US - Till Death Do Us Part

Prologue

"Why does it pain so much?" He asked, her fingers pricked on his stubble gently as she laughed at his question.

"The second time you are asking this since we arrived here" She smiled understanding what he was going through. But pain, oh the beautiful wretched pain, it robbed them of everything they had and were. Leaving them here in the rain to build themselves up again. 

"I was scared baby, I was scared you would leave after you get to know about the past six months. I am so sorry sweetheart, I am so sorry" He whispered as she stared him.

"What if I say I want to?" She mumbled.

"I wouldn't let you" He groaned pulling her face down to his.

"I will not leave then" She whispered kissing his jaw. She was his wife after all. She wasn't planning on doing anything even remotely close to that. They were done with distance they knew.

"I love you baby, jaan hai tu meri Shehnaaz" He whispered kissing her again.

"Say you trust me Sidharth? Kahon ki aap bhi nahi maante ki maine kuch galat kiya jaise ki court nahi maanta, I was proved innocent in front of the world..but you did not come back, you still held me guilty for something I never did..kaho that you trust me" She whimpered pulling at his hair as he laughed.

"I have always trusted you baby..humara ye rishta hai na was always built on trust..wo nahi hota toh aaj hum dono yahan nahi hote...I know I blamed you for something you never did..but I had to..I was guilty myself...I hated myself..tune kuch nahi kiya mujhe pata hai..pata tha before you stepped in court sweetheart" He said.

"Happy Anniversary Sid" She grinned through her tears. They'd be alright they knew.

*****

"Will you marry me Muskaan?" Anshuman whispered holding her by her arm.

"No..no no..don't do this..don't do this please" She whispered pushing him away.

"Take your time if you want to..jitne bhi months and years and whatever just tell me you want it too..just tell me it will happen one day" His words followed hers.

"Please don't make this so tough Anshuman, you know I cannot do this..I am not meant for love..please ye nahi karo" She begged so scared of being robbed of the only escape she had, her little secret. Her stranger, her Anshuman.

"I have to baby...My parents want me to meet this girl...I cannot refuse If we have nothing here..don't rob yourself of this Muskaan" He mumbled pulling her to him.

"Toh jao, aap bhi chale jao..waise bhi this was never meant to happen..I was just supposed to be that sister who hates her sister okay...mai bas wahi hone wali thi...this should have never happened...and you want me to marry in a family jahan I hate your own sister-in-law..who you love so much?" She laughed bitterly but her eyes snapped at his as he let out a sarcastic laugh himself holding her tighter by her arm.

"Say it then...say it in one sentence, in one go...say that you hate Shehnaaz" He said in an intimidating tone, she looked away. She knew, she could not.

"Nahi bol sakti right? Just like you will never say you love me...but I will always know you do..its your choice you want to let go of what we have" He mumbled pulling away.

"But I'll love you Muskaan..I will always love you" He whispered kissing her lips for one last time and then went away letting her drown in her miseries and scars once again. But he knew she's fight it. He knew she'd bounce back and this time maybe in his arms. No matter how long it would take.

******

"You like this album a lot..don't you?" Jessica asked flipping through the pages of an old photo album with her husband.

"Yeah..memories..they are beautiful you know" He said wrapping an arm around her.

"They reflect how happy and beautiful your life was once" He continued staring at the picture of a band with him and his brother being the lead guitarists.

"It still is beautiful" She sighed flipping to another one, a smile grew onto her face, this picture had her too.

"It is..but not with the same people" He said in a voice devoid of any emotion.

"You will never speak to them again?" She asked looking at him for a moment before the photo caught her attention again.

"don't know" He shrugged, he had been thinking about this particular thought a lot these days.

Jessica flipped again and her eyes widened looking at the news article "DRUGS" the word in bold caught her attention and she shut the album instantly.

"It's okay baby..just a bitter reminder of things going downhill" He smiled softly closing his eyes. She hated how he never let her throw that article away. She sighed loudly and let her head rest against his shoulder.

"We will be okay Kabir...you will be okay and they will be too...family hai...all of us will come around it in the end I guess" She whispered as he nodded kissing her forehead.

*****

This is the edited prologue...it might seem very emotional and dark right now..I promise to not make it that..it will be a ride filled with emotions of course..but it will have happy and love filled moments more..you guys know the crux of it already....and the tone of the story will remain the same..it's just that new characters have been introduced....that's all. I hope you like this version as much as you liked the previous one.

love,

Archi