CH 3 || Last Thread Of Hope

Aditi

******

My packing was almost done. Vidyut's parents had left early in the morning as they had to visit a distant relative. They both were about to meet us directly at the airport.

"Aditi, are you done?" Vidyut questioned, entering the room while his gaze fixed on his mobile phone.

"Just a few more things," I said, keeping the rest of the clothes which were dispersed on the bed. It was the last batch I had to keep inside my spinner wheel hand side bag.

"Allow me to help you. I don't need you to do anything." He kept his phone inside the right pocket of his jeans before he took over the clothes from my hand.

"At least let me keep those." I highlighted my make-up stuff kept on the bedside bureau however I got a stern reply from him, "No... "

He was diligently keeping every single piece of apparel inside my bag. So admirable he was, getting things done for his better half. 

After he was done with the clothes he began keeping my cosmetics stuff in my handbag. My eyes were on the bottle of pills that rested aside my lipstick. I cudgeled my brain over whether Vidyut would notice the bottle or not. He didn't know about those pills I had been taking for quite a long time. He generally neglected to take note. Moreover, I didn't even bother to inconvenience him. But my decision backfired on me. Those pills never came to his notice, even when I had taken them in front of him more than once.

While he was putting the items one by one my heart was anxious when he picked up the bottle of the pills. I observed his brows which he furrowed but it eased out soon. He had kept the pill bottle without asking me a word and I stood there in stunned silence.

My hopes were squashed.

'Did Vidyut even notice the pills?'

'Did he not understand what those pills were for?'

'How could he not ask a single thing from me in about those meds?'

Those were the questions that had appeared to haunt me. Vidyut's behaviour now and again had emerged bazillions of questions in my head, every one of them stayed unanswered. As I was stilled at my place, lost in my musings I was brought back into the present by Rosa's voice, "Mrs. Kohli, you had told me to remind you about the books you have to take with you, this morning."

Glad, she was there. 

I needed something to occupy myself, something which was not related to my husband, for a brief time. Smiling at her while I was about to reply Vidyut's words came, "For what reason do you need to take books from here? They are so old. I will purchase new ones for you."

"The new ones can't give the feeling of the old, murky yellow pages." I gave him an instantaneous reply while he poked fun at me with his expressions shaking his head. While zipping the bag he asked, "What's so great about old books?"

"Their essence, that remains till long. Somebody may have adored it once and kept it here with such a lot of affection with the expectation others would give equivalent significance to it." I was thankful to the one who had kept those books, my sole accomplice of loneliness.

"Please, old pages lose esteem. It's the right time for change. Why stuck on some old books? Innovation is administering the world currently. Digital books would is an extraordinary example for the same."

I was yet to give a befitting reply but Vidyut had sensed he would never have upper hand in the conversation with me so he didn't even let me have the chance as in a matter of a few seconds only he turned to Rosa for her to comply with him, "Don't you agree, Rosa?"

The question was from Rosa, however, Vidyut's eyes were on me. Maybe he was competing with me over that conversation. I just smiled at him.

"You may be correct, Sir. However this time, I support Mrs. Kohli." The facial expression of my husband had changed but he quickly veiled it. Faking a grin he lifted his hands and said, "OK, alright, you women win."

At the point when Rosa and I were moving out to go to the study to get the books I needed to take with me, Vidyut said, "Don't take much time, and please don't invest your time reading. I don't want us to miss our flight. You tend to forget everything with books."

'And you have already forgotten your wife.'

Restraining myself from voicing that one instant statement I nodded and headed to the study room.

*******

I was taking out the four-five books I needed to bring with me, my brain was entirely loaded up with Vidyut's words. Reviewing his words I mumbled, "You don't remove things or people out of your life just because they have gotten old."

Exactly when I pulled out the third book off the rack I heard Rosa, "Sometimes we have to remove them out. Not every time the situation remains the same. At times we need to take unfavourable actions for our betterment."

 It was an answer to me. Rosa was a kind of a woman who would be there to pacify one but would never meddle in anybody's matters. Her reply was a shock to me. She had never said a word to Vidyut about me or Vidyut to me.

When I turned to her in a daze, she motioned me to go to her near the room's sliding window. Her gaze was fixed on the gardener who was busy cutting the plant I loved the most, the plant of the 'delight flowers'.

"You see, it's a beautiful flower, isn't it?"

"Hmmm. Why is he cutting them?" I could feel the flower's pain.

"It's pretty but needs to be cut because of the way it has grown." Her words resembled a riddle messing up with the cells of my cerebrum. Glad that she didn't take much time to reveal what she meant.

"It's the 'delight flower' plant. It spreads the aroma of its own as long as it's a small plant but the moment it starts to grow old the same plant of the beautiful flower becomes poisonous." That was an untold fact, I wasn't mindful of.

"As long as it's a baby, it's fine, but the moment it grows it holds the capacity to kill."

"That's sad..." I mumbled, feeling hurt over the fate of the mesmerizing flower.

"I know."

Rosa turned to me and squeezed my shoulders marginally, before saying, "I have known you for not over a half year but rather one thing which I am certain of is, you have a caring essence, with the only goal that you generally keep your friends and family above yourself. However, dear, to keep others cheerful, never forget about yourself."

She took a short delay for me to soak in her words and afterward proceeded, "You can't keep others happy until and unless you are content and joyful." Pointing to my heart she added," from here."

"Never let others exploit your integrity and goodness. Don't allow anybody at any point to smash your morals." Giving me her blessings she left the room. Her point regarding the old people or things was somehow the same as Vidyut but the reason and intent of both were not even close.

'What did Rosa mean?'

'Was it the same thing I was thinking about?'

'How could she even say that?'

'Was I being too hard on myself?'

That day not only Vidyut but Rosa too gave me plenty of questions, answers to which were to be found by me.

"Baby, are you done?" Vidyut had come but I couldn't move from my place. My eyes were on those pretty flowers that had become poisonous. Anyone could have gotten lured by its beauty. 

Was that all a facade, I thought.

My vision was blocked by my husband who slightly turned me to him.

"Aditi, What's wrong?" The presence of Vidyut overpowered Rosa's words but they remained in my head. They were conveyed to me to stay.

"Nothing. Let's go, we would be late..." I said before I took the rest of the needed books and left with my husband.

******

While we were in the car Rosa bid me her bye and so did the other female staff. We were leaving the house which had brought utter happiness in my life and also, where I had cried in agony, in my miseries. Those terrible days would always shudder me. I consistently tried to forget those days but there wasn't any way I could. It was impossible. There was no way or better I phrase it there was no one who could help me.

Looking at my husband, it seemed he had overcome the awful memories but I was still there, stuck. I terribly needed to get out of the pit of darkness, where only memories resided, some good but mostly bad.

'Was Vidyut inconsiderate towards my feelings?', A brief thought crossed my mind but then I shrugged it off, reminding myself, 'No, no, no. He loves me more than anything. He always stood for me.'

Still, I wondered how he moved on so easily while I was still there waiting for him to come back, hold my hand and take me out of the dark tunnel of reminiscences. I was awaiting his presence, for him to tell me, 'I am sorry, sweetheart, I took time to get to you.'

Love was there between us but there was this huge bridge which he needed to cross.

I needed him to come to me. I had already walked to him but it was his time though. I had trust in him even after everything happened. Holding his arm I rested my head on his shoulder.

My eyes closed and I recollected old memories of the day of our wedding when we had taken vows to love each other eternally.

******

FLASHBACK

******

"Aditi, stop pacing. It's not like it would ease you out." My best friend Dhriti tried to calm me. She was right, it wasn't any solution but composing my edgy nerves was troublesome.

"I know Sammy but I can't keep calm. Did you also feel the same on the day of your wedding?" I addressed forgetting in what conditions her wedding took place.

"I was forced if you forgot. I was furious at my soon-to-be husband," she replied, casually. She wasn't hurt as she had stopped taking her wedding in the wrong way. She was very much happy with her husband.

"But now you love me." Namit, her husband replied before pecking her left cheek.

"You will be fine." Adya, my other best friend, attempted to help me but it was so difficult. I might have fainted.

"I hope so," I replied, tapping my index finger on my knuckles, a gesture I had caught from my deceased mother whenever I would be in trouble or would be fretful.

"Guys, I hope I am not late." said my other friend Arjun, entering the bride's room that my friends and I were in.

"Where were you?" Crossing my arms, I glared at him asking about the reason for him being late. Arjun and I in the past had dated each other. We were never in love but we tried to make things work out, although we weren't meant to be. When we realized the fact, we decided to be friends only.

"I was crying. It was so hurtful letting my ex go." Ajun enacted to cry.

"Stop with your drama stupid. You are married now," said Ishaan, Adya's husband, and my other friend.

"So what? Does marriage snatches your license from having fun?" Arjun wiggled his brows like a kid before he walked to me and I was pulled in for a bear hug.

"Chill dude. You are a star. Everything will be fine, just like you wanted it to be. Also, if your husband even thinks of hurting you, tell me, I will ruin his life. I am a credible lawyer after all." He said, putting up a smile on my lips.

My friends helped me to be serene by passing on jokes, clicking selfies, and reminiscing about old times.

Soon enough the time to walk down the aisle had arrived. Once again I was fidgety, too nervous. I was to be married to the one and only Vidyut Kohli. My marriage with him was a huge affair. I wasn't a millionaire or a billionaire but a simple girl that belonged to a middle-class family. There were a lot of people, and it scared the shit out of me.

"You are looking like a princess, just like your mother." My father said, admiring me before walking down the aisle.

"I am gonna miss you." I hugged him and my tears had rushed out of their own accord. Dad too was teary, yet somehow, he composed himself. Pulling back from the hug he wiped my tears and said, "Don't cry, otherwise you won't look good." I had to giggle at his remark before he took me to my future spouse.

Vidyut didn't want any traditional wedding as he had to leave for California soon, also, he didn't want to leave me behind as well. After dating for a year, he proposed to me, and knowing how great of a person he was I couldn't say No.

I was walking down the aisle with dad by my side. Jealous eyes on me and so were those who were admiring me. But the number of envious people was more. While I was halfway I was about to stumble and would have made a scene out of myself but I didn't fall. I was held by none other than my charming prince. He had run to my rescue.

"I will keep your daughter safe and happy, always." He said to my father before he took me with me so that we could take the sacred vows of unity.

His stupendous vows were still fresh as I recalled them.

"Aditi Sharma." Vidyut looked into my eyes, my hands were in the hold of his.

"You are like a ray of sunshine who brightened my life. I didn't know the meaning of love before, but you, my love, taught me well. The past one year spent with you was more than effervescent and joyful and I want each day of my life as bright as the days of the past one year were."

His vows hadn't been completed yet and I was in tears. I tried to blink them away but failed to do so.

"I vow to protect you, to love you till eternity. I will be your shield, your protector as long as I am alive. I promise that my love for you will be like the brightest days of your life and the warmest nights one long for."

Following the vow, we exchanged the rings. He had held me in his arms and kissed me softly, promising me he would always be there whenever I would need him.

But I wondered whether he even meant those vows?

******

I was brought back into reality when I heard the honk of the car. I was alone, my head resting on the windowpane and not Vidyut's shoulder.

"Vidyut?" My curious eyes were on the chauffeur who replied, "He stepped out a few minutes ago. He had to attend an important call."

I was anyways sleeping so it's not like it was mandatory to move out of the vehicle to take the call. Earlier, Vidyut wouldn't mind but for the past few weeks or probably months he liked to deal with important stuff without me by his side.

It's not like I was complaining but the fact I was never told the reason of the sudden changes had bothered me enough.

I kept waiting for him but Vidyut seemed extremely busy. Immobile vehicles would always make me a little bit anxious and the same was happening to me that moment.

Deciding to ask Vidyut back to get in so that we could move, I got off the car.

The distance wasn't too much between us but he still felt exceedingly far away. Vidyut didn't even spare a glance at me and I just stayed there waiting for just one look so that I could convey my wish.

To be honest, I was scared, scared for our relationship. I was standing on the fine line of a cliff called distance. Whether I would fall or not would only be known after we would go back to San Francisco where our love had bloomed first. Holding the last thread of hope, I had decided to move with, unaware that place would change everything for me, for us.

******

Author

******

As she stared at a distance, her gaze fixated upon her husband, she was completely oblivious of one more presence; someone whose sole attention was on her. 

She was scrutinized really well as if that person had imprinted her completely on its mind.

Aditi would have noticed being eyed upon. Her journalist instincts would have definitely kicked in, but, at that moment she was only a wife, a wife who longed for her husband.