Sometime next week 😃
'Where are we going?' Ragini asked, as she descended the stairs, following Nachiket to the car.
'You will see sweetheart' he replied back, opening the back door of the car and swinging the duffel bag inside. Ragini could see his bag on the back seat as well.
As they both settled down in their respective seats and Nachiket started the car, Ragini remembered the phone call the previous night. It was a short, simple call and held an urgent request. Nachiket had called to request her to take a few days off from work; he had apparently planned some surprise for her. Ragini had been elated. Three days had passed since he had come back to her life, with full fanfare - straight from the venue of his cancelled engagement. His intentions had been honourable; his emotions displayed on his sleeves and honest tears in his eyes. Ragini couldn't have fathomed the beautiful turn their lives were taking once again, had she herself not heard his simple statement that he could never love anybody else but her.
She smiled wistfully as he hooked the seat belt in it's slot. She just couldn't believe that they were together once again; it seemed like old days once again but she knew that a lot of things have changed between them. Changes that they would now have to take stock of to avoid further pitfalls.
As they hit the road, Ragini repeated her question.
Nachiket turned towards her and said
' We are going to get our lives back on track. We are going to Alibagh. We are going to get the sea back in our lives.'
Ragini's eyes filled with tears as she realized the intention behind the journey. She looked out of the car window, ignoring Nachiket. Silent tears flowed down her cheeks as she valiantly tried to control herself.
They continued in silence for some time, when suddenly the car pulled up in front of a roadside vendor selling corns. Nachiket knew that Ragini loved eating fresh corns, roasted over a steady fire, and liberally splashed with lime juice. He knew that he had to try hard to make his Ragini happy; she deserved it so much.
By then, Ragini has also alighted from the car and joined him in front of the stall. Her mouth watered as the smell of the roasted corn tickled her senses. Nachiket could almost feel the happiness permeating out of her; he was happy that her tears had stopped - she had had cried all these years, and he was determined never to let her cry again.
He accompanied Ragini towards the passenger side of the car, as Ragini munched on the corn, happily. He stopped her as they reached the car and whispered lightly
'I still can't stand tears in your eyes Ragini. It kills me every moment to think that for the past 15 years, I have been responsible for these tears, when I could have easily taken the first step.'
Ragini looked up at his handsome face which was now clouded with unhappiness. She placed her hand over his heart and said,
'Nachiket, it's not your fault please. We both made mistakes. Neither of us tried to fight for our family, our love - our immaturity, inexperience and unbridled anger got the better of us. And before we realized, we had lost so much precious time. I am sorry for these tears, I am sorry for getting so emotional and hormonal at the simplest things.'
Nachiket shook his head and urged her back into the car. He returned to the driver's seat and restarted the car. A few minutes later, he commented
'That hormonal thing can easily be taken care of, you know'
Ragini looked back at him puzzled, as a naughty grin appeared on his face. His grin widened further as he continued
'You know it right? That I am going to make sweet love to you ...'
Her breath caught in her throat, as he leant towards her and whispered
... very soon.'
Ragini's face flushed a beetroot red as she forcibly pushed Nachiket away, trying hard to ignore his chuckles.
...
As the car flew towards Alibagh, Nachiket turned on the car radio and tuned to his favourite station, where they played classic Hindi songs. He knew Ragini loved these old songs as well. As the strains of the song Mera dil tera pyaasa started playing over the airwave, his face broke into a faint smile as he remembered how flustered she had got regarding his comment about their lovemaking - she had looked so cute at that moment; almost like that innocent Ragini he had courted so many years back, before their marriage.
Even now after so many years, after the kids, she still reacted the same way, he thought. And smiled.
He glanced towards Ragini, she was now dozing comfortably in her seat, her face turned towards him. Strands of silky hair fell across her face, and Nachiket swept them off gently, behind her ears.
And then turned his attention to the road.
...
Sometime later
Ragini woke up with a start, as the car encountered another curve along the road.
'Where are we Nachiket? Have we reached yet?' she asked, as she pulled her open hair into a bun.
'Another 40 minutes, I think and we should reach Alibagh' Nachiket replied as he kept his eyes glued onto the road. The curves along the road were sharp and numerous, and he didn't want to take any chances with Ragini in the car. She was way too precious for even a moment of casual attitude.
After a while, he spoke
'Ragini, do you remember the Bungalow that Dadaji had at Alibagh? It was a part of the will'
Ragini shook her head in affirmation as he continued,
'When I shifted to US, I sold that Bungalow and the farmhouse at Igatpuri as well. I wanted to sever all connections with this place. I thought that if I couldn't survive a relationship with you here, I might as well do away with everything.'
Taking a deep breath, he continued
'But I was wrong. This time around, the moment I realized that there was a chance, however trivial, I wanted to rebuild every relation I had squandered away. And as luck would have it, the gentleman who had purchased the Bungalow then, his family was too keen to sell it off, to settle a loan. I didn't think twice about it, when the news came to me. Imagine my surprise, it's almost as if my entire life is falling into place, 15 years too late though.'
'I can't believe that we are actually going to Dadaji's Bungalow. And it's by the sea, if you remember it at all. I think we came here only once or twice.'
Realizing the emotional upheaval that he was going through, Ragini placed her hand on top of his hand, resting on the gear. He looked at her and smiled, the lines around his mouth softening into a smile.
...
They reached Alibagh in good time. Ragini good naturedly cribbed about how she missed the panoramic drive due to her sleep. Nachiket collected her hand in his as they walked steadily towards the Bungalow. The Bungalow stood facing the sea, with an extended private beach, and with palm fronds shielding the rooms from the Sun. The view from the house was amazing, Ragini thought as they went to the garden at the back, opening onto the beach.
The Caretaker, his son and daughter in law welcomed them gracefully and showed them to their rooms, in the 2nd floor of the Bungalow, the balconies of which opened to the Sea view as well.
Nachiket deposited Ragini's bag in her room and started walking towards the door, when Ragini stopped him
'Where are you going Nachiket? Am I to stay alone in this room?'
She looked all around her, trying to gauge the emotions as Nachiket walked back to her and held her gently
'Ragini, nothing in the world could keep me away from you. But I do realize that we are not a couple officially'
Tears shone in her eyes, as she replied back
'Not a couple officially? What do you mean? For God's sake, we had been married for four years and we have beautiful children. What more does one need?'
Nachiket wiped a teardrop away from her cheek and gazed into her eyes intently as he said
'Had been married, Ragini. We are not husband and wife now. It is enough for me, but is it enough for you? For now?'
Not sparing a moment, Ragini hugged him tightly
'This is what I want. You are who I want to be with, Nachiket. To spend my entire life with. A paper isn't going to change anything for me. I won't have it any other way.'
'Let's make memories Nachiket. The ghosts of the past are of no use'.
Cupping her face delicately in his hands, he kissed her on her lips. Hesitantly. Softly. Almost like a whisper. And then finally, with passion. The passion that had once ensconced their lives reclaimed its reign in full force; it had been lying dormant all this while; feigning absence of it's existence.
...
The moon light glittered on the sea waves as the darkness of the evening gave way to an inky, dense night. The silver waves beckoned the two souls who now lay engulfed in each other's arms, their hearts beating as one. The view from their room was breath taking - they could almost feel the magnetic pull of the moon, causing their blood to sing in an ancient, primitive rhythm which was age old as the earth itself. As old as the concept of love itself.
Ragini lay her head over his heart and looked outside; her soul was at peace now. Wrapped in his warmth, all she could think of was how he was the mate that her soul had yearned for all these years, and how that yearning had torn her apart. And now after becoming one once again - in body, mind and spirit, she felt healed. Almost as if the gaping hole in her heart had finally mended. They were like yin and yang - one could not survive without the other. Though different as chalk and cheese, they needed each other to fulfill themselves.
She knew that while she looked out at the nearly shimmering waves, he was staring at her intently, his arms wrapped around her waist, anchoring her to him - not wanting to disturb her. And yes, he was also thinking of his soul mate, she knew. He didn't have to tell her anything, anymore. She knew him by instinct. The first kiss, the first touch and suddenly they were in familiar terrain, where their touches transmitted their feelings, their weaknesses, their fears and insecurities. And once the border was crossed, there lay peace in it's myriad hues.
Eternal peace. The kind of peace which found them this night, the kind of peace which had eluded them for so long. The kind of peace which made it's way back to the lovers, without having being sought after.
As her eyes started drooping, Ragini could feel Nachiket pulling the comforter on top of them, covering them from the chill.
'Yes, this is good. I could definitely get used to this', she thought, as she settled down to sleep. The fire of the moondance coursed through the veins of the night, as it watched the lovers glide into an eternal bliss
The End 😊
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