CUFFLINKED FOREVER

Diksha:

Rajat's room was a complete mess..but somehow the thought of wrapping it up was saddening me to the core.
As he swiftly moved across the room, I caught him stealing glances at our verandah..

"Usey nahi bataya maine.." and he looked at me with understanding eyes, nodding his head briefly, and continued his packing.

"Wahan pohonchke phone kar dena.." I said, simply, not knowing what else to say.

"Mummy bat bann meri, " he quitely protested and I stared at him.
I hope you all noticed the change; I smiled to myself.

Once it was finally done, I followed Rajat into the balcony..

Rajat:
My heart was wrenching in pain for my little darlings..
No matter how much I watered them yesterday, they all looked sad, the water droplets on the leaves resembling the tears; pain of parting ways..

My eyes were moistening, and through the slight cloud that had just started blurring my vision, I noticed: the bud had bloomed into a bright red rose.

My heart skipped a beat..

Was this... indicating something?

Reluctantly, my eyes travelled to the verandah opposite mine--- the gorgeous bougainville swaying in the wind, resembling a flying kite, vibrant with colours..

She has bloomed Savi..Will you not come to see it once?

I bent down, and grazed my fingers along the petals-- soft, fragile..pure like an infant..

"Dikshu...iska khayal rakhna.."

......

Savi:

My eyes wouldn't stop travelling to the verandah today..
Last night, I had heard Dikshu speak over the phone about something happening at the station..
She didnot bother to inform me, but nevertheless I would come to know, because I would go to the station at night..

For a moment, a thought crossed my mind:

Does Rajat still water the rose plant?
Or had he uprooted it, just like I had killed the budding relationship between us?

Maybe he didn't.. Maybe he was not as cruel as I thought..

A sudden laughter attracted my attention. And I looked through the window--- Diksha.

She was leaning over the wall, watching him bend over the plants and doing something, although Rajat wasn't visible.

My heart betrayed me once again and a faint discomfort crept in...
I shook it off, immediately, the only offense remaining: he had snatched away my best friend from me..

......

Diksha:

We reached the P.S. an hour later, and the silence in the station pricked our ears..
Rajat and I looked around in confusion, when all of a sudden, Diya, Patil's daughter came running towards me.
Her little eyes were bubbling with excitement; I lifted her up in my arms.

"Diksha Didi! Aap kaise ho?" her voice chimed.

"Main theek hu, aap kaise ho? Aur aap aaj yahan kya kar rahe ho?"

My second question made her eyes dart to Rajat and she immediately averted her gaze, a little scared.
Rajat smiled, tenderly this time, and tapped on her shoulder, "Hello!"

"Hi!" she shyly smiled.

"Aap mujhe milne aaye ho?" his voice was smooth like butter..

"Haan...mujhe...mujhe aapko kuchh dena hai.." and then she got off my arms and scurried inside the station. We followed her, not really sure of what was going on.