The Conversation - 8

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***

"It was a nice movie, right? How was it for you? Do you like it?" exclaims Rohan.

"Yeah.." Ridhi seems hesitating.

"But..?"

"I don't think I liked it completely, especially the emotional parts." 

"Gotcha."

Ridhi smiles. "I think that one shouldn't force others to cry. The plot did not make me cry. So, even when the actors cried, I could not feel much. That said, I will recommend my friends to watch it." 

"To spoil their mood as well?"

"What? Nope, it's good..!"

"Haha, I am just kidding. In fact, thanks, Ms Ridhi, for daring to trust my suggestion and joining me!"

Ridhi checks her mobile, "You are welcome, Mr Rohan", and with a gasp, she says, "Literally."

"What?"

"Yeah, my father wants to meet you. Sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier about this. He has just reminded me again. So, are you free to come?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Cool."

***

"So why your father asked me to come?" Rohan hushes as if he does not want to be heard by the cab driver.

"Who knows?" Ridhi hushes back, and both realize it's awkward.

"He likes me, doesn't he?"

"So what? You want to marry him or his daughter?"

"Obviously, his daughter. But how can I know whether she wants to marry me?"

Ridhi smiles and turns her face away from Rohan. "How about asking her directly..?"

Rohan smiles and does not want to spoil the chance.

Ms Ridhi, with you and me sitting on the adjacent seats on the backside of the cab, with the Sun and the driver as witnesses, I am taking the farthest leap of my life to ask, do you want to marry me? Rohan wants to ask her. But at the same time, he begins to feel uneasy. His breathing becomes difficult. He is the same person who had planned to ask her the same question. Do you want to marry me? But everything had gone out of hand while he stood helplessly as evidence for the events unfolded. Rohan faints slightly before recovering upon hearing Ridhi's voice.

She has been saying something. As Rohan regains the senses, he hears, ".. you alright?"

"Yeah... Yes, I am fine. Sorry, I was not hearing what you said." He waves the mobile in his hands. "Just received some message from my boss. Seems like I messed up at work. You were saying something?" He cringes for lying to her.

"Well, nothing." Rohan feels stupid that she has to lie because of him. "Just a few more minutes, we will be at our home. My Dad should be already waiting for us by the door."

***

Ridhi's father is waiting for them. He is a stout man with salt and pepper hair, dressed in a cream-coloured shirt tucked into brown trousers. With a clean shave and confident looks, he stands as if he wants to radiate his discipline.

"Hi Rohan, how are you doing?" He wishes Rohan with a big smile.

"I am fine, Uncle. How are you?"

"I am doing great! Come inside, son."

As Ridhi and Rohan settle on the sofa, her father brings snacks in two plates, which he holds in one hand each. Rohan realizes he requires both hands to handle that one single plate (Ridhi may require three). Both deny in unison.

"Come on, Dad, we just have had lunch."

"Yeah, Uncle, it will be too much."

"This is just a tiny amount!" he wonders, looking into the plates. Still, Ridhi nods in disagreement.

"Fine then. Let me put these inside."

"Let me do that, Dad. You sit and talk to Rohan. I will be back." Ridhi takes the snacks and disappears out of the room as her father sits opposite Rohan.

Adjusting his throat, Ridhi's father asks, "So, how are your parents doing?"

"Yeah, Uncle, they are fine."

"That's good to hear. How's everything going on at the job?"

"It's going smooth, fortunately."

"Haha. Great then. I heard that you got another job offer?"

Rohan has suspected that the previous question could lead to this. He doubts the intention behind the question. Does he also motivate me to accept the offer?

"Yes, Uncle. But I haven't decided anything on it yet."

"Take your time, son. No need to hurry. But remember that you can choose to reject it." Rohan is taken aback upon hearing his words.

After a brief pause, Ridhi's father taps his palm on his chest, "This thing says what to do. If you choose to ignore it and proceed, you lose your authenticity. Then, your words won't be yours; your actions won't be yours. Who is going to be you if not you?" He continues, "Remember that I am not going to judge you for the choice."

"Thanks, Uncle. I am sorry. I thought you would also ask me to take up the job." Rohan feels relaxed.

"No problem, my son. Now, tell me, how are the things between you two?" Ridhi's father smiles and raises his eyebrows.

Rohan smiles. "Yeah, going fine, Uncle, as of now." Then, he gets reminded of the incident in the cab.

"In that case, shall I fix the dates for your marriage?" Ridhi's father laughs. Rohan's face changes upon hearing the last word.

Marriage...

The last time he attended one,

The Bride...

He is smiling at her,

But at the same time...

Rohan begins to suffocate. His heart rate rises, and he feels sweaty. He picks up the glass of water opposite to him and drinks it slowly. After a few moments, he feels better.

"Are you alright, son?"

"Yes, Uncle. Ahh, sorry, but I just now remembered an important work is pending. If you don't mind, can we meet again?"

"Sure, no problem. Shall I drop you?" 

"Not needed, Uncle, I am fine. I will go by myself." 

Ridhi enters the room from the other side as Rohan is about to exit.

 

"You are going?"

"Sorry, yes. Got to go."

"That's fine. Shall I drop you?"

"Not needed. Thanks."

Ridhi wonders what happened to him. "What had he said, Dad?"

"That he has to complete some office work."

"Oh, even he has told me about some office work back in the cab."

"Is it? I hope he is alright."

"Yeah."

***

Rohan stands under the shower and rests his palms on the wall as he gets drenched in the cold water. He thought he had moved on from the past - he could be no more triggered. Rohan himself is surprised by the reaction at Ridhi's home. How can he proceed with Ridhi while his past is triggering him?

After coming out of the shower and freshening up, he jumps into the bed, lies on his back, thinking about talking to Ridhi and slowly goes to sleep. By the time he wakes up, it's evening. After thinking again for a few minutes, he decides to call her.

"Hi, I just want to meet you. Will you be available tomorrow?"

"Yeah, what happened, Rohan?"

"I have to talk to you about something."

***

"So.. you just left like that because you felt triggered."

"Yes", Rohan says, looking helplessly.

"I have been thinking about us, Ridhi. I don't think I can fully be with you while the past is haunting my thoughts. Actually, I don't know how to proceed, and I have thought of two options." Rohan takes a deep sigh and adjusts himself on the sofa. The same sofa that made him uneasy the earlier day. Ridhi is watching Rohan sitting opposite, similarly to how her father watched him. She has her father's eyes.

"One option is to hide my past and act as if I were fine. We can continue being us, business as usual, hoping that I will be normal eventually and that my past becomes a phase. People say time heals everything, right?"

"What about the second option...?"

"If these triggers keep on coming and if I keep on making others uncomfortable, maybe it means I should take a break and fix myself. Once I am sure that I am stable, I, uh, will probably return.."

"Ok, Got it. So what did you decide?" Rohan can sense that Ridhi is hurt.

"No, I did not decide anything. For me, the main priority is not to disturb you because of my issues. But I don't want to make the decisions alone. Because this is not just about me, this is about us. I wanted to let you know my thoughts. That is all I want to say."

Ridhi is relieved after hearing this. After thinking for a while, she says, "You know there is a third option." Ridhi rubs her hands while taking a sigh. "It's true that you have to fix yourself. We should know what is going on with you if your normal life is getting disturbed." She continues, "But at the same time, I have no idea about all these things you are dealing with. I never had a love story," she pauses. "Oh, wait, I used to have a crush on a boy in my school! See? I forgot about it till now - that's my situation."

"I can understand that, Ridhi. You can still choose not to..."

"Yes, yes, I am coming to that point. Indeed, I can't tell what's happening inside you." She rises and walks around, "But, how about me being there beside you?" sits beside Rohan, "Like this. We shall seek help from a mental health expert. While you fix yourself," taking his hands into hers, "I will be there with you to remind that someone's got your back. Is that fine, Mr. Rohan?"

Rohan's eyes well up with tears. He smiles and says, "Thanks, Ms. Ridhi."

"You're welcome."

**End of Part 8**

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