The Exchange

Tears

The moment she got into her hotel room, she locked herself in her bathroom and began sobbing. For the first time in a year, she let herself feel...she let herself hurt. She let herself become a human again. For the first time in a year, she felt him so intensely beside her. And as she cried, she felt her breaths escaping her, she felt herself losing control. In her ears, she heard his voice...she heard him whisper, "sing." But, she couldn't. And she wouldn't. If Dr. Khera or Maya heard her, that would be the end of it. They had strictly forbade her from singing at any hour, in any location unless it was for Maya. And even if they hadn't given her such orders, she could not fathom singing even a single note...she could not fathom owning her voice again. Her voice, her everything was him...and without him, she was no one. 

Unable to control her breaths, she left the bathroom and fell onto her bed, clutching onto her throat. "Abhi, Abhi...." she gasped between her breaths. If she couldn't sing, she would remember him instead. His memories were enough for her to find peace in that moment. So, she closed her eyes and pictured him. She pictured him carrying her at their wedding. She pictured him defending her in front of her entire family. She pictured him sleeping next to her, his arms wrapped softly around her. She pictured him coming home from the hospital with a single rose for her. And slowly, but steadily, her breaths started to calm down. Slowly, but steadily, she regained control. She walked back into the bathroom and washed her face. She had allowed herself to cry, to feel today...but this could not continue. She could not let herself believe...let herself hope that she would see him again. She told herself that over and over again. She told herself that they were done...that their journey was over. But, while she convinced her mind, her heart refused to listen. As her heart knew that he would find her...her heart knew that no matter where she hid, there would come a day where she would see him again. Her heart had known that from the very day she left...as no matter how hard they had tried, they had never been able to fight their fate.