It’s Time To Say Goodbye!

Ajit had to move out of the city. He broke the news as they were enjoying an intimate moment one afternoon. “What?” Juanita almost choked. “You’re going, or are you still planning?” she whispered. “We have been discussing this at home for some time now. We have decided that it’s better I take my job search elsewhere. Mumbai should be a better place. I have friends there. They have offered to help,” replied Ajit. “So this was being planned all along, and I, who meets you every day had no clue until the tickets are booked. Who am I? Just someone you can be intimate with? Do I even occupy any space in your life?” Tears were forming in Juanita’s eyes as she tried to be calm. Ajit tried to console her, “You are everything Jaan. You are my resting place, a place where my mind can relax. You are my comfort, my happiness, my love, my everything.” Juanita looked at Ajit as he was saying all these words, which looked so hollow now. In a moment, Ajit made her a stranger. Such a big decision, and she was not even informed. How foolish she had been to believe that she had found love all over again. She was not able to concentrate on anything after that and asked Ajit to leave. “Give me some time alone, Ajit,” she politely asked him to leave. Ajit apologized profusely and tried his best to justify, but Juanita suddenly could hear nothing. She was lost in the humdrum of her thoughts.

After Ajit left, there were still 30 minutes before her son would be back from school. She sat on the bean bag and allowed her mind to register what was happening. Tears were continuously flowing through her eyes, and she did not try to stop them. Love, she thought, had deceived her again. No matter how much she loved anyone, no one could love her back for long. Every time she was caught in an emotional tangle and struggled to get out. But love was like a butterfly, always flying away after a brief period. It was once again the toughest day in her life when she had to stay calm as if nothing had happened and pretend to be normal in front of Karthik, though her mind was a mess. She literally wanted to cry out to Karthik for comfort, but that would be blasphemous. Every now and then, she would wipe a tear that accidentally fell over from the corner of her eye as she waited for the day to end. When the lights were off that night, Juanita went back to her crying, this time quietly, until she fell asleep, God knows when!

Ajit walked in the next day as if nothing had happened, and today, he was on a reverse gear. He tried to explain to Juanita how important it was for him to get a job. He kept insisting that he was feeling equally bad, and the only difference was he wasn’t crying. He assured her that he would stay in touch every day and Mumbai was not in a different time zone, so keeping in touch would be a breeze. They could do video calls and be together. Juanita simply nodded. She understood that Ajit had already made up his mind, and there was no way it could be changed. He was extremely obstinate; if he decided on something, he did it, no matter what. And Juanita was sure that this long-distance relationship would not last. As the day for his departure approached, they decided to not mull over it but spend them happily, making memories. And on the day he was leaving, Ajit asked her to come and drop her at the airport. She went, and as Ajit was leaving towards the departure terminal, he smooched her–one long kiss, in full public view! Juanita was sad that he was going, but she was not prepared for this surprise. She stood there muted as he waved her goodbye and vanished among the crowd. Juanita looked at him carefully, sat down to collect herself, and then got up to leave. As she was walking out of the airport, she was preparing for a new life, minus Ajit. Was it going to be easy? Only time can tell.