Rohan's P.O.V.
Sanjana has been distant since the moment we drove out of the police station. She's been blankly staring at the windows. The moment I park the car in front to our house, she walks out and goes straight to our room.
"Rohan," mom calls for me.
"Just give her some time, she was--"
"Did she look okay last night?"
"Yeah,"
"Don't worry sweetheart, I guess her brain is just processing the whole thing now, trust me I understand the feeling, she'll come around, give her some time and space," she tells me.
"Urmm--"
"Go after her though, when I was in her situation, I'd tried to end my life every moment I was away from you dad, I know Sanjana is stronger than me, she'll need you around,"
"Yes mom, thank you,"
As I walk into the bedroom, she is crying on the bed as she muffles her sobs. I shut the door a little too harshly and she jumps up as she looks at me with teary eyes.
"Rohan,"
"Yes sweetheart," I murmur as I walk closer to her.
"Will you--" she is interrupted when my phone starts ringing.
"I'm unavailable for the week Lilly,"
"But--"
"Lilly, please,"
"Okay sir,"
"You should go, you're probably busy," she says as she gets up.
"Sanjana,"
"No seriously,"
"What is it that you wanted me to do?"
I walk close until I'm standing directly in front of me, I raise my hand to hold hers but stop, mom had advised me to give her space, I'm not even sure she'd like to be touched in this state. She notices the moment and looks at me.
"Will you please hold me for a while? I'm just--"
"You don't need to explain it, I'll hold you until you fall asleep okay?"
And maybe even after that.
Her chin wobbles as she nods her head and I wrap my arms around her as she starts crying in my arms. I rock us a little as I caress her head and whisper sweet nothings in her ear.
After a moment as she calms down, I settled her down on the bed and make a move to go to the bathroom to change my clothes when she clutches my shirt.
"Sweetheart, let me just change into something comfortable,"
"Don't leave, please,"
"Baby, I'll come back in a minute, you'll not even feel my absence,"
"Ro please,"
And I think it is the fact that she almost begs me that breaks my heart.
"Alright sweetheart,"
I climb into the bed and she immediately scoots closer to me and wraps an arm around me. I pull her closer against me and caress her arm as her breathing evens out and she finally falls asleep.
°
As I out of the wardrobe, I find Sanjana crying on the bed. My heart feels heavy as I walk closer to her and lie down next to her, silently pulling her body closer and just hold her as she continues crying.
"What happened?"
"I just had a nightmare and when I woke up, you weren't there, I was so scared, I thought you left," she whispers as she stares at me.
"Oh baby, you know I'm not leaving right?" I ask her as I wipe her tears.
"I know but in that moment my paranoia took over and I'm so sorry, I'm sorry my emotions are all over the place,"
She tries to pull away but I hold her against me. I lean in and kiss her forehead and just caress her back as we lay in each other's arm in comfortable silence.
"You don't ever have to be sorry for this you know that right?"
"I--"
"And I'm not leaving you sweetheart,"
"You should, you deserve so much better than an emotional baggage,"
"Sanjana!" I say a little too loudly.
I pull us up until we're sitting and force her to look in my eyes.
"You are not an emotional baggage, stop with those self-depreciating thoughts! I like you for who you are with or without the baggage and I would have you as you are, no other way,"
Fresh tears well in her eyes and I panic once again. She notices the panic because she smiles and shakes my head before leaving forward to rest her forehead on my shoulder.
"You're amazing," she whispers.
"I know I am,"
That response gets a laugh out of her and I smile as she tips her head back and laughs, her eyes crinkle as she closes them. She stops laughing as she sees me staring, something about my expression makes her self-conscious because she averts her eyes and plays with the fingers in her lap. I hesitantly cradle her face with my left hand and caress my thumb over her cheek as I tilt her head to look at me.
"You're beautiful when you laugh, I hope you keep laughing like that forever sweetheart,"
"Stop with the flattery,"
"Hey there's nothing wrong when a husband compliments his wife,"
"I-- I'll go take a shower,"
"Actually, I've drawn you a bath, i realised you could use one after the exhausting events of the past few days,"
"You can't get any more perfect now can you," she says as she shakes her head.
I pick her up and walk to the bathroom and her breath hitches as she takes in the surrounding. I've lit a few candles for her and used some scented soap for the bath. Her expression is soft as she turns to face me. She wraps her arm around me and just stands there for some time.
"Thank you, you're the best," she murmurs.
"Only for the best,"
She smiles at my response and then walks closer to the bathtub. I turn to leave her with on her own for the bath when she catches my hand in hers and tugs me to face her.
"C-can you just stay? J-just hold my hand please, I really don't want to be left alone," she hesitantly asks me.
"Yeah,"
I turn around and stand there as she undresses and gets in the tub.
"You can turn around," she says.
I turn around to find her smiling as she holds out her hand. I sit on the edge of the bathtub as I hold her hand and close my eyes and I lean on the cold bathroom wall.
"I'm so grateful to you Rohan, you don't know how much this means to me,"
"Sweetheart, I'd do anything for you,"
"I'm so happy I can call you my husband and that I get to spend the rest of my life with a caring man like you,"
"And I'm lucky to call a brave woman like you my wife,"
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*DEMANDS A ROHAN FOR MYSELF*