Manmarziyan: a passion project – chapter 3

Manmarziyan: A Passion Project
Chapter 3

Hey all u beautiful people….see, a new chapter…I know…I know..i was supposed to post on wed or thurs but guess, I m more excited than u are 😛 …I wrote it down in one go…and also it isn’t proof read so please ignore any mistakes….do tell me how it was.
Happy reading 
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If u are gonna speak your heart out, atleast do it in front of the correct person.
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Saral looked around, he couldn’t find radhika anywhere inside her room. His eyes suddenly fell on an envelope kept on her bed. He was in dilemma whether or not to open it. Finally he did, thinking it might be some letter radhika had left for him. He didn’t see the front side of the same envelope which had the postal stamp and addressal. Saral when into a shock as soon as he read it. It was appointment letter at some event management and advertising firm. He quickly took a look at the envelope. Mumbai, the postal stamp screamed at saral. His head felt dizzy. His pov, “radhika has an appointment letter with a firm mumbai… what the hell? Why didn’t she tell me….was this the thing she wanted tell me. Is she going? Or is it an exprimental sort of thing…..god! i don’t know…I wish she would told me herself. I wish I just didn’t read this letter.”

He went to the terrace, wanting some fresh air. He wanted to be alone to think about the latest developments. As soon as he climbed the stairs up and turned.he saw radhika sitting on the compound wall. Her open hair were flowing with the breeze. He was confused.he was miserable.he was sad.he was hurt. Despite all this he felt a strange happiness looking at radhika. Her hair made him smile. He felt a strange satisfaction seeing her hair open after an entire day of pony tail. He took a deep breath and decided to talk to her and clear it all right now. Radhika was in her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jerked up and turned around. She softened a little seeing saral, “ ohh hi..didnt u sleep? I thought you were exhausted.”
Saral responded, “ no , I couldn’t sleep.” Saral too sat down beside her on the compound wall, “ so what are u doing here, radhu?”
Radhika replied after a pause, “thinking”
Saral, “about what? U wanna talk about something?”
Radhika just nodded her head in negative, “nope, not at all…I’ve got nothing.”
Saral was in a dilemma…he didn’t know whether to confront her or not to….his heart wanted to know what all this was about, so he decided to follow his heart. He hesistated initially “radhu…umm..” he spoke after a pause, “radhu”
Radhika nodded, “saral?”
Saral , “umm, here’s a thing….i couldn’t sleep and was hoping that u couldn’t either so i went to your room and knocked on your door repeatedly and since u didn’t open and the door was knocked…I looked inside to see If u were okay, and umm, I..I read that letter.”
Radhika was shocked, she had planned to tell saral but this wasn’t the way she wanted it to happen. At the same time, a part of her was happy that finally saral got to know and now she doesn’t have to tell him, “saral…umm…yeah…about that.”
Saral interrupted her, “ look, I m really sorry, I shouldn’t have read your letter without your permission. Okay…I didn’t intend to…its just that I didn’t see the cover first, It was upside down and I thought that it might have been some letter u left for me, since u weren’t in the room. I swear, that’s the only reason I opened it. I wouldn’t have otherwise and u know that too.”
Radhika understood, “its okay saral, I was meaning to tell u anyway.”

Saral’s tone now hardened a little, he had cleared himself and now he wanted answers from radz as well, “radhika mishra, come out clean now. What is all this? When did u even apply for that job?”
Radhika was a little worried hearing saral call her by her full name, she knew she had hurt him and she also knew that she would hurt everyone when she will break the news, “ saral, I applied about 6 months ago and it all started as an experimental thing, I just wanted to check whether I can qualify for that job. Then one day a call came from that firm informing me of my clearance and I had a telephonic interview with them the next day. They said they would think about it. I didn’t get my hopes high. Look, I didn’t expect to be even considered for the position after the interview. I didn’t expect to get an appointment letter. It came last week and I haven’t told anyone yet. I wanted u to be the first to know, but I just couldn’t muster the courage to tell u. I didn’t even tell bhai about it.”
Saral thought about what radhika said and spoke after a pause, “what now? U planning to go?”
Radhika looked down deliberately avoiding eye contact with him, she spoke in a soft and low manner, “ yeah…I mean, I m thinking about it…I mean it’s a good position, good salary, the company has a good reputation and I’ll do the work of my choice. I mean, it’s the perfect job for me.”
Saral looked at radhika with hurtful eyes, she didn’t understand what he meant, “but its in Mumbai….why cant u find some job u like here in rishikesh?”
Radhika looked at saral, she was really defensive now, “name one, event management and advertising u know in rishikesh. *she softened her tone* look, saral, if this is the field I choose…I have to get out of rishikesh.”
Saral was irritated by now, radhika was understanding that he didn’t want her to leave, “ goddamn it…just change your field…okay?”

Radhika was very hurt….moreover she was angry with saral, “just…….okay? this is the field I wanna make my career in. saral make one thing clear, u don’t make my decisions for me.”
Saral was about to retort about how she never cared about how he feels. But radhika started crying, “saral u know…u were the first person I wanted to tell….u were the only one I thought would understand me without my explaining…I thought you’ll support me..this is something I dreamed about since I was 8. I cant back out now. I am going whether u like it or u don’t. its up to u now, be a part of my happiness, support me….or stay out of it. I am going either way.”
Saral understood that he was crushing radhika’s dreams and he also understood that she was way to emotional and sleepy to understand how he felt right now, so he decided to let go of his feelings for now, he gave her an arm hug and spoke gently, “radhu I m sorry for not understanding u, I support u completely.” Saral himself didn’t know if he meant what he said. He was in a pool of emotions right now, he wanted radhika to fulfill all her dreams and he wanted to support her and be there for her. At the same time he didn’t radhika to leave me and go live in another world all together.
Presently, all he wanted was to comfort her.
Saral smiled at her and spoke a few encouraging words and took her down to her room and made her sleep. He covered her with a blanket and left the room. He himself couldn’t sleep thinking about radhika and her leaving.

Precap: the party and the mixed reactions that follow