Rahil's eyes held my gaze as he brought my hand up in the air and he bent to place kisses on my knuckles. I wanted to make my hands free but I didn't have the energy to fight back anymore.
"Trust me, Payal, nothing is going on between us. I would never cheat on you!" Desperation spilled from his voice. "Not physically and not even emotionally!"
I did not know what to say, my cries had reduced to soft sniffles and my eyes felt heavy and painful. I gulped trying to wet my parched throat and look away. After a few moments of silence I willed myself to speak something.
"You know to move forward, you have to let go of the past"
A sad look crossed his face and I pulled my hands back, I got up from the bed and walked to the other corner unable to face him.
"I'm trying," he said in a tired voice. "I'm really trying"
Oh, are you? I wanted to scream back.
"Payal, she's like a habit to me" Rahil clutched the hair at the back of his head. He sighed before frowning hard. "She.... She...I don't love her. I swear, I don't!"
I tried my best to put on a face that showed that I believed him but honestly I didn't know what it looked like to him.
"Let me show you, Payal" He ran to his side of the bed and grabbed his phone.
"I've never contacted her myself. You can check for yourself."
He thrust his phone into my hands and urged for me to check. I didn't want to but for his sake, I sifted through the calls exchanged between them. True to his words he hadn't ever called her, all the calls were made by her.
"But when she calls..... I want to dismiss it! I really want to but..."
"You can't," I finished for him and watched another wave of guilt and self-loath fill him. He let out his frustration on his hair and fell back on the bed, his muscles tensed.
"I spent four years in that relationship and I'm spending more time trying to get over it."
Four years.... Perhaps I didn't know what a relationship like that could do to a person. Rahil sounded genuine about his dilemma, maybe I should have more faith in him. He would never hurt me like that.
I took a hesitant step towards him and sat beside him on the bed.
"It's okay" I whispered.
"I don't want to hurt you," his simple confession made the hair on my neck stand up and my heart contracted in my chest. "I know how I can stop that from happening now"
He gave me brief look before unlocking his phone and deleting her number. I was shocked.
"Rahil..."
"The man who loved her died a long time ago but I guess my habits of her never went away. Now is the time to end them" He looked me in the eye and I was overwhelmed with the intensity of emotions in them. "I can't lose you"
After that when he pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me, I let him. We fell back on the bed basking in each other's warmth and eventually fell in a deep slumber.
I woke up tangled in Rahil's arms. My feelings were a mess right now and I wasn't sure how everything would turn out but I knew that I needed to trust and be with him now. Carefully, picking his bicep from around me, I slipped out the room noticing that it was very dark outside.
How long were we asleep?!
With cautious steps, I walked to the hall to find Mom and Dad cleaning up the sofa.
"Where were you?!" Papa turned to me with wide eyes and open mouth while holding up a half empty pack of chips.
Mummy gave him a hard glare which made Papa zip his mouth instantly and turn the other way. Mummy gave me a sympathetic smile before walking up to me.
"Big fight?" She asked, guiding me to the sofa and siting us both down.
I felt uneasy when I realized that all my previous screaming might have told everyone that we were having a fight. I just gave her a tight-lipped smile and turned to look at the still on TV.
"Who won?" I asked, trying to change the topic.
"Why of course we won!" That cheered up Mummy instantly. She smiled widely before giggling like a young girl. I couldn't help but match her enthusiasm as I beamed back at her.
"Virat even scored a century!" She gushed.
"No way!" I exclaimed feeling every bit happiness as her.
She nodded vehemently, "See, we won the bet"
I laughed at that. "But you didn't really agree to it in the morning"
"These guys won't know about it," Mummy rolled her eyes and then winked at me. We laughed heartily before she wiped the corner of her eyes and leaned closer to me.
"You know I'm so glad I got a cricket fan in my Daughter-in-law!"
"What do you mean?" I asked as I got up to get ready for bed.
"My stupid son didn't watch cricket at all before you came home. I and your Papa were the only one's interested in cricket. By the way, Payal, aren't you hungry?"
I stopped in my tracks and turned to her. "What did you say?"
"I asked if you were hungry. You and Rahil skipped dinner"
"No, what did you say before that," I said and felt my heart still in anticipation.
"About Rahil not being in interested?"
I nodded almost immediately. Mummy shook her head in disappointment before continuing, "You know that boy never watched cricket with us before. He didn't even know what was a 'run out'. All he was into was that football game but after he married you, he miraculously started became interested and even watches it with us."
"You mean he didn't even watch the 2011 world cup?" I gasped.
Mummy shook her head and shuddered.
"He was always went on and on but a messy guy during his teens"
Lionel Messi, of course. If he was never into cricket then it meant.....
"And now look at him! Talking about run rates and player's form as if he has done a pHD in Cricket" She scoffed lightly and chuckled.
Feeling my stomach flip at the thought, I hurried through the night chores and rushed back to my room. The butterflies in my stomach were enough to chase away the hunger. I was suddenly very giddy.
Rahil was still asleep. I climbed back into the bed and felt an unknown excitement nestle in my heart. I pulled my phone closer and opened Rahil's facebook account. I scrolled all the way down as I had done so many times before but today something was clicking.
All his posts were 2013,2014 and 2015 were pictures of sun sets and jersey of the Argentinian player but nowhere had he ever once mentioned cricket.
This only meant that my husband lied to me about being a cricket fan.
Yet, here he was. Three years spent learning the game just because I, his wife, loved Cricket. A flood of relief and joy consumed me. But why?
Did people put so many efforts when they were in ...
My phone gave out a shrill cry and I realized I had clicked a video on the phone which had started playing. Biting my lip, I turned off my phone and threw it away but it was too late.
Rahil stirred a bit and a moment later he was rolling on my side of the bed. He threw his hand around my stomach and pulled himself closer to my body. His hair tickled my bare skin in the most playful manner and I fought the urge to smile.
But why should I fight it away?
I smiled freely. Rahil lifted his head and looked me with his own charming smile.
"What's the time?" he asked in his husky voice making my toes curl.
"After midnight," I said. I didn't understand why I couldn't stop smiling. I bit my lip and looked away.
"Payal?"
"Hmm"
"Happy Birthday, Darling" He murmured and came so close I had to calm my thundering heart. When I looked at him, he pursed his lips before looking at me through his lashes.
"I don't know if it's the right time to say this given we were just fighting," He took in a deep breath. "But, Payal, I really-"
"I love you," the words slipped out of my mouth without any control and I watched holding my breath as his face turned to shock then relief and then ecstasy. He joined our foreheads and gave the most heartwarming smile.
"I love you too, Payal"
If Rahil hadn't held me so close and shook me multiple times, I was sure I would've passed out with all the happiness and a smile on my face.
***
Ta-Da!
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