry.
"Except Jwala. But as you know, she already left me. So, she never calls me."
He continued his words making me smile. Stupid, who told you that I left you?
"Fine, I will tell the same to her.”
"Jwala, actually your husband is in depression as you left him. So he is in no mood to talk to you" she said.
"Jwala? Is it Jwala? Give the mobile to me."
"No, you are not interested in talking; I will convey the same to her"
"Vedika, don't play with Agni. Give me the mobile right now" he demanded.
"Hello Jwala"
Hearing his words and knowing he is fine made me shed happy tears and tears for not being with him during surgery.
"I want to see you," I said
"Where are you?"
"I am in our home."
"Are you in the farmhouse?"
"Yes"
"Be there. I will send the driver to bring you here."
"Tell me the address; I will come by myself. I can't wait."
"No, I didn't want you to get strain. Don't argue and wait there. I will send the driver immediately."
"How are you? Are you ok?"
"Yes, after listening to your voice and knowing that you are back to me," he said.
"I will be ok only when I see you," I said.
After two long hours, the driver came to me.
"Madam, sir told to give this mobile to you," he said handing over a new mobile to me.
I smiled and took it. It rang.
"Sweetheart, keep that mobile with you. Due to anger at me, you threw your mobile away making it difficult for me to reach you. Don't throw this mobile again at least till you reach me. Within a few hours, you will be here, take care" he said
"See you soon" I disconnected the call and sat in the car to go to him.