The journey to temple and back home proved to be uneventful, except for Zakhir's intermittent miserable attempts to engage my mom into conversation. However mom seemed to ease up a bit.
After reaching home, Zakhir took up responsibility upon himself to cook the dinner along with mom. Scratch that. Not exactly cook but lend a helping hand to mom in preparing dinner, while I was in drawing room setting the dinner table and overhearing their mundane conversation.
Post dinner when mom went back to her room after calling it a day, I noticed her eyes held a tiny sparkle and her lips curved upwards. The sight was refreshing.
As we got nothing to do much, I took him to our terrace garden. Usually I never take anyone there, however I took him for reasons unknown.
"You must resume back to your daily office routine. Your mom is quite worried about you" he advised
I didn't respond. But he noticed the agitation in me. It was quite evident.
I was tired of the counseling rendered by people.
"Aaradhya...what is it?" he asked with weary eyes.
"Does anyone actually care what I want? Everyone wants me to do something or the other. Some wants to me to take care of my mother, some wants me to stay strong in front of her, some want me to go back to work, some want me to act as if nothing happened. Why doesn't anyone even ask what I want?" I groaned.
He peered at me. Sadness gleaming in those orbs. I teared away from his gaze. I couldn't continue staring at those grey eyes.
"What do u want Pari?" he whispered.
I looked at him. His face was blank, derived of any sympathy, for which I was glad.
"I want to cry out Zakhir. Cry, weep and mourn for my father, like everyone do"
"Then cry. I'm here besides you. I won't stop you. Cry as much as you want. Cry your heart out. Let that searing pain which is holding you back leave you" he ascertained me holding my hand.
That was all I needed to close our distance and break down in his embrace. As if that mere touch of his held all my answers. Each drop cascading my face, unleashed my agony. It was as if a dam was set open. Outpouring refused to cease.
I don't know for how long I let those tears flow, clutching onto his collar, but all I knew was his shirt was drenched.
Everything was all of a sudden. I acknowledged our current posture and was deeply embarrassed. Slowly I raised my head to face him. His eyes bored into mine. He didn't speak anything throughout but his hold on me was tight but warm. I disentangled myself from him. I wiped off my tears with the back of my hand.He buried his hands into his jeans pocket and held his handkerchief towards me. I accepted it gratefully and blowed my nose. I felt his eyes on me.
"Are you fine now?" he asked with concern.
I nodded in response, not daring to meet his eyes.
He clasped my hand and started circling it with his thumb. I fell into a familiar stance.
" You know Pari, when my parents died, I was just 6yrs. Thereafter I was under my dad's brother's custody. He loved me and took care of me sincerely. However his wife wasn't happy with this decision, therefore physically and mentally abused me at every chance. I used to loath my parents at that time for abandoning me alone, for not taking me along with them. The anger in me refused to die down for a long time"
He sighed and continued" With time I realized, nothing in this world hold permanency. Everything and everyone have to leave you after a certain point of time. The point when their purpose in your life is accomplished. When they depart, they leaves you with intense pain. Debris of memories would be are only companion"
Closing my eyes I soaked in all what he aforementioned. My mind raced back to my dad who was my support system, whose laughter and advices were imperative to my system.
"You know, this beautiful enthralling place you see around you, this was made by dad and me. Both of us worked day and night to make it look so mesmerising. This was where we spent our maximum time. Every corner of this place acquaints with us" I croaked.
"See, those lilies over there" I pointed over the corner of the terrace garden. "Those have started dying. These plants around us knows him and they crave for him, just as I do. They want him to pamper them just like me, they pray for his presence over here just like me" I broke down again.
He enveloped me into his arms, his fingers raking through my hair. His other hand circled my back in a consoling way.
"You wanna sit?" he asked me
He might be tired. I chuckled at the thought. I nodded, my head still closed to his chest.
We sat down on the floor. His hands over my shoulder. I nestled my head over his shoulder.
No one said anything to the other. We just remained snuggled in each other's embrace. Both were each other's crying shoulder.
I don't remember exactly when sleep took hold of me. It was in a relief that finally the grief brewing within my heart found its true solace in him.
YOU ARE READING
A Bruise On My Soul #wattys2016
Romance'Aaradhya is a very lovely and a good- natured girl. She dreams to be a journalist and a writer. She falls in love with her man of her dreams, Zakhir. Everything goes right between them until the fate plays a very ferocious game on her, mocki...
