"Mia." Aaron called her out of her thoughts. "What are you thinking?"
"About our future." Mia said looking at Aaron, "I can't imagine what it will be."
They were sitting on the balcony of their room. Aaron was sitting on a reclining sofa embracing Mia so that her back touched his chest, their legs entwined together. Aaron watched Mia as she gazed at the stars and the moon shining in the sky. He felt content at that moment.
"It will be hopeful."
Aaron had a lot on his mind. There are many things he has to do with his business, his family but most importantly with his wife. He has to know her, this new her. She had changed a lot and Aaron wants to know all that has changed and that has not changed. He wants to know all her fears and desires. How she handled everything while he was in coma, even if recounting those memories will hurt her because he wanted to be part of that hurt too. And only then they will heal.
"How can you be so sure?" Mia asked blinking.
"What I have witnessed today, when we all are together we can fight any hardship that will come to us. And I only need that strength to make our future better." Mia smiled at his reply. He was the strength that binded them together and he continues to be.
"I always wanted a family, a home, where one can come back to after a tiring day and surround themselves with joy and laughter and you gave me that. Thank you." Mia said hugging him.
"Will you Marry me, Mia?" A beautiful giggle left her at his question. She looked up at him and smiled and asked, "where did that come from?"
"I realised that I never asked you to marry me. So, i thought why don't I do the honour of asking you to be a part of my life, now. I promise to be with you through thick and thin, in wellness and sickness, to be your strength and in return will you be my strength, my joy, till death do us apart?" A gasp left Mia's mouth and some tears escaped through her eyes. In the presence of the moon and stars, the promise of a new life. This could be a dream.
"That is the driest proposal I have seen in my life. No rings, no flowers, no music. What if I say no?" Mia smiled through her words.
"That is not an option and you know that." Mia lightly punched Aaron on his shoulder. His grip tightened on her waist as she moved closer, her lips were a breathe away from his.
"Yes! YES! YES! I would marry you. I will be with you through it all, till my last breath. I love you."
She closed the distance between them. Their lips met in fierce passion. Aaron took the lead and deepened their kiss, till they lost their breath.
They both chuckled as they parted but only for a second before they resumed exploring each other.
Aaron lifted Mia bridal style as he made way to their bed. He settled her on the bed and looked at her. Her eyes widened with desire, her lips swollen due to his assault on them, her shortened breaths, her dishevelled hair, all his. He loved when she initiated the romance and it makes him loose control on all his senses.
"I will not hold back tonight Mia." He warned her but he saw it only aroused her more. She pulled him closer to give him a kiss.
"You don't have to." She said looking in his eyes, with complete trust, sincerity and love. It makes him fall for her more than he already do.
He placed a last gentle kiss of that night onto her lips.
*
Sun rays filtered through the balcony into their room. Illuminating the lovers tangled together in each other arms.
Mia woke up first smiled at his sleeping husband and the memories of the night spent with him. With him everything is perfect, everyday, every night, every moment.
She left his protective arms with a kiss to his forehead. He was the sun of his life, her world revolves around his and not the other sun. He is her warmth, her energy, her light. Mia experienced falling in love and she will continue to experience it everyday.
She thanked God. As she looked herself in the mirror, the light in her eyes had returned, a shy smile on her lips, a glow on her face, that was not there when he was gone. She was hopeful that their future would be going to be beautiful.
The pain and suffering would not be in vain.
It had brought them closer and it would continue to do so, the farther he was in the past, the closer she would be with him in the present and in the future.
She left the room silently as he was still sleeping.
Downstairs everyone was at the breakfast table, she greeted everyone before sitting down for breakfast.
Arav, Arnav and Manvi was seated on one side of the table, Meera Ma on head seat Mia took the seat on the opposite side.
"Mia, where is Aaron?" Meera Ma asked her.
"He is sleeping, Ma. He slept late." Mia tried to control the blush as she answered and tried to focus on serving her food.
"Don't let him take the stress of work. He should be recovering and not worrying." Meera Ma said and Mia nodded at her.
"Bhabhi," Mia looked at Arav who had that glee back in his eyes and a charming smiled adorning his face. "I have an awesome idea to take stress off of Bhai and keep his mind off of work."
"What is it, Arav?" From the time Aaron has recovered he had taken a mission on himself to make everything right and it is seriously concerning for his health.
"You and Bhai should go on a honeymoon." Arav said seriously but with hidden amusement in his eyes.
Mia chocked on the morsel of food and coughed.
"Arav!" Manvi shouted at Arav faking anger on his shamelessness but Mia knew that she enjoys her embarrassment as much as he do.
A glass of water presented itself in front of her lips and she drank it in one go. She looked up to see Aaron glaring at Arav while rubbing her back.
She closed her eyes in mortification, she was taken aback with what he said and plus he hadn't joked with her in sometime so she wasn't expecting that.
She took deep breaths as Aaron settled on the seat beside her.
"How do you come up with nonsense, so early in the morning." Arnav snorted at his brother's crude remark on his elder brother.
"Nonsense, they are not nonsense ideas Bhai, they are genius ideas." Aaron rolled his eyes at his brother and his attention shifted to Mia, who was ready for the ground to swallow her whole. She mumbled she was fine at Aaron's piercing gaze.
"But I do think-" Arav started.
"Enough Arav." Aaron cut him off and Arav nodded his head while pouting. There was a silence which cut off by the head of the house, Meera Ma.
"I was also thinking that you should take a break and go on a vacation, with my beautiful daughter." Mia could not lift her eyes at the attention and the topic embarrassing her further. She wanted to get up and run but that will make the matter worse. "She had worked very hard in your absence and even since you woke up. She deserve it you know, she had been through enough." Meera Ma was considerate. But Mia didn't want to take a break from work, it was her coping mechanism to deal with things. She could not imagine her life without work even if it was for keeping the darker a away, work was her solitude.
"Ma," Mia said looking up, pleading with her eyes to not to say anything further. Meera Ma only smiled at her and leaned to kissed her forehead, "I am proud of you, my daughter. I want to see you happy and nothing else."
Mia blinked back her tears, her throat clogging up at her kind words. To hear that from....her mother.
"Shhh, rote nhi mera bachha, ab sab achha hoga." Mia only nodded. She felt Aaron's hands on her thigh rubbing circles to console her. She took a deep breath and smiled at him through unshed tears. He smiled back.
"We will think about it." Aaron replied to her mother.
"So, a vacation it is!" Arav cheered as if Aaron has agreed to go, forcing a giggle out of Mia's lips. Everyone laughed with her. Everyone can rely on Arav to make the situation light and funny, Mia gave him a glare which turned into a grateful smile.
She kept her hands on Aaron's hand, squeezing it, she looked at his eyes, silently thanking him for being there for her.
He squeezed it back, reassuring her that he will always be there for her.
They will be together, they promised to each other.
THE END.
*****