Chapter - 03

Chapter - 03

It was funny how the most memorable events in life occurred by chance. As he recalled his accidental encounter with little Mr. Sharma, Ranveer couldn’t help but smile. How he missed seeing such joy and wonder in others’ eyes! There was no happiness in his day-to-day life in the corporate world. It was all about power and manipulation. Sure, there were people who enjoyed the rush and treated it like a game. But he most certainly wasn’t one of them. He found contentment in acceptance since the one for whom his heart used to beat was no longer with him to light up his mundane world. 

He closed his eyes and Ishaani’s smiling face flashed into his mind. The outcast who was blessed with God’s greatest gift in the form of her uninhibited laughter that wasn’t just confined to the corner of her lips but radiated through her big, black eyes. No wonder he would forget all his troubles in her vicinity for her mirth was infectious. Unknowingly, a smile crept across his face. How he missed her and her antics! If she were alive today, probably they would have a miniature version of Ishaani in their arms. Wouldn’t she be the cutest with her mother’s eyes and father’s mischievous grin? He could only imagine. After all, that’s what she had left him with - a myriad of possibilities that had its origin in the biggest truth of her life, 

“I love you Ranveer!”

Seven years, nine months, twelve days, six hours, and forty-five minutes. He counted every second since that fateful night. By the time he managed to take Ishaani to the nearest hospital her condition had deteriorated much. The doctor in charge was livid seeing her state. Headache, dizziness, difficulty in breathing - she had been showing symptoms of a venomous snake bite for hours but no one bothered to consult a physician before it was too late. Overwhelmed with grief, he just stood there, holding her hand as she smiled at him for one last time and fell asleep, severing her ties with the realm of the mortals.

After Ishaani’s death, the only thing that kept him alive was his thirst for revenge. It didn’t take him long before he realized how Hritika had been twisting the truth and using Nirbhay in her game. Once he unraveled the mystery behind Pooja’s murder, Nirbhay himself made sure that his treacherous in-laws and Hritika got what they deserved. But much to his dismay, Ranveer refused to file any complaint against him. As much as he hated Nirbhay, somewhere deep down, he identified with his pain of losing the love of his life and their unborn child. He knew Ishaani would want him to forgive Nirbhay. So he left Karnal and let Nirbhay decide how he wanted to repent for his misdeeds.  

“Would you like to buy some flowers from here?” The voice of a local florist snapped him out of his reverie. “I’m sure Madam will be thrilled by our indigenous florets.” “What if she gets annoyed seeing the same flowers every day?” “I highly doubt that Sir. You do not belong to these mountains. Otherwise, I would have recognized you.” “Smart.” Ranveer took out his wallet and offered to buy the entire flower basket. Delighted at the generosity of his strange customer, the florist wished him a great day and started for his home. Ranveer on the other hand started whistling while walking along the trailway and enjoying the beautiful countryside.  

Seven years ago, he made a decision. He chose to live his life to the fullest so that her sacrifice would not be in vain. However, instead of feeling relieved, everyone in his life, including his parents, feared that he would turn reckless and endanger his life in the process. Not that he could blame them. She was his reason to live. Without her, he truly had no motivation to move forward. Unbeknownst to them, his newfound will to live stemmed from his desire to honor her memories. 

His whole life he basked in the glory of unrequited love since that’s what his Mota Babuji had taught him. He lived his life believing a beautiful lie and Ranveer aspired to be like him until Ishaani came into his life. She loved him so fiercely that he was forced to change his outlook. He gave her his all and she took away his insecurity. Sometimes he wondered how she could make him feel loved and cherished but broken and vulnerable, all at the same time. 

Was it because he gave her too much power over him? Or due to the depth of her love that compelled him to let his guard down? Or both? The only thing he knew for sure was that she loved him enough to destroy herself for his sake. And it was because of what they shared that he knew whatever little life was left inside him, it would be enough for the two of them. 

A sudden rumbling of thunder interrupted his thoughts. He hadn’t noticed when the dark clouds started to cast a shadow over the weald. The cool breeze made him shiver a little but its psithurism brought him a different kind of joy. It was gonna rain! From where he was standing, it wouldn’t take him more than five minutes to reach his cottage. Another dull afternoon in the comfort of his well-furnished bedroom or a wild experience in the lap of Mother Nature? 

The decision was fairly simple. He put the basket down and sat on the trunk of a tree. The first scent of petrichor filled his lungs as he gazed at the sky, mesmerized by the bolts of lightning flashing across the sky. “I guess there’s still some time before…..” Just then, it started raining. He closed his eyes and lay down on the ground. Gone were the days when he hated to get soaked to the skin. He still remembered how every time it rained, the first thing Ishaani would do was splash rainwater across his face for she refused to accept that something so dear to her didn’t excite him as much.

“Are you happy now that I’ve finally learned to enjoy the rain?” A lone tear escaped his eye as he touched the droplets on his face. How he wished to look into her eyes again! To hold her in his embrace! To tell her how much he loved her! If only crossing the barrier separating them hadn’t meant trampling down her sacrifices, he would have given up his life a long time ago. But he knew better. He couldn’t just toss everything away in his momentary weakness. He knew she was still with him. He felt her presence in the form of the first drop of rain, in the fragrance of his favorite flower, as the shapeless pieces of clay between his fingers when he worked on his wheel. And he owed it to her to live a fulfilling life for she was alive in him. 

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