I believed her. She was the epitome of the tragic heroine.
“Where? How?” I asked. This was a mental institution. Was he a patient? Heaven forbid!
“In the car park, just a few minutes ago. It was so unexpected and we both got such a shock. Our eyes met and I saw his widen and his mouth dropped open but before we could utter each other’s name I ran away, to you.”
Suhina wiped away a fresh bout of tears. “My whole system went into shock. I didn’t know what to do. He looked so bloody marvellous … I tell you.” Under stress Suhina could be very British in her speech, no doubt due to our English teachers.
“Well, at least we won’t be admitting him.” I tried to make light of the matter but my heart broke for her. “What is he doing here?”
“I don’t bloody well know.” Suhina hiccupped and looked at me, her large eyes now rimmed with red. “I ran away, remember!”
“Lie down,” I said and I placed wet tissues over her swollen eyelids, hoping my suave boss would not stroll through the door. “We cannot have you looking like Miss Piggy if he is so bloody marvellous looking, can we?”
A giggle escaped her and I felt better. I thought the sight of “bloody marvellous”-looking Akhil might have destroyed her but she was made of stronger stuff. “I’ll phone my contacts to see if they know anything.” I, too, was curious to know why he was there. One look from this man and Suhina was marshmallow.
In my most authoritative voice I asked for a list of new admissions to be faxed to me immediately. I phoned the resident psychiatrist’s secretary and asked her if an appointment had been made for Akhil. She said she would get back to me.
I did not even sneak a peek as I handed the fax of new admissions to Suhina. She peeled back the damp tissues and scrutinised the list. She gasped. “It’s his wife! My God! I hate her …”
I snatched the list from her and, sure as the sun rises in the east, there were her personal details.
“I wonder what happened to her, poor thing …” Suhina murmured with a change of heart as she replaced the tissues over her eyelids once again.
Was her sympathy genuine now when just moment ago she had declared that she hated her? I decided to ignore her fluctuating emotions. At this point the poor girl did not know whether she was coming or going. I became proactive and phoned for more details. Akhil’s wife had definitely been admitted for psychiatric treatment. She had slit her wrists twice and was extremely depressed. She had initially been admitted to a private hospital, but her personal doctor had referred her to our highly skilled psychiatrist for an assessment and to recommend treatment. She had been admitted to a private ward with her own nurse. It was obvious Akhil came from a wealthy family and he was taking no chances with his wife’s health. A nurse was to be at her side at all times.
“What would make her do something like that?” Suhina sat up and removed the tissues from her eyes. “If I was married to him the last thing I would want to do is slit my wrists.” She began shredding the tissues as tears welled up again.
Were they for Mrs Akhil or for herself? Personally, I felt a twinge of pity for Akhil’s wife. She must have been in a terrible state to have attempted to kill herself, but there was not much pity could do once the deed was done and at that moment my concern was for Suhina. In a matter of minutes her whole world seemed to have turned upside down and I most certainly did not want her to slit her wrists.
“What am I to do?” she looked at me with soulful eyes. I was not the best person to dish out advice for I still carried a heart full of acrimony when it came to the opposite sex or to the other woman.
“What do you want to do?” I asked, remembering the line from my therapy days.
“Run into his arms, hide from him … I don’t know … I don’t know.” She buried her face in her hands once again.
“Is there a need for you to do anything?” I asked, pushing her to dig deep within so she would search her heart and arrive at an answer on her own.
“I have never loved or wanted any other man since I let Akhil go,” she whispered. “No one stirs me as he does. He touches my soul. I still yearn for him and seeing him today made me realise I could never love anyone else. How have I survived all these years? I want him.”
I knew that. It was obvious. But if she went after what she wanted I predicted heartache for her. Suhina made an attempt to pull herself together but I could not fail to see how her hands trembled as she ran them anxiously through her hair.
“I must be going,” she said finally, “or my dragon of a boss will be breathing fire.”
That was a year ago. Today, there was a sparkling rock on her ring finger.
“Is there cause for celebration?” I took pleasure in seeing Suhina blush.
“I hope so. Akhil has proposed. I’ve accepted.”
Gasps of delight, congratulations, hugs and kisses were exchanged. It was certainly a memorable day: I had met Rupa, discovered that Suhina had met her before I did, and Suhina had a ring on her finger and, yes, I could confirm that Akhil was bloody marvellous looking. I had the opportunity of meeting him when Suhina finally gave in to her heart and decided she would take what had been denied her for so long. She had insisted I join them for supper; after all she needed to introduce him to someone and who else but me, her closest friend who she knew would not judge her.
I was really interested in the man. Would he be everything Suhina said he was? He ran his own import and export business but I was not interested in what he imported or exported. I was more interested in whether he could make my friend happy for I knew that he owned her heart.
Akhil wore his wealth with casual ease and a sense of pride without seeming arrogant. He drove a white Mercedes Benz, sported a Rolex on his left wrist and seemed comfortable in his Pierre Cardin suits. Now, in my “after Harendra” phase, I preferred a man to be rather more rugged, but there was something about Akhil’s polish that made me nostalgic and he reminded me of Harendra. He was of average height but he was slim and so he appeared taller. His dark hair was cut short and close to his skull. His beard was neatly styled and trimmed and when he leant over to kiss me on the cheek I caught a faint hint of his aftershave and almost swooned. Who could blame me? It had been a while since I had been kissed by a man. His dark eyes twinkled merrily as he drew back. I think he relished the effect he had on women and I wanted to pull Suhina aside immediately and warn her to be careful. He was too glamorous, too sophisticated and worldly but she radiated happiness as she slid her hand into his.
They looked so perfect together that I almost forgot there was a Mrs Akhil lurking in the background. I decided to have a word with him in private. If he dared to break Suhina’s heart I would personally rip his out. Akhil had pulled a chair out for me like a perfect gentleman.
“You have to tell me all about your fiancé,” Rupa’s voice brought me back to the present. Of course she would be curious, but for an instant I wanted to be the only privileged one who shared Suhina’s world.
“I’d love to,” Suhina blushed. “Perhaps, ladies, you would like to get together this weekend at my place and I’ll tell you all about it.”
And that was how Rupa joined the duo and made it a trio.
CHAPTER THREE
My parents did not object to overseeing three grandsons under the age of ten. They never did.
“They remind me of your brothers when they were little and they keep me young,” my mother said.
I was very excited about having a free Saturday afternoon. It was incredible how Rupa, Suhina and I had just clicked. I had never before felt so close to women and I made a point of letting my older sisters know. I raved about my two friends to them. My sisters were housebound and so house proud that I didn’t think they had much of a life outside their