Embers in the Snow — Finale

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you, dear Reader for sparing some of your precious time and voyaging through this journey of love and a slice of life. We’re now at the concluding stage of this trip, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the read! Need a refresher? Head over to Embers in the Snow — Part 5.

Ranbir was staring at the door shut tight using a metallic lock. He took his cellphone out and made a call.

“The number you’re trying to reach is either switched off or not reachable,” came an instant response.

He tried calling a hundred times over, but the response seemed resolute. Ranbir was overcome with anxiety. He kept thinking about Shazia the whole night, consolidating all the possibilities of her whereabouts in his mind.

The next morning saw Ranbir leaving his bed with sleep-deprived eyes. He freshened up hastily and took off for the Rogue Elephant Cafe. The cafe used to open at 10 AM on Saturdays, and Ranbir was half an hour early. Shazia hated breaking her routine, and hence, he was hoping she’d show up.

Ranbir sat alone at a table, stuffing himself with random bites to kill time, when a waitress came to him and said, “I’m sorry, Sir, but it’s almost 3 PM now. We will be closing soon.”

Ranbir had waited for over five hours, but there was no sign of Shazia. He cluelessly walked out of the cafe. All of a sudden, he struck upon an idea and mounted his bike.

Ranbir was greeted by cheerful little faces as he entered the Angel Hearts Orphanage. He enquired about Shazia with the children.

“She has left, my child.”

Ranbir turned around to find Shyamala walking toward him at her usual slow pace.

“She has left? What does that mean, Auntie?” asked Ranbir in a perplexed tone.

“Shazia was here on Wednesday. It was her last visit to the orphanage. She wished to meet the children one last time before leaving. She has left Bangalore for good now,” replied Shyamala in a sullen tone.

Ranbir was stupefied hearing this. He continued, “But where has she gone?”

“Shazia didn’t tell me where. It was a sudden decision she made. Told me she might never come back.”

A wave of distress ran through the place as the children heard Shyamala’s words. They surrounded her and began asking if it was the truth that they would never see their Shazia Akka ever again. Many of them burst into tears, while the others were in shock. As for Ranbir, he felt like collapsing. It was beyond his comprehension that Shazia would take such an extreme step. He stood up and, without uttering a single word, began walking towards the exit.

“Listen, my child.”

Ranbir turned around.

“People often live with physical or emotional insecurities that they are deeply sensitive about. You keep your insecurities locked away until you find another soul worthy of sharing the sanctimonious knowledge with. When finally you do decide to open up and lay your insecurity bare, but that trustworthy person of yours doesn’t appreciate the bold act, it breaks you. It breaks you from within. Then you either lock yourself up in a rock-solid shell or abandon everything and leave.”

Ranbir went pale as an acute feeling of penitence gripped him. He kept looking at Shyamala for a while and then, without any verbal response, walked away crestfallen.

A guilt-stricken Ranbir came back home. Devoid of any hope, he sat on his bed, buried his face in his palms, and cried his heart out.

“Oh, you’re still not ready. Aren’t you guys meeting in like half an hour?”

“Yeah, I am meeting her at 11 AM, and I am ready,” replied Ranbir in a sulking tone.

Sandeep took a good look at him, head to toe. Ranbir was wearing a crushed black T-Shirt with grey jeans, the fabric of which desperately needed a visit to the laundry.

“No way you’re going to meet her wearing that,” rebuked Sandeep as he opened Ranbir’s wardrobe and took out a well-ironed blue shirt and a brand new pair of jeans.

“But I don’t want to…”

“Don’t test my patience, Ranbir. Just get yourself wrapped in these. And wear some better shoes, too,” interrupted Sandeep pinning Ranbir down with his stern gaze.

“Sandy, man, I have zero interest in Sanjana. She’s nothing like Shazia. As a matter of fact, I have no clue what she’s like,” murmured Ranbir as he began changing into the new set of apparel.

“Listen here, you dimwit! Shazia is long gone, so stop obsessing over her now. Let go of your past ties and preconceptions and meet Sanjana with a fresh perspective. Try to really know her as you did with Shazia. Remember that everyone has a unique persona. Nobody is like anybody. Sanjana will obviously be nothing like Shazia because she is Sanjana, not Shazia. Perceive her with a welcoming mind and I’m sure you will find remarkable qualities in her too. Do you understand?”

Ranbir was tying the shoelace and gave no response to Sandeep’s reprimand.

“Tell me you understand, and you will do as I say, you piece of shit!” yelled Sandeep.

“Yeah yeah, I understand. May I please leave now?”

“So, I started reading the Verses of a Mute, the book you suggested to me the other day.”

A disinterested Ranbir was somehow keeping up with the conversation for about an hour when this line really caught his attention for the very first time.

“Oh, you did? Did you like it?” he asked with curiosity.

“I liked it a lot! It is indeed a great collection of poetry. Some poems were so captivating that I ended up reading them a dozen times over!” replied Sanjana cheerfully.

“Wow! I’m glad you liked it,” said Ranbir with a smile.

“Yes. I think I might have developed a taste for poetry now. Although, I found it a bit difficult to wrap my head around a few of them. But I’m sure you can help me with those!”

Ranbir looked at Sanjana’s smiling face, surprised by what she just said.

“Yes, of course,” he replied bashfully.

Ranbir began paying attention to Sanjana now. Elegantly adorned in a pink-colored floral printed fit and flare dress finessed by matching pink sandals, she looked like a perfect artifact from the dazzling Lalbagh Botanical Garden they were strolling through. Her freshly done highlighted dense hair, finely curled at the edges, extended till her elbows, which she had left open to let them breathe freely in the invigorating air of the garden. The purple cat-eye glasses were perfectly complementing the fair tone of her tender skin. It was now that Ranbir began witnessing the new hues that Sanjana was contributing to the already florid environment with her vibrant smile.

As Ranbir became an active agent in the upcoming conversations, he learned a great deal about Sanjana. Her exceptional skills in culinary arts had recently fetched her the job of an assistant chef at a newly opened restaurant in Indiranagar. She loved being in the lap of nature, which explained why she chose Lalbagh as the meeting venue. She seemed like a buoyant person with a carefree attitude. But the most noteworthy virtue that Ranbir noticed in her was her inquisitive nature. She was genuinely interested in learning and trying new things in life. Suggesting the book to her escaped Ranbir’s memory, but Sanjana remembered it vividly and even went ahead and gave it a try. By no means did her outspoken nature compromise her listening capabilities, which is definitely a rare trait to come across in today’s generation.

“Sir, Sir!”

Ranbir felt someone tugging lightly at his shirt sleeve folded around the elbow as he was walking through the signal crossing with Sanjana. He turned around to find a little boy, not more than ten years of age, standing there. He was draped in ragged clothes.

“Sir, would you please buy this box of earbuds? It will cost just ten rupees, Sir!”.

“I’m sorry, child. But I do not wish to buy earbuds,” replied Ranbir in an apologetic tone.

“Sir, please take just one box. We have been starving since yesterday. It would really help with our meals for today,” said the little girl standing behind the boy. She seemed to be his elder sister.

Ranbir could clearly sense longing in her tone. He was overcome with a feeling of mercy. He took out a twenty rupees note from his pocket and handed it to the boy. The boy’s face lightened up as if he had struck upon a jackpot. He readily accepted the money and took two boxes of earbuds out of his bag.

“Save it, child. It’s okay, I don’t want the earbuds. You can keep the money with you,” said Ranbir politely.

“No, Ranbir, that’s so not okay,” Sanjana pitched in at once.

“Child, please give me two boxes of earbuds.”

The boy handed her the two boxes.

“Thank you so much. You are very kind!” exclaimed the elder girl with joy. She held her little brother’s hand, and they wandered off happily.

“Here, Ranbir, you keep a box. I’ll keep the other one,” said Sanjana as she extended a box towards him. Ranbir took it, but his bafflement was evident through his facial expressions.

“Your intent was generous, Ranbir, but what you were doing was not the right thing.” She continued in a calm tone, “Look, Ranbir, by giving them money and not buying their stuff, you’re essentially motivating them towards beggary. These little children had such dignity to at least earn money the right way and not resort to begging. The least we can do is support them by keeping their dignity intact. I know we don’t need earbuds in our lives, but if they come at the stake of someone’s dignity, I don’t mind buying them. Charity and mercy are undoubtedly noble acts, but we must never devalue a person’s dignity.”

Ranbir was dumbfounded. His perspectives just had a version upgrade. He never imagined such an insignificant gesture of his could have such a dramatic psychological impact. He kept looking at Sanjana with awe-inspired eyes. Sanjana began moving ahead while Ranbir had frozen at his spot, still articulating his thoughts. That instant, his subconscious developed a feeling of true respect for Sanjana.

“What happened, Ranbir? Come now,” called Sanjana as she turned around. Ranbir took a good look at her, and before he could even realize it, he was admiring her beauty.

Ranbir dropped Sanjana at her restaurant and came home. His cell phone began ringing as he entered his room.

“How was the meeting, son? Did you guys talk freely? What did she say?”

“Mom. Mom. Hold your horses and listen to me,” replied Ranbir guiding himself out of the sudden bombardment of questions.

“Yes, son?”

“It’s a Yes from my side.”

The felicitous crowd broke into rollicking applause as Ranbir slid the diamond ring onto the fourth finger of Sanjana’s hennaed left hand.

Not a single corner of the engagement hall was left destitute of grandiose. The mellow love songs being played by the orchestra were sprinkling fresh romance in the air. Hundreds of relatives, friends, and acquaintances gathered to bestow the new couple with their blessings at the festive event. They took turns to mount the stage and get themselves captured in a snap with the lovely young pair. Indeed, Ranbir and Sanjana looked spectacular together!

Sanjana had become an indispensable gear in the cogwheel of Ranbir’s life. She began visiting the sports club with Ranbir so they could play Badminton together and took time off from her work to be a part of the audience whenever Ranbir was scheduled to be on the dais of the Verbal Arts Society. She would also make sure Ranbir was the first one to try out her new recipes before she added them to the restaurant’s menu. Ranbir regularly took her fiancée out for date nights and weekend getaways to the places on her bucket list. He would send her self-composed romantic poems and couplets along with fresh flowers to cheer her up whenever she worked late shifts. As opposed to the idea of a boring ‘life post tying the knot’ he had cultivated in his mind, Ranbir was actually living the most blissful and fulfilling time of his life.

However, time and again, when Ranbir found himself sitting idle, his mind would fill the lacunae with thoughts of Shazia. He would drift away on a trip down the memory lane and recall the pleasant times he spent in her divine company. He would smile as he recollected the instances of her riding the pillion of his Bullet, sitting side-saddled, and her giggling like a child as she watched the playful scenes at the cinema. But eventually, his mind would grapple with the series of events that took place on the fateful night, and Ranbir would find himself drowning in a quagmire of remorse and repentance. Deep inside, Ranbir blamed himself for hurting Shazia and compelling her to depart. He felt a strange burden and found it difficult to breathe, as if someone had placed an invisible heavy rock on his chest. He would curl up on his bed and cry all alone.

Ranbir had just ended his presentation when he saw his cell phone light up.

*Sanjana Calling*

“Hey, Sanj! what’s up?” asked Ranbir in a flirtatious tone.

“Hello. Am I speaking with Mr. Ranbir?” came an unfamiliar female voice.

Ranbir was taken aback. He continued in a serious tone, “Yes, speaking. Who is this?”

“Hello, Ranbir. Meghana, this side. I work with Sanjana at the restaurant. Could you please head down to the Health Cross Hospital immediately? I will meet you there.”

“I’m coming,” answered Ranbir and rushed out of his office.

Ranbir found Meghana sitting in the waiting area of the hospital.

“What happened? Where is Sanjana?” he asked with concern.

“An accident happened at the restaurant today. A fire broke out in the kitchen area. Sanjana, along with two others, came in contact, and hence, we brought them to the nearest hospital at once. She is currently in the ICU.”

Meghana’s words delivered multiple blows to Ranbir’s emotional faculties. Receding into a temporary state of shock, he said nothing and sat on a seat adjacent to hers.

“Anyone here who is an acquaintance of Ms. Sanjana Sharma?” appeared a middle-aged man wearing a white coat.

“Yes. I am Ranbir Kaul, her fiancé.” Ranbir stood up and advanced toward him.

“Hello, Mr. Ranbir. This is Dr. Krishnakumar. Please follow me into my chamber.”

Ranbir sat on the visiting end of the desk opposite the doctor.

“Sir, how is Sanjana?” asked Ranbir with concern.

“She is fine now. There’s no need to worry, she’s completely out of danger.”

Ranbir breathed a sigh of relief.

“However,” continued Dr. Krishnakumar and took a brief pause. He pulled out a few photographs from his drawer and placed them in front of Ranbir.

“Sanjana has suffered high degree of burns. We have operated on her and pulled her out of any fatal danger. But in due course of time, she would require multiple surgeries. And I cannot guarantee if we can restore her to how she used to be. Honestly speaking, I doubt if we can.”

Ranbir picked the photographs with shivering hands. A dismal chill ran down his spine as he glanced through them. As he looked at Sanjana in the pictures, his mind began flashing images of Shazia standing in front of him, her face laid bare. Sanjana bore a stark resemblance with Shazia now. Ranbir was zoning out, feeling the same heaviness in his chest. The doctor was speaking, but his words became muffled to Ranbir’s senses.

“Is this nature’s way of claiming vengeance?” Ranbir was shattered down to his core.

“Mr. Ranbir, do you follow?” asked the doctor sensing mental absentia in Ranbir.

“Doctor, may I please meet her?” asked Ranbir in a sullen tone.

He was escorted to Sanjana’s bed, where she lay unconscious. He took to a stool kept beside her bed. He came closer and looked at her face, most of which was covered in bandages. Tears gushed from his eyes, a few drops of which fell on her face. Ranbir pulled his face back and buried his eyes in his right palm.

Ranbir felt a light touch on his left palm. He saw Sanjana’s hand, accompanied by the shining engagement ring and an IV, placed softly on his. She opened her eyes and looked at Ranbir. As Ranbir looked back at her with tearful eyes, a tear trickled down her face too.

“Ranbir,” she called him in a breaking, stuttered voice.

In a flash, Ranbir came closer to her. She slowly curled her fingers around Ranbir’s and asked,

“Tell me Ranbir, would you want to be with me now?”

Those were the exact last words Ranbir heard from Shazia. Ranbir felt as if he was standing in front of Shazia, yet again faced with the very same question. Ranbir had fled from the adversity the last time, but this day, God had given him a second chance to do the right thing. An opportune moment to acquit himself of the guilt and shame and to deliver the justice Shazia deserved.

Ranbir received the long-held closure he yearned for as he mentally embraced Sanjana’s embers along with her snow. Gently, Ranbir placed his right hand on her forehead and felt the invisible burden abdicate off his chest as he answered,

“Till my last breath, I will be with you.”

The End.

Thank you so much for reading the Embers in the Snow. Do share your thoughts about the climax of the story in the comments section. Soon, the Wistful Primer will be back with a brand new plot. Do not forget to checkout the suspense thriller: Trail of the Beast if you haven’t already. Stay safe. Keep clapping and keep following :-)