Epilogue
A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D
Here is the last update for the story, bringing this beautiful journey to an end at long last. It's been an honour knowing all of you, and words are not going to be able to express my gratitude for the amount of love, affection and encouragement that you all have been generous and abundant in lauding me with right from the start, sticking through thick and thin while we all embarked upon the journey together. And once again, I'd love to thank all the readers, reviews and viewers of the story for the unimaginable support and never ceasing love. Loads of love and even more hugs to all of you, because none of this would have been possible without you. Any of you.
But before we move ahead, I would especially like to thank three people without whose constant support right from the start, I wouldn't have been so pushed to give this my best shot:
The first is matsh - you've been my mind through this journey, always giving me your honest feedback and criticism whenever I required it. You've always told me when and where I could improve and have always given me the sense of practicality with your advice time and again, without which I'm certain I'd have not been so keen with the minutest of details. You've never failed to give me feedback even though your schedule has been so packed, and I truly and genuinely love you loads and loads for that [I love you waise bhi loads, mommy ;)]. Thank you for always been loving, supporting and encouraging me and being there for me at all times, through thick and thin. And I don't need to get anymore sentimental with you because you know it all. :* :* I hope that you don't really disown me after the epilogue. *laughs*
The second is Elvish - darling, you've been my heart through this journey for I'm sure that half of this wouldn't have been possible without your relentless motivation and constant love and advice, listening, discussing and sharing everything like the way we have. You've been an extraordinary part of my journey and someone in whom I've found one of my closest friends in, someone who I can always rely upon to give me the most honest feedback, and who is also my life saver when I'm all anxious with the chapters. And no matter how much I thank you for it, it's never going to be enough because words aren't going to be enough to express all the things I have to tell you and all the love and respect that I do hold for you. So just know that I love you so much, and I hope that we're always going to be there for each other the way we are now. :D :D
And third and the most important, is Dv - you've been my soul through this journey, sweetheart, and no matter how much I express my gratitude, its always going to be less. You've been there on this journey right from the start to the finish, not failing to leave me a review even a single time till date. You've stuck with me through thick and thin, always giving justice in your reviews to whatever effort I've taken even at a time like Book 5 where your reviews have been nothing but life-savers for me every single time because you understood the need of the hour as a writer rather than a reader. You may think you blabber nonsense, but trust me I always wait for your review like no other. And no matter how many words I try to express my love, admiration and respect for you, it's not going to be enough. It's been a true honour to know you and I'm glad to have found such a dear friend, and just know that I love you so, so much. :D :D
And so, this chapter is dedicated to you, Dv, both for your unconditional love and support and because it's your birthday week coming up. Happy Birthday in advance, darling, and I hope that you get all the love, happiness, success and prosperity you deserve! :D :D All the best for your exams and I know that you're going to do brilliantly in them.
Not keeping y'all for long now,
Happy Reading! :D :D
The skies drew towards the fast-approaching dusk while the
clouds soared like a child running, the blue of the sky now claimed with bouts
of yellow and orange.
Dusk had always been a personal favourite - the more preferred
choice.
The explosion of colours across the sky in a myriad of hues always
captivated the onlooker, its beauty capturing the real zest of living that
remained etched in the soul of the beholder. Its essence always left a feeling
of victory - that another day had been conquered. Another battle won with the
remnants of the day to be cherished as one's own little reward.
And as the car travelled along the path home, the occupant in
the back seat continued to stare at the sky outside, lost in thought. How could
one night change the entire course of their lives was something the onlooker
had trouble fathoming till today even though it had been two whole years for
the incident to have taken place.
Exactly two years, for today marked its anniversary.
The smooth journey helped the tired onlooker to relax. And
so began the same train of thoughts again. What would life have been had Chirag
Mehta not been in it in the first place? His presence had not been known when
they were in school, so it was something they could overlooked. But what about
the life-changing events that involved Sydney?
What if Chirag Mehta had not stepped in then to take
advantage of her vulnerability?
Perhaps he would have returned and proposed to her,
just like he'd planned. He would have then taken her to Surat, spoken about
their marriage to their respective parents and would have given them time to
think about their social differences before taking any decision.
He would have taken up a job in Sydney and would have let her
complete her Masters in the US in the meanwhile, making day and night one to
lessen the gap between their statuses. They'd have earned decently for
themselves and would have created a world of their own. Eight years down the
line, they'd have been married and would have even had kids. Three of them
maybe!
Who knew?
It would have been the perfect life, the perfect ending as
they continued to live happily ever after with each other until the end,
knowing only love and happiness. Only respect and contentment. Only companionship
and gratitude.
But that was folly to think about, the onlooker knew now.
What good was it to think about a life that no mortal man could have? A life
with no ups and downs was a flat-line, the concept of a perfect life even more
so. Perfection was man-created, not God-gifted.
No man was perfect, and his story certainly wasn't.
And as the wind caressed the onlooker's face, another
thought flew across. What would have happened if Chirag Mehta hadn't have died
that night? The mental asylum was certain, especially after everything that did
happen that night. It was inevitable. And why wouldn't it be after yet another
life-changing event? The confession was supposed to be their newfound haven of
happiness, the push to finally let go. They would've drowned themselves into each
others' love-filled embrace and would've let the passion and desire lead them
towards a better future.
What had awaited them, though?
A killer in the alley who'd lured and ambushed him first,
and had left him for the dead behind a dumpster before setting out in pursuit
for her. Her shrieks had brought him back to consciousness, barely tackling her
upon the ground at the right time against a bullet that went amiss. And yet, neither
were they left for the dead nor the living by the end.
A bed in a psychiatric ward was certain after the extremities
they'd been pushed to. Their sanities were now teetering on the edge of the
thinnest paper with either side holding life or death, and the possibility of
the other not making it...
The thought alone was like a bullet ripping through a
fragile heart.
The onlooker wondered at times whether the psychiatric ward
was where they actually were right now, living what they thought was some kind
of stable, delusional life. The tyrants of the world dead - one in reality and
the other in spirit.
Who really cared for the nutcase shut in a ward with the
other's name written all over the walls? In every breath, upon every beat until
death finally took mercy and claimed the onlooker as its own rather than make them
live the rest of their life in a state worst than the dead? Just alive enough
to breath, that's all. Not to think, not to understand, not to live. Just to breathe
the others' name like a prayer.
A never-ceasing prayer in a world of madness. Oblivion.
Sadism. Masochism.
But life had neither of the three for sanity was the one
thing the onlooker remained in complete command of. It was no ideal world and
there was no happy ending written for anyone, but there wasn't an insanely
brutal end awaiting them at the finish line either. It was a slow, gradual
progress towards normalcy amidst a myriad of complications.
Life had been abnormally normal.
As the car drew into Wolseley Street and headed towards its
destination, the onlooker smiled pensively. A lot had happened since the night
that changed their lives forever. Some good, some bad. Some heartbreaking, some
heart-warming. Some solace-filled, some apprehension-drawing. But it had been
life at its face value with nothing holding back the present anymore - neither
the past nor the future.
Just the present driving itself as each day passed by.
The setting sun left its essence all across the
magnificently shaded skies that boasted of more hues than the human mind to
identify as the car pulled into the gates of the regal Salmona Villa, snapping
the onlooker back to reality. The nature around the bungalow stood in tender
welcome as colours bloomed in summer's delight, the aura inviting.
The car drew to a halt in front of the doorstep at long
last, bringing the journey to an end.
Ranveer Vaghela got down from the car with grace, sunglasses
slammed upon his sun-kissed face while his black three-piece suit glimmered in
the last moments of the evening sun. He made his way into the house with easy
steps only to find it deserted.
It was custom of the timing, he mused as he looked towards
the clock - 5:45PM.
He'd decided to come home early today for a change even
though change was something RV had not in these two years. He was still
the same wiz-brained robot and the hawk who the world now feared even more after
his year-long absence. But he knew no fear anymore.
Fear was for the weak; bravado for the strong.
But for the wise with experience?
It was acceptance.
Ranveer now redirected his steps towards the back door,
deciding to head for the beach. That was where he'd find what he sought. The
beach was where his universe sat in wait of him, he knew as he
took in the fresh summer air, intoxicated by the power nature still held upon
him.
And then he smiled.
Smiling was something he didn't shy away from anymore
because he didn't need to. His past had been the reason to take away his smile
time and again in several walks of life. A past whose burden he was eased of
when he let go of the pain in the emergency room; a despondent life that was
stripped away from him when he flat-lined on the table. A time of death had
been declared shortly before he'd been resuscitated by Devarsh, who'd given it
another shot on instinct.
And with that, the phoenix had taken birth again.
Through several lapses of momentary consciousness and
fluctuating vitals, he'd finally regained complete consciousness after a whole
week. An entirely new world remained in wait as he looked at the mundane
ceiling above him, the last few memories returning before his world blended into
a black abyss. His body felt sore; like a patch-work doll who'd been broken
into pieces and had been glued back together. He wasn't in any real pain, but
he did feel extremely drowsy.
And with the memories had come the paranoia, the
apprehension, the confusion as the nurse tending to him spotted him awake.
Before he could muster the courage to speak, the nurse had rushed out of the
room to call the doctor on-call, leaving him behind in a world of uncertainty.
A world where answers were a must. He had to know what had happened to her! He
didn't know what his being alive was supposed to mean when his heart felt like
it would cease any minute with the unbearable wait.
And then, his breath ceased.
For it was not the doctor who'd entered the room, but someone
else. The same someone who sat in front of him as he looked at the shore, never
tiring of the beauty that the sight withheld. Years ago, he'd bled his emotions
on a canvas unceasingly until the pain lessened and the burden was lifted off. If
someone would have told him that he'd blown his destiny on that blank stretch
of paper, he would have laughed his head off.
But today as he stared at the beach ahead, he couldn't help
but admire at how complete nature looked. Not because it was made
abundant, but because it held his soul right at its center.
Ishaani.
She sat hugging herself with her back to him while her hair
flew tranquilly in the light winds. Today, she chose to wear a green dress that
appeared vibrant against the sparkling blue of the water, her attention drawn
towards the rapidly falling dusk as she stared at the horizon in silent
thought. The water brushed against the shore in the softest of whispers as the
foam gathered near her feet and whispered its secrets to her vibrantly.
It was a sight he now lived for every single day of his
life.
Her sight in the hospital room had brought his irregularly
beating heart to a calm back then, something that the machines he was hooked to
registered as proof as he continued to stare at her in stunned disbelief. She
was alive.
All this time, he knew that his life was attached to hers -
that if she died, he died. But he'd forgotten than it worked the other way as
well - if she lived, he lived. It had always been that way. He was even willing
to embrace death just so that he could let go of pain and succumb to peace at
long last. But he'd forgotten that his life was no longer his own.
It was hers now as well.
She'd saved him once years ago on a night when the intensity
of his pain had nearly ripped his existence apart before her essence made him
whole again. She'd done the same once again, standing as his shield between
death and himself even though on a wheelchair. Her hair had been pulled up into
a ponytail, her face pale under the floating hospital gown on her even though
she had a faint smile on her face.
And as they continued to stare at each other, the moment turned
ceaseless. It was a moment that he wished would never end as the nurse brought
her wheelchair beside his bed, raising his bed alongside for better view. Ishaani
had smiled at him softly and had patted his hand before taking it into her own
and bringing it to her lips.
"I told you I'm in it for the long haul," she'd
whispered before Devarsh had entered the room. She'd put his hand down and had
mouthed a small I love you' before letting the nurse maneuver her out from the
room, Ranveer catching the glitter of the ring on her finger.
It was a miracle he hadn't expected even in the wildest of
dreams for miracles were something he'd not experienced since he was
twenty-three. It was no hidden fact that they had survived by the skin of their
teeth in what could only be called a medical marvel. But then again, they were fighters
right from the beginning.
Fighters who didn't give up no matter what.
And even through the terrible ordeal she was alive, smiling
and still in love with him. Now that he'd found his sunshine, the world was a
bright place again and it was all he could think about during his evaluation
until he asked for Ishaani's health. That's when he knew that all was not well,
after all.
Psychogenic amnesia.
That's what Devarsh had told him.
"She's alive and is healing exceptionally well, but she's
suffered from psychogenic amnesia,' had been his exact words. What was it supposed
to mean, he didn't know even though he felt a brick fall into the pits of his
stomach. He could feel his intestines knot up in panic and a sudden pain run up
the length of his arm and into his chest until Devarsh eased him out of the
shock and explained her condition to him.
She didn't remember her past with Chirag.
She remembered nothing about him. Neither his name nor face
and certainly not his existence in her life anymore. The shock of what had
happened had pushed her off the edge and into an emotional trauma, Devarsh
suspecting that it was seeing him get shot right in front of her eyes that had
been the trigger. He'd suddenly been taken back to when he was ten and she'd
suffered from a nervous breakdown just because she'd broken a vase on his hand
by mistake.
This was her life's biggest nightmare that
she'd watched turn true.
A nightmare that had become her mortal fear.
Devarsh had left him to rest after that, advising him to not
talk about any of it to Ishaani. Her mind was not to be fiddled with as much as
possible. And even as his parents visited him next along with Finch and his
family, his mind kept running back to Ishaani's wish against the shooting star
on his birthday.
During the next week, all their close associates had come to
visit them, assuring them that they'd take complete responsibility of the work
to be handled until they were fit to return. But the real surprise had been all
the Parekh cousins including Sharman, who'd left an important meeting and had flown
down just to see them. The air was fraught with tension and awkwardness with
resistance from Ishaani's end and regret from the others'. She had forgotten everything
Chirag, but not about this.
But at the end of the day, they were family.
On the other hand, complications had still not their lives
entirely as Chirag's body was recovered from the crime scene, the police
continuously taking statements from Ranveer, who narrated the entire incident
as truthfully as he could. Ishaani had ruled out of the same on account of
medical amnesia.
Self-defense it had been against the charges of attempt to
murder.
But Ranveer's statement had only held weight after a voice
recording had been recovered from his phone that had caught the entire scuffle live
the moment Chirag had first ambushed him in the alley. The moment evidence came
to light, it had been an open-and-shut case.
Things had tamed down post that and the rest of their stay at
the hospital had been relatively peaceful, both of them gaining their strength
a little more everyday. Family and friends had been their relentless support,
their prayers only speeding up the process until freedom was close. And even
though they were both discharged by the sixteenth day, they were still confined
to a month's worth of bed rest.
It was during then that Monica had decided to take up
Ishaani's case.
Her further evaluation had revealed that Ishaani no longer
recollected the three years of her life between the time Ranveer had left for
Sydney and her divorce, only remembering bits and pieces from the days post her
father's death where she'd remain with Ranveer for most of the time.
And yet anybody seeing her could not say that she was
missing any bit of her memory.
Monica added that she remembered the rest of her life clearly,
right from the days of her transformation to Miss Parekh to their date at the
restaurant that night. After that, her memory was a blank. It was as though a
veil had fallen over all her memories associated with Chirag - existent, but
out of sight.
The blanks in her memory didn't bother her though, remarked
Monica. It was as though it was what she wanted - like a long lost wish had
come true that she was only too happy about even though she didn't know why. She'd
assured him though that her life would progress smoothly in spite of the blanks
and it wouldn't affect her in any way except for occasional flashes.
But even that depended upon the degree of her amnesia. She
just needed to accept the mistakes of her past and let go of the guilt. It was
only then that her memories would return. How long it would take though, she
couldn't say. Maybe a month. Maybe a year. Maybe ten years.
Or maybe never.
But along with that had come another improvement - she had
no inclination towards the scalpel anymore. The rectification process was on
the go - both from her end as well as his when it came to their vices as well.
They'd picked up the pieces of what awaited them the moment
they stepped out of the hospital, a slow, gradual progress towards normalcy. The
first year had gone into bringing themselves back to the peak of their physical
strength as they tried to help each other through the tough phase while mentally
and emotionally coming to terms with whatever had happened. The shock took some
time to wear off and so did the fear of letting each other out from the other's
sight, but time was now set to heal all wounds.
Ranveer's parents had shifted in with them at the Parekh
Mansion for six months until they were fit to continue living on their own. His
parents had agreed to let them live together since they were engaged even
though there was no pressure on marrying.
Everybody needed time to cope with whatever had happened,
the most of all Ranveer and Ishaani, who were beginning to trust life a little
more everyday as they took the plunge and finally let go at long last. And the
moment they did, happiness and peace found their way on their doorstep at long
last, love wrapping them in a secure bubble.
But through the ups and downs of trying to find shore, disrupting
their progress had been yet another loss - Baa. The only thing
holding Ishaani emotionally had been her cousins who stood beside her as
pillars of support, a second chance being given without conscious effort. And
as the six cousins stood shoulder-to-shoulder at Baa's funeral with Ranveer
giving fire to her body, another irony of life made itself known.
The woman who'd torn them apart in life was the one who'd
brought them together in death.
Ranveer had joined work six months later, the doctor
advising Ishaani to take another six months time off for her mind was not to be
taxed still. She was discouraged from trying any artificial means to get her
memory back, and neither was she eager to, in any way.
The second year had gone into bringing their lives back to
focus, Ishaani returning to the empire that rightfully awaited her. Miss
Parekh let her presence be felt with all its might and decided to work in
Mumbai for a few months before moving to Sydney for good. It was a choice she
made voluntarily and without second thought, deciding to take over half of the
operations from Ranveer in Sydney while either of them visited Mumbai once in
three months.
The moment they stepped foot into Sydney, it was as though
they'd never been away with the way they welcomed by Finch and Monica. And
through occasional visits from her cousins and his parents, they were beginning
to find a new family in the Finch foursome even though Ranveer and Ishaani took
nothing for granted.
It was not a happy ending; they were just beginning to find
their foothold in an uncertain world.
And through the uncertainties was their attention drawn towards
the empire they'd built with sheer hardwork, dedication and girth, using every
bit of resourcefulness, cunning and skill they possessed. Business had taken a
hit and it had been difficult to steer it away from the global meltdown of the
world economy on the whole, but stability had found its way eventually under
the ethically manipulative skills of the king and queen.
RV and Miss Parekh had managed to bring their professional
lives in check at long last.
And then came their personal lives. Where did they stand,
still? After what happened that night, neither kept stock in the future anymore
for it felt folly in the wake of how fast happiness had turned into mortal
peril.
But what about the chance life did offer them after all?
That wasn't to be ignored either. All this time, they
wondered whether life was willing them a second chance even if they gave each
other one. But they were wrong. All along, it was life giving them a second
chance while they mistrusted it enough to hold on to it.
And then in a snap, it didn't matter anymore.
Through time, Ranveer realized that Ishaani knew some things
by instinct, as though they were subconsciously embedded facts, not memories. Her
husband had been a fraud and she was tricked into the marriage; she was
divorced and she'd always ever been in love with Ranveer even though she'd
brutally pushed him away at some point of time. The intricate details she had
no idea about, though. Her last clear memory had been their farewell at the
airport. The next one - the morning after their confrontation at the terrace.
And in between their glorious past and their inglorious
farewell lay their untold stories.
Ranveer made his way towards the center of the beach and sat
beside her, pulling his legs up to his chest that held two more scars marking
his victory over both life and death. His presence
caught her attention instantly. She looked at him with her coal orbs twinkling
with joy while her face instantly broke into the broadest of smiles.
And just like that, an identical smile made curved his lips as
he let the chocolate of his eyes drown into her own, pulling her into a gentle
kiss. This was always the highlight to a day's worth of hard work, the
tiredness and stress of work fading away the moment he found himself melting
into her embrace that only held love for him.
Separating from the kiss, they sat in silence for sometime
and Ranveer pondered yet again upon how life had been. There was no assurance
anywhere in their destiny - neither of happiness nor of pain at the end of their
story. But they were willing to take what they got by making the best of today.
If was not the end of their story; it was just the end of a
chapter.
Life had been uncertain, but they'd learnt to make each day
a happy ending since the time they'd gained back their strength. Each day was
an attempt to live life at its fullest, the zeal never dying. They embraced all
the ups and the downs with acceptance, making sure to never take
anything for granted.
The love between them was everything they could ever ask
for. They'd learnt move on with the help of each other's love and unconditional
support as they stuck by each other through thick and thin, never once leaving
the other's side no matter what.
He knew that the uncertainty of tomorrow was always going to
be there because Ishaani's amnesia was temporary - she would remember about her
past someday. What that would bring along, he didn't know. Trouble was certain
to brew and so was the possibility of the hidden scars of her past resurfacing.
But that was someday.
Life had taught him better by now that the present was what
mattered - not the future.
Whether life had given them a second chance, he didn't know.
But it had certainly given him another opportunity, and he'd have to be the
biggest fool to let go of it. Maybe his fairy tale didn't have a happy ending.
Maybe her fairy tale didn't have a happy ending.
But perhaps their fairy tale did, who knew?
And should the time ever come that she remembered everything,
it would only mean that she'd let gone of the guilt and the pain latched to her
past and had made peace with it. And even if she hadn't, he was going to be
there with her to the end of the line and help her with it.
His mother had told him once to seize the day and live each
day as it came. And so he was going to do. He'd was going to fulfill his
promise and take her for the Australian Open finals the coming January after
all. And if it so worked out, he would take her to the Great Barrier Reefs for
her upcoming birthday that would mark her entry to the thirty club.
Every day was a happy ending for them as they now sat side
by side, content and satisfied with whatever life had given them. And as
Ishaani rested her head on Ranveer's shoulder and sighed deeply, he only shut
his eyes in gratitude to the Almighty for another happy ending to add to the
previous ones. For another day more to cherish with her, and her.
For another day more where they met at the horizon.
"Ranveer, who's Chirag?" asked Ishaani suddenly
when the sun dipped into the horizon, the question making Ranveer gasp as he
tried at her, astonished. But there was no recognition in her eyes.
Just a name that had floated into her mind out of nowhere.
Ranveer smiled at her and pushed away the strands of hair
from her face before kissing her forehead lovingly. They were no longer the sun
and the moon to the universe for that was now a part of their untold stories.
They were now two stars in the realm of star-crossed lovers whose love had
emerged victorious against destiny.
Whose love and will remained so strong that even the
Universe had to bow before them in surrender.
Some tiny tales that are untold to the world could certainly
be found in that little book to whom one always entrusts their guilty
secrets. But sometimes, those same tales could portray an entire story of its
own. And that was where their untold story remained today - in the shrouds of
their diaries left behind at the servants' quarters where their unnamed
relationship was now painted around the room.
Their bond had started off as an unnamed relationship that
contained nothing but the simplest of smiles. And even today after being
through so many different phases of life together with their equations changing
from being master-servant to school mates, from confidants to best, and from lovers
to soulmates, it was the unnamed relationship of love and trust between them that
they appreciated the most till date because love didn't need a name at the end
of the day.
It was a complete relationship in itself.
And as Ranveer remained silent, he prayed for the wretched
presence of his name to never enter their lives ever again. Their
story had always remained under the eclipse of his presence ever since they'd first
met, shrouding their lives in misery and pain as the same eclipse became the
base of their relationship. First as friends and then as lovers.
But no more.
The eclipse had been lifted away, and so had the cursed base
of pain and suffering. Both of them had finally begun their journey of walking
towards the warmth of happiness with friendship and love in tow and he would
not allow the past to rule their present again. Especially when it came to their
delicately-perched future.
When a now-curious Ishaani snapped her fingers at Ranveer to
pull him out from thought, he shook his head at her and smiled casually.
"Our untold story."
Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D
Edited by LadyMeringue - 7 years ago
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