When You LOVED Me...

75.

Home.

Aaron reached home and his mother greeted him with a warm hug. Manvi arrived at doorstep with an Aarti ki thali, she smiled at Aaron before giving the plate to Maa.

His mother welcomed him and Mia inside the house after performing the rituals. Aaron did away with the wheelchair so Arnav was supporting him. He laid him to the couch and he settled there. All gathered around him, his mother sat beside and hugged him again. They talked for a while, but nothing serious, before his mother let go of him so he can take rest.

Arav dropped him to his room. Mia had already prepared their room for his arrival. He had not been here very often since he had moved to New York. His father presence didn't allowed him to set foot here.

With this thought he realised that he hadn't seen his Dad, nor anyone had talked about him. He was sure that his father was a busy man and would not have time for even his son, but leaving his family to suffer what kind of a man he was.

When Arav was going to exit the room, Aaron asked him, "Arav, Where is Dad?" He watched as Arav's back tensed but he didn't stop as if he didn't hear the question and walked out. Aaron frowned, what was that.

Mia entered the room after a while. She also had a tensed look on her face. She tried to smile seeing him but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Do you still want to take the shower?" She asked before he could say anything and he nodded.

Mia went into the bathroom. Aaron analysed the room, he didn't noticed much change except Mia's things was lying here and there but the room still felt void, bare.

Mia helped him to the bathroom when the bath was ready. Aaron told her that he could do this himself but she insisted that she wanted to help. Aaron stripped down to his boxers before entering the bathtub. He sighed relaxing into warm water, finally releasing the remnant tension of his joints.

Mia sat near his head on a low height stool and massaged his shoulders. He melted further.

"Better?" Mia asked.

"So much better." Aaron replied closing his eyes. His worry and thoughts disappeared as he finally give in to the rest his body was demanding. He was still fully not recovered.

Mia also washed his hair. He loved the feel of her fingers in his scalp as they moved in rhythm in his hair. When he start to fall asleep. He asked Mia to help him out. Mia didn't comment on his apparent nudity nor did she showed any shyness as he stood in the shower for a final wash. She helped him in a robe when he was finished.

He was very suprised how calm Mia had been except when she first saw him awake, almost to the point of being unemotional, as if she had learnt the art to hide her true feelings. Mia had always been a open book for Aaron and this was a very significant difference for him. He loved knowing what going on inside her head just by looking at her but now even he was not easily able to gauge her emotions, her thoughts.

He changed into a t-shirt and pajama before he sat on the bed and Mia started towel-drying his hair. His hair had grown long, he noticed. He finally felt refreshed devoid of any hospital scent but also very tired.

Mia finished and helped him settle on the bed so that he was rested against the headboard with the help of pillows. He didn't want to sleep yet. Mia started cleaning the room, arranging files, books, clothes which Aaron thinks just to pass time because they were already well organised.

She stopped at the window, looking down the city and sighed. Aaron took this as a chance to break the silence, "How many months?" Aaron asked. He deserve to know.

Mia turned towards him leaning on to the window. She takes a moment before answering, "fifteen months. It's May now." Her voice waivers but otherwise no hint of discomfort. But he knew it's a long time just by looking into her eyes, as she blinked through the shadows of pain.

His accident had been in January. But the news didn't shock him as much, it was still more time than he had previously imagined.

"And how you had been all this time?" Aaron feared if she will answer this honestly or not. It's a heavy question.

She came near him sitting on his side. Her eyes took him in before her gaze settled on his eyes, "Not well." She whispered quietly. Before touching his arm and caressing in up and down. "When I heard first about the accident. I was very scared, then I called Arav because I honestly didn't know what to do. I was so panicked. He came and handled all the things." She bit into her lips, a sign that she was nervous before sighing and continuing, "And after four months your condition stabilized and we moved you to Mumbai because it was easier for him to give time to work here. I also shifted here after then, to help him in any way I can."

"What about your job?" He asked.

"I resigned. I left the job." Mia replied.

" And did my Dad gave you any trouble, while you were here?" He questioned and Mia tensed, her indifference slipping as hurt and anger took over her features. "He did something, didn't he?" Aaron cursed under his breath.

"He tried to do something." Mia replied shakily closing her eyes and taking a deep breath and opened them with a sad smile. "But he didn't succeed. And I am glad that he didn't."

*****