RaYa FF: A walk by your side! Final Part @pg 5 Updated 13.03.2019 - Page 3

This is a slow paced story having not even a minor climax! 😆

I myself yawn quite a few times while penning it down, at some points, 🤣it may sound too blunt or it may even fail to grab interests of the mass! But this is how it is, thanks to each one of you who are still following this story even if it is way too simple! 😳

******************************************************

A toddler was playing around...who just stumbled after his tiny legs...the old man stood up...pressing his hand on the bench...due to the knee soreness...he somehow managed to walk...massing on the walk stick...he pulled the baby up...who just flashed his gummy jaw...and ran away! He came back to his bench...where his wife was waiting for him...it has become such a proclivity for them that they rejuvenate their journey of life together...don't know why...their memories too peep upon only when they linger...maybe the recollection of their fleck moments also wanted their counterpart!

Flashback:

Ram...flipping reverse...snoozed out...Priya kept turning around...sometimes, looking at the childlike smile on Ram's face...sometimes the wall she was stranding against...she was somehow happy or let's say content...at that moment, she had almost everything she would ask from life...her father...and a mother also...some people around who treat her more like a family than just a sister-in-law! Today's series of events kept reoccupying her mind...but above all, those words of Ram kept echoing on her ears... "He is my father also...she felt like, life got sorted within a day...altogether, it was too dreamy to believe in! After ages, she dozes into a carefree nap...

A while later, Ram rouses up...the thought that grasped his mind was if Sudhir is doing fine...he turns out of the bed to get a check on it! On his way, he finds Priya slumbering on the sofa...Ram checks on his nasal strip...it was on its place...then why is she sleeping on the sofa? He anticipates...maybe she doesn't find enough space to lie down on the bed once he lays down! Kneading on his drowsy eyes...he heads toward Sudhir's bedroom...near to Natasha's one...the nurse on duty was also getting a nap...sitting alongside the chair adjacent to the bed...so is Sudhir!

Suddenly, Priya wakes up...thinking about if her father was doing okay...she rushes out toward his room...on her way, she finds Natasha's door open...her hand was laying on floor...head pillow is misplaced just above her mouth...she smiles...as she found Natasha sleeping just like her brother...she adjusts her pillow below her head...and also places her hand on the bed...while she was leaving the room...she finds Ram coming out of Sudhir's room...both keep silent for a moment...then smile at each other...and make their way to the bedroom! Priya notices the nasal strip that Ram had put on his nose...Ram also observes that she was turning around the bed sofa...both wanted to say something to each other...but din't! Sometimes, it happens nah? That we want to ensure the comfort of the other one next to us...but just don't want to express it? But why? Life is too short...why we indulge in such unnecessary thoughts? Priya asks herself...

There was pin drop silence in the room...which was a bit agonizing too...Priya decides to get up...looks for the nasal strips Ram had brought...where could he keep those? Maybe in the side drawer...or in the cupboard? For her convenience, she finds those only in the table...near to the bed...she takes the packet...and throws it in the trash bin! Still, she wasn't satisfied...she looks back...toward the bed...finds Ram in deep sleep...she consciously takes out the strips he had put...and throws them out too! She heaving a deep sigh of relief...soon drowses off...as Ram starts snoring away to glory!

Next Morning:

Ram extending his arms wide...makes yawn! What a peaceful sleep it was! Even those nasal strips couldn't distract his sleep...! He presses his nose...oh maybe he misplaced that in sleep...that's why he could sleep so comfortably, he remarks! He wakes up...changes into a casual kurta...strolls around! He felt quite afresh...he looks at his white kurta...why not to try the new yellow T-Shirt that Neha had gifted him? He unpacks it...presses the trash bin to place the wrapper...for his surprise, he finds the packet of strips there...who could do this..Priya? He smiles...he looks out for Priya in the corridor...but stops in front of Sudhir's room...Seeing Ram, he attempts to get up...Ram goes near...Baba...Ram stops in the middle...he was about to call him papa...but why did he called him like that he used to call his babuji? Why he felt a connection with this man? Some things just had got no answer!

Baba...you please keep resting! He sees a plate full of almonds...the nurse comes forward...Sir, I would peel it out...Ram takes the plate...starts peeling it out...Sudhir exclaims, beta, let it be nah! Ram calms him down...it okay baba! While peeling the shell out, he declares: it's too hard yaa! Sudhir comments: but the inner portion is quite soft, no? you too like nuts, Ram asks smilingly...yes I do! There are certain things...in life...beta...that would seem hard at first glance...but if you observe carefully, they too would always have a softer side! Ram gives an observing look at Sudhir...this man too talks like his Father! Ram keeps recalling Sudhir's line...which reminds him of Priya...

Maa...he calls out...where is Priya...

KK: She has gone to Sharma house to bring some other necessary stuffs for Sudhirji.

Ram: oh! I would be leaving for office soon! Sharma house is on my way to office, should I check out if she needs any help? KK laughs...yeah, you should!

Sharma house:

Priya hurriedly packs some stuffs...uff...Priya...hurry up! You need to return Home! She thinks for a while, Home? This is her home na? then why she urges to go back to Kapoor mansion? Maybe because Papa is staying there, that's why...she concludes to herself! She strolls down the memory lane for a while...her dressing table...her cupboards...most importantly, her mini library! She takes out some of her clothes too...and decides to take a bath in her well-furnished bathroom! Mr. Kapoor's one is too messy, even if she arranges things for a couple of minutes, he messes it up within a second! She gets a quick shower and comes out in her bath robe...massaging her wet hair! At that moment, Ram steps in, Priyaaa! She hesitates for a while, what this man is doing here...she blubbers out! Ram realizes that he had make an entry at the wrong time...now the Sherni may bursts out! But he doesn't take a step back...he acts normal..Priya...do you need any help in packing the stuffs? Priya replies: I guess, no! She looks at the full sleeve upper coat kept in the bed...before she could grab it, Ram holds the piece of the clothes...puts it on her...making a direct eye contact! There was no hesitance, there was no confusion, there was no discomfort in his eyes...not at all...Priya notices...he din't even look at her while putting on the long vest...wasn't she looking appealing enough? She looks at the adjacent mirror...she was!

Wouldn't you like to take some books along...he asks...observing the book rack kept in her room. There are certain things, that would always remain yours...no matter wherever you keep them...she gives a firm reply!

*****************************************************************

The couple laughs aloud...there are always two sides of the same coin...some perceive that you should grab your claim at the first place on the things which are yours whereas some feel that if it is yours, then there is no need to grab your rights on it...it would always remain yours only! The couple would choose the second option if given, they had no hurry to be each other's...since they belonged to each other...since always!

Before i lose the track, thought to make a quick update, thank you all for your patience! :))

*****************************************************************************************

During their era, they could not recall watching any film based on the concept "love is friendship like we all watched while growing up...still, they believed and felt that friendship should be the vital base to any relationship...be it a married couple or simply two souls who are not materialistically hooked to any connection...after all, friendship is such a bond which is free from any worldly strings...a tie unflatter by any kind of social pressure...the couple on their eighties, seemingly share a strong bond of friendship...their interconnection progressed being in the journey of camaraderie...as it says, the more you get to know a person, the better you start admiring the fellow!

*****************************************************************************************

Flashback:

Priya kept tossing around the couch...the morning scene flashed upon her mind...the fact that it din't catch Ram's gape when she was in her bathrobe, wondered her! Somewhere it did hurt a little bit too! She continued to turn around in malaise...a moment later, a twinkle forms upon her face...along with her duvet & pillow, she headed toward the bed...cautiously, she makes a place in the fraction of remaining space of the double sized bed...she smiles looking at the composed face of Ram...who had been capturing the one third of the bed...sleeping in a kind of awkward position...throwing each of his legs throughout the bed...a texture of pride peeps upon her mind...she found a new bond of Trust sharing with the man sleeping next to her...and luckily, the man was her husband...!Before she could come on a term with her mixed set of emotions...she cozily goes inside the duvet and dozes off to a peaceful sleep...

Next morning...Ram arouses up finding Priya next to him...though he couldn't figure out that what could make her shift from couch to bed...a positivity hooks around...he couldn't help but smiled!

Later on the day, since everybody had a plan of their own for the weekend...Krishna Ji was insisting RaYa too to go out...she assured that she would supervise the nurse on duty for Sudhir Ji to make sure that everything runs smoothly...though Priya was reluctant in the beginning, she had to agree to Krishna Ji eventually...

A nearby beach, Mumbai:

Ram simply responding to the nature, let his feet moist...Priya remains calm...sitting in a nearby fence...indulged in a vain attempt to concentrate on her half-finished novel... whenever she visits such a place...a sense of emptiness grasps her mind...only the toddlers playing around with their respective parents catch her attention...maybe an incomplete childhood haunts her...? While coming in a term with her thoughts...she decides that someday she would visit the beach with Krishna Ji...her newly found love and respect for her was escalating with each passing day...

She observes that everything about the sea was so peaceful...be it the efflux of the beach...or the soothing climate...or the continual noise from the visitors...altogether, each and everything was complementing the relaxing atmosphere... suddenly, she notices Ram's tranquil move enjoying the wave...she notes the page on which she was in...folds the book and makes a walk toward the sea! She makes a place beside the spot where he was standing...looks upon the sea...it felt like that the salty wave had so much to shed upon its own story of grief...but somewhere it was also bearing the certitude that it had much more in its treasure to share...and it had proudly chose to spread happiness over the misery...Priya too chose the moment to live...she took a deep breath...surrendering herself fully to the nature...she didn't realize exactly when Ram started to stare at her...but she no longer tried to keep her emotions within herself...she let go all her distress...Ram observes a dew drop forming on his pair of eyes which doesn't fail to grab Priya's regard...both kept gazing at the same direction of the sea for a while...letting the ceaseless wave tickling their toes...neither they shared a word...there was no need for words either!

A moment later, Priya returns to the fence...resumes from where she left the story...one of the lines comes to her notice: "The best friend you can have is the one you can sit on the porch with and don't say a word...and then get up and feel like that was the best conversation you have ever had. Those words made sense to her...maybe they opened up the doors to a new layer of their relationship also...

Upon their return to home, Ram finds Natasha nowhere in the house...he kept waiting till late evening when Nutz came back...on her way to the room, she faces Ram...the questioning look on his face was quite clear to her...she steals an eye lock...and remained standing frightened...Priya, who was passing across, could sense the arising anxiety between the duo..She invites a sudden conversation...

Priya: Natasha, did you bring my clothes?

Natasha (confused): which one Bhabhi?

Priya (pretends): the one I asked you to collect?

Natasha (guessing the sign) oh yaa, that one? The tailor told its not been ready yet!

Ram clearly understanding the silent conversation between Priya and Nutz, heaves a sigh...on his way to his room, he overhears how Priya forbidding Nutz not to be late next time...making her realize that even if she does, she should notify her family members...to which Natasha obediently nods..he makes a slight laugh of satisfaction...he felt like expressing his gratitude to Priya...but he couldn't find any proper word which could support his exact frame of mind...after all, thank you wouldn't be good enough for all those lady figures of the kin who silently contribute the most to keep the bond of a family strong without expecting anything in return! Right?

A few days pass in moderate comfort...while knowing each other a bit closely...Sudhir ji also made an improvement by that time...a fine evening it was...everybody enjoying the light chit chat over the coffee...Priya who was reading quite an interesting tale...was thoroughly enjoying the jokes that Rishabh was throwing on her side...since they all were in a delighted mood, anybody could not notice when the night came down...slowly, Priya started losing interest from the book...unknowingly, she kept waiting for Ram since it was already past the time Ram usually comes back from office...she excused herself from the dinner table stating that she was not really hungry...though the reality was different! Actually, she wanted a quiet time for herself...so that she could attempt to balance out her own thoughts..Was she waiting for Ram? But why? He din't even feel the necessity to inform her that he would get late, and she was skipping her dinner for him? It was hurting her extensively pointing out that he doesn't consider her a part of HIS life even after so many days of their marriage...she decides to confront him soon after his return!

It was past 11 o'clock...everybody was asleep when Ram came back...he was making his way to the restroom...he kind of slipped on his way...which wakes Priya up...seeing Ram, she was about to question him...but going near to him, she realized that for some reasons or the other, he was not keeping well! While looking upon him, she noticed his reddish eyes...he blinked barely...with a nod that he was doing okay...Priya clutched his wrist to balance the footing...he mummers: I am doing fine...may be my blood pressure did fluctuate a bit...I will be fine once I get a shower...no worries! Priya couldn't figure out which actually could raise the BP of such a composed person like Ram...before she could conclude anything, he stumbled upon his knees...she awakened by this, somehow manages to hold him in the circle of her arms...he dragged himself inside the bathroom...even before he could lock the door...he makes his way to the basin...first, Priya thought to stand outside the washroom...hearing a distinct sound of throwing up, she rushes inside...finds Ram in front of the wash basin rinsing water on his face...Priya rubbed his back smoothly...he somehow felt a bit lighter after throwing it off!

Few moments later, Priya gets the hand pump to get a douche so that she could wash off his scalp...a moment later, while massaging his wet hair...she slides in the damp floor...Ram grabs her elbow quickly...by the sudden take, both slide against the wall behind them...Priya leans against the wall behind her taken aback by their proximity...her back stirs the shower knob and the water wave starts splashes upon them...in an attempt to take her out from below the shower, he ends up getting even more close to her...finally...he releases his head on her shoulder...ends up finding peace!

*****************************************************************************************

As people say, we can share our happiness with all the people around...but we can share our sorrows only with a few chosen ones! Sometimes, whatever the people say, it feels so true...no? Ram and Priya also felt the same that night...the couple still admire how that night revealed a fragment of their past...and how that reinforced their present and also the future...!