Chapter 6
As Tiya and Karan walked side by side towards the garage, Tiya reached out and gently took Karan's hand, bringing them to a halt. Karan turned to look at her, his brows furrowed in confusion at the sudden interruption.
"Karan, do you think I'm a good wife?" Tiya's voice was soft, but her eyes betrayed the sadness she tried to conceal with a faint smile. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer.
Karan studied her for a moment, his heart heavy with concern for the woman he called his wife. Despite his own doubts and insecurities, he nodded in affirmation, hoping to reassure her with his words. Tiya's smile widened at his response, and she stepped closer to him, pressing a soft, lingering kiss on his lips.
But Karan couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at him. He sensed that something was amiss, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Igniting the engine, they soon found themselves on the road, the quiet hum of the car filling the air with tension.
Tiya switched on the radio, and the melancholic strains of "Lag Ja Gale" filled the car, adding to the sombre atmosphere. She turned towards the window, hiding her tears from Karan's view as they drove on in silence.
As they stopped at a red signal, Tiya raised her hand to click a selfie with Karan, attempting to capture a fleeting moment of happiness amidst the shadows of their grief. But her next question pierced the silence like a knife through the heart.
"Karan, do you miss our unborn?" Tiya's voice trembled with emotion as she spoke, her eyes downcast as she struggled to hold back her tears.
Karan's heart ached at her words, the pain of their loss still fresh in his mind. "I do," he replied softly, reaching out to gently touch her hand in a silent gesture of comfort.
Tiya's gaze remained fixed on her lap, her hands trembling as she fought to contain her emotions. "Tiya, we will plan for a baby again," Karan said gently, his voice filled with reassurance as he tried to offer her some semblance of hope.
As they arrived at the high-end cafe, Karan gallantly pulled out a chair for Tiya, a small gesture of chivalry that didn't go unnoticed by her. They settled into their seats, the ambiance of the upscale establishment enveloping them in an air of sophistication.
"Ma'am, sir, are you ready to order?" the waiter inquired, breaking the silence that had settled between them. They nodded in unison, their eyes meeting briefly before Karan placed their drink orders.
"Medium Americano for me, and a Frappuccino for the lady," he stated, his voice tinged with a hint of warmth as he glanced at Tiya.
Tiya's gaze remained fixed on Karan, her heart heavy with emotion as she tried to capture every feature of his face, every nuance of his expression. They were seated in a secluded corner of the cafe, away from prying eyes, and Tiya seized the opportunity to draw closer to her husband.
She rose from her seat and moved to sit beside Karan, her body leaning into his as she rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. She breathed in his woody, lemony scent, the familiar fragrance soothing her troubled heart.
As tears welled up in her eyes, Tiya tightly closed them, the weight of her sorrow bearing down on her like a heavy burden. Karan assumed she was still grieving for their unborn child, his heart aching at the thought of her pain.
But Tiya's tears were not just for their lost baby; they were for something more, something deeper that she couldn't put into words. And as her phone vibrated with a silent notification, she knew that the moment had come, the moment she had been dreading yet anticipating with a heavy heart.
Summoning every ounce of strength within her, Tiya kissed Karan's cheek tenderly, her lips lingering for a moment against his skin before she rose from her seat. "I will go use the washroom," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
With one last lingering look at her handsome husband, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips, Tiya turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing hollowly in the empty space around her. And as she left the cafe behind, she knew in her heart that she would never look back, for she was finally letting go of something that was never truly hers to hold.
As Tiya walked out of the cafe through the back door, the weight of her emotions pressing down on her like a heavy burden, she felt her legs grow weak beneath her. Collapsing to her knees on the cold pavement, she buried her face in her hands and allowed herself to finally let go.
Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked, her sobs wracking her body as the pain and sorrow threatened to consume her whole. The world around her faded into a blur as she cried out the anguish and heartbreak that had been building inside her for so long.
A passerby, noticing her distress, approached cautiously. "Ma'am, are you okay?" they asked, their voice filled with concern.
Tiya nodded wordlessly, unable to find the strength to speak. Slowly, she pushed herself up from the ground, wiping away her tears with trembling hands. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and forced her legs to move forward, one step at a time.
As she stumbled towards the street, a car pulled up beside her, its window rolling down to reveal a person she had been waiting for. Without a word, Tiya climbed into the passenger seat, her heart heavy with the weight of her decision.
As the car pulled away from the curb, Tiya glanced back at the cafe one last time, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and resignation. She knew that she was leaving behind a part of herself, but she also knew that it was time to move forward, to let go of the pain and embrace the unknown that lay ahead. And as the city streets blurred by outside the window, Tiya braced herself for the journey that awaited her, knowing that she was finally taking the first steps towards a new beginning. The sweet dream was over. It was time to wake up.
As Karan scrolled through his phone, engrossed in replying to emails, he waited patiently for his wife to return. The soft sound of approaching footsteps disrupted his concentration, causing him to look up in surprise.
Standing before him, in a knee-length purple dress that used to captivate him, was Sanjana. Memories of their shared past flooded his mind, but instead of evoking any stirring emotions, they left him feeling strangely numb.
Sanjana placed her purse on the table and took a seat across from him, her presence casting a shadow of confusion over him. "Hi, Karan. Long time no see," she greeted warmly, a smile playing on her lips.
Karan was taken aback by her sudden appearance, his mind grappling with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. "Uh... hi, Sanjana," he managed to reply, his tone guarded.
"How are you, Karan?" Sanjana asked, her smile widening as she observed him closely.
"Been good," Karan replied curtly, his gaze avoiding hers.
Sanjana nodded in understanding, her demeanour unfazed by his aloofness. "Why are you here?" Karan questioned, his confusion evident in his voice.
“See, I am on a date with my wife. She will be back anytime,” Karan added. All this while he thought he was still having feelings for Sanjana. But now that she was here in front of him after so many years. He felt nothing. He couldn't deny the sense of relief that washed over him. The realisation that his feelings for Sanjana had long since faded brought a strange sense of liberation.
Sanjana's words hit Karan like a ton of bricks, his mind struggling to process the revelation. "Well, Karan, you are on a date with me. Your wife arranged for us to meet," Sanjana said, her smile unwavering.
"What on earth!" Karan exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief. "What are you even saying?" he asked, his confusion palpable.
"Karan, she knows... Tiya knows about our past," Sanjana explained gently, her hand reaching out to touch his. But Karan recoiled, withdrawing his hand quickly.
"Is this some joke?" Karan managed to speak, his heart pounding in his chest. "Where is Tiya? What's taking her so long?" he demanded, scanning the surroundings anxiously.
"She left, Karan," Sanjana revealed, her tone soft yet resolute. "Forget her, Karan. Let's talk about us. Meeting again is fate. We are meant to be together. And this time, I won't listen to my parents. I will not leave your side," she declared, determination gleaming in her eyes.
Karan took a moment to absorb her words, his gaze fixed on her.
But as he looked at Sanjana, he realised that she was no longer the girl he once knew. She had changed, just as he had. And in that moment, clarity washed over him like a wave.
"What part of 'I am waiting for my wife' you didn't understand, Sanjana? I am married. Happily," Karan said firmly, his voice leaving no room for doubt.
Sanjana merely smirked in response, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. "Are you sure about the ‘happily’ part, Karan?" she taunted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Is that why you never emotionally opened up to Tiya? You always had this emotional barrier with her," she continued, leaning in closer to him, her gaze piercing.
"Accept it, Karan, that place inside your heart has always been mine, and that's why you never gave it to her even though she was your wife," Sanjana declared, her words hanging heavy in the air.
Karan felt a surge of frustration rising within him, his patience wearing thin at Sanjana's audacity. "You're wrong, Sanjana," he retorted, his voice tinged with anger. "Tiya is my wife, and she's the one I love. Whatever happened between us in the past is irrelevant now. I've moved on, and so should you," he asserted, his tone resolute.
Sanjana's smirk faltered for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features.
"Yes, I have been emotionally distant with my wife," Karan admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of regret. "I was too insecure and scared to fully invest myself in love again. But Tiya made me realise that our marriage is worth every effort. Just because I've never fully opened up emotionally to her doesn't mean I don't want to be with her. She means everything to me."
"Until now, I was under the impression that I still wasn't over you," Karan continued, his gaze steady. "But it was all because I never received closure from you six years ago. All I heard was news of you moving to Germany with your NRI fiancé. But seeing you today, I realised that you're just a part of my past, Sanjana. I don't feel anything for you anymore."
With each word, Karan felt a weight lift off his shoulders, his heart finally at peace with the realisation that his past with Sanjana no longer held sway over him.
After expressing his final sentiments to Sanjana, Karan wished her the best for her future endeavours and hastily reached for his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialled Tiya's number.
"Come on, Tiya, please pick up," he muttered anxiously to himself, the tension mounting with each passing second.
As the automated message informed him that her phone was switched off, Karan's heart sank, a wave of panic washing over him. "No, not now," he muttered under his breath, his mind racing with worry.
With a sense of urgency gripping his heart, Karan wasted no time in igniting the engine of his car and speeding towards home. Every passing moment felt like an eternity as he anxiously navigated through the streets, his mind consumed with worry for Tiya's well-being.
Upon reaching home, Karan burst through the door, his voice laden with concern as he called out, "Maa, where is Tiya?"
Rekha, who was engrossed in watching a daily soap opera, looked up in confusion at Karan's sudden appearance. "Didn't you both leave together?" she asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
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Where do you think, Tiya went?
Karan finally has reached a closure in life! But is it too late?
Vote and comment! If possible recommend it to your friends!
Jai Shree Krishna