Fixing Broken Hearts (A Darshan Raval Fanfic)

XLVIII. The Epilogue

JUNE 2020

Aisha's POV:

The lockdown had gotten the best of me. I was so annoyed. I couldn't go outside and Darshan had been camping in the studio for 2 entire months. He was working hard but not taking care of himself. He wouldn't sleep on time or eat properly. He wouldn't even spend 5 minutes with me. The only thing that I liked was that I had joined Shiamak sir's studio to teach teens how to dance. They were so hard working. 

I knocked on the studio's door. "Haan!!" Darshan yelled. I peeped in. "Dumpling, I wanna talk. Khaana khaate-khaate baat karein?" I asked in the hopes that he'd come outside and hug me and eat with me. "Baadme. I need to finish this," he said, not even looking at me. "Lunch? Maine Palak Paneer banaya hai," I asked, softly. "Later," he asserted. I closed the door and left, disappointed. I burrowed under 2 blankets and set the AC on 15°, letting all my tears out. I cried and cried. After a long time, I slowly drowsed.

Darshan's POV:

I walked out of my studio after three hours. I saw Aisha sleeping on the couch and went to the kitchen. The food was still on the stove and there weren't any plates in the sink. She hadn't eaten. I walked to the couch and sat on the floor in front of her sleeping body. I rubbed her arm to wake her up. She turned away. I caressed her face and she grunted, slowly opening her eyes. "Khaana khaayein?" She asked, smiling softly. "Tu khaaya kyun nahi?" I asked as she sat up, crossing her legs and resting her head on the backrest. "Tu kaam kar raha tha. I wanted to eat with you. Isiliye," she replied, shrugging. "Ishu, tu teen ghante bhooki rahi," I snapped. "Haan. Toh?" She asked. "Mere liye wait kyun kiya?" I asked back. "Tere saath khaake 2 mahine ho gaye hai. I miss eating with you. Simple," she shrugged. "Tera dimaag thikane pe hai ki nahi? Tujhe hi phir problem hoga!!" I half-yelled. "Tujhe kyun itna farak pad raha hai?" She snapped. "What?" I yelled. "Haan, teen hafte pehle, I sprained my ankle. Tune dekha bhi ni. Saara kaam maine hi kiya. I made Rajma Chawal for you. Phir bhi tu bahar nahi aaya. Aur tune khaaya bhi nahi. Toh, obviously. Tujhe farak nahi padta," she narrated. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked. "Main aayi thi. Phir tu bohot gusse mein tha. Maine jab knock kara, you yelled at me and asked me to leave you alone. Toh main chali gayi," she said, tears filling her eyes. "Toh baadme mein bataa deti," I said. "The next time I saw you, you were sleeping," she shrugged. She got up and walked to the kitchen to bring the lunch to the table. I stared at her. Her face was stained with tears and her eyes didn't glow anymore. I walked to her and turned her around, gently. She stared at me, sadly. "Tu theek hai?" I asked, softly. "Nahi. But, I will be fine. Chal, khaate hai," she replied. I pulled her to the couch and sat her down. I kneeled in front of her and she crossed her legs. "Have you been taking care of yourself?" I asked, caressing her face. She shook her head. "Why not?" I questioned. "Because all I do in a day other than conducting those classes is stare at the studio's door, hoping that you will come out and hug me and talk to me," she answered, looking at her lap. I crossed my legs and looked at her. Tears were coursing down her cheeks. "Sometimes I feel so alone, even though I have you. You barely spend any time with me anymore. I want to cuddle with you, talk to you. But, you're always busy. I only want you to hug me and tell me you love me. It takes only two minutes, Darshan. If you can't spare 2 minutes out of the 1440 minutes in a day for me, then what am I to you?" She sobbed, placing her head in her palms. "And, you even forgot Mamma-Papa's death anniversary. You didn't even come to the cemetery with me. I didn't go in but I stood outside and stared at their graves. I came back home and sat outside on the bench, crying for hours. I wanted you with me. But, you yelled at me that day. Saying I didn't let you work. Saying I didn't care. I was scared to even come and talk to you after that," she continued. The realisation hit me hard. I'd forgotten the most important day. "A-Aisha. I'm so sorry," I whispered. "You don't care, do you?" She asked. I was trembling. She walked away and served herself. She started eating without giving me a second look. I sat next to her and served myself. I stared at Aisha as she ate. She looked so weak. "Have you been eating?" I asked. She shrugged.

She finished eating and washed up. She laid down on the couch and cuddled up under 2 blankets and setting the AC at 15°. I walked up to her and kissed her cheek. "Let's cuddle?" I asked. "As if you have time," she scoffed. "I do. I want to make time for you. I'm sorry, sweetheart," I begged. "YOU DON'T!! YOU FORGOT MY PARENTS' ANNIVERSARY! YOU DIDN'T EAT THE FOOD I MADE. I WORKED WITH A SPRAINED ANKLE, LIMPING EVERYWHERE. ALL I ASKED FOR WAS 2 MINUTES OF YOUR DAY!! AM I NOT WORTH IT??!!!" She yelled, sobbing. Tears escaped my eyes, looking at Aisha's broken state. She pushed me aside and walked away. I walked up to her. "Aisha, do you... do you think that...that we should... should take a...a break?" I stammered, sitting, legs crossed, next to her slumped figure on the kitchen floor. "No," she gasped. "No, no, no. I can't deal with being without you. Again. I love you," she sniffled, sitting in my lap and wrapping her arms and legs around me. "I'm being a bad husband," I said. "I want you with me," she whispered, pressing her soft lips to mine, cupping my face with her palms. Her lips were salty with tears. I pulled away and kissed her head. "I am so sorry I yelled at you," she said, kissing my cheeks. "It's okay. You were upset," I said. She nodded and kissed my right cheek, softly burying her lips in. "Bub, I want to spend time with you. Can you forgive me?" I asked, caressing her soft cheeks. "Mhmm. But, don't yell at me again. And, um... spend a little more time taking care of yourself?" She suggested. "I will. And I will eat with you. And sleep on time. And kiss your soft, intoxicating lips at least once every day," I said, smirking. She giggled. I cupped her soft AF cheeks. I slid my left hand into her hair and caressed her cheek with my thumb. I wrapped my right arm around her waist and pulled her close. She tilted her head and I pressed my lips to her neck. I planted soft, wet kisses all over. She chuckled and wrapped her arms around my neck. She giggled as I planted butterfly kisses on her collarbones. I picked her up in my arms and we snuggled up on the couch. She was so delicate. "Um, are you still mad at me?" I asked. "No, Gabbu. I'm not. But, can I ask you something?" She said, gently. I nodded. "Um, can we spend the next few da... hours together?" She asked. "You were going to say days weren't you?" I asked. She nodded, hesitantly. "I would love to spend the next few days with my lovely wife," I said, mimicking her accent. She laughed and hugged me around my neck. 

"So, happy?" I asked. "Happy," she smiled. 

THE END

A/N: Please read the End Note.