||The Ray Of Hope||A NiRaj OS - 23/4/2015

The Ray of Hope

"Goodbye, Miss. Nisha..." those words kept haunting her, every time she looked at the direction where his room was.

She had never seen him so broken, so vulnerable, until he had gotten to know that Kabir was his brother. He was deceived again... and this time, it was his own mother... and herself.

Never had she thought that she would see the once inspiring, strong and rational Viraj Singh Rathore so shattered... so wounded.

Never had she thought that there would be a day when she would actually say goodbye to him.

It had been a month since he had gotten to know the truth about his family, his mother, his brother. It had been a month since he left... and she missed him.

No... she shouldn't be thinking about him. She shouldn't be missing him. She was in love with Kabir. Viraj Singh Rathore's chapter was over in her life, forever.

But...

Unaware to herself, there was a part of her wishing otherwise. There was a part of her which was hoping that he would come back. There was a part her which hoped that she would see him again.

He was the one who thought her to live. He was the one who thought her to love. He was the one who made her strong. He had understood her in a way no one ever did. He completed her.

Suddenly, the lights went off. "Damn this electricity..." she murmured to herself in the darkness. It was then she realized that she was afraid of the darkness. She felt the paranoia creeping up. She felt like screaming. She was all alone in the darkness. Kabir too had gone out for some work of his and wouldn't be back until midnight.

Alone... loneliness was too much to handle, just for a few hours... and Viraj had lived with it for his entire life. Shit... she was thinking of him again. "Okay... focus Nisha, you are afraid of the dark. Do something about it." she said to herself, as she tried to switch on her phone.

"Damn... great timing for the battery to go off too." She felt fear taking over her. She hated darkness, she feared darkness and now... she was alone in the darkness.

"Ab main kya karoon?" she thought, as beads of sweat formed on her fore-head. Nasty thoughts took over her mind. Drunk guys, toying her around, trying to get their hands on her. She felt weak. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to assure herself, that she was safe, in her house.

"Miss. Nisha?" she heard a voice coming to her, through the darkness. She marveled at her memory, which recognized the voice immediately. It was a voice which she could recognize anywhere, anytime.

"Viraj... Viraj, aap kahan hai?" she asked, as she desperately tried to find him. His voice felt so close to her, that he had to be somewhere near her.

"I'm in your memory Miss. Nisha. Maybe in your heart too." she heard the voice again.

That was when she actually realized that he was not here. He was gone. He left. He left her alone... maybe physically, but not her memory... not her heart.

"Dar lag raha hai?" she heard his voice again through her head.

"Nahi..." she said stubbornly, to the voice in her head. After deliberating for a moment or two, she said, "Thoda... thoda sa lag raha hai."

"Agar dar ladna hai, toh apne aap se jhoot bolna band kijiye. Nothing's tough." the voice in her head told her.

She sighed. Nostalgia filled her again. It was exactly like how they had met the first time, how he helped her conquer her fear against dogs. Only difference was that, he was in front of her at that time... but now, he was just a memory.

"Haan mujhe dar lag raha hai." she said, oblivious to whether she was saying to herself or to the voice in her head.

"Good... ab aage bado aur apne dar ke saamna karo." the voice in her head said.

"Kaise?" she asked, shivering at the sight of darkness.

"There is always a ray of light in the darkest of times Miss. Nisha. Close you eyes and think of that thing or that person, who gives you hope." the voice said.

There was no need to. She didn't have to close her eyes and think, to know who her ray of hope is. She already had the answer to it. Why did she have to remember him alone when she had everybody with her? Why did her instincts bring that memory back in particular when had many other memories to hold on to? She already had the answer for these questions.

He had given her hope even when her family had failed. He thought her to hope. He thought her to trust. He pulled her out of that wretched darkness which was haunting her. He was her strength as much as he was her weakness. He was her hope. He was her ray of light.

She closed eyes, her mind playing flashes of the moments which they spent together. The way she fell exactly into his arms, the way her body and mind reacted to his presence, his secretive smile, his touch, the way he often forgot her name... as she thought of him, a small smile was playing on her lips. The more she thought of him, the more her smile widened.

"Nisha... Nisha, are you fine?" her thoughts stopped short as she heard Kabir frantic voice in her ear. Her eyes fluttered open as she saw Kabir, who had a weird expression on his face. She then realized that the lights were back, the power was back.

"Nisha... tu teekh hai na? Mujhe call kyun nahi kiya? Tumne manage kaise ki? You are afraid of the darkness hai na?" Kabir bombarded her with questions.

"Relax Kabir. Main bilkul teekh hoon." she said, still smiling.

"Tum baithke smile kaise kar rahi thi? I mean, tujhe andhera se dar lagta hai na? Toh phir kaise?" asked Kabir, puzzled.

"Kabir... there is a ray of light even in the darkest of times." she said, as she went to her room, leaving Kabir bewildered.

"You did it Miss. Nisha. I'm proud of you." she heard his voice again.

"Aap mujhe kabhi akele nahi chodenge na?" she asked as she looked around, half-expecting to see him appear in thin air.

"Never Miss. Nisha. How can I live without my ray of hope?" the voice asked her, making her heart beat faster.

She smiled again. Love doesn't have to be togetherness. Maybe destiny might have played it's part well in separating them. But, it was destiny which connected their hearts, and now, even destiny couldn't break it.