My loveless marriage

Part 65

Standing infront of the closed bedroom door, I took one deep breath, my gaze turning blurry at the thought of Abhi's bedroom, and not our bedroom.

But sniffing those tears away, I pushed the door open.

But my heart clenched as I saw the empty bedroom, and the unused bed - where was Abhi? Entering the room, I straight off made my way to the bathroom, which was empty, and so was the walk-in-closet.

The closet, however, was filled with that perfume of Abhi's, and I stopped to have a lungfull of that fragrance, my eyes moving to that part of the closet that used to belong to me. My hands shook as I opened the door of the wardrobe, to find it empty - he hadn't even kept one single piece of my clothing in here? Did I really not mean anything to him??

I sniffed as I opened his side of the closet, to find it filled with hangers upon hangers of his shirts and suits, not one hanger with my dress or saree.

Maybe I deserved it. But my heart clenched at the thought - he had given me so many opportunities, so how was it bad if I was asking for one more?

He didn't even let me explain myself... Slowly stepping out of the closet, I yet again looked around, till my eyes landed on that painting above our bed - that of the beautiful sunset and a couple on a boat.

As the memory of that fateful day when I'd come here for the first time popped in my mind, a smile tugged at my lips. When Nikhil had dragged me and bhai to this room, we'd found Abhi dressed in a christmas themed suite!!

I giggled at that memory - of a red jacket, but an even more redder faced Abhi, glaring at Nikhil. Nikhil had later told me that Abhi was dressed in that suit because he had lied to Abhi that I had a christmas fetish.

A sob broke my lips as I realized that for Abhi, it didn't matter what anybody else did or said, but it always mattered to him to keep me happy. And yet...

I got to my feet, wiping my tears. He had to be in the mansion!! I would search every room in the mansion if I had to, but I wouldn't let go off of him without a fight.

I knew  it in my heart that just one kiss - if i could just hold him tight and kiss him, he'd forgive me.

And rushing out of the room, I ran to his study - my heart stopped and I held my breath, standing in front of the room to his study. With trembling fingers, I pushed the door open. 

But all my nervousness vanished to nothing as my eyes searched the deserted room - though his musky cologne still lingered in the air, he wasn't in here.

More tears pooled in my eyes but I wiped them away. Abhi had to be at home... he had to be!!

But even half an hour later after I'd searched the entire mansion, I'd still found no trace of Abhi. My eyes felt puffy and my tears were blurry as I slowly made my way upstairs, to Abhi's bedroom.

Pushing open the door to his walk-in closet, I rummaged through the neatly arranged shirts and pull-overs, till my hand rested on the soft fabric of his maroon full-sleeved sweater. A smile made it's way to my lips as I recalled my first ever conversation with Abhi - the day he and I had met, thanks to his meeting with bhai at the Oberoi hotel. Abhi had worn the same shirt that day, and he'd looked so handsome.

Tears welled my eyes again as I sniffed the shirt, caressing the soft smooth fabric of the shirt to my cheeks and wishing more than ever that time could just rewind and I'd be back to that time when I'd first met him!!

But sadly, life doesn't work that way.

Pulling that shirt over my dress, I smoothed the fabric - the shirt was a little big and a little loose for me, but it was warm and it felt like Abhi's arms around me, and curling up in the floor, I hugged myself, hoping against hope that this was all a nightmare, and when I'd wakeup, I'd be in Abhi's warm arms, and he'd be gazing at me like I'm his dream come true.