5 chapter -5 Seperations are harder than they seem

My alarm was supposed to wake me up at half past nine , but it did not and as a result I made Reema believe that I still pursued my old sleeping habits, she wouldn't bother, I thought to myself the very next moment.

I went downstairs after I had freshened up and saw a beautiful young lady, in her thirties possibly and as I passed down the aisle, I caught a glimpse of Reema, who was sitting and accompanying her with a cup of coffee. I could tell it from her facial expressions that she too caught a sight. I went to the lounge and was having my breakfast when I felt a warm, soothing hand on my shoulders. 'Bread with peanut butter? That sure is surprising!' she said.

'Did you wrap up with your breakfast?' I asked her

'No' she said. ' I have to follow a strict diet and I am not pretty sure everything is available out here.'

'Search, you surely will get stuff to make up for your appetite.' I replied. You can't stay hungry at this stage' I added.

She pulled the chair opposite to mine and took a sit. 'Ask them if they can provide me with a glass of fresh Orange juice with breads and boiled egg, oh and yes boiled veggies too' she stated. The waiter replied me that they had all of that in stock and that they should be able to provide the complete menu given. I was glad somewhere within. I can't let an expecting woman to starve of 'course.

I asked her companions' name.

'Poonam' she replied. 'We have been great friends since twelfth standard and we talk regularly now.' she said. The tone of the word regular made me feel that she still was disheartened with the way I left Calcutta and her emotions. How can I make up for my deeds and my failings, I thought to myself?

We talked for sometime at the lounge and then I told her that I had to go and prepare for my bread and butter. 'And what is it?' she asked. 'Examine a few tree species nearby and get it done before the sunset.' I answered.

'I am coming with you too' she said. I refused the proposal saying that it was too menacing for her as we might have to walk long distances, but I knew that she was the kind of girl who would never take back what she said, and was pretty robust with her decisions. We walked down the road, which was steep and slanting, I feared for Reema at times walking down the road, but she said that she was just fine. We went on talking how we used to spent the summers back at Calcutta.

We talked about a lot of stuff. We talked about handmade cookies and huge biscuit jars, we talked about green grass and vast corn fields, we talked about bald neighbors and our aspirations to climb mountains and explore the globe, and how a world without internet and smart devices were better. The one thing that revolved around my mind the whole time was that, was I wrong about leaving my love for ready money? Did I do a mistake leaving my hometown and my parents for education and cash! Was I being greedy, for my future and my earnings? Or am I being greedy for my love now? These thoughts took the shape of mental dilemma.

I questioned myself, but couldn't find the answer, which was happening to me quite often.

I collected the test plants and their samples and answered all possible and answerable questions that popped up in Reema's head. It took quite sometime to finish with my job and Reema seemed exhausted by then. ' I asked you not to accompany me'! I told her. She stated that she was not tired and only was breathing fast. This was a major positive point of her, not giving up at her aims , her issues and obviously her companions. She counted on every second of her life, wanted to enjoy every moment and count on every feelings she ever faced.

It was one fine day back at Calcutta, gloomy and dreary though. Maybe it was going to rain heavily later, that would do a great deal to the farmers of course I thought while studying physics and thinking about possibilities when I heard rapidly approaching footsteps , which came closer as seconds passed away. Reema came in, wet, at first I thought it was the drizzle that made her so, but soon I understood that something was terribly wrong. She was frightened and in a state of shock and distressed. I figured out what happened at her first glimpse.

'He is no more!' she broke down while saying so.

I knew what was coming. I asked her to sit down, relax and maybe drink a glass of water but she kept weeping. I did not try to comfort her , comforting always is not the best option to begin with.

I went on what any guy at my place would do , ask her to move on and then again I thought to myself was I consoling her? Did she deserve this mishappening, just when everything in her life was going to be perfect, things got worse and cold. Nostalgic feelings tore through her and later her loud cries stopped to weeping only. I handed her a glass of cold well water, freshly fetched, and we went to her home soon after she had finished with her weeping.

I saw aunt Fatima with My mom and she was holding a postcard.

Reema snatched it from her hand, and attempted to read it, with trembling hands and a mind full of thoughts she read it.

" I wish you don't have to read this letter and if you are reading it , you already know what has happened. I've got some urgent duty to serve, the Pakistani's are trying to infringe the borders, and we have to put an end to this chaos, it has been going on for a few weeks now and I am sorry , that I have not been able to write to you for quite some time and maybe this is the last time I am writing to you, wishing you both good luck for your future and one happy life.

With love" read Reema.

I read the letter alongside Reema, she looked at me for an instance and the terror and fright of her eyes to live the rest of her life alone with her mother , was clearly visible, and was haunting her. She wasn't prepared for this,clearly.