Something I wished for || Wattys 2019 ||Wattys 2020

Chapter 7- Ache

The phone she slapped tightly on my palm after shutting her sister off. The woman who is pregnant and dying to see her first child happy, the child she think her little sister is.

After what felt like months, when the sky got cloudy and air chilly, they all sighed and looked at me.

“We still need to talk to her. I need to appologise.” Ruhani said

“You don’t have to.” Veer said hugging her sideways,
“I’ll talk to her.”

“I went out of line, it wasn’t my place to tell. I’m sorry Rudra. I’m sorry Urvi.”

I nodded.

“No Di, You don’t have to. You were just…” she sighed.

“I betrayed her, I shouldn’t have hid it from her. I was just planning a surprise… I was so nervous.”

Again her eyes welled with tears.

“It’s okay we’ll talk to her together, besides I don’t think the weather is supporting us either.”

“Yes, I think it will rain.” Veer said

“You should go back to Manzar’s room, talk to her.” I said

They all nodded.

They started towards the front of the cabin, when Ruhani, turned to look at me still sitting on the rock.

“And what part of all us should get back, you don’t understand?”

I smiled, showed her my phone,
“I need to talk to Seher as well, she must be freaking out right now. You guys should go back before it rains.”

“Still thinking about others, Rudra” She said and looked at  me pained.

I pulled my bottom lip and looked at my phone, which she slapped on my hand. Ruhani ran upto me hugged me,
“You know I’m always there for you Rudra?”

I rubbed her back and nodded.

“Promise me, you will never hurt yourself. I can’t see you like this over a girl.”

“She’s worth it.” I said looking at Ruhani.

She smiled weakly, “then I promise I  got your back everytime.”

I smiled.

“be there within 10 minutes” she warned pointing her finger under my nose.

“Yes ma’am.”

With this they all went back to the cabin.

I don’t know what to say to you, Manzar, except the part that it tore my heart everytime I have to say goodbye to you.

I know where is she coming from, we all want someone who in the end will choose us over everything under any circumstances, I wanted to choose her too yet I wanted to be the better person, to become capable for her, to provide her everything she will ever need, to get her a better future together with me.

Yet I was afraid she will reject knowing I would have to transfer from state to state, to please my job, risking her own career.

The reason I left, explains my cowardice.

Little did I knew I will come back to get what belongs to me. Knowing the risks.

This isn’t her fault and not mine either. I’m the only son my father Colonel Sinha has, because of Mum I’m not in Indian army but this couldn’t stop my father from pursuing me serve the country in other way.

What I am now is because of him.

My cowardice is not his fault, it’s only mine. He still has no idea why I’m not ready to marry any other girl, still I picked the girl he showed me recently within a few seconds of looking at her picture.