Breathless | ✔

*Chapter 23*

It was the next day. Susheela was supposed to leave by the first evening flight of 6:30.

Pramod sat melancholily as usual in his hospital cabin, his family members were gone by then and Susheela already had left for airport.

He did not stop her even for once. He just did not want to. It would feel wrong, they were practically supposed to get separated after 6 months even though the divorce papers were not signed by the two yet.
After all, the marriage was forced.

He flinched when 3 of his familiar faces entered the room in hurry.

"Pramod, Susheela has reached the airport already. Come on at least come with us to say goodbye to her." Madhav exclaimed.

Behind him stood Lily and Priya.

"You guys may go, I'm not feeling well."

"You'll feel good going on a drive, come."

"Sorry I don't want to, Madhav just leave."

He went near him putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Believe me, you'll feel better."

His eyes held a different kind of assurance that Pramod could not deny, hence he had to finally agree to go with them.

Pramod sat on the passenger's seat with Lily and Priya on the back and Madhav driving the car.

He stared out at the sky with a pale look on his face.

The painful memory of Susheela confessing that living with him, she had been breathless, haunted him. Meanwhile the lines of one of his favourite songs' "It only hurts when I'm breathing" by Shania Twain arose in his mind, perfect for the situation.

"And it only hurts when I'm breathing
My heart only breaks when it's beating
My dreams only die when I'm dreaming
So, I hold my breath, to forget."

Soon the car stopped in front of a very familiar flowered gate. Pramod was surprised, he gasped turning to the person sitting next to him.

"Why are we here?"

"Why, didn't you say you were feeling bad? So here we are.. to make you feel good!"

He frowned, it went out of his temper at the moment.

"Do I look like I wanna hang out right now? I mean just-"

Madhav shut his mouth asking to get out of the car, he did have no other option as well.

It was the same park he brought Susheela to make her feel better. This certainly used to be his favourite spot, until he last came here with Susheela. He never felt like stepping in here alone again.

"Madhav I don't want to go inside. We were going to the airport right? Then why did you-"

"Shut that over speaking mouth and come with me."

They kept following Madhav and stopped when he walked in a place that used to crush Pramod's heart just being thought about.

The place under the Royal Poinciana tree filled with tiny flowers.

There he felt like a dream as Susheela herself was standing in front of him smiling beside the lake.

"S-Susheela? You we-re.."

"She came back for you, idiot!" Madhav slapped his shoulder playfully.

"What? Am- am I dreaming?"

He was instantly hugged by Susheela that confirmed and made him believe, it was all real. It was happening. She did not leave.

Susheela looked into Pramod's teary eyes. "I thought I'd move on in my life, everything would be perfect, but I couldn't. All I could think about was you. And your feelings.. yesterday.. after listening to you, everything seemed blurry to me except you and me. Except us."

"Then stay back. I would not request you to leave, Ruhail."

"I of course will, Mr. Arrogant!"

They all laughed in unison and then, looked back coming back to senses.

"Madhav... I'm really sorry, I know you-"

He did not let him complete. Before he could, he took Lily's hand in his.

"Pramod, I and Lily.. are getting engaged."

Both of them looked shocked. "What? When? And.. how?"

"Would we wait for you too all our life? I and Lily found the perfect match in ourselves, so be it."

Happiness overflowed in their mind hearing the news. It was sudden, but nothing wrong.

"Susheela, I'm sorry for my misbehaviour with you. Pramod.. over the last 2 years, even when you left, he kept on rejecting me and finally, I realized no one could take your place in his life. After all, according to him you were his first crush."

They ended up laughing and Susheela eas caught blushing.

"Bhabi, I'm also sorry. I shouldn't have hurt you so much that day." Priya held her ear lobs with a guilty face.

They all then got in a group hug and everything felt more than perfect.

While they were walking towards their car, Pramod and Susheela walked behind and suddenly Pramod held the other's hand.

"Uh huh what are you doing, Doctor?"

"Holding my wife's hand? Isn't it obvious?"

"Really? So, I'm your wife?"

"Of course. We're not legally divorced yet, remember? But, I'd not mind another grand wedding ceremony though."

They laughed at their own jokes for moments while walking and Susheela abruptly tightened her grip on Pramod's hand and whispered,

"Thank you for waiting for me, Dr. Pramod. My life finally turned. I would not feel breathless anymore."

The End

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Going to post an Epilogue, guys!