The Man She Loved

New Beginning

I was bought into his room not because everyone here was expecting us to consummate the wedding and accept each other as husband and wife with open arms, it was because now I am his wife and we have to be there for each other that also included me taking care of him, I left him sitting in middle of room with Arjun sleeping on bed and head out to the balcony, My eyes found the stars in search of the one shining brighter than all and when I finally spotted that one I stared at it God knows how long, the thud voice of something falling inside the room has pulled me out from my staring contest and I made my back way inside the room only to find him trying to reach out for the book placed on top of book self.

"Let me Please" I whispered softly and he stilled with his hand still up in air, I waited for him to back away so I can take out the book for him but he didn't, he took his own good time in pulling his hand back.

"I don't need your help or pity" He said back and once again tried to reach out for the book and knocked three books down in the progress, I felt my temperature rising and breathed through my mouth to cool myself down and not burst on him, I forcibly pulled his wheelchair back and started to pick all the books out of selve and placed them on table.

"What are you doing? I said  I will manage" he whisper yelled but I didn't care about what he is saying I just did what I wanted to do.

"Pranitha stop it, I can manage it" He hissed and reached out to grab my wrist but I was quick to move out of his reach.

"And please enlight me about how you are going to reach to the book selve from this wheelchair, and about you not needing my help then you for all needed my help and that is why I am here today" I spoke before I realised the impact of my words, when his face fell and the anger disappeared from them and was replaced by his old void look that's when I realised that I have stepped out of my line, but it was just too late because the damage was already done.

"I haven't asked for it, but thanks for everything you have done" was the only thing he said before he went back to bed bending down he tried to take off his slipper and groaned in anger when he wasn't able to, when after trying for little more he failed to remove the slipper he left it there and pressed his palm flatly on bed, something in me was bugging me to go and help him, I didn't take me much time to realise what he is trying to do, but after what I have just said I know no one would accept my help so I just stood silently at corner and watched him doing what he was trying to do and that something is getting on bed, he put his whole body weight on his palm and raised his lower body but he was unable to climb on bed so he let his half body fall flat on the bed and dragged his other half body with support of the headboard,  tear ran down from my eyes and this time It wasn't because I felt guilty or anything these tears are for all of us including my husband, I didn't deserve it, Arjun didn't deserve to die like that and like both of us Agastya didn't deserve it.

He was finally able to lay down diagonally on the bed and was trying to sleep straight, I couldn't keep watching it any longer so I made my way over to him and held his arm, he tried to pull his arm back but I only tightened my grip not giving him chance to pull back "I...." He started but when he look at me he ate back the words he was going to say and just let me help him silently, I made him lay down on bed straight before adjusting the pillow for him and taking his slipper out of his feet.

"You don't have to do all this" His voice was soft unlike other times, I just nodded my head not wanting to say anything and pulled the quilt on top of him.

"Can you give him to me for a little while" I almost missed it but when I look at him and saw him gazing at the crib with longing in his eyes I knew what he wanted, I picked up the baby in my arms and passed it to him and was about to leave for washroom to get out of these wedding clothes "Just be here for a while, I don't want to harm him unknowingly" and I couldn't leave after hearing him, I sat down beside him looking at him and he sat there looking at his son with so many emotions in his eyes, his face was all red he looked on verge of breaking down, and only if I wouldn't have been here he would have been crying by now hugging his baby close to his chest.