FIFTY FOUR
“Was Reva home with you yesterday?” Esha asked her at lunch the next day.
“No! Why?”
“Then who did you had pizza and wine with?”
Maya stammered and blushed as she told her about Vikram.
“Oh! So you had a good time yesterday, huh?” Esha winked.
Remembering the peace of the previous evening, Maya smiled.
“How was your's?” she asked Esha..
“Fine. That bastard is useless!”
“Meaning?”
Esha rolled her eyes.
“He was no fun. He just wanted to sleep with me. And that's all we did,” she said, as if she had merely had a lousy cup of coffee.
“You didn't have good time with him.”
“Oh Maya. He was lousy. There was no emotion,” Esha was irked.
“Why did you have to do it then?”
“Does it change me as a person?”
“I wouldn't think so!” Maya smiled.
“I did it because I wanted to make money. I wanted a good bloody career, if not a great love life!”
“And you made money?”
“Of course, I will. My trip to Italy, well, that son of a bitch will bear the expenses of it.”
Maya giggled. “Then why are you so angry at him?”
“When did I say am angry.” She was irritated.
She attached her laptop to the charger.
“You are right. I am angry. I am not guilty, but I still feel not so great about it. Am I being too selfish.” Maya smiled.
“Don't worry. Sleeping to achieve personal benefits does not make you a bad person Maya. We all are selfish. Human relationships cannot survive without expectations. We get hurt because at times we make wrong choices that pain us. Be sure of what you choose. Don't lose your focus or else you will spoil the essence. The problem is most of us are not sure about what do we want from life. We keep repeating monotonous patterns with our focus deviated from our dreams.”
“Hmmmm,” Esha was introspective for a moment. “You are right. Unnecessarily I keep thinking about that stupid Sunil. I know he is not inclined towards me emotionally. I should also be just focussing on my Italy trip and a promotion,” she smiled.
“What the hell. By the way did you know Atul's son has cancer?”
Esha continued.
“How do you know?”
“Huh! I told you his wife was seeing Sunil!”
“Then why is she with Atul?”
“Money, baby. Money.”
Maya wondered how money represents power. Each of us wants to compete and the easiest way is monetary measurement. More money, more power. More power, more money. That's how the trap goes.
That night as Esha went to bed early and Reva was on the phone, Maya received a text message from Kartik.
Hi! What's up?
She was surprised. Why was he messaging her?
Nothing new. She replied.
How have you been? I miss you sometimes.
Maya couldn't believe her eyes. Should she answer?
“Maya, I know you are confused. There is lot of distance between us. There are other people in your life. I really like you. Yet I know we are not meant to be. Tell me for God sake what should I do.” What she shouldtext back? How can she suggest anything?
“Do what you want to do,” she texted back.
“Ah Maya.... I think we just need to get over this.” He seemed to be getting tired of it.