Instead of calling Damyanti, Paritosh decided to call her husband. She had been quite baffled in the morning and he was not sure she would be in the right state of mind to face the ultimate truth.

“Dr. Khanaa. Is Rupa fine?” Sabyasachi asked as soon as he picked up the phone.

“She is all right, Mr. Moitra…”

“And…” he hesitated, but he had to ask, “What Damyanti told me… Is it true? Is that what she meant?”

“What did she tell you?”

“That Rohan had… Oh God! I don’t even know how to ask about it…”

“You should talk to her, don’t you think so?”

“I should… Of course, I should… But would she let me, Dr. Khanna? I…”

“Mr. Moitra. She would… She wants to… She really looks up to you… But… It is going to be extremely tough on you…. Hearing what you would hear about your son… About what happened under your own roof… Still, would you try to understand that it is not easy on her either… Apart from what has happened, what makes her situation worse is that she feels guilty… Of bearing this bad news…”

“The answer is ‘yes’ then… Rohan did indeed…”

Paritosh stayed silent. Sabyasachi spoke again, “Can I… we… me and Damyanti come to your house now?”

“Sure.”

—

“There is nothing to be afraid or guilty about, okay Rupali? They already understand…”

Rupali nodded, but she still stood up nervously, when her adoptive parents walked into the room.

Damyanti looked pale and weak. She slumped on one of the chairs, while Sabyasachi came to Rupali, “Why did you never tell us, Rupa?”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Kaku… I… I am sorry,” she broke down not knowing what to say.

“No. No. I am sorry… If that means anything at all…”

“I am your culprit, Rupa,” Damyanti spoke the words hardly coming out of her throat.

“Kakima…”

“I was being so selfish… I never even tried to see if things were acceptable to you. Your Kaku had warned me that we had made you decide about the marriage a little too early. He kept telling me that you were not happy with Rohan. But I just refused to see it… From his childhood, since he had left home for his studies, he never wanted to come back… We missed him so much… But he wouldn’t come even for his vacations… So, we’d go to him, make those trips with him… Only to spend some time with him… He would always try to push us away… Be angry… I managed to bring him home once… He had been furious, almost violent that he was forced to come home… But he met you… And then he started coming home… All the time… I couldn’t have wanted anything else… He was always so calm around you… You worked like a magnet… And I let him spend time with you… I thought what could be the harm, if your friendship became an anchor in his life… I am sorry my child, I just… I just didn’t see the harm… I was a blind mother… And so much harm was done…”

Paritosh had noticed Rupali stiffen as Damyanti spoke what had happened. But she did not blame Damyanti outwardly. She spoke in a steady voice, “It’s all over Kakima. There is no point dwelling on it. Just that… it was never love, or friendship. Just an obsession on his part. I never wanted to hurt you and Kaku, but I can’t… I can’t accept Rohan, Kakima. I can’t…”

“I know… I know now that it was stupid of me to ask what I did in the morning. I am… I am sorry about everything…”

“What do you plan to do now, Rupa?” Sabyasachi spoke now.

“I… I want to stay in the house my grand father left me, Kaku. If you don’t mind…”

“Of course… Just one request.”

“Just tell me Kaku. You don’t need to request me…”

“Let Radha or any other servants from the house stay with you there. I will feel at peace if you weren’t staying alone.”

“Whatever your say, Kaku.”

“About Rohan, Mr. Moitra…” Paritosh started asking as Rohan would still be a threat to Rupali’s safety.

“I am taking him out of Kolkata and… And getting him help… You don’t need to worry Rupa.”

Rupali nodded. Damyanti might not have been honest in her affection towards her, as her confession revealed. But her Kaku was a genuine person. “I am sorry, Kaku. I never wanted to hurt you…”

“I know. I know… And you have not hurt me… You were not at fault. We were… We failed you!”

“Kaku please…”

“Take care of yourself my child. I will send Radha to your house today itself. She will clean up the place and make any other arrangements needed.”

Refusing his help would have hurt him under those circumstances. So, Rupali nodded and said, “I will get you the keys.”

“I have a spare one,” Paritosh interrupted and gave his keys to Sabyasachi.

—

“You are planning to go there today itself?”

“Yes. Radha has arranged for everything. With her there, I won’t be alone. And… I know you don’t mind, but I have already imposed myself on you for too long.”

“This is your house too, Rupali.”

Rupali was startled at that declaration and looked at him questioningly.

“It’s Daar ji’s. Your grand father’s.”

Rupali smiled and shook her head, “You are an extremely generous man, Dr. Khanna. Thank you. But that house itself is more than what I need.”

“I was planning to get some more furnitures there… It’s too…”

“Dr. Khanna. What I have realized in last few days is that it is high time I took my life in my hands. And you know what my problem is?”

Paritosh sighed, “That others are not letting you be?”

“No. It’s that I have these really nice people around me who have already done so much for me that… I can hardly just throw attitude now and ask them to let me be. It’s not like I never needed their help. I did. And I took it. So, now…”

Paritosh grinned, “You think too much. But I get the point. I won’t interfere. All I would say is that taking your life in your hands does not mean you can never ask for help. If you do need help, of any kind, you can always ask. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. We all need help. Okay?”

Rupali nodded.

“But I promise, I won’t thrust anything on you.”

“Thank you. You are way too sweet!” Rupali smiled.

“I hope you won’t mind if I dropped you.”

“No. I don’t,” her smile broadened to a grin.

—

To be continued.