Rekindled | ✓

Chapter 38. Violence

🎶 Bairiyaa and Jee Karda (play after *)

Published on 28.02.2023

❝ kabhi sukoon kabhi laage bala hai,
kabhi dua kabhi laage hala hai,
naino se ye kya ho chala hai. ❞

🥀

Inaaya and Ayansh sat in her room, both on either ends of the couch.

She kept fidgeting with her fingers, her gaze fixated on her lap.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone." He says, breaking the silence.

She shakes her head immediately. "It's— it's not your fault. I mean...," she shakes her head again when words fail her. "You know what, just forget it. You're here and... I'm fine," she adds gingerly.

Ayansh swallows. "You thought I left," he murmurs.

She stays quiet for a while before responding. "Isn't that what a normal and expected reaction would be? Why would anyone want to stick with someone like me?" She tried to mask it but Ayansh heard the disgust that laced her voice and it was enough to break his heart all over again.

He gets up and walks near her, outstretching his hand. She frowns, her confused eyes shifting from his hand to his eyes and then back to his hand before she places hers in his. He gently pulls her up and makes her stand in front of the mirror with him standing right behind her. It was strange but there was no sense of awkwardness. They had gone from not even brushing their hands against each other even by mistake to clinging to each other with an intensity where they didn't want to separate even for a second.

Ayansh leaned in, his hands, hesitant and considerate in its own way coming around her, over her stomach and when she didn't flinch, he interlinked his fingers and sighed softly. She stared at him through the glass, trying to not let emotions show on her face, trying to not let him know that she feels vulnerable once again.

"I love you," he says so suddenly and softly and sincerely that it takes her breath away, making her lips part. "And nothing will ever change that. You don't have to hate yourself for whatever happened, it was never your fault," he rests his chin over her left shoulder, "and when it wasn't even your fault, how can I hold you accountable for it?"

Conflict gets etched on her face and she decides not to answer. Feeling comfortable in his hold, she leaned back, putting her weight over him and watched the faintest of smile linger on his face through the mirror which was enough to make her eyes sparkle. "You didn't tell me you were here on my birthday."

The smile falls. The hold still remains intact.

"You made me lemon rice and gajar ka halwa." Playfulness dripped in her tone.

Since the time he had been there, it was first time she saw him looking awkward and it made the child in her giggle internally.

"You made Akira lie too," she raised her eyes in mock impression, "that also for years."

Ayansh scrunches his face and looks away.

"And... you were writing letters in my diary, to me, about myself?" She couldn't help the chuckle that left her mouth and he squints his eyes in embarassment.

"How was I supposed to know that it was you?" He whines, wearing a scowl and staring at her pointed face in the mirror.

"Leave everything aside," she dismisses, "tell me why did you hide that you were here on my birthday with my favourite food cooked by your own hands?"

"If I showed up in front of you, you would've accepted?" He asks instead.

She sees he has a point. "And why did you not tell me even after years?"