AISHA: The Cursed Name

Chapter -43 Karishma

Karishma

"Why is he crying?"
Swara whispered to Rishab who was looking short-tempered as he said,
"I wonder what she is doing in his arms? She should have pushed away till now."

Swara rolled her eyes and looked at him and said,
"Aisha is not like that. When she hasn't pushed you away then that man is way better than you. I'd better see her there than in your arms."

He annoyingly smirked but kept on watching them.
Aisha was amazed to find herself wrapped in his arms but an unknown comfort wrapped her and she also relaxed in his embrace as if she was waiting for someone to hold her lovingly for a moment, showering all the gracious blessings over her. But then, she had lacked such a feeling for over a year. She hasn't received any blessings.

When the old man pulled her away and looked at her face, a smile occurred and he spoke for the first time,
"I've waited to see these eyes for almost eighteen years. I've waited! I've waited so much! I never saw them open after..."

And he again broke down. Madhur was standing behind him and held the king while looking at Aisha's puzzled face,
"I see, we need some time to handle this. Bringing you was important but I didn't think it would be so difficult to absorb that you are here. Actually here."

The entire population was staring at her when an old lady whose attire looked like a sage in white appeared. She had suddenly pushed through the crowd and came up to see why her ears were cursed to hear the cries of her husband. But then, her eyes watched Aisha standing next to her husband. Her reddish-tinted face all of a sudden turned ice cold and pale. Her hands dropped from her heavy breathing chest as she spoke lowly,
"You've come back?"

The tears blinded her eyes and she took small steps toward Aisha and positioned herself in front of her. She covered her mouth to mute a sob and then placed both her hands on Aisha's cheeks and said,
"I knew you will come back. I knew it! You, you are back! I know it all was a lie!"

Suddenly the sorrow in her tone changed and was replaced by anger,
"Why? Why didn't you come back? I've been waiting... Waiting for all these years. All these years I've waited. You went away and came back, never saw me never opened your eyes. You never looked up at me.
You! You!
Where had you been?...
You? Karishma?
It's you, right?"

Her hands rolled down her cheeks and shivering down her shoulders reached out to lock her hands in between her fingers and said,
"You? Karishma?"

The lady looked away from Aisha's face and back at her husband when he slightly shook in disagreement. She ceased! She paused and her hands stilled over her heart. Once again, she turned to look at the face in front of her. Her eyes suddenly hooked with the light brown pair of eyes, shedding tears. A face so significantly shocked and upset that she took her hand and caressed Aisha's cheeks and said,
"You are not Karishma? You are not! But... I see her in you but then I can also see a darkness which took her away from me. You... Who are you?"

Aisha's hand slipped over the fair hand resting on her cheek and said,
"I'm Aisha."

And... Stillness! Far spread stillness after about hearing hundreds of gasps; there was silence. So quiet that it seemed as if they stood in a bubble of vacuum. Quiet nature and quiet living beings. The air ceased in its place and the song of nature choked upon its breath.

Stillness...
Stillness...

Aisha closed her eyes and she felt a reflex running through her vein to her brain. Unknown sensations quivering up through the tip of her thumb gently caressing the hand of the lady. And soon, her eyes felt heavy and she closed them.