Broken windows & fairy tales

The darkest hour

She had just come out of the shower only to find him sleeping like a log on one side of the bed. A small smile crept on her face looking at him, 'he must have been exhausted ', she thought to herself. She herself was still dazed from the happenings of the day. As she lied down on the other side of the bed everything just came back to her.

'Jaanta hu tumhe...Itni asaani se nahi manogi tum. Aur main maanne bhi nahi dunga'

'Sumoo...tum toh janti ho, meri bachpan se problem hai ki main tumhe nahi samajh pata'

'Sumo main tumse bahut pyar karta hun'

'Ajao na Sumo please. I love you, I love you so so much and I need you.'

'Tum toh jaanti ho na, sirf tum rahi ho meri life mein..'

'Maine dil toda hai na, main jodunga. Dard diya hai na, use kahi zyada khushiyan dunga. Nafrat ki hai na, use kahi zyada pyar karunga. Bas ek baar wapas aa jao.'

'Itna toh chalta hai na...dosti mein...pyaar mein..'

He had been so vulnerable, so exposed, his emotions so raw, his need, his ache so evident in his eyes. There was nothing she could deny him at that moment. Even if he had asked for her life, she would have given it happily, and he was asking for the one thing she had been longing for, they had been longing for ages. How could she not say yes? So she had nodded her head, while his hands were still cupping her face. He had burst into a fresh bout of tears, love, and happiness evident in his eyes, and hugged her with all his might. And the world had ceased to exist for both of them. They had denied each other for years, they had struggled, fought, and were now left battered, broken, and scarred. They needed each other to heal. It was like coming home. They were after all each other's solace. But then reality had to creep in.

'Mere saath chalogi ? Iss sab se door, kuch time ke liye. Please Sumo.'

Like she could say no.

And within the span of a few hours, they had moved into a new house temporarily. Shravan had paid for the rent and advance from the earnings he had from his firm back in London. She couldn't help but cringe when she thought of the day she had said that he was nothing but the son of Ramnath Malhotra. He was so much more and not just on the professional front, her Shravan too was much more than just anyone's son. And somewhere in the middle of the chaos that was her life, she had forgotten this simple fact.

She looked at his sleeping form, his face turned away from her. She must have been observing him quite keenly as she noticed the slight shake in his shoulders which was gone in a moment. Was he having a nightmare?

'Shravan', she called out softly, reaching out to him while gently keeping a hand on his shoulder. He went stiff at once and she noticed his hand instantly reaching out for his face. She held it midway and slowly turned him over to meet with a sight that broke her heart. His eyes shut tightly, his body still rigid and a lone tear running down his face.

She raised a hesitant hand to his face, cupping the side of his jaw. His response was a clench of his jaw and a quiet exhalation. And then he opened his eyes. His expression still stoic, eyes trying to suppress whatever emotional turmoil was going inside him. But she could see the pain in them, could feel it radiating from his body. So she gently caressed his face, looking straight into his eyes, and wiped the tear before it rolled down his cheek. 'Shravan', she whispered, hoping he'll react, her hand now sliding up to his hair in an effort to comfort him. For one long moment, they just gazed at each other, and then she felt his guarded expression starting to crumble, his eyes flooding with tears.