FF: Love, Cherish me ~~ Epilogue ~~ - Page 61

For Eternity

City Hospital, 3^rd Floor, Room-308:

Bihaan raised his head from where it was lying on Thapki's tummy and sat straight. "Then that is where we will go."

Both the broken hearted souls stared into each other's eyes at that sentence.

Thapki gave a dry laugh and slapped Bihaan with whatever weak strength she could muster.

"Pagal..." She shook her head smiling sadly.

"What did you expect me to say then? Why say such a thing??" Bihaan admonished morosely.

Thapki sighed, "I still w-want to leave..."

"I think it is about time..."

Thapki inquisitively looked at Bihaan.

"I think it is about time we listen to Preity bhabi... we should run away."

Thapki stared at her husband, trying to figure out whether he was serious or just saying this time.

Bihaan looked at her with conviction, "Yes... Thapki let's run away...only you and me...far from everyone...far from all the chaos...only us..."

A tear slid down Thapki's cheek, "Sach?" she asked still not believing.

"Yes, Thapki, you only need to get stronger; faster you get better, sooner we can run away"

The forlorn lovebirds smiled at each other already dreaming of a future...but they both stiffened at the sound of a knock.

It was just the duty doctor and nurse, who came to check on Thapki on his daily round this time.

"Mrs. Pandey, you are awake I see...good, very good" The doctor was a middle aged lanky fellow, with a kind and cheerful face.

Bihaan stood and moved to a corner letting the doctor and nurse check on Thapki, take her pulse, check the IV drip and so on.

"How do you feel apart from weakness, which is quite normal...you lost quite a bit of blood."

"I feel f-fine."

"Good, Any pain?"The doctor wrote something in his file.

"No" Thapki shook her head...

"Very good" he scribbled something again.

"Doctor, w-when can I leave?" Thapki asked eagerly, she simply couldn't wait to run away with Bihaan, forget everything and start again.

"Not anytime soon I think, but it all depends on your haemoglobin level. Until it rises you will be at risk. You will be too weak to function even a simple every day chore. We will run a check on your blood tomorrow morning to monitor how you are faring" He said with a kind smile.

Looking at Thapki's crestfallen look, he added, "Don't worry, just rest well, eat properly you will be fine within days"

The good doctor looked at the sad looking young couple, the devastation and loss they suffered could be surmised from their expression.

"I know miscarriages can be extremely painful both physically and emotionally. And it affects not only the mother but the father as well. However, about 15 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriages within 20 weeks of conception...and most of the time, women don't even realise they are miscarriaging because they think they are just having a period, having no idea they were pregnant. Mrs. Pandey you were just unlucky enough to be haemorrhaging so heavily while miscarriaging."

The doctor looked at the sad looking beautiful girl, "I can guarantee you will be completely physically healed when you leave this hospital...but emotionally, your scars will take time to heal...just give it time"

He turned to Bihaan, "But it is not the end of the world. You both are young, you both are healthy...there is no reason you won't be able to conceive again...just give her some time to recuperate and you guys can try again."

The doctor left with the nurse after that...

"He talks too much" Thapki was still reeling from the doctor's speech.

"I know...I like him" Bihaan smiled.

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Next morning:

"Thapki don't be such a pest, be a good girl and eat...you have to gain your strength quickly remember?"

"But this hospital f-food tastes like shit." Thapki grimaced.

"But this is what you have to eat to get better."Bihaan was standing next to her bed trying to feed her.

"You are worse than a j-jailer." Thapki took the spoonful of gooey porridge Bihaan was offering, reluctantly into her mouth.

"I know" Bihaan smiled and scooped up the next spoonful.

The door to their room open and Vasundhara walked in.

Thapki gave a yelp and grabbed Bihaan's t-shirt and cowered into his chest like a scared animal.

No, No, No, it is too soon...I don't have the strength to pretend indifference yet...it is too soon to get separated from Bihaan again...too soon...please anyone make her go away...

Bihaan froze seeing his mother; he was still holding the spoon midair.

Vasundhara flinched, seeing Thapki's reaction to her. Was she really that monstrous? Did she really abuse the girl to her present pitiful condition? Tears stung her eyes. OH God what had she done! Vasundhara covered her mouth with her hand.

Bihaan placed the food container on the side table and draped his arm around the cowering girl shivering in fright into his chest.

He resignedly prepared himself to confront his mother again. Only god knows where this would lead today...But Ma looked different today...somehow...

Is she... What the hell is she doing?? Bihaan looked at her mother disbelievingly who was clasping her both hands in front of her...as if ...as if she was asking for forgiveness.

His mother asking for forgiveness? He scoffed even thinking about it...

"Please forgive me, my children, please forgive me." Bihaan tried to move over to his mother then, but Thapki increased her death grip on him not allowing him to move.

"I know what I have done is beyond pardonable, beyond redemption, beyond forgiveness...but please try to show your old mother a little bit leniency by at least trying to forgive me."

Vasu's shoulders were shaking in her sobs and she was still clasping her hands in front of her... begging pitifully.

Bihaan didn't know how to react but stare incredulously at his mother's sudden change of heart; Thapki had stopped shivering and listening obviously but didn't turn to look at Vasu, still hiding her head into Bihaan's chest.

"I am the only one to be blamed for your misfortunes, I am the witch and villain in your love story. I can't give you back what you have lost but I promise I will try to make it up to you guys until the day I die."

Thapki released her death grip on Bihaan finally and Bihaan ran to his mother taking her clasped hands into his. He shook his head tears running down his face seeing his mother crying like that, "No, Ma...you don't have---"

Vasu stopped Bihaan from saying anything further, "No Bihaan let me admit my sins today. I am a deplorable, selfish and terrible human being. Even god won't absolve me the sins I have done against you two."

"No...Ma, stop it..."

"Don't call me Ma, Bihaan...I don't deserve to be a mother...you are always such a beautiful, big hearted and lovely child, but I have always behaved abominably towards you, discriminated against you...I am not fit to be a mother. Can you ever forgive me?"

"There is nothing to be forgiven ma, you were simply misguided and I have nothing against you. I am so lucky to have you as my mother."

Vasu simply burst into more tears at Bihaan's kind answer.

Thapki was now sitting on her bed, looking at Vasu blinking owlishly, trying to figure out whether it was some new plan Vasu was enacting or not because it all seemed too good to be true...

Vasu moved to touch Thapki's feet, to which she recoiled and crawled backwards until there was no more space to go folding her knees close to her chest. Thapki couldn't help but be scared of this lady who was a mastermind of manipulations.

Vasu clasped her hands instead when Thapki recoiled from her, "Thapki beta, I will never ever try to separate you from your Bihaan again. Believe me. I will never come between you two ever again. Please forgive me... "

"Thapki forgives you too, Ma" Bihaan said.

Thapki looked at her husband, aghast how a person could be so soft hearted, so trusting, so loving...She looked at Vasu who was still looking at her, Thapki nodded in agreement to what Bihaan said, to please her husband. Yes, I will forgive you probably, Ma, maybe in next 30 years or later. Thapki kept that thought in her mind.

Bihaan moved and hugged his mother tightly then.

"I love you Ma" Bihaan cried into his mother's arms.

"I love you too, Bihaan, my child"

Pandemonium broke into the room after that...everyone rushed in noisily, Preity and Suman bhabi wiping happy tears from their eyes, Bauji smiling showing his 32 teeth, Dadima nodding approvingly, Dhruv sir smiling his shy smile, Ashwin and Sanjay Bhaiya hi fiving...Thapki noticed her parents too, her sister...her mother rushed to hug her...all within seconds.

After lots of running here and there and requesting grumpy officials and doctors, calling higher trustees of the Hospital committee, Thapki was at last allowed to leave the hospital for two hours, provided a nurse accompany her and she would not exert herself.

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12:30 pm, Shiv Shakti Durga Mandir

The groom had showered, shaved and was looking dapper in a simple beige kurta pajama. The bride was looking a bit pale but gorgeous in a simple red georgette saree with a thin embroidered golden border. She was not wearing a single piece of jewellery but that seemed to increase her beauty more. Just a small red dot of kumkum and kohl was her only makeup. And whoever saw the couple couldn't help but sigh at the beautiful sight they made.

The marriage ceremony began shortly after 12: 30 and the father of the bride gave away the bride's hand to the groom in Kannyadaan. Bit by bit all the rituals were performed and this time every ritual was done in complete faith and belief unlike the previous unfortunate occasion. When the time came to take the 7 Pheras, the groom picked up the blushing bride in his strong arms and circled the Holy Fire seven times vowing solemnly to her and the bride vowing to him in return making them each other's for eternity. He then filled up his wife's bare hair partition with vermilion and tied the mangalsutra around her neck. All the family members surrounding them cheered at the completion of the marriage and the husband hugged his new wife in front of everyone ignoring all the cat calls and cheering.

There were no fancy ostentatious wedding decorations, no colourful flower arrangements, no extravagant clothes or glitzy jewellery, no wedding guests apart from the immediate family but it was the most beautiful ceremony anyone ever saw or attended, and there was not a single dry eye present in audience. Thapki and Bihaan's forbidden love finally got acknowledged after a long hard journey of overcoming adversities, hurdles and obstacles.

The nurse then hurried everyone back to the hospital, because no matter how poignant and emotional the moment was, the bride looked ready to faint any moment.

Thapki was released from the hospital 4days later. From the hospital Thapki and Bihaan went directly to the airport and boarded a flight to Srinagar. Bauji had presented them a 3 weeks getaway to The Lalit Grand Palace in Srinagar, where the still weak, new bride could recuperate to better health. He hoped the newlyweds would utilize the getaway for some different purpose as well.

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Epilogue

PS. I want to thank and appreciate each and everyone who has been with me in this long journey and laughed and cried along with my Thapki and Bihaan. I never ever believed I could give words to my thoughts and finish the FF. If I did this, it is all because of you guys, the love, appreciation and praise you have bestowed on me, motivated me to come this far. And offcourse my bestie Chickee, without whom I would have probably gotten lost somewhere...but she guided me to this ending. I am blessed to have you all.

Thank you

Originally posted by: Chickee

Oh I do love an HEA

Mubarak meri Jaan, on achieving one for yourself

More cyber hugs