Hey lovelies, so this is my first post in this forum. This is an old story that I had written for another couple in another forum. Now it's modified for Ishra. Hope you enjoy it!!!
The sun had begun to take up the orange hue that preceded it's setting serving as a reminder that the day had ended. Mihir gazed thoughtfully at the sky visible through the windows of the office as if not too sure of the thoughts that prodded his occupied mind. He was snapped out of his trance as a voice bellowed, "Mihir!" Picking up the files, he entered his boss' cabin without any preamble. "Everything is done for the day Raman. I will mail you the details of tomorrow's meeting and you could go through the presentation", he said calmly. "Ok then Mihir, I will get going, I am running late", said a harried Raman Kumar Bhalla as he picked up a bouquet of flowers that lay on his table, delivered faithfully each day by the office boy. "For what?" quizzed Mihir. "To meet my wife", came the almost sardonic reply. Mihir nodded briefly at his boss and then stared at his retreating back, his expressions giving away nothing.
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Raman placed the bouquet of flowers at it's place and looked up sheepishly at his wife. "I am sorry I am late again. I..." he began but was cut out by a cheeky grin from his wife. "You never run out of excuses, do you?" she asked enjoying his apparent discomfort. "It's okay, I wasn't really waiting for you anyways" she said shrugged. "Is that so?" came the amused reply. "Honestly, I was rather enjoying myself." "Doing what?" asked Raman warily. "I was wondering why on earth you would be stupid enough to choose a size M' for me. And then I thought stupid people aren't usually hot. And you know you are hot. Oh, I didn't mean that hot', it's not like you aren't that hot", you know you obviously are, that is why you smirk so much. Honestly if you ask me, your smirk is endearing but your scowl is no less. But anyways what I meant was you are hot' as in short tempered', so I guess you weren't really being stupid. Or maybe you were just being mean as usual" she concluded with a straight face. Raman looked at her for a moment, almost expressionless at the incredulity of their conversation before he burst out into a full fledged laughter.
He sighed as his laughter faded into stillness. This feels good, he thought, to be able to laugh like this feels good. Her craziness never failed to amuse him. He could feel his knotted muscles relax and the weariness creep out of his mind. He looked up at her smiling face. She almost looked like a vision, her soft tendrils grazing her lush skin caressing it, her lips curved into an endearing smile that tugged at his heart. But it was her eyes that made his breath hitch, he could never read her eyes, there were just too many emotions lurking beneath. And suddenly out of nowhere it hit him again, the enormity of his loss, the despair and the weariness creeping back in. He struggled to breathe and shut his eyes as the images flashed one after another transporting him back to another day. Her pleading eyes as she begged him to trust her, her innocence, her obvious show of love and concern, he had ridiculed her. He had taken her heart that she had lovingly placed on his palm and thrown it into an abyss with a vengeance that shattered her. The images twisted further and he could almost feel her weight descend on him, her body went limp as Parmeet's bullet pierced her heart. And then there was silence.
Raman opened his eyes abruptly and guilt coursed through him as he let out a gut wrenching moan, so broken, so haunted that it shook his core from within. He looked up and was death still for a moment. "I am sorry... for...for everything. I am sorry for your pain Ishita. I thought I loved you. But I lost you because I didn't love you enough to trust you, did I? I hate myself for doing this to you, for hurting you so much" he bit out the words as if they were causing him physical pain.
She looked up at him thoughtfully for a moment before picking up the flowers placed on the grave and cocking her head to one side, she said "But all I remember is the love."Her tender gaze and the love that shone in her mesmerizing orbs robbed him of his speech. "All I remember was a man who loved me in every sense of the word, who hid his care and concern beneath an iron mask of indifference. A man who came into my life as an annoying stranger and then found his way into my heart through his loyalty, his love for our darling angel, his concern for Amma Appa, his horrible cooking skills, and his crazy antics and one liners that made me cry and laugh at the same time. A man who made me fall in love with him all over again and again and again. All I remember was the moment when I realized that you were, in every way, worthy of stealing my heart" she ended with a heartbreaking sincerity. He saw silent tears coursing down her face and he held out his hand to clasp hers as they reveled in the silence of the moment. He kissed her forehead tenderly before giving her a lopsided grin, "Annoying stranger? Really? You don't get to call anyone annoying you know. Do you know how much you blabber, God I hated you in the beginning! " he shuddered while she giggled away to glory.
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The sun was almost hidden as Raman made an effort to stand up and murmured "I need to leave love, I will be back again tomorrow" he said picking up his laptop and dusting off his pants. She smiled and nodded her eyes twinkling with the promise of a better tomorrow. He started to walk away before turning one last time with an amused smirk "Did your dialogue writer follow you all the way to heaven? Or Hell? Wherever you are. That was one hell of a speech." She narrowed her eyes with mock anger "I am obviously in hell waiting for you". And then she cheekily added "Just so that you know Raavan Kumar, it was your one liners that won me over."
Walking away Raman was enveloped with a warmth that pulled at his heart's strings. She was right, he mused. There would be many other moments to embrace the guilt, the agony and the despair he felt at losing her. But today it was a time to remember the love they had shared and revel in the knowledge that he had loved a girl with an utmost sincerity and had been bound to her by the most sacred union and THAT deserved to be cherished and looked back upon with pride.
All I can remember is the love.
"Come up with a better excuse tomorrow" came a soft whisper close to his ear and he sighed in pleasure.
Her love is like the wind, I cannot see it, but I can feel it.
- A Walk to Remember
Raman Kumar Bhalla pushed open the gate to the cemetery and strode out in silence.
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Anupamaa
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