Healing The Void (The Roys, #2) ✔

Chapter 36 - Pain and Patience

Author's note - 'Glowing in the dark' by The Girl and The Dreamcatcher is the theme song of this story. End of discussion. Ugh! I just can't get over the song! Too perfect for Healing The Void.
p.s. this is my favourite chapter. :)

~~~

Since the moment she agreed to go out with him, she was in a good mood. She taught Dev more than usual and since he started to show improvements in his memories; it was getting easier to teach him. She talked with Trishna. And her cousins; even blushed when they teased her regarding Abhimanyu.

5th December

The next morning, when she woke up to the sunrays seeping through the slits of the curtains, a smile spread across her lips. She sat up and stretched. Her eyes turned towards Abhimanyu's bedroom. It was open. Her eyes widened in alarm. She quickly got up and cleaned the remnants of her sleep then went ahead and peeked inside his room. It was empty. She checked the bathroom and his work place. Empty. Where did he go?

Perhaps, he had gone in the hall for breakfast. Thinking so, she relaxed and went to freshen up. She took time and brushed her teeth first, then washed her hair in the shower. Intending to naturally dry her hair she came out in the balcony with a hand towel. That was when she caught in the thirst trap. The glamorous view down in the swimming pool caused her breath to hitch in her throat.

Abhimanyu, only in his swimming trunks, bare chested, was swimming in the pool. Red crept up her face as she flushed severely. His muscled back flexed as he moved his hands in water. After completing two laps to and fro, he stopped and dragged himself up to the edge and leaned his torso against it, facing his back towards her. The bullet marks were visible on his skin, just above his ribcage, on the top right side, over his shoulder blade. Although the marks have mostly faded leaving only scars, they still looked cruel. She noticed the wound on his right arm. It had healed, but the scar was still fresh.

Her chest heaved up and down, a little too fast. She stilled the hand towel over her wet hair, cause her hands wouldn't move an inch.

The man in front bewitched her as he stretched his hands along the edge and relaxed them on the tiles. She bit her lips subconsciously while he threw his head back looking at the sky. His eyes were closed, soaking the warmth from the sun. He was meditating. She refrained herself from making any noise and kept ogling at him shamelessly.

How different was he! His soul gleamed of uniqueness and lost stars from unknown galaxies. She realized this was the reason she fell in love with him. It was because of his distinctiveness. An eye laid on him, and you'd instantly know - there was some depth of the soul connection he might have had with higher realms.

Until she met him, she used to think, love was a trade. Equal give and take. Reciprocation. But he - he changed her perception about love.

Love is love. It needs not to be a trade. Love needs not to be difficult. Love can be unselfish too. Love can be pure and honest too. In fact, love is another name of patience. In words of HG Gauranga Das Prabhu, 'In every relationship there's scarcity, impediment, discomfort, and unhappiness. In spite of these, when the relationship does not change, it is known as love.'

Love supposed to heal the broken, and no matter how hurt her heart was, she found comfort in his arm, in his presence.

There were infinite possibilities in this universe, but she was glad that she met an impossibility like him in this lifetime. He might not give her gardens full of flowers and butterflies, but he knew how to make her find a piece of herself in him.

And she was determined to do the same to him.

~~~

After having breakfast, they left the villa in his car, his driver, Sriram was with them of course. But she knew that wasn't all. Neil and his team were following their car close behind. Abhimanyu informed her a few minutes before leaving that they would be staying overnight. She had a mini heart attack before she packed the necessities in a hurry, that is, whatever she found in hands reach. Only God knew whatever the hell she even crammed inside her handbag!