Devakshi One-shots/Drabbles/Short stories

Building bridges (Part 4)

"Papa, continue!!!" Suhana commanded.

"Yes, of course. But you have to close your eyes now." Dev was on the bed with Suhana, complying with her demand for bedtime stories. Sonakshi leaned back on her other side watching them, listening to Dev's outrageous stories, narrated complete with actions and sound effects. With all these dramatics, how will she ever fall asleep? Sona shook her head.

"The princess then listened to her mother and went for the excursion bravely."

"Papa, the princess's mother was very brave, wasn't she?"

"Yes, darling. She was."

"Just like my Mumma."

"Yes, just like your Mumma. In fact, your Mumma is the best Mumma!" Dev declared, glancing up at Sonakshi, expecting a smile. Instead, he was met with a stony, hard expression. He frowned. What happened to Sonakshi just now?

"Papaaaa..." Whined Suhana.

"Yes yes sorry. I am continuing the story." Dev watched Sonakshi move away from the bed, getting Suhana's school bag ready and straightening up the room. Her facial expression never changed. He wondered if he inadvertently said something that upset her?

They had been slowly drawing closer, since the date at the resort. They called and texted each other, talked about their day, went for coffee after taking Suhana for her classes, took long drives, sometimes by themselves and sometimes with Suhana. It was so much easier when their families weren't at each other's throats.

Sonakshi had insisted on knowing about his seven years. He had told her about how disillusioned he had been with his mother regarding the prenup and how betrayed he felt by the two women in his life, his mother and his wife. The two people he had loved the most. How tough it had been to get up and function normally again.

"When the ground slips away from under your feet, how does one stand up, Sonakshi? You did not trust me and left. Did you not have any idea what you meant to me? You were my life's breaths, my reason to live and not just exist. And you left me? What was I supposed to do then?" He had sobbed in her lap, as she combed his hair with her fingers, her eyes filled with immense regret.

"No one was there to understand what I felt, what I was going through. Not Ma, not my sisters. I realized that I was just the provider for the family, nothing else to them. I had a responsibility towards them and I fulfilled it." He had never sounded more cynical.

"Dev, please don't say that. You know that is not true. They love you very much."

All his bottled-up resentment came pouring out. "If they did, how come not once did anyone ask me how I was doing? Everyone kept saying, now that Sonakshi is gone from my life, everything is going to be just fine. How will it be fine? I was not in a state to function at all. None of them thought about what I lost, what I was going through. You are lucky, Sonakshi. Your family knows how to support and care for you in ways that help you. Mine doesn't. Anyway, after you left, I didn't even care. I had to provide for them, so I did. Neha and Riya are married, but I didn't attend their weddings. I have never met their husbands. I lost touch with all three of my sisters. I think Riya has a daughter. I heard Ma talk about it. Nikki lives in a hostel. I got myself a penthouse and live there, visiting Ma in the house occasionally, to make sure she has everything. Now, when Suhana is with me, I am in that house."

Sonakshi had stared at him disbelievingly. "You didn't live at your house? With your mother?"

"No. I lived in my apartment, free to do what I want. All my life, I tried to be in control, tried to please everyone around me, because I thought that is what love is. But I was wrong. So, I figured, now I would let go, cherish my freedom."