RAYA SS - A Simple Wish Part 12

RECAP :

i want to be lost in those…feel his lips on mine…but then why did he withdrew and over over closed himself…he does not even want to look at me….”
Films of tears appeared in her eyes….and a drop fell on her hands…

Wiping her tears from the back of her hand…she slowly walked up to the table and waited for Ram

PART 12 

Walking down the stairs….he was cursing himself for his action….Ram was feeling guilty…..he knew that she had started having feelings for him…he could feel it in her nerves and the quivering of her lips…


she allowed him to be so closed to her…but god dammit…why did he allow her to enter into the world of dreams which was only to be broken…how could he….just how could he do such a mistake…..


But how could one not fall for her….the timid look on her face…in the lift…the way she grabbed his arms and almost buried herself in them….she was looking angelic in the white suit playing with the orphanage kids… her cascading hair mirroring her action…the way she enjoyed relishing her candy floss..playing in the sea at the beach…and her whimper… the first sight of the tears he could not bear them…but now he was the one who had been the reason of the same tears….he saw dejection playing on her face….but this has to be it….he had to pull her back from the blurred future....


“Shall I lay the table Sir…” Jeffery called….that was when Ram realized that he had walked down the stair….across the hallway and was now in the kitchen…he did not hear what Jeffery spoke and waved in denial….twitching his eye brows and rubbing his forehead….still thinking of Priya…


Jeffery was 64 years old butler of Kapoor Mansion since the time Ram bought it…and been taking care since then….

He had seen Ram as a workaholic..seldom involved in parties…or women….he  knew that he was alone in this big house though he had his mother and siblings….but never had the answer to why were they not with him….and knowing Ram a little…he knew that he does not like to talk about his personal life..so he minded his own business and was never provoked to ask the question…

Taking the words of his master Jeffery was about the leave….when her heard Ram “Can you arrange dinner for two….?”

 “Certainly Sir….and where shall I take them…” he enquired

“Just leave it on the kitchen bar….I will take care of the rest….” Ram replied pointing to the kitchen bar.

Jeffrey nodded in agreement and went off to do as asked for…while Ram went up to the refrigerator…took out a chilled bottle of white wine….pour it in the crystal wineglass….sipping it a bit…he looked at Jeffery who was diligently working…placing the rice and other food items into the silver bowl…

He walked and stood near the table..resting himself against the edge…he took another sip..and started to whirl the liquid in the glass….as to mix the tasted with the aroma…

“Jeffery how long you have been working with me..?” he asked looking at the spinning liquid in the glass.

Tilting his head toward his master…Jeffery replied calmly… “Nearly six years Sir…”

“Hmmm” Ram replied still spinning the glass and look at it… “So you at least know something about me…I assume” he chuckled and sipped the wine….

“Sir the little what I should know…according to the place I hold in the house…is quite enough for me to know..” he was still calm not knowing the reason for this certain question answer session…

Ram again chuckled… “So what kind of a person you think…I am” he himself did not know why was he asking this to Jeffery..when he like to ponder upon them in solitary…

Now this was something new for Jeffery..he never expected to have such kind of conversation with his master..who was totally shut about his personal life….

Jeffery left what he was doing and looked straight towards Ram who was looking at him over the rim of his wine glass waiting for the answer…

He took a little time to weigh his word…so that it does not look that he is trying to read more than required into the question….

“Sir…apart for the fact that you a successful and affluent tycoon of India…you are also a wonderful person..with a loving heart….” he completed his words carefully waiting for Ram to respond..

Sipping the last drop of the wine Ram lowered the glass…and looked at Jeffery…but the expression on his face and in his eyes were as cryptic to the butler as his master…

“The food is set Sir…is there anything more you wish for me to do..” Jeffery continued his chores knowing he was not going to get any response or answer to the statement…

Looking again down at the glass he was holding Ram replied… “ No Jeffery that will be it..Thankyou…”

“GoodNight Sir” the butler wished and walked passed Ram.

“Jeffery…I forgot to tell you…Miss.Sharma is a friend of mine and she will be staying here  for a while…” Ram spoke still looking at the wine glass rubbing its edges with his thumb…

“She will be taken good care off here Sir and will be made ‘feel at home’..” Jeffery nodded his head a bit and left the kitchen..

Ram was left alone in the kitchen…Jeffery’s words… ‘wonderful person with a loving heart’ was resounding in his ears…He was still holding the glass and rubbing the edge of the glass as if mirroring the re-occurring thought in his mind…

Nodding his head sideways he repeated the words… “’Wonderful and loving” a chuckle escaped his throat…mocking the words….laughing at the irony what others feel  about him….what he does not feel about himself…and he is not…

He placed the glass in the sink…picked up the tray and headed towards Priya’s room..

Like a gentleman he knocked at the door before entering…and saw Priya sitting at the table…with her back towards him..

Looking over her right shoulder…Priya saw Ram holding the tray which was laid with food…she smiled a bit overlooking the incident which just happened between them trying to ease the situation…But Ram was trying to avoid any eye contact…he did catch the glimpse of her hair which was open and playing against her cheeks….
He walked past her and placed the tray on the table….

Priya thought of helping him lay the table but then remained seated…thinking if again it irks him….at least he is in front of her now…what if things go other way round…

She remained seated crossing her hands on her leg…waiting for him to serve…

Ram lay the plate for her and slowly pushed it towards her….She waited with blank eyes… whether he will leave or join her for dinner….to her relief ….Ram pulled out the chair opposite to her and sat facing down….slowly….he was wary to make any eye contact with Priya…

Ram still with his head low…averted to look up…his eyes moved to and fro from the dishes to his plate…but more than him Priya was feeling awkward….

She quietly and slowing chew her food…but at that time all she wanted was to rest her hands on his palms soothing him…giving him a warm hug…so that the pain what was bothering him melts away..leaving the same sweet and congenial smile on his face that she was for the first time on his face in the lift…

But he had closed himself and she was afraid that in this solitary does not affect him…because that is what she will not be able to witness….

She tried to break the ice…. “Dinner is lovely…” putting a little bit of rice in her mouth

“Jeffery is a nice cook….” was the only answer she received from Ram who was still trying to paly hide and seek…

Dinner finished not as per what Priya had planned…

Ram held out the medicine and a glass of water…that was the first time after that incident…she saw his face in the light….

The Ram she knew was not there…his eyes were jet black…trying to conceal the secret that it held…his lips lacked the hint of soft smile that he always had when he saw her….they were replaced by a hard line instead…the jaws were drawn stiff…and the color on his face was pale and white…

Priya took the medicine and glass of water from his extended hand…and gulped it…she tried to look into his eyes but there were still dodging to and fro…and the eyelids helped him from escaping the eye contact…as they batten every now and then…

He placed the glass on the on the tray….with his back to her… in a dim voice spoke “I think you should go to bed…now”

Priya still sad and confused with what was wrong or what went wrong..did not protest but slowly stood up from the chair..walked towards the bed…her eyes were still at him…

She lay in the bed..pulling the duvet…waited for him to again speak…but non came.

Ram picked up the tray and walked…across the bed towards the door…

“Good Night Ram….and thankyou for talking care of me…”

She just wanted him to know what had happened…had not changed a thing between them….but these words cut him through….

His grip on the tray went tight…almost making his knuckles go white…he gulped the lump in his throat…and clinched his eyes tightly in disgust….switching off the light he dashed out of the room

He was disgusted with himself… dropping the tray on the kitchen table…Ram stood against the kitchen bar holding the edge…his eyes were shut…and he was swaying his head sideways… in denial of what was happening between him and Priya…moreover what he was doing to her…

He ran his both hands..through his hair and over his face..he felt frail…against his emotions for the first time after so many years….

Ram stood at the window of his room...letting the night breeze blow on his face…he took a sip of the scotch trying to compliment it with the breeze to drop the level of agony in his heart….



Sitting in the club chair…he rested his hands on the arm rest and legs thrown flat on the edge of the window…

“Why does it have to happen to me….long before I have shut those emotions…” he rubbed his forehead to ease the tension…

“I know she has fallen for me…she loves…me…I to love her…very much…but the fear…” resting his head in his hands Ram was contemplating….

“ Why does it has to be us…why have I not been able to overcome the fear…it has haunted me  for ages and again the same fear is plaguing my heart….returning as my worst nightmare..” He looked out at the abyss of darkness which engulfed the city…

“I love her….but…” Ram again took a sip of the golden liquid….as it passed his throat…it burned him…reverting back the bitter memories…

Contemplating of a way…so that he can free himself of the web…the fear that has engulfed him…Ram fell asleep in the chair…

It was almost 9am when Priya opened the door of her room…and as she walked down the stairs…she saw Ram already sitting at the breakfast table…

He was in his black suit..with the scarf typically the Ram Kapoor style done around his neck…She along with her inner soul frowned at it… ‘Mr.Three Piece Suit’…”

Ram who was all this time engrossed in his BlackBerry…analyzing the stock prices…looked up to the descending figure of Priya…she was back in her white suit…but the puffed eyes did not go unnoticed…clearly it gave the hint she has cried herself to sleep…

Ram’s grip on the phone went tight….on the fact that he has been the reason of those tears…but he tried to remain calm..

“Good morning…” He wished her smiling and stood to pull out a chair of the lady…

“Good morning Ram..” she also wished him back but was still cautious…

“Seems you did not have a nice sleep..” Ram enquired with a warm smile…

Her subconscious was ready with the answer….'no I did not sleep properly….do you want to know why…because I was having a slumber party in the pool of my tears'

“No.. its nothing like that…” she replied softly..tugging the hair behind her ears…

By the time she took her seat..Jeffery served her…a bowl of fruit salad…She was amazed to see…

“Good Morning Ma’am…hope you will enjoy your breakfast…” Jeffery smile back at her…

“Priya this is Jeffery…the house butler…and Jeffery..this is Priya my friend…she will be living her for a while…” Ram introduced them…

“Very well Sir” He replied look at Ram…and turning towards Priya he spoke… “I am at your service ma’am and hope you will feel at home..” and smile…

“I shall get on with other…work” Jeffery replied to Ram…he nodded in approval….

Priya kept looking at the declining figure of the old man….she also had a smile on her 

 face…it felt warm as if she was talking to her father…

She looked back at the bowl of fruit salad and then to Ram…he was looking straight at her..with his hands resting on the table and his chin against it…

“I told him what you like and did not like…” Ram shrugged his shoulder “so shall we eat”

Priya was confused…there was a sudden change in Ram…he was not the one what he was last night…
She dipped her spoon into the dish and started to chew…but her eyes were at Ram…her brows were joined together trying to read the expression on Ram’s face…

He seemed more relaxed…the jet black cloudy eyes were replaced with shining ones…and there was a soft smile now on his lips…as he browsed through his BlackBerry..

She tried to study further scrutinizing his expression…what if they change suddenly…but non happened…he munched his toast calmly…and every now and then looked at her smiling…indicating her to eat…

Priya finally settled herself…but her subconscious was standing with its arms crossed her chest…tapping a finger on the arm….thinking… ‘So Mr.Cryptic is still not awake….from his deep slumber…may be he come out at night only’ and it narrowed her eyes…

Ignoring the words…Priya tried talking to Ram… “So you going to office…?”

Tossing his head from the Blackberry towards Priya he replied happily… “ nope..coming back from office…”He leaned forward… again resting his hands on the table supporting chin “had an important meeting with delegates in Australia…finished that and cancelled all other…stuff…” twitching is lips and  waving his hands indicating they were not important “ I am going to spend the day with you…” Ram replied with a gleam in his eyes…

Priya’s mind again went to last night….but seeing him smile she also wanted to smile… she thought “May be a new start to a new morning…”