“Ashu is getting married” his mother told him on the phone. It had been a fateful Sunday, when he had made that long distance call from Austin. His mother had excitedly told him the news saying that the prospective groom was also working in a company in Texas and was a reaper of the dotcom boom. “Good for her!” Ajay mumbled, his mood lost all of a sudden.

Ashlesha and Ajay had been friends since childhood. Their mothers were good friends and they often had parties and gatherings at each others houses. Ashlesha was two years older than Ajay. After doing her B.Sc in Microbiology, her parents had started hunting for a husband for her. Asking Ajay had been out of question, given the age difference and also since Ajay had not revealed his feelings for her to anyone.

Ajay remembered the last time he had met Ashu, just before he had got his scholarship for higher education abroad. It had been quite a while since he had met her, with him away in hostel in a different city. They had gone for a lunch party at Ashu’s parents’ house. Ashu was not at home. “She has gone to visit a friend but she should be coming any minute!” Mrs. Apte said, but Ashu did not arrive in time for lunch. There was bhindi masala, stuffed brinjal and dal. “Ashu has prepared all the dishes! She is taking cooking lessons from me.” Mrs. Apte said proudly.

After the lunch, the elders had retired to the living room. “I will go and see the garden, Aunty!” Ajay had remarked and had disappeared into the backyard. Ashu tended to all the plants lovingly and her efforts showed beautifully. He sat down on the swing, breathing in the perfumed air, thinking about the scholarship he had got and his future plans when suddenly, his eyes were covered with someone’s hands.

Strangely soothed, he felt the soft hands, wishing that he could hold on to them forever. “Ashu!” he said, finally. Excitedly, she came forward and sat down on the swing beside him. “You have changed, Ajay!” she said in a friendly manner. He was also observing her. She too had changed a lot. The gangly girl who always wore jeans and frocks was now dressed in a pink and gray salwar-kamiz. Her eyes were sparkling, happy to meet him after many years.

They had chatted for a long time, while seated on the swing. He had eyes only for her and he was feeling giddy, breathing in the delicate floral perfume she had put on. In between her talking he had abruptly stated, “I love you, Ashu!” The swing stopped and for a few moments, she was staring at him. Then she laughed, her laughter musical and innocent. “You are joking, right?” she said.

And suddenly it occurred to him – they could never marry. He was younger than her by two years and their parents would never agree to this match. It was a hopeless dream. “Yes, it is a joke” he said to her, laughing the matter off. The matter had been left off there, and it had been the last time he had seen Ashu.

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And now, Ashlesha was married to Jayesh and she was in Texas, so close to him! The thought itself was unbearable. His mother would ask him the same question, every time he called her – “Did you meet Ashu? Why don’t you go and meet her and Jayesh? You can spend time with them as you are all alone, so far away from us!” He did not dare tell the reason to his mother.

Many months passed by and Ashu was forgotten. His friends and he had gone to the temple, one Saturday and were chatting amongst themselves after the darshan when he heard that familiar voice, “Ajay?” It was Ashu. She looked resplendent in a lemon yellow sari, holding an infant in her arms. Standing next to her was a man, looking much elder to her, a frown on his brow, holding onto a baby carriage. “It will almost be two years now, since I came to Texas! And you never returned my phone calls!” she was saying, looking at him accusingly.

She introduced her husband and then came closer to show him her baby. “And this is Rajas. Isn’t he cute?” She looked proudly at her baby, all eyes for him only. Ajay was watching the happy mother and baby pair, looking so holy, almost on a pedestal, away from his reach. It was over; Ashu had gone farther away from him forever. The pain was unbearable. He caressed Rajas fleetingly and then bid goodbye to her, saying that he was in a hurry. She pressed a visiting card with her phone number on it, in his hands. “Please call, Ajay! And do come home sometime!”

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It was Diwali and Ajay had accepted Ashu’s invitation for dinner at her place. He had been surprised to see the address and the locality she stayed in. He had imagined Jayesh to be well off, with all the dotcom boom money he had made. Reality was very different. They were staying in a small one-bedroom apartment. Ashu herself opened the door. Jayesh was out and would be returning late, she said.

Ashu had prepared all his favourite items and Ajay was happy that she had not forgotten. After the preparations were over, they came to the living room to sit down. As she settled in the armchair, Rajas on her lap, Ajay noticed how frail she had become. There were dark circles underneath her eyes. “Ashu…..is Jayesh treating you right?” She had nodded, holding onto Rajas, breathing in the milky baby scent, an excuse to hide her tears. “Yes, I am happy, Ajay! I have everything I want!” she said.

Ajay asked her about the apartment and learnt that Jayesh had lost money in share trading. That was all he got out of her. She refused to comment further. Later, Jayesh came home and greeted him gruffly, almost as if he was annoyed to see him there. Dinner had been a quiet affair, Jayesh talking very little. The food as usual was delicious but Ajay lost his appetite. Ashu was in some kind of trouble and it worried him.

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He never visited her again. Not until he heard from his mother. That Ashu had returned back to India after divorcing her husband. Jayesh had turned out to be a fake and a liar. He had abused and ill-treated her until she could bear it no more and finally he had abandoned her, saying that he could support her and Rajas no longer.

Hearing about Ashu’s misfortunes, he could feel the rage inside him. And then he knew what he had to do. It was all so crystal clear now! God had shown him the way. “I am coming home, mother!” was all he said. He took a leave from his company. He knew what he was going to do. It was a big risk. After all, Ashu was a mother now and Rajas would always be the apple of her eye. But Ajay knew that now was the chance or never.

The first thing he did after returning back home was to go to meet Ashu. This time he knew his lines and he was not going to falter. She was in the terrace, reading a book while little Rajas was asleep on a makeshift bed. She was pleased to see him and he missed the gleam of hope in her eyes as they hugged each other awkwardly.

He was bang onto the topic he wanted to discuss. “I want to marry you, Ashu! I have been in love with you and only you, all my life. This time I am not going to goof up. This is a second chance for me.” He finished his short speech, looking at her questioningly. Before she could say anything, he continued, “and do not worry about my parents or society. I know I am younger than you and also that you are a divorcee, fresh out of her marriage. By God, Ashu! If only you can be convinced that my feelings are true. Nothing, no one matters any more….and I know you care for me but I do not know if it is love on your side.” he started crying hopelessly, resting his head on her lap.

Ashlesha was too surprised and touched to speak anything. Some moments of silence and Ajay felt the hot tears falling on his neck as her hands caressed his hair gently. He had got his answer and he hugged her tightly as an acknowledgement. Together, they talked about days from the past, when they had been kids. Ashu, being older, had been the ‘leader’ and Ajay did everything she told him to do. Once while they both had been playing in the garden with the toy tea-set, Ashu had made a yucky decoction of soil and water in the small teacup and asked him to drink it. He had obliged her. He was the same even today! She had been a fool to seek her future elsewhere when her soulmate was someone so close! Sometimes God shows the way in a roundabout manner, she thought happily as she looked on to the two cherubs looking fondly at her – one of them a grown man with tousled hair and his eyes full of hope.

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You may delay, but time will not. - Benjamin Franklin