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Hey sweety, when are you going to update??
P.S. Sorry for the delay dear friends, truth was that I had no clue what to write and how to proceed. Well, I decided to dive head in and so, here we are. Hope you enjoy! Do leave your valuable feedback. I will look forward to it!
CHAPTER 2.
As Aarti sobbed into her pillow, a hand reached out and gently held her heaving shoulder. She stopped short with a gasp and glanced over to see her aunt standing over her with concern. A wave of panic hit her as she wondered if her aunt had actually witnessed the full show of her present state.
As the older woman quietly settled beside her, she quickly swept off her tears and sat up, as though she weren't crying at all. "Aunty," she sniffled cautiously, lest she gave herself away.
Her aunt watched her intently and noted the clog in her niece's voice. Surely, she had been crying. "You tell me. Why were you crying?" she asked, concerned.
"Who? Me?" Aarti pretended to be completely clueless.
"Yes. You," she pointed out.
"No... I wasn't..." Aarti looked around, her brains racking for an alibi. "Oh... I remember now... yes... I just had a terrible nightmare."
"What was it?" her aunt questioned.
"I don't remember," she lied.
Her aunt smiled and caressed her soft hair lovingly. "That's okay. Just pray and try to get some sleep."
"Sure..."
"And call me if there's anything you need."
"Goodnight," Aarti gave her a smile and tucked under the sheets. She held her smile till the door closed behind her.
Even if it was for a brief moment, the presence of her aunt was so comforting. She had been the arms that held her, the shoulders she could rest her head upon ever since her mother had passed away. She had been her mother. Her everything. Until Raj came into her life. He became the rock she could firmly stand on. Unfortunately, life's cruel tides didn't take long to sweep that too from under her feet.
Now that she was alone and left to deal with her own demons (once again), a terrifying thought snaked in to her head. For how long can I hide this from everyone?
***
When Raj walked into his haunted apartment with a Bluetooth hooked to his ear, it was past midnight. The ghastly emptiness amplified the cling of the house keys. Raj was so used to this routine. Day after day, he had walked in this late to see the lights on and Aarti waiting for him through all her weariness. But tonight, what met him was darkness and solitude.
He paused at the doorway with an impending sense of doom. He had nearly forgotten that Aarti was no longer around. His eyes slowly ran around the eerie darkness of the living room. It was so empty... so quiet, that something hummed loudly in his ears.
"Hello. Are you there?" A voice sputtered from the other end, like that from an old radio.
"Yeah." Raj sounded as though the last bit of strength had been knocked out of him.
"What happened?"
"I'll talk to you later," Raj replied with a dreary sigh and hung up. He turned on the lights and closed the door behind him. Placing his bag over the table, he proceeded to the bedroom.
It was equally miserable in there. He kicked off his shoes and flopped over the bed, his long legs sticking out. And for a split second, a vivid memory came rushing to him that of every other evening or occasion where he would return and flop over the bed wearily, and Aarti would step in to pull off the socks off his tired feet. Tonight, this wasn't going to happen.
***
The next morning, Aarti was on the streets, riding her cousin's scooty in the suburbs. She pulled up outside a temple and got off. As she locked up her vehicle, a woman's voice came from right behind her.
"Aarti!"
She turned around. A short, stout woman, in her fifties stood at an arm's length away from her. Her greying, oily hair was tied into a flimsy bun and her transparent plastic rimmed spectacles covered up a third of her upper face.
"Hello aunty," said Aarti with a weak smile. Deep down, she was the least bit pleased to see her. Yet, she never showed it. Over the years, this was one skill she had harnessed. Burying her feelings.
"When did you arrive?" The old lady closed in the distance and held Aarti's hands with her rubbery ones.
"Yesterday morning," she answered.
The woman returned a cheeky yellow grin. "Raju... Didn't he come?"
"No. He couldn't get a leave. So I came over by myself."
"Young people these days! All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, remember that. Once in a while, both of you should forget about your jobs and have some fun. Go places. Be out together. Do things together."
"Hmm," Aarti agreed with a low mumble, her eyes down. Though she smiled, it was laced with pain. For seven years, she waited, with longing, deeply yearning for Raj's company, but he kept drifting away. Voicing her concerns did no good. It only distanced him further.
"By the way, do you have any good news for us?"
Aarti looked up again. This was something she detested from the bottom of her heart. "The good news..." didn't actually give her a pleasant feel. "What?" she asked innocently.
"You know what! Babies. A new member to your family," the woman replied in an as-a-matter-of-fact-tone.
"Hmm. Not yet," she answered softly, smiling all the while.
"How long has it been since your marriage? Eight?"
"Seven," replied Aarti as she grew more uncomfortable. She didn't want to discuss about this topic at all. Because every time this was brought up, she ended up feeling worthless.
"That's still too long. Is there any issue?"
"Not really..."
"Then what are you people waiting for? If you wait to get settled in life and all that, it will be all too late. Everyone's expecting, you know? I'm sure that Raj's parents would be concerned too."
"Hmm..." Aarti returned an acknowledging smile.
From the way Aarti's face continued to drop, the woman could make out that she had gone too far. "So... where are you headed to?" she quickly changed the topic.
"Um. The temple actually," Aarti pointed out to the temple standing right behind her.
"Okay, you carry on. We'll catch up later then," said the woman.
Aarti couldn't have felt more grateful. She passed a departing smile, (hoping to never bump into her again) before hurrying up the flight of steps that led to the temple. On her way up, she passed by a happy couple making their way down the stairs. They seemed to be as old as Raj and Aarti. Though she didn't want to, something about them kept drawing her attention, forcing her to steal glance after glance at the way they moved together, shared some light hearted conversations and laughs. It tugged at her heart painfully. So much that when she presented herself before God, she had nothing to pray about but just stand there with broken tears brimming in her eyes.
Throughout her lifetime, Aarti had been through a lot of pain. Instances that were fashioned to break her. And then build her. But not without going through that phase of helplessness and hopelessness. In those moments, she had questioned God. Questioned His intentions. She had wondered whether He was a sadist. And even wondered if He even existed. It took Raj's entry into her life to figure out the reason behind everything. That pain was the beginning of change. Of healing. The heavens had always planned something all along. Only this time, she didn't know what.
I know that there's a reason behind everything that happens, she thought, knowing very well that the creator could hear her thoughts loud and clear. I know that You have a plan and that I must go through this. I don't know what it is, but I trust You. I know that you will help me to get through this. Like always. All what I ask is to please give me the strength.
From the distance, someone watched Aarti with a curious set of eyes. She had her head hung low and her hands clasped together as she wept quietly, her shoulders shaking as she struggled to muffle her sobs. After a few moments, she pulled herself together, walked out of the temple and descended the stairs, wiping her tears off as she did.
When she was at her scooter, unlocking it, a man, came up from behind. "Aarti?"
Hearing her name, she turned around. At first, she couldn't figure out who he was. But it didn't take long to recognize him. And when she did, a bright smile spread across her face. "Sarath?"
To be continued...
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