Chapter 2: Beach Beseech
Kala had come to the beach to find some peace. She had recently been struggling with sleeping and it confused her greatly. Having being brought up in a noisy restaurant, sounds never disturbed her. In fact, she leisurely could sleep through all the hustle and bustle with ease. She preferred it that way but not lately. Recently, even small sounds managed to rouse her and she often jolted awake in the night unable to bring herself to rest.
And so, Kala had made her way to the beach, it's name was Chaupati and she had been visiting it from ever since she was a child. It could easily be called the most popular beach in Mumbai, also a key location for her favourite Hindu festival, the Ganesh Chaturti and it reminded her of her home, her family and her faith.
She breathed gently as she watched the waves and listened to her surroundings. Whether it was the young boys arguing over their cricket scores, or the beeping cars of Marine Drive that never really ceased, it was all music to her ears and warmth to her heart.
She bowed her head a little as her thoughts wondered to the causes of her unrest, the reasons she suspected were behind her restless nights. It was true that they were all unsettled. All eight of her cluster, she worried for each of them after Wills encounter with Whispers but somehow she knew that this was by far the only source of her troubles.
Rajan had left her a letter which she had only recently received and plucked up the courage to open. In it he implored she reconsider their relationship and accept his offer to start afresh. To begin again without the complications of his father's view which although he respected, did not outweigh is feeling for her.
I am not ready to let go of you Kala, I love you.
Rajan's words flashed into her mind and Kala winced a little. Despite the words being affectionate and passionate, at the present they didn't seem to bring her all the comfort she felt she should feel. She didn't understand quite the reason why but that was the way it was. Her friends and relative told her all too often what an ideal match he was for her. Good looking and strong, smart and kind, caring and understanding and Kala often felt that maybe she was just being too selfish and too fickle for not feeling the same for him. Yet, as much as she tried she could not bring herself to love him.
However, as Kala had read the letter again and again she had found that she could also not see a reason to decline the offer and so she had sat down and written a note. Not to pledge her undying love but to agree to try because right now that was all she could do.
After all he said so too she thought remembering Wolfgang's words but then shook her head to brush off the memory. She's been doing that a lot with her thoughts of him. For some reason she just couldn't seem to face him and when she did she only heard his instruction to her. His one-line explanation.
That's why you have to marry Rajan.
That's what he had said and it seemed to shut her from him completely. His tone had been so resolute that it almost scared her and that look, that look in his usually soft and deep eyes had scared her even more so. Kala shivered. Event thinking about him had such an effect on her and her heart seemed to lose all its knowledge of retaining a regular beat.
But she could not forget what he had done. The way he had killed so coldly.
Kala sighed and lowered her eyes chewing her lip in thought. She reached forwards and swirled her finger in the sand to draw a shapely small little heart. She rested chin on her hands and stared at it deeply almost hoping that the answer would come to her. Anything, a sign.
Ganesha
She prayed softly, silently.
When Kala looked up she could have sworn that her heart skipped a beat and a dull ache appeared in place of it. She gasped, catching her breath to stop herself from speaking his name. Her breathing hitching as something within her fluttered and flapped, refusing to be stilled. Kala found that peace had be plucked away from her. She saw him and ripples travelled within her, just like in the waters from which he had stepped out of.
Wolfgang.
Her mind soared as she studied his face. Although physically he remained strong, tough, hardened and unaverred, Kala noticed a change in him. He seemed defeated, deadbeat, like something had been stripped away from him. She wondered what that could be. Suddenly, Kala wished to know. She felt and ache to be close to him and didn't understand whether it from coming from her or him because they were connected. So strongly connected.
Kala stood up and as he saw her move, Wolfgang automatically began striding towards her, something inside him was tugging him to her, it was so powerful that he felt like running. He had been afraid that she would turn and walk away but she hadn't. Something inside her had lurched.
Kala saw him move towards her and her mind began hurtling like crazy, she thought about her note to Rajan, the killing, her family, her cluster but for some reasons all she wanted was him, Wolfgang... Kala took a deep breath.
Is this love?
Just as she thought this however, Kala felt an arm on her wrist. It tugged her almost trying to wake her from something.
"Kala?" A voice called and Kala turned to face her captor and her face flooded with shock and surprise as she found herself looking up at Rajan.
"I got your note and I came to see you, your family told me you came to the beach, is everything okay? What are you looking at Kala?" he asked her, looking at her line of sight in confusion.
Wolfgang stopped within his track and he found his body tensing, toes clenching the hot sand a little too tightly. Suddenly, the sand didn't feel as soft anymore. Wolfgang's eyes widened as he located Rajan and he found his breath was getting stuck within his throat. He was also warmer, much warmer and sweat glistened on his forehead as his teeth tightened within is jaw.
He watched the scene unfold in a strange despair. He found that his hands beside him were curling to fists and his emotions whirled into a mix of pain, anger, jealousy….so much all at once.
Rajan turned Kala towards him and Wolfgang almost felt like growling.
"Nothing." Kala said faintly but still kept turning towards Wolfgang. Although she didn't notice she was resisting her fiancés hold.
Wolfgang noticed this and while it angered him to see her trapped he also in his mind found hope. She didn't love Rajan. Whatever she was telling herself had to be some sort of confusion, some sort of self-reassurance.
It's not over. He told himself.
It's not over.
Wolfgang cursed inside.
He had made such a big mistake.
She belongs with me.
