As autumn became the wintertime, Anahita gazed towards the sky, her soul expecting to see a blue sun, as if the rays would somehow be colder in those icy days. Instead, they were a mix of orange and yellow, divinely warm upon her chilled skin.
She wrapped the coat tight and pressed it over to herself as another rush of chill breeze ruffled through her skin.
She lightly smiled as she passed by familiar people, greeting them. Her neighborhood was beautiful. The people residing there here were great. Her neighborhood was a marriage of sounds, pleasant and sometimes a tad bit annoying, from bicycles to chattering. It was peaceful. As she walked through the familiar streets of Manhattan, she admired everything that seemed beautiful to her.
Being an FBI agent was hard. There were countless times when she had sleepless nights and worked till she was all drained out. But then again, it was her job and she loved it. But today was different. Today was day three of her week off.
Week off for Anahita only meant, eat, sleep and repeat. After days of working hard, holidays were like a sweet treat.
She walked up to the end of the street, right where her house was. It was similar to every other house on that lane, red brick-walled houses with a beautiful front porch and a small backyard.
It was her home, it was her everything.
She walked through the front porch that led to her house. Fishing out the keys from the pocket of her coat and inserted them into the keyhole. Twisting the knob of the door, she entered like it was the first time, the feeling was the same as coming home after a long absence.
She removed her coat and hung it over the stand where the other coats were hung. Slipping off her shoes, she wore the house slippers and walked inside her house.
She sauntered into the kitchen and filled herself with a glass of water. As she was halfway through the second glass, two strong arms slipped around her waist and pulled her close.
The familiar touch of those fingers gave her goosebumps, as if it was their first time, being so close to each other.
"You aren't supposed to go out alone," Karan expressed his displeasure.
Anahita sighed. She traced the calluses upon his hands, which were a love story, for it told the strength of his heart and how much he cared for her and made their life so good.
"I was just trying to relax," she mumbled apologetically while she rested the back of her head against his chest. Being short in height becomes an advantage when you want to simply lay your head against your partner's chest, listening to their rhythmic heartbeat.
"You should've taken me with you," he told her. "There are three special agents growing inside of you," he gently patted over her stomach and she smiled looking down at it. She was four months pregnant.
She knew why he was concerned. At the age of thirty-four, it became difficult for her to conceive. But her wait for a child turned out to be fruitful when she was blessed with not one, not two but three children, all together. The pregnancy was mildly a difficult one, owing to her age and PCOS but she was going strong.
Placing her hand over his, she gently squeezed it. "Next time, I will do that." Karan dropped a soft kiss on her hair.
Taking her hand in his led her through the hallway to the lounge. As they walked towards the lounge, Anahita admired the walls of her house. It was the best part of her home that carried a kaleidoscope of memories, photographs adorning the walls, each one of them conjuring the memories of those sweet eternal memories.
As they entered the lounge, Karan made her sit on the nearest couch and took a seat beside her.
When she looked at him, he looked fidgety. The nervousness was all over his face making her narrow her eyes at him. There were only rare moments when he looked like that and when he did, it was something serious.
"What is it?" Karan widened his eyes at her question. She was his wife after all. He was an FBI agent but at the same time, he was a husband. There was no way his wife wouldn't have figured out by his expressions.
He blinked his eyes a few times before he cleared his throat to speak. "I got a call today," he said, "from the central jail."
Her face paled at his words but she said nothing. "What about it?"
"He wants to speak to you. It's his last wish," he told her. The color left her face and she took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She could have expected all sorts of things but not this, never this.
It had been eight years.
Eight years since she had seen him.
And eight years since her heartbreak.
No matter how many years had passed, he had never left her mind. She knew today was the day, she wasn't ready to hear the news at all. Nobody enjoyed seeing someone they once loved dying.
"Are you okay?" Karan cupped her cheek when he noticed her palling with each second.
"Why me?" Her gaze met with his, her eyes filled with raw emotions. They were glassy and he knew the reason behind it.
"Maybe he needs closure," he voiced out. He paused for a moment as he ran the pad of his thumb over her cheek. "And maybe you need it too."
Anahita's eyes widened in surprise. "You want me to talk to him?"
"Of course I do. I know what he meant to you," There was no hint of sarcasm or malice in his tone. Looking at her unsure face, he dropped a loving peck on her lips. "I love you, Anahita. I want you to do this and I know that somewhere you want it too. I would have never told you to go for it while you're pregnant but I don't want you to regret the fact that you missed your chance at getting closure."
"What if I fall weak?" Her emotions were as throat croaked in the end, a tear slipping from her eye.
"Be it work or life, we have always been a team, Annie. Whenever you fall weak, I will be standing right behind you to hold you up and help you get the closure you deserve."
~xxxxx~
Wohooo, surprise surprise dear readers! First love always has an impact on our lives. So here's an unusual tale of first love.
With Love,
~Akii.
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