MARAASIM

Author's Note- This story was written for and is a WINNER at an OS Competition on TellyUpdates. It was written in November 2017, and I am posting it as is without any changes. Happy Reading!

This is not based on any storyline from the show, I am just borrowing the characters from Ishqbaaz Universe.

(Theme- Mentioned in description

Word Prompt- A roadside bench,  Single streetlight, just infront of a tree, hot coffee, music and rain, Sacrifice)

As he walked out of the large 'Exit'doors of the airport, the Sun had just begun its journey towards the sky. Dawn sent shimmering rays over the place, bestowing a golden path from the ground to the horizon. It was the perfect dawn, one to be savoured instead of squandered. Rudra blinked toward the sun that brought him another day he was never promised, yet was glad to see. Only an hour ago the blackness was absolute, but now the mist was visible, silvery. He let the moment sink in, soothe him from his core right out to where the nascent rays touched his skin. This meant a new beginning was possible and possibilities meant hope.

Early mornings were their own reward. The tall sky scrapers were silhouettes against a crimson sky and the air smelled of the rains. There was no drone of cars, only a hiss as they move over the rain coated street. There was something about the dawn that made each new day such a gift, unwrapping the world anew. And for Rudra, this dawn brought a gift of homecoming. 'I had been waiting for this morning for so long that I barely believe my eyes. I could go to an all day spa and not be so refreshed, so recharged...' he thought.

He had waited for this day for quite some time now. Seven years was a pretty long time and now he was finally here, back to his own country, he could hardly believe it.

It was too early for the masses to be up yet, a very few autos and taxis waited in the parking. Rudra moved towards the pick-up area where his cab waited for him to take him to his ancestral house in his native village. He was going there to sell his house and invest that money for his career. He wanted to make a successful career as a CEO in a multinational company Aspire. It was his dream job. Immediately after high school, he had left for London to study so that he could deserve that dream job of his. He had trained, trained hard for seven long years to reach up to his own expectations. He even used to work part time mostly to make some extra money to spend on his assignments and projects or sometimes for extra pocket money. He had skipped so many outings and parties while his other friends have been merrily whiling their time away. No he wasn't a nerd or a bookworm or didn't know how to have fun. He did. But not at the cost of his studies or dream job.

Then he had worked as an intern in one of the companies for two years. They never went easy on him. There were no fix timing. On paper yes, but not effectively in practice. He remembered so many times when they had to stay back at night when there was high workload. No, he doesn't regret any of it. Those experiences were once in a life time. They made him what he was today. 

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He woke up with a jerk with the sudden halt of the cab. Looking outside he saw his ancestral home. All the memories of his childhood came rushing in. He took a tour of the whole house every corner having a significance of its own, a memory of his own. Finally he came outside near a bench. It was 'their bench'. There was nothing so great about the bench. Physically at least. It was just a roadside bench standing next to a streetlight, in the shade of a nearby tree. It was the memories that made it so special. It was his and his childhood best friend Saumya's bench. They even had their names carved on that bench. It had seemed so important back then. He chuckled at the thought.

It's fascinating how we're taught that 'home' is this tangible place, the most simply defined of terms-

it's a house,