LOVE REKINDLED

Will You Be My Wife?

The moon hung like a delicate pearl in the midnight sky, and the beach bathed in its silvery glow. Ram and Priya, having put  Pihu to sleep after a shared family dinner, bid farewell to Krish. He had qn urgent meeting to attend back in Mumbai the next morning.

Priya took Ram on a moonlit walk by the nearby beach on his insistence.

The night sky hung low, adorned with a myriad of stars. The moon casted its silver glow upon the sands as they strolled along the beach.  A gentle breeze carried with it the salty fragrance of the sea. It were as if nature itself were conspiring to set the stage for something that Ram was planning for.
The night was full of possibilities. Each step echoed the quiet hope that this time, the sands beneath their feet would not shift.

Ram couldn't help but steal glances at Priya. The moonlight was casting a gentle glow on her face. She looked beautiful and serene. Her eyes held a depth that mirrored the ocean beside them. A depth that spoke of shared joys and sorrows, of a love that had weathered storms. They walked in a companionable silence.

They reached a quiet spot where the waves whispered secrets to the shore, and Ram, with a soft smile, gestured for Priya to join him near the water's edge. They stood there. The ocean breeze caressed their faces. They closed their eyes as the waves gently played a music for them. 

As they stood there, hand in hand, Priya could feel Ram's gaze on her. She gently opened her eyes and met his blue-green orbs. It was a gaze that held an apology for the misunderstandings of the past and a promise for the shared tomorrows and unconditional love.

A soft smile playing on his lips.

Ram: Priya, yaad hain? Saalon pehle hum aise hi saath mei, Leheron ke kinaare har shaam ko aaya karte the?

Priya smiled. The memories flooded back like the tide.

Priya: Kaise bhool sakti hoon? Hum dono har shaam ko saamne waale samandar ke kinaare walk karte the. (with a melancholic smile) Lagta hai jaise ek zindagi beet gayi ho.

Ram: Kabhi-kabhi na, ek zindagi humein woh sikhata hai jo ek pal nahi sikhata. Priya, mujhe yeh sab yaad aate the – leharon ki awaaz, chaandni mein walk, aur sabse zyada, tum."

Priya's eyes sparkled with a mix of emotions, and she nodded.


"Yeh raat, yeh mausam, yeh chandni, aur yeh sahil. Sab kuch humare rishte ko ek nayi shuruaat dene ke liye kuch keh rahe hain," Ram spoke softly. 

Priya, her eyes reflecting the moonlit waves, responded, "Kabhi socha nahi tha ki hum phir se saath honge, Mr. Kapoor..."

Ram gently squeezed her hand. "Hum dono ne bahut kuch saha, bahut kuch khoya, lekin aaj phir se ek doosre ko paake, meri bacchi se milke, lagta hai jaise poori duniya hamare liye bani hai."

Priya listened to him silently with teary eyes.
They stood at the water's edge. The waves washed over their bare feet. The cool touch of the water was a gentle reminder of the healing power of love. Ram looked deep into her eyes and whispered, "I missed this, I missed us."

With those words, Ram knelt down in the sand. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a paper ring. The held more weight than any piece of jewelry.

Ram, kneeling down on the sand: "Priya, will you be my wife? Kya tum mujhe phir se apne, hamare khwaabon ka hissa banne dogi? Kya tum mujhe woh sahaara dogi, jo ek saathi ka hota hai, ek bharose mand ka, aur phir se, apne pyaar ka haq dogi? 

Priya's eyes widened with a mix of surprise, and overwhelming joy flooded her. She looked at the paper ring, and then into Ram's eyes. She nodded. Tears glistened in her eyes.

Ram: Is kagaz ki angoothi mein shayad sirf kagaz ho, lekin ismein chhupi kasmein utni hi asli hain jitni chandni ke neeche wale lehar mein. Yeh ek ishara hai ek aise pyaar ka, jo samajhota nahi kiya, jo gehra hai samundar se bhi. Kya tum phir se mere saath is safar par chalogi? Tum meri hamsafar banogi?

Priya: Haan Mr. Kapoor. Hazaar baar, Haan. Har janam mei mai aapka hi saath chahoongi!

Ram: Mere paas bade bade gestures ya poetic words nahi hain, Priya. Lekin main tumhe vaada karta hoon, har din ek safar hoga jo tumhe hasane ka ho, jo tumhe yaad dilaye ki tum kitni keemti ho, aur tumhara Mr. Kapoor tumhe kitna pyaar karta hai.

Priya wiped away tears, and smiled through her emotions.

Priya:  Mr. Kapoor, Aapko bade-bade ishaare karne ki zarurat nahi hai. Yeh, yahaan, bilkul perfect hai. Yeh second chance, ek sadharan si angoothi, aur ek poora jeevan ka pyaar, aapke saath, Aur hamari bachhi, Pihu, hamara khud ka parivaar.

Priya gently took the ring from Ram's hand, and with a tender touch, she helped him stand, gracefully supporting his shoulders. As he rose, she slipped the paper ring back into his hand.
As she slipped the paper ring onto his finger, the moon witnessed a promise rekindled. A commitment that was written in the sand and sealed with the salt of the ocean. Ram couldn't help but cry happy tears. He wass overwhelmed by the beauty of a love that had found its way back.

Priya kissed Ram's hand with a gentle reverence. He enveloped her in a warm embrace in a heart beat. She reciprocated, holding onto him as if not wanting to let go.
He showered kisses over her ear, cheek, and tenderly nuzzled into her hair. Each gesture expressed the depth of his emotions.

After a timeless embrace, they eased out of the hug. Ram, with a gentleness, kissed Priya's hand. He then delicately tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, as if he was weaving a promise into the very fabric of her being. It was a simple act that made her smile through the tears,

Ram turned towards the waves and then towards Priya, and with a soft smile, he said, "Tumhari muskurahat, Yeh raat, Yeh leher, Yeh chaand-sitaare, Aur yeh saara mahaul...Bade achhe lagte hain, Priya." 

Priya looked at her watch, and replied, "Mr. Kapoor yeh sab theek hai, par raat ke 1:30 baj rahe hain, aur Pihu akeli so rahi hai, ghar chalte hain"

"Oh shit! Chalo chalo, uski tabiyat bhi kharab hai"

They held hand-in-hand, and walked towards "Home"

"Waise hum shaadi kab karne waale hain? Mr. Kapoor?"

"Tumhe bohot jaldi hai? kya baat hai to be Mrs. Kapoor?"

"Baat yeh hai, 15th Oct ko hamari shaadi hui thi, aur aaj 12th Oct hai....toh.."

"Mujhe yaad hai, aur ham 15th ko hi shaadi karle waale hain"

"Aur iss baar, hum alag nahi honge."

"Tumhaare sang sookhi roti bhi chalega, par tumhaare bina cupcakes bhi nahi bhaayega", He laughed

"Aapki yeh filmy baatein abhi tak nahi gayi?", she giggled.

They kept the conversation going on, and strolled hand in hand towards the place they called home. 

As they reached home, their hearts swelled with a quiet excitement. With delicate care, they placed their precious Pihu between them, creating a cocoon of love and security.  

They gazed into each other's souls as they laid down on the either sides of the bed. The excitement of reuniting in marital bliss bubbled in their hearts.

"I love you, Mr. Kapoor", she whispered softly, making him blush.  

Slowly, in the beauty of the night, they gave in to the serenity of sleep, intertwined in the promise of a - Love Rekindled...