5 years later...

 

Ajay had been right all those years ago.

Time healed everything.

Tragedy. Heartbreak. Losses.

Everything.

Sia couldn’t claim that she had been cured magically. Or that she didn’t suffer from nightmares anymore. She still did, until this day. One of the most recurring one featured the worst. Where she lay helpless on the cold concrete ground while she couldn’t stop the gun from being aimed at Ajay by her uncle.

But over the time, the frequency of those nightmares had reduced. Even her paranoia toned down to simply being cautious.

She tried to live her life to the fullest as much as possible.

Just like Ajay had promised all those years ago, the house was now filled with laughter.

There were movie nights, game nights and plenty of family get-togethers. Harsha, Jo and The Colonel had become an integral part of the family now. Even though Harsha and Jo had children of their own, they held a very special bond with Anika. And Anika loved them back equally.

Although it was still painful, Sia also maintained contact with her only blood relative—her cousin. They didn’t meet often or talk often. But each year, she made it a point to call him and check on how he was doing. Dr. Kranthi Naidu was now one of the biggest philanthropists in the country who dedicated his life to the betterment of downtrodden children.

Sia was happy for him. If only she could say the same about another important person in her life.

Varun still lived alone, choosing to remain an enigma all through the five years.

Sia tried to spend as much time as possible with him. But between taking care of her family and Blush Enterprises, she couldn’t dedicate as much time with him as she wanted to.

Not that Varun begrudged her for that. He had told her he understood and also that he preferred to remain alone.

She still worried about him. He disappeared for days together, and each time she met him, she still saw the same demons haunting him. She wished she could help him somehow.

The only silver lining when it came to Varun was that he was opening up to someone else in his life. Sia had often bumped into a pretty woman who had been visiting him lately. Even though Varun didn’t offer Sia any details, she could see that the new woman held a special place in his life. She only hoped that the woman would be the one to remove the shadows in his eyes and bring him peace.

Sia’s thoughts were interrupted when the Cuckoo clock began to strike on the wall. It was one of the gifts to Anika from Harsha and Jo for her fifth birthday.

After the loud production of noisily striking six times, the room became quiet again. Yawning behind her hand, Sia slowly began to get up from the couch in the media room where she had taken a short nap.

It was summer, and still very bright and hot outside. It had been a hectic day that began quite early in the morning. They had gone to a water park with Harsha and Jo’s family. The kids were super excited and weren’t willing to end the day anytime soon.

By the time they got back, it had been four in the afternoon. Still the kids wanted to continue the day with something fun outdoors. Sia suggested watching a movie along with some homemade buttered popcorn.

That finally tempted the little devils to stay indoors.

As soon as she got up from the couch, her eyes fell on one of the most beautiful sights in front of her.

Ajay was sitting on a large reclining chair with Tej and Anika lying in his arms. Both the kids must have passed out like her while watching the movie.

Sia smiled at their small slack faces that were drooling on their father’s shirt. Tej, who had turned two, a week ago, was sleeping on the crook of Ajay’s arm, and Anika was curled around her father’s chest.

The three people in front of her held her happiness and the reason for living. With them, she knew she could face anything.

There was a time when she thought she had lost everything.

She still recalled the day from five years ago. It had been the worst and also the best day in her life.

 

Five years ago

 

Sia woke up from a deep sleep, feeling groggy. A second later, her mind became instantly alert.  All she could recall was her uncle holding the gun towards Ajay’s chest, threatening to kill him to punish Sia.

For a few painful seconds, she felt so distraught that she wanted to go back into the darkness again. But then, slowly her eyes focused on the person, sleeping next to her in a chair.

It was Ajay.

As soon as her brain processed that information, she began to sob in relief.

Listening to her loud sobs, Ajay woke up immediately. And when he saw her, his tired face broke into a happy smile.

He got up from the chair and came close to her. Before he could even sit on the bed next to her, she pulled him towards her. She began to kiss him all over his face with tears running down her cheeks.

“I’m fine, baby,” he reassured.

She held him in a death grip, not letting him move away from her.

“Baby, I might hurt you. You are still weak,” he murmured.

Listening to his concern for her, she stiffened and pushed him away from her. She sat up with great difficulty, and then slapped him as hard as she could.

It was a weak slap, because she was still shaky from the knife wound, and also because the last horrifying events still ran in her mind. They would probably be forever etched into her mind.

“Don’t ever do that!” she hissed. “If you ever try to save my life at the cost of yours, I’m going to kill you myself,” she threatened him.

Instead of consoling her or offering an apology or even promising her never to do it again, Ajay grinned.

“I’m serious!” she hissed out.

“I know, baby,” he said and kissed her nose tenderly. “Let’s just hope there aren’t more of such circumstances in the future,” he said.

And then, he told her what had transpired after the single most horrifying moment in her life. “There was a gunshot. But it was from your cousin,”

“What?” she asked in shock.

“Yes. Apparently, Dr. Kranthi got a letter written to him by his mother before she died. In that she confessed everything. About how her husband got his father and sister killed. About how he... even got my mother killed because she was demanding an investigation.”

Ajay’s voice broke when he told her the part of his mother’s murder.

“I’m sorry Ajay,” she said softly.

“It wasn’t your fault, Sia.”

“Your mother was a brave lady who fought for what was right. She didn’t give up on you.”

“I know,” he said softly.

“I wish I could go back in time and kill my uncle all over again.” She felt furious with that monster that haunted them even after his death.

“Believe me, getting shot by his son was the worst kind of death for him.”

“Why did my cousin shoot him? Knowing my cousin, he is the kind to let the law take over.”

 “Dr. Kranthi had a strong reason. His mother’s death. Apparently, after the child trafficking bust, Mrs. Naidu had threatened her husband by telling him that she would reveal his ugly truth to everyone. And so, to stop her, your uncle got her murdered, making it appear like a heart attack.”

Sia was stunned.

“During his last moments, you uncle even tried to beg his son’s forgiveness for ordering the death of his mother. Dr. Kranthi told his father to burn in hell. Those were the last words your uncle heard before he died.”

Ajay held her hands. “Your uncle died a broken man, Sia. His death will not be mourned by anyone he cared about. His death is only going to cause relief.”

Sia was quiet. Her uncle more than deserved that kind of death.

“What about the police?” she asked. “Was my cousin arrested?” Her heart clenched for the man who had been an innocent party all along.

“Yes. But my lawyers are arguing the case using self-defense as the motive. They have a good chance of winning.”

A few weeks later, Ajay’s prediction came true. Her cousin was acquitted of the murder charges using self-defense as claim. She had offered to hand over the Naidu Estate to her cousin, but he had refused. But when she let Ajay convince him, her cousin reluctantly agreed.

Signing away the last of the documents that cut her ties with the Naidu Estate, had made her feel relieved. The only reason they would ever visit that place was to pay respects to Ajay’s mother’s grave.

“So, it’s finally over,” she said after walking out of the lawyer’s office..

Ajay kissed her and smiled. “No, baby. This is just the beginning.”

She would never forget those words in her life.

Those very words had set the tone to their new journey ahead.

Their beginning.

 

* * *

 

Smiling widely, Sia looked up from the children’s sleeping faces to that of Ajay’s.

Her breath caught. in her lungs.

Ajay was watching her with a look that she recognized quiet well. The same look he directed at her during the past six years of their marriage. A look that made a woman’s womb quiver in need.

She laughed out softly.

“Stop watching me like that, or before you know it, you’ll be holding three kids in your arms,” she teased.

Even though Anika and Tej were a handful—keeping both Ajay and her constantly on their toes—they were the light of their lives. Their home was always filled with laughter and happiness because of them.

Ajay continued to watch her, and slowly he lifted an arm that was free. “There is plenty of space for another one,” he replied to her teasing.

She laughed again. And just like that, she fell in more love with her husband.

Covering the distance between them, she stood closer.

Ajay smiled at her, his gaze warm, reminding her that with him next to her, she could withstand anything.

She bent her head to kiss him tenderly and passionately before pulling back slightly. “As long as you have place for me too,” she whispered against his lips.

He pulled her down on one of his thighs, and wrapped his free arm around her. “Always, baby. Never ever doubt it,” he replied.

Wrapping her arms around him and their kids, she sighed contently, once again feeling extremely grateful for having the life she did.

 

 

The End