The morning mist clung to Lansdowne hills like a shroud as Smitakshi, and I began our walk toward Tip-n-Top. The narrow, winding path took us through thick forests of tall moss-laden pine trees, the air heavy with the scent of moist pine leaves and earth. Our footsteps made an uncomfortable sound that echoed in the silence. The only sounds interrupting the quiet were the occasional Svit-site of the Barn Yellow Bird and the crunch of gravel underfoot. It was time for closure.
The previous evening’s revelations weighed heavily on my mind. Smitakshi had left me with more questions than answers. I had spent a restless night turning over every word, every glance, trying to piece together the puzzle of my own life.
We walked in silence for some time, the road gradually sloping upward as we neared Tip-n-Top. The view was said to be breathtaking, but my mind was preoccupied with the conversation that was about to unfold- I hate open conversation- I needed closure.
“I used to love the mountains,” Smitakshi finally said, breaking the silence. “Still do, I suppose. There’s something about the solitude, the way the world falls away, leaving just you and your thoughts.”
I nodded, unsure of how to respond. I could sense she was building up to something, and I decided to let her set the pace.
“When I was young, I always thought my life was perfectly normal,” she continued, her voice steady but tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. “My father was strict but loving. My mother was kind but distant. I never questioned it or wondered why I felt something was missing between the two when our family life was fine, and there was so much care and love.”
We reached Tip-n-Top, the highest point in Lansdowne, and I paused to take in the view. The mist had begun to clear, revealing the sprawling valley below and a few snow-clad mountain peaks starting to make their appearance on the distant horizon. The scene was Instagramishly picturesque, but neither of us was truly seeing it.
“It wasn’t until I finished my MBA that things changed,” she said, turning to face me. Her eyes were intense; they focused on me, searching mine for a reaction. “My mother sat me down and told me the truth—that the man I’d called ‘father’ all my life wasn’t my biological father.”
I felt my breath catch in my throat. The pieces were starting to fall into place, but the picture they formed was one I wasn’t sure I wanted to see.
“She told me about you,” Smitakshi continued, her voice trembling. “She told me about the life you had before you left how you were successful, full of ambition, and determined to make something of yourself. So stubborn and so ruthless. But. She spoke of you with such pride… that I could never feel the deep sadness she must have nurtured because she loved you.”
I remained silent, my heart pounding in my chest. The story she was telling was one I had long fantasised about but never knew. A past I had left behind in the pursuit of answers to questions that kept changing with time.
“I was angry,” she admitted, her gaze never leaving mine. “Angry that you never checked on us, never cared enough to see – if my mom was alive- how she was doing. But at the same time… I was, for some unknown reason, proud. Proud of what you had achieved, proud that you were someone I could look up to, even from a distance.”
She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I decided to find you. I searched everywhere—old records, mutual contacts, anything that would lead me to you. It wasn’t tough… you had left a bold trail all your life… I think if Maa wanted to find you… it was so easy… but she never did… It is tough to explain and I don’t understand…but then when I did find you… your company the one that I joinned surprisingly carries my mother’s name… I was at peace for some time… thinking it was the best way to get close to you without revealing who I was.”
I felt a lump form in my throat, the weight of her words pressing down on me. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
She looked away, her expression pained. “I wanted to… but I was waiting for the right time. I wanted to ensure that you’d be ready to hear it when I told you. And more importantly, I wanted to wait until my mother was ready to face you again. I wanted her to give me permission… if she has kept this part of her life away and buried… it was logical that she should be one to open the wounds.”
The church bells in the distance began to ring, their sound carrying through the valley like a solemn reminder of time passing. We were both silent for a long moment, the weight of the conversation settling around us like the mist.
“I never meant to hurt you,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. “How was i to know that… I never knew your mother was alive… because I left her that day …. Never mind, then I did what she wished and what she thought was best for us.”
Smitakshi turned back to me, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions—pain, anger, and something else that looked like understanding. “Maybe it was. But now, it’s time to face what you left behind.”
We continued our walk in silence, heading towards the church. The path was lined with old, weathered stones, each odd step over the stones that had witnessed decades of stories looking at me for answers. I wasn’t sure either if I was ready for it.
As we reached the church, Smitakshi stopped and looked at me, a small, sad smile on her lips. “This is what I have to say, and it is not a search for closure,” she said quietly. Now, it is your turn to do whatever you want. Soon, I will leave for Jaipur, and your actions will decide if we will ever meet again – Papa.”
I nodded, knowing that the journey I had to take would be far from easy. But for the first time in years, I felt a glimmer of hope—hope that maybe I could find a way to rebuild what had been lost; the question was- was I ready for it?
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Here is Chapter 1 – Rainy evening in a resort at Mukhteshwar of the story with an undisclosed destination. Chapter -II. The beaches and whispering Mukhteshwar. and Chapter-III Mukhteshwar encounter, Chapter IV- Shadows of a Dream. , Chapter -V Opening Gambit-e5 ,chapter-VI- An Evening of Unveiled Secret. And chapter VII- The Ride to Lansdowne.
This story with undisclosed destination started as part of the @BlogChatter event #BlogChatterBlogHop where I started weaving a story based on the weekly word prompts suggested by BlogChatter. However, after the 5th weekly prompt- Blogchatter took a break, but I continued to develop the story based on the prompts friends and readers suggested on social media. I look forward to more work prompts next week. This week’s prompts were Never, Question, Angry, Valley, Mother, Silence, Time, Store, Church, Pet, and Ice Cream. I have been able to use 9 out of 11 in this chapter.
