Not to talk of other women, Yougal Lucas Sinha knew that after meeting Nia he could not be happy with even Nirvana. There was something of Nirvana in Nia, he admitted that. But he never met her, never knew her personally. Nirvana was like a distant dream whereas Nia was a happy reality. He saw her, talked with her, felt her anger, irritation and happiness. She ignited in him a plethora of emotions. He loved her, he lusted her.
But suddenly things turned more complicated. It looked like the road of love, in his case was bumpy and long winding. Yougal Lucas had yet to succeed in convincing the woman of his love for her. Now his own grandma was hell bent on creating more struggle for him.
So to overcome the first hurdle in the way of his pursuance of love he went to meet Nirvana's grandmother and mother. Yougal Lucas was ready to face whatever came on his way, be it the hard words or a good beating from the two angry women. He would not resist anything.
Nirvana's grandmother received him rather coldly but she did not shower on him any anger. It was Nirvana's mom, whose words lashed out at him like a whip.
"Have you come at last to make an estimate of how much we've suffered in the past five years? Nirvana's mom asked him with a cold smile. "Maybe you want to compensate us with a few millions."
He winced at the cruel words. But he thought that he deserved them. " No, I've come to ask for your forgiveness." He replied in a low tone.
"Forgiveness? You've a very funny way of talking, young man. What has made you take so many years to find your way to our home?" This time it was grandma Nandini who threw the jeering words at him.
Yougal Lucas pleaded to the two women to listen to him. He explained to them why he could not come to his own engagement party. At last he told them about Nia and how his grandma had refused to accept anyone else as her grand daughter-in-law.
"I know I'm to be blamed for grandpa Robin's death. I could have at least prevented that tragedy if I had acted a little diligently. I didn't come to ask for forgiveness because I thought I did not deserve it." His voice was sincere and sad.
"Then why do you think that you deserve our forgiveness now?" Grandma Nandini asked.
It was then, when he told them about Nia whom he loved and wanted to marry. Both the women were startled to hear that he wanted to marry their girl. Now they understood why Lucinda Fiona Sinha had asked them not to disclose to her grandson that Nirvana was Nia to her family and friends. That devious old woman was up to something. Nandini Sonowal chuckled inwardly.
"I've never met Nirvana. But what I've heard from my grandma I know that she's an amazing person. I regret that we couldn't get engaged. Perhaps we're not destined to be together. Now I've met Nia." He wanted to say how Nia had a lot of characteristics similar to Nirvana. But he did not. They might not like to hear more about the woman he loved.
Nandini Sonowal was curious. She wanted to ask Yougal Lucas what it was that drew him to Nia. So he did not know he was after the same girl and he thought he was not destined to be together with her. She sighed at the thought that their girl would not forgive him any sooner.
"We've nothing to say to you. If our girl forgive you, then we forgive you too." Nirvana's mom nodded her head in agreement.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Yougal Lucas returned to the city with a somewhat light heart but his head was full of tumultuous thoughts. He believed that Nirvana would not be so unwise. From what his grandma had told him, she was a very understanding and wise person. He consoled himself that a prudent person like her would see the consequence of accepting a loveless relationship.
The day after the next day he would be leaving the city for three days on a trip to Gangtok. Yougal Lucas decided to give a phone call to Nirvana after he returned to the city, to fix a date for the two of them to meet up. 'So at last I'm going to meet my fiancee from the past. I hope everything goes well.' He thought.
He for some reasons unknown even to himself, did not like to use the term ex fiancee for Nirvana. He sincerly hoped that Nirvana would understand him and would part with amicable term. His car entered the big gate of his home. Yougal Lucas was unaware that a storm was waiting for him in the form of his grandma.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Yougal Lucas Sinha forgot to consider one important thing when he thought about Nirvana and remembered about her as described by grandma Lucinda. In their journey on the winding road of life people were forced to change by the circumstances they faced. Nia changed too. Soon after Yougal Lucas left their home her mom called her on the phone to tell her that Yougal Lucas Sinha had paid them a visit at their home.
"Why mom? Why did the glowing star suddenly felt the need to come down from the sky to visit us puny human?" She could not help being sarcastic.
"He came to ask for forgiveness." Her mom informed her. Nia felt that her mom sounded odd. She sounded a little amused whereas she should have sounded angry.
"isn't it a little late for that?" She wondered what that man was up to.
"Well, it seems his grandmother is putting pressure on him to marry Nirvana whereas he wants to marry Nia." Her mom was trying not to laugh. "By the way, he's coming soon to you, I mean to Nirvana. He doesn't know he's entangled with the same person."
"I know. I don't care who he wants to marry. Tell him to go to hell." Suddenly she was afraid that she might lose to his persistence. Nia felt an urge to hold on to her enmity as if her very existence depended on it. The past anger, helplessness, frustration, she could not just let go of them.