Story 2

The Gentleman Who Stole My Heart

Epilogue

( Arjun's POV )

Nisha was like that magic of serendipity that graciously happened to me. To see a girl and fall for her on not even a proper meeting was crazy. But everything about her had won my heart. I could never forget those hours at the airport where I sat silently noting everything about her. That flight where I didn't doze of or get bored because I was madly admiring her. Her smile despite those wires holding her teeth back was beautiful. The way she laughed, the way she smiled. The manners she showed. Not to forget that grace she danced with. In that one trip, Nisha had absolutely charmed me with no efforts whatsoever. Even today when I think of it all, it seems a dream. From what we were to what we've come to be. Nine months of marriage and I was the happiest married man on earth. She made me feel that way.

"Arjun, your phone is ringing." Came her sweet voice from the room. I smiled, placing back the framed picture of us that I had randomly picked up  to admire on my way back to the room. She had never said she loved me. Idiot didn't know the feelings she had for me were defined as love. 

"Thanks Darling!" I kissed her cheek taking the phone as she held it out to me while settling her papers she had brought home from work. She still blushed. 

"Hello." I spoke grinning, wondering what Mr.Karan Shenoy, my cousin, had to say. My world froze as I heard what was told. This was a bad nightmare. No. This couldn't possibly be true. "What are you saying.. " I spoke in a scolding cold tone. If this was a joke, it was so bad that I could punch him more than once, on the face for this. 

S.H was no more? How could that be? No. This can't... The phone slipped from my grip. 

"Arjun." I heard her alarmed voice. Soon her voice faded into the background. My S.H left me?

I ran out grabbing me keys. She caught up with me, my phone in her hand and keys to our house in another. She quickly sat in the driver's seat. "I will drive." She didn't ask as she always did. She declared. I was too lost in the news I had received. Owing to my parents early demise, I was very close to my grandmother. She was my everything. To hear that she had left forever was not something I could believe.

I ran down the hospital corridor akin to a frantic. I stopped only when I noticed a familiar face. "How's S.H ? what happened, tell me she is okay!" I stated madly understanding everything from their faces. S.H was no more. My Sweetheart, My Daadi, My everything, left me.

They pointed me towards the room. I barged in. I cried and called out to her. She had already left. Holding her lifeless hand I cried and cried. Flashes of all those good times we had had conjured up. I was more like her son than her son's son. She brought me up being both my mother and father along with being my Daadi. It was painful if someone you loved just ceased to exist, but it is much terrible when you dearly love very few people. I had two lifelines. First my S.H and second my wife. With the strong one gone, I felt miserable. In a blink of an eye my life had changed. There would be no weekend banters, no nights where I could walk to her room and place my head in her lap and ask her to tell me about my childhood. Nothingness remained.

Tears didn't stop leaving my eyes as I stared at S.H. I'd never see her again. Never be teased. I felt my aunt's hand hold mine and my uncle rubbing my back. They knew I was very close to her. I cried hugging them. S.H was gone!

* * *

It had been two days. I couldn't get myself one with the fact that S.H was gone forever. Even though I returned back to normal life I was absent mentally. I remembered promising S.H that when she'd be gone I wouldn't mourn but celebrate her journey forward. It was hard to. I hadn't spoken to anyone. Nisha tried but I asked her to leave me alone for sometime.  She did.

I was staring at the night sky wondering if S.H had transformed into a star. When I had lost my parents S.H used to tell me that they had transformed into ever shining stars. I looked up to find that brightest star which I knew would be her. In the cold of the night, a sudden warmth came in contact with my cold hand.I looked down to find Nisha's hand on mine. My gaze drifted to her face. She had a softness which made me instantly hug her. I felt her hands gently press into my back. She wasn't into hugging that much. But that was changing steadily from past one month. She was trying to hug me more. She was complex to understand at times. Slowly for sure, but she was allowing me closer to her, letting down her walls. I appreciated that. We walked inside in silence. We had never communicated in silence. 

Her lack of words had began bothering me. I wanted her to reassure me that she won't leave. I'd die if she left. I loved her. She was the only one now I could trust myself with. I trusted her. Loved her. I wanted her reassurance. Just a few words of promise, a gentle reassurance.

"Nisha.." I said quietly. She looked up intently. "Thanks!" I whispered rubbing her hand. She took care of me, took care of everything, all the responsibilities, while I mourned in silence. But I wanted her to break this silence she had long kept now. 

The next thing that my brain registered was, Nisha silently opening the buttons of my shirt. I gazed at her instantly. The lights were dim. The instant our eyes met she came forward and captured my lips. I kissed her back taking her into an embrace. My love pouring out in that kiss. We were soon lying with me on top of her. She had got my shirt off and was now working on my pants. I stared at her. She didn't stop. She kissed me every where–eyes ,lips, cheeks,neck. I closed my eyes feeling her love me.

That night she took the lead and I simply followed. She didn't understand my silence. I wanted her to talk to me, hug me, just simply be there for me. While she took it to intimacy. I was angry but didn't show it. Sort of confused perhaps.

I freaking wanted an emotional attention she was giving me physical. As I released into her that night I feared the lack of love. Something I had felt never before.I had blindly assumed Nisha to be in love. But was she? Did she not feel and understand my longing? Wasn't our bond strong enough, weren't my hints plenary enough, to let her understand I wanted to hear it in words from her mouth?

I woke up to her sweet voice. She smiled running her hand through my hair. Her smile soft and gracious as ever. I stared at her for a few seconds before extending my palm to pull her. "Arjun...your...mouth..." I left her hand abruptly and got up. "Sorry." I couldn't even form that fake smile. I just wanted a hug. 

The day passed way too quickly. We performed the after death rituals and came back. She had tried talking but I clearly showed no interest. She understood I assume that something was wrong. I felt Nisha moving away from me. The emotional distance we had was growing. She had only started to confide in me. I liked it when I was the first to hear something from her. Like when she became the branch manager. I liked how she had started being open. But suddenly things were getting back to like they used to be before. Maybe I was the only one keeping us close. It was never her. I was tired. It was easier to say that my love was enough. Maybe it was enough to keep us together but to be together in deeper sense, we both had to work. 

Months passed. It was a Sunday. I was helping Nisha clean up the huge showcase against our living room wall, and the cabinets it held. A lot of dust had got layered. A photo fell from one of the books and I smiled as I caught a glimpse of it. Picking it up I admired it. It was a photograph taken on my school's annual day. I was in S.H's arms and she was kissing my cheek while my hand was high in the sky while I laughed. 

"Cute." She said standing beside me looking at he photo. I smiled at her. "I always won at art competitions." 

"And I won at dance competitions." She grinned.

"I miss her." I gazed at the photo blinking my eyes so my tears would disappear.

"I can see that." She said softly walking away. I stared at her. Taking a deep breath I took the photo with me putting the book back. 

* * *

"Nisha. "

"Hmm.." She paid attention sitting on our bed, settling the pillows. 

"I need to talk."

"Tell me. " she said sweetly. 

I looked at her unsure. I hated being so aloof from her. Perhaps the talking would do it. I had no clue how she'd react but a part of me knew we'd be better after this conversation. I walked over to her and sat before her. Her eyes looked at me confusion evident.

She had grown uncomfortable of my stare I could say by her deeper breaths, her parted lips momentarily caught my attention. In the tick of two seconds I leaned pulling the back of her head and seized her mouth  against mine. I heard her gasp as her hand rested on my thigh for support. In fraction of a minute she was kissing me back. I couldn't help but remember our first kiss. Exactly something similar to this. 

I broke part and she stared at me. Perhaps trying to gauge what had suddenly got into me. "Exactly a year back we shared our first kiss." I whispered, an inevitable urge made me grin. 

She blushed. "You stole my first kiss,mister oh-so gentleman"

I chuckled. "I feel so proud of myself." I winked. She poked me in the chest. I grabbed her hand pulling her closer. Her uneven breath fanning my neck as she looked up at me. Cupping her face, I brought it to the level of mine. She shifted a little coming closer to sit comfortably. 

"Nisha.." I whispered caressing her cheeks with the back of my fingers.

"Arjun" she gasped. I could feel the warmth on her cheeks. "I love you." I said softly, leaning close to her ears. I had missed saying that to her. Almost immediately her hands made their way to my back hugging me while her lips met my cheeks.

Like always.

I pulled apart a little disappointed. "You don't have anything to say?"

"Thank you. " she whispered laying her head against my shoulder. I contained my further disappointment. 

"Do you feel something for me?" I asked slowly running my hands down her back.

"You make my life beautiful. Arjun."

"That's all?" I asked my eyes growing moist.

"Hmm." I pulled back after I was sure I felt no tears in my eyes. "Good night!" I smiled quickly tucking back her hair.

I got up to walk to my side of the bed. But her hand held my wrist. I looked at her. "Is something not right?" her soft voice fell in my ears.

"No. Everything's perfect." I replied softly, trying to hold a smile.

"What wrong with you Arjun? I am not blind. I know you miss S.H, but isn't that a part of life. We all have to go away forever one day. So..."

"It's not that..." I said looking away.

"Then what is it?" She got off the bed and walked closer to me. 

"Nothing." I couldn't gather up the courage to be a little selfish and tell her I needed to hear that she loved me. 

"You're not yourself." I heard her feeble voice. 

I stared at her. "You don't love me?" She blinked, perhaps the question came to unexpectedly to her.

"Arjun...its...ahh.." I turned my face away. Her confusions never had an end. "Never mind Nisha. Let's call it a night."

"Don't open and shut it. Tell me."

"Why? Its not like you'll understand." I snapped back irritated.

"Try me." She said uncertainty evident on her face.

"I fucking need you to tell me you love me. Tell me you'll stay with me. Tell me....I am important to you...I feel miserable Nisha...suddenly this ...between us... seems to be barren. At times I need you to hug me, hold me and whisper assurance in my ears for my heart to rely on. I love you, madly. It pains when I feel insecure about it. Sometimes it's not the physical intimacy Nisha, it's the emotional  intimacy I crave for. I understand you never promised anything. You're being perfect. Perhaps it's me whose being the greedy one. But ..you're all I have.." I bit my lip feeling bad to be crying before  her. But if not she then who could I go to?

I saw tears in her eyes. "I am sorry." She said stepping slightly away. 

"Don't back off. Please." I said feeling extremely rejected as she moved away.

"It's too much for me.." She whispered.

"What are you scared of? I know you freaking love me as much as I do. Why do you put up those shields.... You never let me be close enough to know what you think, what you love, what you fear...trust me Nisha. I promise I won't hurt." I said holding her hand in both my hands.

"All this is ....its insanity. I don't believe in love" she said wiping her tears. "In the end people only care for themselves. I don't want this...this pain..I felt right now."

I couldn't help but smile. "Idiot. Trust me once. Break me, if I hurt you the slightest."

She tried moving away backwards. "You stole my kiss. Messed up with my feelings... Messed up with all my notions...made me feel things I didn't ever want to be subject to. You did everything so too fast and quickly. You drive me crazy Arjun."

I smiled. My heart bloating with happiness. I pulled her to myself, her body collided with mine. "I love you." I held her as though I'd never leave. 

She hugged me back tightly like she'd never done before. I could hear her sniff."I love you too."

"I love you three!" I chuckled kissing her hair. She giggled. 

"I love you so much!" She replied, kissing the side of my head, her giggles made me smile. Serendipity for me was my wifey.

"I love you twice too much!"

Yipppeee..! Finally managed to finish this. With this another journey comes to an end.😍

Hope you all enjoyed the journey of Arjun and Nisha, my first ever made up characters. Do tell me how you found this story with a brief comment! It will mean a lot to me!💖

Fnally, See you all soon, with next story of this anthology. 💖 (Before you ask, Yes. It will be Shivika!)

Signing off from the premises of The Gentleman Who Stole My Heart!

– Anami!❤

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