Chapter 3
As soon as they reached home, Sanyukta faked a headache and went upto their room to sleep...Dhruv understood something had upset her , something serious, as in his three years of knowing her, he has never seen Sanyukta like this. He knew asking her about it now is of no use, she will never tell him, she only shares her feelings when she wants, an introvert of the highest degree. After some time, Dhruv quietly went into their room, and saw that Sanyukta was sleeping...he too lied down and tried to sleep...Even though they were married for two years, there was no relationship between them like a husband and wife should have. They share the same bed, but there was a respectable distance between them, there was no intimacy between them. All they would share were formal peck on cheeks, or holding of hands, nothing more. Dhruv loved Sanyukta with all his heart, there was no denying the fact, he had fallen in love with Sanyukta the first time he had met her. How can one not fall in love with someone like Sanyukta? She was so innocent, sweet..there was sadness about her, and that attracted him to her even more...in the first day of their meeting Sanyukta had confessed that she loved someone else..someone who was not with her anymore, as they have broken up...but the way she spoke Dhruv knew she still loved him, even though it had been two years that they have broken up. As they started seeing each other more, Dhruv found a very good friend in Sanyukta. He knew Sanyukta was still hesitant in getting into a relationship, so it came to him as a surprise when Sanyukta said yes to their marriage, that was fixed by their parents. He thought may be Sanyukta was ready to move on finally and did not give it a thought much. It was after their marriage he had noticed that Sanyukta seemed uncomfortable if in any situation he came too close to her, it made him doubt whether Sanyukta was forced into this marriage.
It was two weeks after their marriage and Sanyukta had still not joined work, as her new job was supposed to start after a few more days. Dhruv had decided to come home early and surprise Sanyukta. As he entered the house, he was hit with a delicious aroma which seemed to be coming from the kitchen. He tiptoed inside the kitchen and saw his beautiful wife was busy cooking something. She was so engrossed that she did not even notice when Dhruv had come and was standing behind her. Dhruv could not help himself, she was looking so adorable, as she in deep concentration poured over the cookery book and tried to replicate whatever is written into her culinary skills, he quietly slipped his hands around her waist from behind. Sanyukta jumped feeling someone's hands around her, and turned around screaming. As she saw Dhruv, she calmed herself down , "sorry" she muttered, and freed herself from his arms , distancing herself from him. Dhruv noticed the uncomfortable look on her face and gently asked her, "Is there something you want to say?"
Sanyukta nodded her head in negative and turned around to her cooking.
"Sanyukta, look, I have been noticing from a long time, there is something bothering you..listen, if there is anything at all please share..before anything else we are friends...if you do consider me to be your friend, please tell me what is bothering you...I cannot see you like this..." Dhruv said, feeling a bit helpless, he did consider Sanyukta as his friend more than anything else and to see her upset and distant like this always, hurt him..
Sanyukta looked at him, with tears in her eyes, she quickly turned off the gas burner...and took Dhruv's hand, walking out of the kitchen, towards their living room...once they settled on the couch..Sanyukta said "Dhruv, I am sorry, for behaving so distant with you...I know we are married..i am your wife...but I am sorry, I cannot be like any other normal wife...I am so sorry Dhruv...I don't know why...why ...I just cannot come close to you...I know it must hurt you so much..but there is something broken inside me..i can feel it...and it just don't seem to mend...I thought may be being with you...being friends with you...will fix it...but it just wont...i.." Sanyukta could not continue anymore and began to sob...
Dhruv took her hands in his and said gently..."Hey, I know...I know you had a past...I guess you have not yet moved on from him...but Sanyukta..its all right...time heals every thing...this too shall pass...and as for you hurting me...don't worry about that...I am not hurt...it just hurts me to see you sad, that's all...you are not here to satisfy my needs or anything...you don't need to come close to me...you are my wife..my better half...my life partner...a friend, a companion and I just need that...my friend and companion for life...yes, I Love you Sanyukta,I will not deny that...I love you with all my heart...but that's my problem..you don't have worry about that , and I can wait forever for you to love me back.." Dhruv smiled at her...
Sanyukta ,wiped her eyes and smiled at him.." You are not real, you cannot be.." she whispered, looking surprised..
"Why?" Dhruv said looking surprised..
"How can you just wait forever for me to fall in love with you? No person can have this much of patience" she wondered
"Well, I have a very obstinate wife.." Dhruv joked
"Shut up...look..if I ever find a perfect girl for you...I am going to get you hitched..."Sanyukta said pouting..
"I already have a perfect girl for myself.." Dhruv said smiling..
"No you don't...i will get you a girl who will love you with all her heart...and you will love her back.." said Sanyukta smiling .. "and promise me..you will not say no to her, when I find her.."
"Fine...but on one condition.." Dhruv replied smiling..
"what?" Sanyukta asked looking surprised..
"I will say yes to the girl whom you will find for me...but only if you promise me that you will say yes to the guy I find for you...that guy whom you will love with all your heart and who will love you back in the same way..." Dhruv said looking seriously at her..
"You wont be able to find anyone like that, Dhruv...I don't think I will be able to love anyone again.."Sanyukta smiled sadly..
"You don't know how destiny works Sanyukta..." Dhruv said , giving her a comforting smile..
Dhruv looked at the sleeping figure of Sanyukta, and remembered the promise they had made 2 years back , and smiled sadly...he walked upto her and caressed her forehead lightly , and murmured under his breath.."I don't know what has caused you to hurt you so much, but, I really do hope you get your happiness back.." He went to his side of the bed and switching off the light went to sleep..
Sanyukta till this time, had waited with bated breath , till Dhruv goes to sleep, she had heard what Dhruv had murmured, felt his caring touch...it just made her feel more guilty than she has been already feeling since the time she had met Randhir and realized that all those feelings that she had for him, were still intact...she felt guilty that she despite being married to Dhruv, wanted to hug Randhir, wanted to kiss him, to love him...she felt guilty that she could not make herself fall in love with Dhruv...she felt guilty for not falling out of love with Randhir...she felt tears trickling down her cheeks and wetting her pillow...
Sanyukta got up quietly as she saw Dhruv sleeping..very quietly she got out of her room and made her way to the store room...unlocking the wooden chest...she took out all those thousand letters she had written over the years...hunting through them she got the one she was looking for...it was the letter she had written on the day of her marriage to Dhruv..
"Its my marriage today..you know I had always dreamed this day with you...dreamed of our married life...our kids...a happy family...but I guess destiny wanted something else. I don't know why you left Randhir...it hurt a lot...it still hurts...you did not even say a good bye...didn't our love deserve a final parting also?...i hope you are happy wherever you are..good bye.."
Sanyukta crumpled up the letter and let her tears fall again...that day when she had written the letter , she had swore that she will forget Randhir and try to accept her new life with Dhruv. But she failed in every resolve she made.
She took out a fresh paper and started to write..
"I don't know why I am writing this to you, when I can actually call you up and speak to you..when I can even meet you if I want. But unfortunately I cannot...I will not. I waited for you for so long but you never came back...you just disappeared. And now when I was finally moving on...you just returned. Should I blame it on my fate, my destiny? Or you?...whom should i? . A part of me wants to slap you so hard for making me suffer like this, for ruining my peace...and a part of me wants to forget everything I have...everything that happened , and just run to you...to hug you ...to say that "I love you still"...I know it is so wrong...I am a married woman...how can I just have such thoughts? I cannot hurt Dhruv...he has been my strength all these years...has supported me..when you left me all alone...wish you never came back Randhir...Never would I have thought that one day I would wish this...but today I do...I really wish you never came back..."
Sanyukta finished the letter and put down her head down on the desk...she did not know when sleep took over her..
It was already morning when Sanyukta woke up..she hurriedly got up as she saw that she had fallen asleep in the store room itself. Getting out of the room, she hurried towards her room, praying that Dhruv did not notice that she was missing from their room all night...she saw Dhruv was still sleeping...she sighed in relief and went inside the bathroom to change...By the time she came out, Dhruv had already got up...
He looked at Sanyukta and asked " How are you feeling today?"
"I am fine...err...sorry for spoiling yesterday's dinner..." Sanyukta said guiltily...
Dhruv got up from the bed and went to stand near her and said... "Hey, don't be sorry...we all have our bad days...I guess something went wrong in your office yesterday?"
"yeah...something went wrong..very wrong...I wish yesterday never happened..." Sanyukta said..and felt tears pricking her eyes again...and then she realized something which made her gasp...she will again have to face Randhir again today...and not only that ..she will have to face him for as long as this project will continue..for 6 months may be...just the thought of having to face him everyday and work closely with him, filled her with panic...suddenly she felt sick...
"Anything wrong.." Asked Dhruv , looking concerned, as he saw Sanyukta's face which has gone pale..
"Uh..no I am fine..just remembered a pending work at office.." Sanyukta said , trying to sound normal... "now you go and get ready...we will be late for work..."
As Dhruv was about to leave for work, he told Sanyukta ..." Hey , your car keys are on the shoe rack...I left it there yesterday..."
"Dhruv, can you please wait for a bit.." Sanyukta said suddenly, as she watched Dhruv getting ready to go out...
"Yes...what is it?" Dhruv said , looking surprised..
"Can you please drop me to office...I don't think I can drive today...and umm...can you pick me up while returning in the evening?" Sanyukta said in a small voice...
"Did I hear you correctly?...you want me to drop you to office and then even pick you up back from office?" Dhruv said , sounding shocked..
"Fine, you don't have to...I will manage..if you have so much problem..." said Sanyukta, feeling upset and a bit offended..
"Oh..no..no...I was just kidding...I would be glad to drop my wife to office and pick her up back from office.." Dhruv said smiling at her...
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Will post another chappy 😳
