“But what happened exactly that we are actually leaving this excursion abruptly?” Ishani yelps, perceptibly totally annoyed at the information.
After Ishani, Aryan and Sanjana came back from their day out, they were told that the trip was canceled and they will be heading back home within a few hours, totally appalling them.
None of their family looked like they will be explaining the situation going around, everyone were behaving too dreary and dull and this pissed Ishani off and she barged into Vansh’s room, wanting to know the exact reason, to her surprise Vansh was not in the room and went out for some work.
Ridhima, who was packing their bags to head back, stops momentarily and looks at Ishani, who was waiting for an answer from her.
Sighing she turns to her, “Ishani please, try to understand and calm down. Maa had a panic attack so we should attend to her as early as possible. She isn’t having good health right now, she needs us.” She maintains her tone as comforting and calm so that Ishani doesn’t panic at her words.
The sudden wave of thoughts hit Ishani as she finally knows about her mother’s health, eventually she starts panicking about it despite Ridhima’s carefulness. It was her mother, after all.
“Maa? She….She is fine now?” Ishani’s breath turns short and rapid as she processes through her thoughts even after trying to make herself composed.
Ridhima totters towards her and places her arms around her shoulder, comforting her.
“She will be fine; we will not let anything happen to her.” Ishani nods at her words feeling overwhelmed and hugs her. After totally feeling composed, she moves back and wipes those unshed tears in her eyes before smiling at Ridhima, who was patiently watching her, seeing how composed she was.
“I will pack my stuff too.” Ridhima nodded at her and she left the room.
Ridhima finally packs all the bags and laid-back on the bed, closing her eyes and thinking into oblivion. Everything scattered so quickly that it still isn’t completely established in their minds.
Sampath is broken and hurt; Vansh is feeling too guilty and scared while Siya is still under the shock that Anupriya’s health deteriorated.
Just when they thought they were spending time together and enjoying the moments, everything changed. It wasn’t something unexpected either, one day or other the truth was supposed to be coming out some way, but this wasn’t the time for the confrontations.
Vansh wasn’t at fault, he never was. He always wanted to make sure that his family doesn’t have to stay in ache that Siya has a tumor so he didn’t want to reveal everything, not when their mother and father haven’t even met each other despite being alive.
But when the truth is finally out and Sampath is totally broken about finding out that he hid the truth from Sampath, he is really in a tough spot. He didn’t know what to do. Why does nobody trust him, try to understand him and comfort him?
His heart was breaking, sobbing over the damage he had done which wasn’t really done by him intentionally, and the worst pain of hurt was hitting Ridhima to see her husband suffer.
Ridhima heaves at those thoughts while wiping her tears and opens her eyes. The door opens slowly and Vansh enters the room looking totally worn-out.
After he learnt the news of his mother’s health, he immediately left the room to make the arrangements for their home return.
Ridhima looked at him zealously, his shoulders were flabby, his shirt was wrinkled, his hair was disheveled and his face was droopy. His eyes looked flaccid. Suddenly, the wife in Ridhima felt totally helpless.
She stands on her feet before walking towards him and pulling him towards the bed. She further makes him lean his back on the bed and caresses her forehead. He doesn’t say anything while she just runs her fingers in his hair, comforting him.
Vansh breathes slightly and closes his eyes feeling tired, Ridhima smiles despondently at him and kisses his forehead before continuing her gesture.
“When is the flight?” She whispers trying not to disturb him much.
“Evening, I couldn’t make an early arrangement. I couldn’t make-
“Shh” Ridhima stops his lexis and continues caressing his hair. She looks at how his face muscles seemed to get relaxed at her fingers and smiles contently when she hears him snore quietly.
She could abate his worries and make him feel relaxed.
Despite everything that was happening around, Ridhima was happy, happy that even in the intricate times Vansh was facing; he could find warmth in his wife. Just her presence can fill the strength in him and without her he just feels weak.
She is his best half and her presence fills the essence in him
Ridhima smiles at him, this man will endure every pain without any complaint and still smiles at her as if he didn’t go through a lot.
“Ridhima” She looks up at him, who was already gazing at her, her eyes holding some emotion she couldn’t comprehend, and nods at him to continue.
“Was this all my fault?” He inquires softly and her expressions change into a frown.
She takes a deep breath before shifting close to him and sitting beside his head. She gently taps his head and places his head on her lap, caressing his mane while he just lets her do it.
“My husband can never think of hurting someone intentionally. He is sensitive, emotional and can be vulnerable at times but not barbarous, not even in my wild dreams.” She nods her head in denial while his lips form into a smile.
“Tell me more about your husband.” He continues while she just stares at him, smiling mischievously.
“My husband? Well… he is the same as any other human being is, but you know what makes him different, his love for his family and work. For him, everything can be acceptable but not tears. My husband not only wipes my tears but also listens to why those tears appear. He willfully wants to listen to his nagging wife who just eats his brain.” Ridhima laughs noisily at her words but stops when Vansh still gazes at her without any reaction.
“Umm..I guess you aren’t enjoying listening to my husband…okay let me tell you more then.” Ridhima tucks her hair and continues. “My husband is my friend, support, companion and lover. He is like a Chand ka tukda which God threw just for me to keep. He is stronger than what he thinks himself to be capable of. His strength and weakness are both his family. I’m so glad to be married to him.”
“You mean he is the best?” Vansh chirps teasingly to which Ridhima bobs her head in no.
“I previously told you that he is what a standard person should be, neither preeminent nor worst, he is just effortless and normal. The type of normal, who protects his family, cares for his family; he values his relations and works hard to gain the reputation. He makes an honest representation of himself in everyone’s eyes. He constantly tries to make his family feel proud of having him. He is just a normal husband, but getting a normal husband is rare and the women who got them are the luckiest, I am amongst them as well.”
His eyes shone at her vital answer, she was always like this, the way she speaks about anything that he asks just makes him bewilder at her intellectuality. Every aspect of life from her point of view makes a different impact on him; he loves to talk with her more and more despite being an introvert. Maybe that is the reason they say opposites attract.
He is her husband, a normal husband, rare to get such a type.
Saying so, he always thought to be the best in every relation whether it’s about being a Brother, Son, Friend, Boss or Husband, he would also wants to become the best Father for his kids but Ridhima’s words were so brawny and he choose something eccentric, to be a normal man, the rare to find type.
“Vansh, I want something from you.” Ridhima burbles slowly, smiling tenderly at him.
“Say it.” Vansh replies to her, making her smile broad.
“Until we reach our home, can we forget about everything that is going on around us and just spend time with each other? Neither worries nor tension, only you and me as one, until we reach our home. I want this shoddily, I want to spend some time with the one I love and admire.” She asks dexterously while looking at him with her hazel eyes, he melts in her words and eyes.
He instantly gets up from the bed and turns towards her before wrapping his arms around and placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, a lone tear falls from her eye.
She wanted this so badly, some time with him, some time with her husband only, without any other fret to be lamented upon in his mind. She wanted this because she knew, once they reach their home nothing among them would be the same, the precisions and deceptions formed unknowingly among them would tangle every relationship into a predicament, it may appraise the vigor in their relationship.
Time has this beautiful specialty, the more you spend it with your treasured ones the more the love and trust grows between you both. Words spoken and time spent with others will reinforce the trust and camaraderie among each other.
“We will, but why are you even asking for my consent, Ridhima?” He cogitates audibly at her while tucking her misplaced hair back. She just smiles at him before holding his palm in her hand, gently pressing it.
“Maybe because Vansh doesn’t just belong to his Ridhima, he has many other relations to take care of.” She smiles warmly at him.
Vansh smiles fervently at her. Ridhima knows him, he isn’t any possession to belong to any one actually, he is the same human like they all are, he is allowed to do anything that he wants.
These little gestures of Ridhima won his heart, the heart he willingly gave to her knowing she would keep it safer than he himself would ever keep.
For a moment, he really forgot all those qualms around him which would make him feel culpable and gutted. At that moment, he wanted to be taken care of, to be loved and treated with reverence; he wanted to just see how much he was worth to be adorned. He wanted to spend time with someone who, even after listening to every aspect of his story, wouldn’t judge him or make him feel regretted and answerable; briefly, that someone was Ridhima for him.
“Ridhima” He calls her inclusive concentration towards him, his heart suddenly felt warm in her gaze.
His eyes spoke million expressions while his mouth chose peace, something he does when he feels too overwhelmed and content. Ridhima smiles at him before wrapping her hands around his arm and leaning on his shoulder.
Okay. He was really tall for her comfort to lean on and she chose to move back, her neck was already hurting and she didn’t want a sprain over there. Vansh chuckles inwardly, seeing her disastrous session of romance.
He breathes before pulling her towards him and making her sit on his lap while she squeals raucously at his sudden motion. She calms herself leisurely before looking at him who was having a smirk on his face. She pokes her tongue at him before leaning towards his chest and resting her head on it. Her fingers unknowingly trail towards his shirt, paying with his shirt buttons.
Hearing his supple heart beats gave a unusual level of satisfaction to her, it was calming her senses obliquely, it was filling some warmth in her heart making it jump. Every time she went close to him, it made her feel a sense of tenderness, as if he was her home.
She loves the way he breathes
Minutes tick by as they lay in each other’s arms, basking in the mitted warmth around them when an abrupt notion strikes Ridhima.
“Who is Meera?” Ridhima asks Vansh, making him slightly staggered.
Ridhima moves back and looks at Vansh, finding him slightly dazed she continues further.
“I mean I know her as your employee and my friend but there is something more that I don’t know about her. The way she looks at Sampath bhai, talks about him, and behaves around him sometimes surprises me. I felt like she knew him for years, she knows everything about him. She cares for him more than an employee does for their boss-
“Ridhima.” Vansh interrupts her gently before cupping her cheeks. “Bhai and Meera had a relationship.”
Ridhima’s eyes widen in realization and she looks at him appalled. This wasn’t something she expected to listen to.
“I-I
“I know you are shocked to know about this but this is true. They both have known each other for almost 15 years. They both were schoolmates as well as college mates. She was his sole best friend, he always felt contended in her presence. They both stood with each other in tough times. She always stood by him no matter how many problems we were facing. I don’t know much about her as we never met but she was as important as we all are, in Bhai’s life.” Vansh explains to Ridhima, who felt an unknown emotion pass in her heart.
“But why are they both behaving like they don’t know each other? Why are they spaced out?” Ridhima was totally fascinated in knowing them.
“It’s not my place to tell you about it. Bhai and Meera’s relationship inadvertently broke and they became estranged. Bhai loved her so much, so much that he happily chose to walk out of her life for her happiness. It broke him too much; he was no longer the strong and faultless man we all knew.” He stops, fisting his hands tightly trying to stop himself from tearing up; his Bhai was very strong in reality, leaving someone whom you love exceedingly for their own betterment is the hardest part of love itself.
“That’s what the best thing is, Bhai loved Meera so much that for her happiness, he let her go.”
Ridhima stares at him blankly; she was never the person who is fond of broken love stories. Maybe because she always felt that everyone deserves to be loved. She wipes her unshed tears and takes a deep breath. She never knew behind those shining eyes of Meera, she held an ocean of emotions.
She is brave
“I can’t even imagine being in that place, to love someone who would never be ours. To let go of someone whom we love sincerely. Bhai is strong and Meera is tough.” Ridhima whispers to him while he nods in acceptance.
Hope their love story doesn’t just remain as a story
Vansh notices the flick of emotions passing through her eyes and sighs understandingly. He, for a reason, knows what was going on in her busy brain.
“Are you wishing for them to fall in love again?” Ridhima’s reverie breaks with his words. She looks at him and then nods at him sheepishly.
She was an open book for him to read
“They both are in hopeless love, Ridhima. They just want a beautiful disclosure.” She smiles at him in sanction.
“I wish the same.” She looks at him innocently and his heart skips a beat.
“You know.” Vansh drawls “Your innocence makes me fall head over heels for you. Every moment with you, I will fall more and more in love.” Ridhima frowns at him and moves back, making him gasp in surprise.
“I don’t want you to fall.” Ridhima states, making him stunned. Ridhima gauges his expression and sighs heavily before explaining. “I don’t want you to fall for me, even if it means to fall in love. Love is something which comes to only those who sense that emotion. Falling for someone is overrated, I believe in rising in love. Rising to the sky and beyond with the love you have to your lover. Love someone without any limits, beyond limits. I want us to hold our hands, our fingers intertwined and eyes locked and just rise in love. We will, with each other’s love, rise high and high.” She mused gently, with a hint of deep knowledge. Her eyes were serenely calm, her emotions so clear and vivid through them.
At that moment, his love for her just increased to a point of no return, beyond all the realms. Her love for him was just too untainted, she leans forward and kisses his forehead making his heart skip a beat.
That moment was so serene and so important in his life, every moment with her was just too important for him to be precise.
She looked at him in anticipation, wanting some response from him and he finally responded as if understanding her stipulation.
“हाय! तेरे इश्क में मरजावां” He whispers dreamily while placing his palm on his chest, portraying as if she just stroked his heart like no one else did.
‘Is this guy for real?’ She just blushes at him, making him smile at her.
Their eyes met with a spark and they froze. Even before they knew what happened, their lips sealed together in a long lasting kiss.
It was as if they promised a deal together, to rise in love together. They were damn sure about it.
Hello Munchkins, hope you all are healthy and safe. Keep supporting like you all are doing.
I just hope this chapter is not a boring one. I somewhat knew that this chapter doesn’t make any progress in the story line but still I wanted to write it to just make you all witness how a relationship can strengthened according to me.
Hope you all liked it. Next chapter is on the way.