TANGLED SOULS

Until my last breath -3

Abhimanyu Birla could still remember him mourning on a chair a few minutes ago. 'Heartbroken' was an understatement to describe his state at the moment. He was simply empty. Void. There's only this dreading void in his soul as if he lost a part of it. Deep down, he knew he did lost a part of him. His Akshara. He'd lost her. And he was the only to be blamed for. He couldn't even hold grudges against her for not fighting for him. How could he expect it? After everything he's done? He deserved this pain, as much as it hurt, as much it ate him alive, he deserved every bit of it.

He barely had time to wipe away his tears when his brain registered someone calling him. Shaking his head but without being about to completely erase the the trace of his agony, he turned around to see a elderly lady. He got up instantly and proposed his seat to her, his caring instinct kicking in as he made her first sit on his chair.

"Thank you, Beta..." The lady smiled grateful. "I'm getting old, I can't stand for a longtime...My knees start to ache more and more these days..." She further explained while he helped her with her luggage, keeping it at her side.

"Anytime Maa...and it's perfectly okay." He retorted softly. "You're strong and healthy enough to travel alone, it's admirable." She smiled as she patted his cheek softly.

"Do you need anything, Maa?"

"Arrey, no son... I don't wanna delay you. I'll manage—" She was soon cut off my Abhimanyu.

"You just called me son, consider me as your son and let me help you... Do you need anything else, Maa?" He asked sternly and the lady chuckled.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?"

"I'm a doctor. I know my ways with people." He said back with a tired smile.

The truth wasn't only that. He genuinely wanted to help the lady. It was in his nature to help others. But he also wanted to escape his reality. A reality where his Akshara wasn't here. So he needed a distraction. Anything to keep himself from losing it.

"You must be a great doctor, then." The lady murmured snapping his attention back to her. "But I'll ask you this help, considering you as a son, can you please buy me a bottle of water, Beta? The shops are downstairs..." She trailed as she took her purse for money but Abhi stopped her.

"Maa, you consider me as your son right? Would you pay your son for a water bottle?" He chided softly. "I'll go buy your water bottle and will find something sweet for you as well, your hands are trembling slightly, you've diabetics?" He asked further, the doctor in him noticing everything.
She nodded wordlessly caressing his hair affectionately.He instructed her to be there before leaving.

And now, as he was standing there rooted in his spot, water bottle in his hands, he couldn't believe his eyes. He must be hallucinating. There's no other explanation. Because how could Akshara, his Akshu be here in front of his eyes? He mentally slapped himself chanting to wake up. To stop being delusional, Abhi. He scolded himself trying to make his delusion disappear but she stood stunned on spot, without moving an inch as his vision got blurry with water pooling in them.

The frozen world around them seemed to unfreeze abruptly as the next second, Akshara leaped in his direction, the trail of her tears flying at the speed. She ignored everything, people staring at her wondering if she was a fool, her aching knee, her wobbly legs, her wet puffy eyes, her messy hair... nothing mattered but him. Her life, her husband, her best friend and love standing a few feet from her. And this time she wouldn't let him go away. Not now. Not ever. That was her last thought before she crashed into his arms with such force that it knocked out his balance as she felt their bodies colliding together on the ground with a thud. She winced inaudibly when her arms hit the ground with the fall but she couldn't care less as his head was protected in her arms, her own face buried deep in his neck.