Kho Gaye Hum Kahan | Abhira FF

4. Broken

India | Abhimanyu

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Almost eight months had passed since Abhimanyu discovered that Akshara left with Kairav and broke down completely on the jungle floor. Since then, he was changed man. Gone was the Abhimanyu that existed before Akshara and gone was the lover that lived with his wife- now was man- an empty man that wandered aimlessly. His beard and hair were longer than he had ever kept them. He actually put some of his hair in a ponytail and his beard covered most of his face.

His wardrobe had changed completely as well. He did not wear those smart formals or semi formals anymore. He dressed like a nomad. He acted like one too. Travelling from place to place and organizing free checkups in remote locations. He slept in tents and ate off the roadside dhabas. He would call home once every 10 days or so to inform them that he was alive and breathing.

That's all he was- alive and breathing. He had stopped actually living. Nothing exited him anymore. He would take part in stupid street fights, silly competitions. Anything that would make him feel something, even if it was pain but he never felt anything that could distract him from the constant emptiness of her absence.

Her! On the occasional nights that Abhimanyu could manage to fall asleep, he'd see her. She'd hug him and smile at him. Her laughter would brighten up everything but those dreams always ended the same way. She'd run away from him and even when he was seeing her go- he could not follow up. He'd scream but she would not return. She never returned!

Now a days, Abhimanyu's nightmares were becoming more frequent. Even his medicines were no able to keep them at bay. And he knew the reason.

Almost eight months since he left Udaipur, almost nine months since she left him....almost an year since they married!

Their anniversary was approaching! Not that he'd celebrate without her but he could not stop his heart from bringing up memories. While those memories made him smile, they also laughed at his face as the person wasn't with him anymore. He did not even know if she'd ever come back to him.

Abhimanyu sat down on a rock near the road and drank water. He was tired from constant driving.

Abhimanyu: Kahan ho tum? Itne mahino me kahan nahi ghooma maine? Tum kahin nahi thi. Kissi sheher me tumhare hone ka ehsas nahi tha, kahin bhi tumhari koi khabar nahi thi. Bohot sawalo ke sath chor gayi mujhe tum aur inke jawab tumhe mujhe aakr dene honge. Mere pyaar ke sath tum aisa nahi kr skti!!!

His phone rang and he saw it was Nishtha. He did not want to attend the call but something inside him told him to pick up. So, he did.

Nishtha was Abhimanyu only sister now. She begged him to return for her birthday. Told him Parth's son- their Shivu- was growing up. He would turn four months soon. Abhimanyu felt hurt that he was ignoring his family like this but Birla house haunted him now.

Growing up, he always hated the house that saw his mother's abuse. He felt suffocated, yet he survived. But then his wife entered that house with him. She made it their home in very short span. Now, that very home lacked her warmth. It slapped him with memories of what he had lost. After the call, he sat and thought about it.

Abhimanyu: Nahi, mai aur kitna ignore karu sbko? Nishtha! Vo bhi toh meri behen hai. Usse mai iss tarah hurt nahi kr skta...mai uske birthday ke liye Udaipur jaunga aur phir turant wapis aa jaunga...

He got off the rock and walked towards the bike. Getting his backpack strapped well he sat and looked at himself in the mirror.

Abhimanyu: Pr raste me apni shakal sudhari padegi wrna Maa aise dekhr behosh hi ho jayengi...