“why do you have to force this on me? I am ok the way I am” Ananya extremely disturbed stood in the most unobserved corner of the office building speaking to her mom. “I am not able to forget things that have happened, I would never be able to get over it, please let me be.” Walking towards the elevator she hung up, eyes red as she came face to face with Rohan. She kept her calm and tried to close the elevator door, Rohan gauging things well asked if all was well. Her tears brimmed over again as she started to speak, “I’m ok, thank you.” Rohan just at arms distance placed his hand on her shoulder and before he could ask again, Ananya turned and hugged him tight crying as she mentioned again and again that all was okay. Rohan did not stop her; he did not let the elevator door open and just went from ground level to seven and seven to ground several times. The only two thoughts that chased his mind were how could a strong woman like her crumble like this and second that he did not want anyone to witness the vulnerable woman in his arms. There was a sense of awkwardness of his current situation and for the moment after she would gather herself. She had held his arm and sleeve tight as she wept, no matter how strong the woman believes she is, there is a need for a hand that she can hold and get a sense of belongingness that makes her feel complete.
The elevator door finally opened with a thud on the fifth floor, she separated herself from him and without saying a word walked away. She was to go back to Chennai, she picked her bag and left in a jiffy. During the day Rohan visited Ananya’s desk and learnt she had left. He noticed she had in a hurry left a book on the desk, it read….Bridges of Madison County…….
Robert Kincaid: But now that you have it… Francesca: I want to keep it forever. I want to love you the way I do now the rest of my life. Don’t you understand… we’ll lose it if we leave. I can’t make an entire life disappear to start a new one. All I can do is try to hold onto to both. Help me. Help me not lose loving you”
Rohan was not an avid reader but was up entire two nights to finish the book. It wasn’t a book, it was he reading Ananya. He thought hard on why she would be reading such a sad story. Every moment she sepent in the elevator crying flashed when he closed his eyes. Her fragrant hair, her body smelt of green apple and her quiet and somber demeanor, He smoked his Davidoff as he kept thinking of her, wondering or eagerly waiting the next time he would be face to face with her not realising he had fallen for her.
