Though
very affable, Norman could prove to be a formidable opponent. Besides, he
didn’t want to seem ungrateful to his employer, to whom he owed a lot. It was
Norman who had taken him under his wing, mentored him and trained him to become
a thorough professional who now excelled in his job. It would be terribly
unfair to steal his fiancée. He knew about Norman’s struggle to run his enterprise
and manage his ex-wife Nancy’s distress. Yes, Norman was a kind person and
deserved happiness after a long period of loneliness and celibacy. But didn’t he too deserve any happiness?
thought John unhappily.
Then he consoled
himself that whatever happened, happened for the best. Maybe it was good that
Martha no longer worked with him in his department. It would’ve been agonizing
working with her, especially since he had discovered that he loved her. Could
he have refrained from watching her with loving eyes or longing…..? He sobered
as the thought struck him that he wasn’t ever destined to be with his beloved
for long. This time, the relationship hadn’t even begun before fate had tricked
him again. Maybe he wasn’t lucky!
That night, Martha couldn’t stop thinking about both Norman and John.
Both cared for her in their own ways. Norman was only following Dr. Hussey’s
instructions for her ‘safety’ and well-being. She was sure that that idea had
been his. John must have surely resented Norman’s decision but couldn’t go
against his Boss. She could ‘feel’ his feelings. She was so attuned to him!
Life wasn’t fair but one had to take chances. She made up her mind that she’d
meet John the next day, by hook or crook, if he was in the office. To hell with
Norman and caution! She laughed at the rhyming words.
Happy with her decision, she felt buoyed enough to consider continuing her
novel. She deliberately ignored the warning bells in her head and the soft
voice of Dr. Hussey that had cautioned her against that endeavor. She felt like
a small girl defying her father’s strict instructions. Children loved to
disobey their elders. Now she was one such child. She was gleeful.
She had to read the entire last
chapter to get the hang of it again. She had to make Juan chose between the two
leading ladies, Sara and Myara. Either she could make him a King, a disgruntled
King who had been forced to live with his beloved forever or she could again
make him a pauper, a poor peasant who would have to struggle for his existence
along with his beloved Myara by his side. She paused to think about what she
would have done if she had been in Juan’s unenviable shoes. She would’ve
definitely chosen the life of penury and bliss with her beloved. The word John
popped up in her mind’s eye and she forced herself to shrug it away, just then.
She didn’t want to mix her real and make-believe world. John wasn’t a pauper
and hadn’t professed his love for her, as yet. Then she put pen to paper.
The Queen, Sara’s mother gradually began to tell Sara about the travails
that the brave Juan had undergone for her sake. Just because he had lost an eye
in the task didn’t mean that she should spurn his love. He had suffered a lot
and he deserved a good life thenceforth. It was only fair that she should
resign herself to her fate, count her blessings on getting such a courageous
and handsome suitor and marry him at the earliest. The King was growing weary
with age and wanted to hand over the responsibility of ruling the Kingdom to a
younger and capable person. Juan had passed his test with flying colors as he
had displayed exemplary bravery and patience. In fact he had put his entire
life at stake and even forsaken an eye for the task. Now they owed him a brand
new life.
Then one
day, out of the blue, Sara acquiesced. It was more due to Myara’s convincing
powers rather than her mother’s pleas. Myara had told Sara that Juan loved her
dearly and would be utterly heart-broken if she spurned him and it would be
terribly unfair to him. Sara had believed her and ashamed at her insistence on
a handsome external appearance rather than a heart of gold, she had quietly
promised Myara that she would marry Juan and give him all the happiness that he
truly deserved. She felt that she owed him that much! Besides, she wanted her
parents to be happy too and her father to be relieved of his huge
responsibility of running the Kingdom. Above all, she had realized that it was
this very person whom she had been pining for so long.
Though shattered, Myara had maintained a brave front and genuinely
congratulated her and Juan’s mother. She didn’t meet Juan. She knew that she
was guilty and couldn’t face Juan. She had betrayed his love just so that she
could become a martyr. Thus even her good intentions had come across as
obviously selfish. She had behaved like a coward while everyone in Regina had
been commending her bravery. But only she would know that it had been one of the
most difficult and punishing decisions of her life. Her life would always
remain incomplete without Juan. The wound would always fester. Life-long.
When the King sent for Juan, he was
puzzled as he had been asked to remain out of sight, as the Princess couldn’t
bear to see him. With great trepidation, he appeared before the King and was
stunned to see him flanked by the beaming Queen and a shy Sara. He was
surprised when she looked straight into his eye and smiled. He noticed that she
was dressed in a resplendent purple gown, had braided her hair with pearls and
looked radiant as a bride. What was up? He suddenly felt uneasy as the full
impact of the scene hit him like a bolt of lightening. The Princess had
obviously reconciled to marrying him in spite of his handicap.
To be continued....
The copyright of this novel is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.
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