Vishwaas

Chapter 27: Memories

"Shourya, kya kr rahe hai?"
(Shourya, what are you doing?)

Meera gently nudges her husband away from her, but it was hard getting a huge man plopped on top of you off. Shourya just would not budge, with his face buried him her neck and arms caging her against the bed, she wriggled in his hold but to no avail, he was adamant to cuddle. He knew what needed to be done if he wanted her to stay still and that's exactly what he did. Meera held back a little moan as her husband began peppering her neck with kisses and nibbles. 

Her sweet giggles just encouraged him to keep going but a knock on the door interrupted them, a blushing Meera and a sulking Shourya stood up before getting the door. On the other end, Rohan was waiting for the door to open, his hands slightly shaking and a quiver running through his body. When the door opened and revealed the two people he was here to see, a small part of him wanted to hand Meera the letter and leave. But he stood there knowing that he had to face this to better himself. 

"Rohan. Come in."
Meera and Shourya step aside as Rohan comes in, he stood there a little awkwardly before taking a seat. 

"Umm Meera, I wanted to give you this letter. I wrote it for you, and I wanted you to read it before I leave. Please."

The husband and wife glance at each other, feeling confused as to what was happening. Meera takes the letter and opens it up. Shourya puts his arm around her and peers in to read with her. Rohan watches the confusion turn into slight shock, then their eyes soften and tears spill out of Meera's eyes. Shourya gently jostles her closer and leaves a kiss on her head.

"Oh, Rohan. I'm so glad you write this letter, thank you."

Rohan nods his head and asks, "So am I forgiven."

Shourya and Meera softly laugh before Meera says, "Yes, you're forgiven." With that Roah leaves their room, he sees Shourya pull her into a hug as the door closes. Rohan smiles to himself, another huge sigh of relief, another burden taken off his chest.

In his room, Rohan changed into something more comfortable before sitting on his bed. He leaned against the bedhead and let his mind wander. And like every day, his mind would wander back to Chhaya. He knew she was the one for him. His love had become clear in his heart and he was desperate to confess, just if he knew where exactly she was. No one in the family knew, she would call in the initial days, but now even that had lessened. He was desperate to know where she was, if she was safe, just if she was okay. 

Rohan spent the rest of the night trapped in the scarce memories he had of her, he had a picture of her held close to his heart, tears spilling out of his eyes and head resting back against the headboard, with a hope simmering that maybe one day he'll know where his love was, one day he'd make everything right again.

The next therapy session:

"So let's talk about Chhaya, starting with how you met and what you thought of her."

Rohan narrated every detail he could remember, from meeting at the coffee shop, to her interview and then the sudden marriage before getting to the days just before she left.

"I was so insecure, I thought maybe she did actually. . . . . I said such aweful things to her, meine usse manhoos kaha, can you believe it! I . . . . . Her words echo in my dreams, the sight of her teary eyes flash in front of me every time I close my eyes. Every single time. I get nightmares of her silent sobs and pleas that I completley overlooked! She was right in front of me, weeping, wailing about what people have put her through, what her father has put her through. It kills me thinking about it, but then . . . then I think. . . .I'm the same. I'm probably just one of those faces for her. If not worse. . . . I didn't deserve her. I still don't, but I can;t help want her. Zoya, I'll do anything. Just once if I see her, I'll get on my knees if I have to. I just want her here.

(I called her inauspicious)

Zoya moved to sit beside Rohan with a tissue in her hand, she rubbed his back as she and the room witnessed yet another meltdown. Very soon Zoya found her self holding the man up as he cried into the palms of his hands. The carpet, showered by the broken man's hot, fresh tears as his palms struggle to continue them. Zoya patiently waits for Rohan to contain himself before cautiously moving on with the questions so they could finally talk through his emotions and unpack how he could help himself.

As they finished up, Zoya observed Rohan help her fix her files. She smiled his way before saying, "I see it, Rohan. The change in you, you're a much healthier person, more empathetic, emotionally available and just more rational with your emotions. I'm sure everyone at home would be proud of this version of you."

"I just hope when I meet her, she can see this change. I hope she's proud of it."

That hope consumed every ounce of his heart, soul and existence for the next six months. The hope that he'll meet her again in this lifetime, the hope that she'll even spare him a glance, the hope that he'd become the man she deserves.

.

.

.

.

.

Time Skip - 6 months later

Like every day for the past six months, Rohan came home with a smile on his face for his family, but deep down his heart pained at being parted from his beloved. He spends his days thinking about Chhaya, the way he treated her, the way her voice held the pain he felt now and how he was desperate, almost dying to fix it. 

After dinner, Shourya asked Rohan to come to the office so they could go over the deal for next week. They were supposed to be meeting up with a Chinese company for a $900 million deal, that would help their company skyrocket into the Chinese market, leading to much more exposure over there.

"Haan toh meine socha hai ki agar woh kahe toh-"

(So I was thinking if they offer this then we-)

"Shourya!"

Shourya was interrupted by his wife rushing through the door with her phone held to her heart.

"Meera, jaan kya hua?"

(Meera, love what happened?)

Meera jumped into her husband's arms, holding him tight before shouting out loud.

"Nimrat bhua ka phone aaye tha!!"

(Nimrat bhua just called!!)

Rohan snapped his eyes up at Meera, his heart about to jump out of his chest as he waited for Meera to continue. Shourya also held his breath, the call everyone had been waiting for had just happened.

"Woh chati hai ki hum sab aagle Monday Manali aaye."

(She wants us to go to Manali next Monday.)

"Manali? Why?"
"Offo, woh keh rahi thi ki woh Manali mein hain. Aur agle Monday Chhaya ka birthday hai. Toh hum usse surprise kre. Address bhi aagaya hai!"

(Offo, she said that they are in Manali. And next Monday is Chhaya's birthday. She wants us to surprise her.)

Shourya and Meera smiled at each other before turning to look at Rohan, who was stuck in time as he processed the newly found information. Next Monday, so in three days' time. He would get a chance to see Chhaya. He would get his chance of apologising, his chance of winning her back.

His only chance.