Soulmates Never Part

By Shampa Sharma

Twenty six year old Sheila Kumar meets Abel Freeman, a fellow countryman across the oceans, in a chat room, and against all the odds, finds a soulmate in him. Five years of intermittent internet chats churn up emotions and expectations that result in the need for a meeting. After an inevitable, passionate encounter, Abel mentions his darkest secret to her from the very bottom of his heart. Is Sheila sophisticated enough to handle it like a soulmate or is she only human enough to err?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Jul 25, 2015
• ISBN: 9781482851885

Shampa Sharma

The author is a Post Graduate in English Literature and has worked as a Personal Secretary and a teacher. She enjoys writing, travelling and internet surfing. She believes that apart from love, trust, faith and loyalty, understanding is an essential factor of any relationship. Even soulmates cannot do without it.

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Copyright © 2015 by Shampa Sharma.

ISBN:    Softcover      978-1-4828-5189-2

                 eBook          978-1-4828-5188-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

PROLOGUE

Abel Freeman could see it, imagine it, and visualize it every time he wanted to. He could conjure up the incident in his mind at his whim and fancy, and that too, in enormous detail. However, there were also times when the scene inconveniently emerged on its own. It was during those times that he felt awkward, disturbed even, as he had no control over it when it annoyingly cropped up in his mind while he did not want it to. It made no difference whether his eyes were open or closed as the illusion was right there, ever ready for him to spot in his mind’s eye. The occurrence, with its constant, repetitive appearances, was etched in his psyche too deeply to be erased, and he often wondered whether he would ever be able to put it behind him. Importantly, it had been a freak little gamble and he had come out as an undisputed, lone, inscrutable winner.

What had initially been an uncomplicated, moderately welcome release for him was slowly becoming an obsession. Abel was aware that it was, bit by bit, driving him crazy and the weirdest thing about it was that he wasn’t even present when the incident had actually happened. He was not complaining though. Freedom had come easy to him. And what was more, it was unaccompanied by the slightest guilt.

Abel was very much at home when he had been informed about the accident almost instantaneously after it had occurred. After all, he was the husband of the woman, the only person involved in the car crash. Presently, he was able to unite the bits and pieces of the information that were furnished to him by the investigating police along with the actual mess he saw at the crash spot and come up with a conjured, but clear picture in his mind. That was to be the end. But it was not. It was like a video clip that would replay itself over and over again. When he was in the mood for it, it was welcome, entertaining, amusing, and when he wasn’t, it was just so hopelessly exasperating.

He recollected how they chose to describe the accident. A delicate, narrow bridge. That surely was a laugh. The particular bridge had definitely stood its test of time. And it was neither narrow nor delicate. Certainly not, if one was driving soberly and knew what he or she was doing.

A drunken woman at the wheel. That was right. The cunning, conniving little bitch couldn’t wait to get to her latest boyfriend that day. Was it Ted or was it Ned? Whatever! The name, of course, wasn’t now worth remembering. What was important was that if she hadn’t been so drunk, then maybe she would have been sufficiently sober enough to reach her destination in one piece.

A horrifying crash. If that were anyone else but Anita involved, it might have called for some sincere pity from Abel. However, sympathy categorically refused to surface in the case of this particular woman. He had known her only too well. She had never let him be his true, lovable, happy-go-lucky self. Happy New Year 2005!

Car smashed. The way she was going, literally, that had to happen sooner or later. Of course, it had to! But thankfully, it wasn’t his car that was involved. Good that Anita had picked her own vehicle on that day rather than use Abel’s which she did once too often, if only to irritate him. Abel definitely wouldn’t have fancied being even remotely close to or mixed up with the incident in anyway.

Drunken driver crushed beyond recognition. That was, undoubtedly, the icing on the cake. No amount of patch up would put that wretched woman back in one piece. Blessedly, Anita had gone too far away from the world to ever return to him. To trouble him or to bother him. Her deliberate jibes and insults had stung him only too often. And her endless demands had drained him so. But he had completely lost it that day. Oh damn it! Abel Freeman certainly would want to forget the whole bloody episode.

CHAPTER ONE

A whole week off? Nathan Paul questioned with a fleeting frown and then he lifted his head from the leave application that he had carefully been going through. He looked at his slim, attractive, twenty-six year old Personnel Manager seated across his huge, elegant, well arranged, glass-topped desk and smiled at her.

You have been with us for about seven years now, haven’t you, Sheila? he asked her. There was so little that he really knew about Sheila Kumar. He was secretly inquisitive and wondered every now and then whether she was naturally reserved or did she have something to hide?

Sheila nodded quietly, a vague little smile playing on her lips. She knew pretty well that her boss did not expect any verbal answer from her at that point. There was no reason why he shouldn’t allow her a few days off after all the continuous effort that she had put in in his office.

Of course, I will sanction the leave right away, Nathan Paul stated as he picked a stylish golden colored pen from the pen-stand and put his signature in the relevant space. Here, Sheila! You have it. It was rarely that she had wanted to take a week off in the seven years that she worked under him. He would surely want to know what this was in aid of.

Thank you, Mr. Paul, Sheila said as she extended her hand and took the paper from him with her shapely, well-manicured fingers. She never addressed him by his first name even though he had given her the liberty to do so. I will be absent from Monday to Saturday, Mr. Paul! The days were specified in the application, of course, but she added that quite unnecessarily, just for the sake of saying something polite. She sensed pretty well that Nathan Paul wanted the two of them to talk before she was gone for a week.

Nathan Paul was a good boss, a nice man to work with, and yet, she did not like to be a tad more familiar with him than was essential. She respected him for the man he was and the way he operated. He, in return appreciated the efficient way in which she handled her post even though this happened to be her very first job. It was initially her qualifications and later on her capability and dedication towards her work that saw her comfortably placed in her present position in his company.

She had made a special place for herself after the strange confrontation they had a couple of years ago when his Accounts Manager, Eddie Abraham and she had had serious differences over some important official matter. Initially, Nathan Paul had chosen to side with Eddie Abraham, who had been with him longer and was more experienced. What he did not know was that Eddie Abraham was taking advantage of his boss’s reliance on him as well as his frequent absences due to hectic travelling during the period. The man had been misleading him purposefully for quite a while. When Sheila spotted the glitch, she stepped in and determinedly, putting aside his fury, made him see the right picture. Eddie Abraham was no novice and he fought back.

It was a conflict that was not easy for her to manage, but she had helped her boss in a way. Since then, he had noticed that Sheila was more loyal to his company than he could expect anyone else around him to be. He secretly admitted to himself, with no grudge, of course, that she was an asset to his company. Nathan Paul would surely want her to stick around for as long as she would. She was easily familiar with the complicated labor related laws and statutory compliances, and her ability to handle both personnel and administrative responsibilities tactfully, was indeed a great positive. She was pretty capable of warding off his headaches at times. Yes, of course, he would want her to stay on for a long, long time.

On the personal front, he appreciated her worth and did try to get open with her, close in a respectable sort of way so that she wasn’t offended. However, he found Sheila to be too remote, too uninterested and too unresponsive. Even though, she never did shun away from the mandatory official parties and lighthearted get-togethers which the company occasionally organized, Nathan Paul found her to be aloof and unapproachable beyond a point. It was as if her privacy was singularly precious to her, meant much too much and that she wouldn’t fancy anyone tampering with it at any cost.

You are far too solitary, Sheila, Nathan Paul had pointed out to her once. It isn’t healthy, he had also lightly cautioned her.

I am perfectly okay, Mr. Paul, Sheila had assured him lightly, her tone dismissive. She had then changed the topic which did not go unnoticed by him. At that point, Nathan Paul realized that he had to give up trying to comprehend her.

Finally, he quietly, distantly, appraised her as just an individual and decided that she was proficient, worthy and loyal, but much too private a woman to interfere with. At twenty-six, she was too good looking to be wasted. So thought Nathan Paul many a time, and yet, he never dared to do anything about it.

You haven’t stated any specific reason, he said to her now referring to her application. Not that you need to, Sheila, he added quickly. In all these years that you have worked here, you have rarely taken leave. Whatever her secretive reasons were, the young woman had asked for leave and she was going have it. Nathan Paul was okay with that but he certainly wasn’t going to stop himself from probing.

Something has come up, Mr. Paul, supplied Sheila, looking at him calmly. What a dispassionate woman! Nathan Paul thought it was almost funny how Sheila could be adequately warm and reliable professionally and yet have that touch-me-not air continuously wrapped around her person so conspicuously. He had watched her close enough. After all, he had been interacting with now her for the last five years.

Like what? he questioned her directly, and Sheila wished that he did not pester her. She was in no mood for anymore of this extra conversation. She had other things on her mind, things that were serious, unusual and abundantly important to her.

It’s rather personal, she deepened her polite smile.

Don’t tell me that you are getting married very soon or something like that, Nathan Paul said jokingly, What will I do without you?

No, Mr. Paul, don’t you worry. It’s nothing like that, she assured him.

You are the best Personnel Manager I have ever had, Sheila, he told her, being overly lavish with his words. I would go on to say that you manage people better than I do!

The warmth of the compliment unexpectedly spread through her, and Sheila was glad that his cell phone chose to ring at that precise moment.

I’ll deal with this file before I wind up today, Mr. Paul, and I will also put down instructions on my desk, she said after he had answered the call and got up, holding a file. Once she had unfolded herself, she stood taller than his wife at around five feet four inches plus two-inches of her high heeled sandals, looking cool and elegant, and Nathan Paul suddenly had a weird feeling that he was going to lose her sooner than later.

See you after you get back, Sheila, he said anyway, as she moved towards the door, Do make sure that you have a good time and get back refreshed.

An hour later, Sheila cleared her table, put down the instructions for the coming week as she had promised her boss she would do, so that her substitute would be able to manage well in her absence, and then she checked her computer. When she was ready to leave, she picked up her purse and left her cabin, shutting the glass door softly behind her.

It was a Saturday, and normally a half-day in Nathan Paul’s comfortable office. But Sheila was used to working late, usually till seven in the evening even on Saturdays, if the circumstances so demanded. Today, however, she was lucky that the work load was lighter and it would be splendid to reach home early for a change.

Change! That was the word, Sheila told herself, her heart suddenly beating fast, as she waited for a bus to show up at the bus stand. As she was leaving early today, she had to use public transport in place of the company van that she normally commuted on every day. Well, this was a change too in a way, wasn’t it! Was change really on the cards? Was she finally going to be happy?

Everything had changed since that call from Abel Freeman came in last evening. Sheila felt an unfamiliar thrill run through her as she recalled his clear, masculine voice on her cell phone. She suppressed a smile that threatened to appear madly on her lips. Soon she got inside the bus that luckily, was taking her route. It was great that she did not have a long wait at the bus stand.

Taking a seat beside a plump, middle-aged woman, she looked out of the window. Inwardly, Sheila had been unusually happy throughout the day but she had carefully maintained her regular cool, distant attitude in the office. Essentially, Abel was a name that she couldn’t share with anyone, and though she hadn’t even physically met him as yet, he had hinted that they were soulmates.

The richness she had felt ever since their relationship had surfaced in her life was a miraculous shot in the arm for her at this stage of her life. Abel had emerged out of the blue and had dispelled her worries, anxieties and loneliness, all in one go, and had given her the confidence to face the world with poise, the urge to move on. It was a push she desperately needed.

Abel, oh Abel, that deep, voice of yours, the words you used and the thoughts you have expressed, all of them haunt me so, she whispered to herself as the bus speeded on to take her closer to her home. I am so glad that at long last, we will be meeting each other tomorrow!

Her gaze traveled across the western sky that was dotted with clouds and was held by the wintry looking sun, so pure, so lovely, and so impossible to touch. Sheila felt that that was how her love was - Out of reach, unquestionably warm, and as certain as the celestial ball.

It is time we met, Sheila, Abel Freeman had said when he had rung her up from Mumbai yesterday, I am dying to see this woman who has had me enchanted, held my interest for five continuous years now. I have wondered a million times who exactly you are, what are you like and countless other such things, and every time, I ended up holding an enigma. I want to see you Sheila, more than anything else in the world. His voice had been earnest and compelling.

"I want to see you