11

                                    

                                          
Dimpy wanted to go to the address given to her by Pragati that day itself but family commitments crippled her intention. She could do nothing but wait for one more day before knowing what her first love was up to all these years.
Shreshtha had gone to the station directly after meeting Dimpy. She had to catch the train to Udaipur. As she waited for her train, Shreshtha grew restless. Whatever she had known had started to form a story in her mind and that story, according to her, was fast becoming her truth. If something wasn't adding up in that version of truth it was her diary enteries. For whatever was written in it was in direct contradiction to what she believed the truth was. And to address that one thing which wasn't adding up, she had to meet Yuvansh. Instead of a train to Udaipur, she booked a tatkal ticket for Lucknow. She boarded the train a few hours later and the next morning she was in Lucknow.
Yuvansh's phone on the side table, vibrated. He picked it up to see Ranisa's name flash. He answered the call.
"Hello, Ranisa."
"Where are you?" Shreshtha asked.
"At the book event , told you earlier," Yuvansh lied.
And I'm outside the building. It's a surprise!" she said, pretending to sound jubilant.
Yuvansh took his time to speak, "Why don't you come go inside and speak to the receptionist? She'll take you to my room. The event will take a few hours to get over, so I'll be with you in a few hours." He ended the call and immediately called the reception and instructed them what to tell Shreshtha.
Shreshtha was duly escorted to Yuvansh's room.
Yuvansh quickly got dressed, instructing Pragati to book an air ticket on his phone from Delhi to Lucknow. It took him five hours to reach the location of the hotel where the event was being held in Lucknow. He came and entered into his room.
"This is the first time that you've surprised me," he said lowering his tall form on the sofa.
"I'm learning," Shreshtha smiled, trying to get her head around how someone could lie with such a straight face.
"Holidays in college?"
"Kind of. We've been given time off to figure out our internship. I thought I would do it in Lucknow so we can be together."
"Of course."
It was after dropping Jasmine school that Dimpy went to the address given to her by the lady who claimed to be Shreshtha's mother on phone. She remembered her name: Pragati. Though Dimpy was yet to share this information with Shreshtha since she wanted to check first. Meeting Shreshtha for the first time, she could sense she was the quintessential impulsive youngster who would do something and then think. Not the other way around.
When Pragati opened the door to Dimpy, the latter realized she was carrying a very different image of her in her mind. Dimpy thought Pragati would be someone who was slightly snobbish and restrained but the woman who opened the door carried a certain amicable aura about her. She looked like someone to whom you would tell your darkest secrets and she still won't mind.
As Dimpy settled on one of the bamboo chairs in the room, she asked, "I'll be honest. I can't wait to know what you meant on the phone."
"I said I'm her mother."
"That I heard. But who is the father then? And how did you get my number ?"
"Let me answer the second part first. I took your number from Yuvansh. He was here yesterday and till this morning. He doesn't know that I took your number or contacted you," Pragati said as she sat opposite Dimpy. For a trice, the latter glanced at one of the sketches in the room and she immediately recognized Yuvansh.