The Leaps Suitors Take - IV

Final Installment; continued from Part I, Part II and Part III. Alternatively, you can click here or search for "The Leaps Suitors Take" in the tag cloud on the left bar or in the search bar above to get all the parts.

The next morning Grace made her repeat every detail a million times and Vel kept coming over with a large grin to give her a handshake and be off again. Her friends were elated… and Radhika… Radhika was certain she was floating – so much happiness was surely unreal! How could it be true?!

Concentrating on work was near impossible. She almost missed Grace’s update on how there was a huge chance the entire Tower One concierge would soon be transferred to the newly built Tower Five, “because the management is convinced that we are the best and can handle matters better than others.” She huffed. Such a shift meant enormous changes and trouble for everyone’s well-set routines and tasks but Radhika found that she didn’t really feel too bad. In fact, she didn’t feel anything at all. Ram’s ring on her finger was all that she was truly cognizant of.

Vel then mentioned something about Sunflower dropping by two days ago to ask for Radhika; she was being transferred to another office location and she wanted to say goodbye. “Much as our fun disappears,” he nodded. “we thought it’s good in the sense that at least she’s away from Sambhav. They’ve been meeting almost every lunch, coffee and I bet even leaving office together too.” He paused. “Then again, now she’s away from Suitor 3 too… So the merits, we can’t really say – that Vidur is a git.” Vel was gloomy again.  But he caught the unabated sparkle in Radhika’s eye and suddenly chuckled, “and you’re getting married! Whoa Seyharraju, way to go!”

Yes she was getting married, she thought gleefully. Ram appeared unexpectedly during lunch to drop her a tiny parcel, a figurine of a girl in a pink dress held by a tall man. “Thought it was apt,” he winked at her. “Though now we’ll have to get you a pink dress.” He said and hugged her. The day definitely couldn’t get better. She grinned.

And then she saw Suitor 3 walking in from lunch. He spotted her too and unexpectedly came over to her desk. “Hey” he said.

“Good afternoon Sir” she smiled brightly at him. “How was your lunch?”

“Fine, fine. Just letting you know, your friend… your friend has left.”

She thought for a quick second before registering what he meant. Oh, Sunflower. Right. “She told me. Rather she told my friends who told me. I just got back today.” She ended, a little lamely.

“Ah yeah. Thought she didn’t get a chance to inform you so… you have a good afternoon!”

But she felt the need to say something, anything, else. “Well Sir, when you meet her again-“

“If I meet her” he corrected gently.

“No you must!” she exclaimed, comprehension swiftly dawning on her. He raised an eyebrow. “I mean,” she grappled in her mind for a coherent reason. “You must… take this.” She grabbed Ram’s gift, “Give it to her.” He opened his mouth to protest but she forced the figurine into his hand. “Tell her it’s my present. And I think it’s apt… I’m engaged to be married soon.” She smiled. “We’re very happy, Ram and I. There’s so much not in our favor, but tell her,” she urged, hoping he would catch her hint. “we’re happy… together. She’s right Sir – sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and build your wings on the way down, up, whatever.”

He stared at her. “I’ll try…” he said, finally. “If there’s any way I can help you and Ram?”

She shook her head. “Thank you Sir. It’ll make us very happy if you meet her. To give her our gift, of course!” she hastily added.

He laughed shakily. “I’m Pankaj. Pankaj Lohchab. And yes, I’ll talk to her, today.” He said firmly.

She beamed. “Good day, Sir.”

She was sure she would hear the best news from Suitor 3, no Mr. Lohchab, the next day. Maybe he would even bring Sunflower along. And finally she, Vel and Grace could know Sunflower’s real name! She was excited. In the evening Ram came to pick her up and she gabbled to him about all the plans she had for Mr. Lohchab and Sunflower. He was happy for them, but he said those plans could wait because “tomorrow, we are paying a quick trip to my folks.” She agreed. Mr. Lohchab’s story could wait…

When she was back from her trip, she discovered that she, Grace and Vel had been transferred to Tower Five. Work there was hectic and she always promised herself that “tomorrow, tomorrow Pankaj Lohchab shall be searched for and found.” But soon, tomorrow became today, her wedding day and those days passed into months into years. She never met him again.

Six years later, she stood in the department store persuading her 4 year old that he didn’t need that Batman toy. Their resources were tight and she wondered grimly why branded toys had to be so expensive.

“No Turk, not one of those.” A gangly lad of about 16 was standing nearby and awkwardly holding a baby in his arms, trying to gently wrestle a figurine from those chubby hands. The baby gurgled.

“Your brother is a good tempered lad, isn’t he?” A store helper asked conversationally. “And so very adorable” People were turning to look at the boy; the baby was indeed pretty.

“Yeah.” The boy nodded. “But you haven’t seen him when we say ‘bedtime!’, there you go he struggles and puts aside his good-temperedness like it’s capital punishment we’re subjecting him too.”

The store helper’s smile faded and she eyed him suspiciously.  

“It was.. er a joke. He's annoying but his parents would never kill him, you know.. I mean,” the boy explained, embarrassed and to no one in particular.

But Radhika laughed and joined the conversation. “My son here did that too for a while. Then he started school and all we do is show him homework and suddenly he is overcome with yawns, feels tired and climbs into his bed without a murmur.”

The boy hooted with laughter. “Nice! I bet my aunt can’t wait till Ram gets there. All of his parents’ nights, especially her’s, are spent cajoling this guy to sleep. I help when I’m around, mind you.” The boy added proudly.

Radhika smiled. She was beginning to like the lad. “So this is your cousin?”

“Yep. And that’s my aunt over there.” He pointed.

Radhika turned. And then she froze. 

There was no mistaking that girl, who was looking through the racks. Recognition flooded her. Sunflower.  

Radhika immediately pictured Grace’s (“ask this boy what’s his Uncle’s name!”) and Vel’s (“Ignorance is bliss”) reactions… she remembered the Suitors… and Suitor 4, ah what was his name?! – Sambhav, yes – and Mr. um, Mr. Lohchab’s face the last time she saw him… “Does lil Ram resemble his dad?” was all she could manage weakly.

The boy scrunched his nose. “Well. That’s a strange question, but you ask as he looks nothing like his mum?”

Radhika nodded half-heartedly.

“He’s so tiny… I can’t really tell. People say he looks anything like my great-grandmother to the dog next door. Mental, they are. I dunno. I look like my uncle.” He drew himself to his full height.

But that didn’t help Radhika. She now remembered Sambhav’s height all too clearly and anyway both Sambhav and Mr.Lohchab bore little resemblance to the gangliness before her. “Good for you,” she forced a smile and then noticed her son had slipped away again. “I must leave now son, or my boy will demand half the toys here by time I find him.”

The lad laughed again. “See you, ma’am.”

She walked away slowly her head reeling… but then decided to put the matter away till she found her son. That was a more pressing issue. His birthday was coming up, maybe she could convince Ram to buy him that Batman game. There was also a new cycle to buy... she furrowed her brows. "Pankaj..” she called. “Pankaj…where are you?”

Her preoccupied mind didn't fully catch the lad swirling a laughing baby in the air, “Suna kya Turk, heard that? Your father is missing! And who is flying? Turk is flying... hahaha”

~Finis