The New Road (last leaf)

“you said you were not married”? she was embarrassed of herself , her wait for years has failed her and he has betrayed her unknowingly.

“and we are not…” he stopped her by her left arm.

“but …

She has known her all these months , she knew they were in a relationship then what was this…

“Just listen to me once and then you can decide yourself…” his voice was not a request nor an order but a suggestion.

“you do know how big a fool I think I am,” she asked before turning to meet the person who was in car waiting for her.

“i think you are one of the bravest woman I have met till date,” he answered and she sensed respect in his words…for her.

” a brave fool.” she thought In her mind.

“Anu…wake up!” he called her softly from the other side of the car.

Maya has kept her position by the back of the car to give her a few more moments of preparation to face the awkward meeting.

“you two are done? you took long Adi.” she heard Ananya’s sleepy voice.

“I told you not to come, you were in such an uncomfortable situation all this time…” Maya heard Aditya’s complaints and felt nervous about her every decision.

“But she didn’t know he had been coming with his pregnant fiancé.” her mind snapped back.

Her stomach churned on the thought itself and she felt her sinuses hurting like hell in her attempt to suffocate her frustrated tears.

“it is not like that, it was just the morning breeze was so beautiful …I didn’t know when did my eyes close.” taking the support of his arm the Girl exited the car.

“you look way more innocent than I had thought.” it was her first comment as she saw Maya.

Your job, your higher post has nothing to do with the way you behave with others… especially Girls, either they are born fearless or timid all life no matter how hard they try to act otherwise.

At this very moment the non-harming comment of Ananya made her feel so small in front of her.

She cursed the moment she had sent him that friend request… but now what could have done, the harm has already been done and was going to embarrass her all her life.

“Hiii.” acting on her nerves she controlled her falling soul and smiled at them.

“Hey, Maya… how to tell you how excited I was to meet you.” she moved forward to hug her or to hold her hands but Maya could not reciprocate back the same and taken a step back.

“Sorry, I think I troubled you guys.” she blurted the words before her tears could suffocate her.

“it is nothing like that… and I personally liked this idea of the morning meeting.” Ananya winked on her.

“This girl who she thought none less than a competition to her at times was such a free soul,” Maya repented the moments she despised her knowingly or unknowingly.

“I think we should sit somewhere and also I need to use the washroom… can we go somewhere where I can get some orange juice, please.” Ananya requested and at that moment she sounded such a genuine pregnant woman.

“only if Maya has some spare minutes to be with us.” looking one by one on them she smiled again.

The first observation of Maya was right, Ananya was a confident and modern time girl who has no qualms with a girl who had shown interests in her fiancé.

“Please don’t say No.” she pleaded Maya and seeing the pregnant lady’s cuteness Maya could not muster up the will to deny.

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From the moment they had shifted in his car, Ananya kept telling about her about how they met in college and how they were in the same job initially and later he chose to quit that for some new venture.

Maya kept her attention on Ananya all the time so her eyes could not steal glances of him.

Though it was the strangest car ride of her life it was not that awkward she had estimated it to be.

“you would like to take …” asking her preferences Aditya looked at her.

“I am fine, a glass of water would be good,” she answered not looking in his eyes.

“who waits for someone in today’s time?, he is a lucky man,” Ananya whispered as he went away.

The declaration made Maya alert, from the time they had met this topic wasn’t touched.

“it is not like that… I had known him and it was a casual thing.” trying to cover her actions Maya spoke up.

“I myself am a girl and though not a typical girl I understand when a girl is in love.” with a smile Ananya failed her attempts to cover her lie.

“Okay, did he tell you we were about to get married at a time?” she asked suddenly typing something on her phone.

” Yes…”Maya looked up with big eyes, even she wanted to know the reason of her absence from his social accounts.

“we broke up or you can say I broke up with him…she told her with a faint hint of …what emotion it was, was it a disappointment.

“you two seem so comfortable with each other…her own words burnt her tongue.

“being comfortable with someone is different and is ready to get married to them is another thing… you do believe that?” she asked her.

Now that Maya noticed her little nose was the best feature of her face which was getting red like she was talking something that was painful for her.

But now that she had said those things it was very important for Maya to know the rest of the story.

“i am the surrogate mother of this baby, My sister’s baby,” she told in a calm voice.

“she was diagnosed with a blockage in one of her fallopian tubes in medical terms which in our general terms said she could not carry a baby.” taking a deep breath she smiled uncomfortably.

The words dried the color of Maya’s face and a deep sense of respect took birth on her face towards Ananya.

“so I am carrying their baby due to some strict rules of Surrogacy… I said No to Aditya because I felt I won’t be able to become someone else’s wife or mother after this baby.” she completed her words.

“Why do you feel so, it is your sister’s baby so eventually they will take it away after the birth then you are free to do whatever you want in your life,” she asked her.

“yeah I know, but I don’t know after this baby was implanted in my body, I just didn’t feel like marrying him… I want a few months to think about my future from the start.” her nose was red again.

“I am not interested in him, never was… in that certain way but he was as he had expressed but .” she trailed off seeing him coming back with a tray.

“I see you guys have been mixing well.” trying the awkwardness to fly away he smiled an uneasy smile.

“don’t you trust your Anu?” she laughed at him.

YOUR ANU… simple two words but they mocked her situation today.

_____________*______________

The morning meeting that was meant to last 40 to 45 minutes atmost had turned into a whole 3 hours long affair.

Her driver and mother were worried about her as was clear with the numerous calls from them in the last hour which stopped when she texted them she was fine and would reach home in an hour.

“so you love Anu…” she asked him when he was about to turn after they spotted her car on the opposite side of the road.

“I guess I do…” he answered without a blink.

“so I think you can wait for her YES?” she asked him with a suggestion he should.

“I respect her decisions and she would never say a YES.,” he told her as they crossed the road together.

“why so confident?” she asked him with a frown.

Ananya was his love and she was a great human, UNLIKE her earlier thoughts she had turned out to be someone he should actually marry.

“i just know her,” he whispered and helped her sit in the car, closing the door for her.

“take care of you Maya…” he whispered when her driver ignited the car.

“you too,” she whispered back and the car crawled to a NEW ROAD after a bitter-sweet journey she has been on for last ten years or so.

These years have given her so much to believe in LOVE, SOULMATES, STORIES but also taught her to focus more on her, her strengths, her life despite the odds life offered her.

And today she finally learned to let the one person go …. Finally.

The tears freed themselves and flowed, trying to calm down the inner burn that was no one’s mistake but her poor heart.

“Ananya has requested to follow you.” her eyes went on a notification on her screen.

She thought for a moment before accepting it.

Next came her message…

“would you like to date my friend? we can perform the rituals after you two are comfortable with each other.”

It was a strange question and she waited for something else…

Little she knew it was the final destination of her wait and just in a few months she was going to become someone’s life whom she loved like no one.

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Hey everyone, here comes the chapter we were waiting eagerly. I know it was not something you guys anticipated or thought.

NOW AN IMPORTANT THING – please guys take proper precautions and dont make youself Corona vulnerable… with whole

world suffering with this novel disease i pray for everyone’s safety

Will see you soon.

I hope you guys liked the chapter.

With Love MORUSYA.