Truly Yours

Chapter 27 - By Your Side

Abhimanyu rushed to the terminal that Nishta had texted him, his heart beating rapidly as he tried to catch up with the racing traffic. The sounds of beeping honks, frustrated drivers, lost visitors, frequent travelers all mixed into the cue of cars that were heading into the airport. Abhimanyu tried to take some deep breaths as the fear of losing her forever lingered in his mind as he tapped mindlessly on to the steering wheel.

"Come on... come on" he prayed looking for the first parking lot he could see near the terminal section. Eyeing one that had cleared up as soon as he arrived, he thanked his lucky stars as he quickly parked and unbuckled his seat belt, practically hopping out of the driver's seat.

The next job was to find Akshara.

And hopefully, before she checked in... although at this rate, he would buy the damn airline before he let that plane fly.

He walked down the pathway looking around like a madman amidst the crowd of people that were coming in and going from the airport. Running a frustrated hand through his hair, he tried to focus on looking for her sweet voice.

Closing his eyes, he said a gentle prayer to himself.

And that's when he heard it.

His favourite sound in the world.

The twinkle of her anklet.

Opening his eyes wide, he looked towards the direction he heard the sound in until he spotted her.

His adorable wife.

Standing there with her handbag, wafting through it looking for something with a confused expression on her face.

Feeling a sense of relief overcome him instantly, he didn't waste a second as he leaped forward toward her.

"Akshara..." he yelled.

His words immediately caught her attention as he picked up his pace.

Akshara looked up, her eyes widening as she recognised the voice instantly. She knew it off by heart. She looked at him in shock as he ran towards her, clearly panicked.

"Akshara" he yelled again running towards her and not caring who noticed, "Akshara don't go.. please.. don't go" he yelled again, tears filling his eyes and threatening to fall.

Akshara stopped frozen, confused by the words he was uttering and why he looked so panicked. Her heart instantly ached at his state as she took in how frazzled and how on edge he looked.

"Akshara please... please.. you can't leave me" Abhimanyu panicked as he finally reached her, the tears now very apparent in his eyes.

Akshara looked at his haphazard state completely confused, she'd never seen him like this and the look of tears in his eyes were breaking her heart as each second passed. On-lookers had started to notice them and she feared people would start to recognise them. But it seemed like if Abhimanyu had noticed, he didn't care one bit about what people thought.

"Abhi..." Akshara whispered, quickly cupping his face as she tried to calm him down standing up on her tippy toes, "shhh baby... shhh... what's wrong? Why are you so panicked?" she asked him, caressing one cheek trying to calm him down and not draw attention to them at the same time as she leaned back down.

"Akshu I'm sorry I'm so so sorry... I-I.... please do whatever... give me whatever punishment but you can't go" Abhimanyu whispered leaning into her touch as the tears started to trail down his face, a reaction to her soft touch.

Leaving?

Why did he keep mentioning leaving?

Akshara was totally confused. Abhimanyu seemed to be under the impression she was going somewhere?

She leaned up and pressed a kiss to a tear that trailed down his cheek, she never wanted to see him in this state ever in her life.

"Abhi.. baba I'm not leaving... why would I be leaving?" she whispered gently, continuing to caress his cheek, relishing the touch of being with him after ages and at the same wanting him to calm down.

Abhimanyu stared at her confused.

"You're not... you're not leaving?" Abhimanyu asked bewildered as he registered her words and finally started calming down, catching his breath finally as his sympathetic nervous finally started to calm down.

"Nahi baba... I came to drop Nishta off... she said she got a last-minute media gig in Australia and she wanted me to drop her off..." Akshara clarified, giving him a soft and gentle reassuring smile.

"Nishta is flying....?" Abhimanyu clarified, the adrenaline in his body settling as realisation started to sink in.

"Yes look" Akshara chuckled pointing at the doorway of the terminal section where Nishta was standing with her red bag looking at the two of them. She let out a cheeky smile when they both noted her waving at Abhimanyu in particular.

"Nishta" Abhimanyu growled as he realised his sister had stitched him up, glaring at her from the distance.

He turned to face Akshara, "she told me you were leaving to go to the US for music therapy" he told her, making her jaw drop.

Akshara gasped as she realised what Nishta had done.

"Nishta ki bachi...." she realised the distress that it would have caused Abhimanyu as she turned to look at her husband who looked like he had truly gone through the worst hours of his life.

"I'm not going Abhi...I'm not leaving... I would never leave you" Akshara told him gently trying to clarify and reassure any racing thoughts that were in his head.

Abhimanyu let a tear slip from his eyes, "Akshu" he cried, not being able to help himself as he processed her words and pulled her in for a tight hug.

She was here.

She was with him.

She wasn't leaving.

Akshara let out her own tears at their embrace, feeling emotional as it dawned on her that she finally was in her Abhimanyu's embrace after days and days of torture.

She let out tears and then looked up at him, his own tear-stained face. They both laughed looking at each other.

"We are a mess Abhi" Akshara sighed, clearing the tears on his face with the pads of her thumb.

"Whatever we are... jaise bhi hain... it's everything to me" Abhimanyu whispered pulling her in so that she could rest her head against his chest.

Akshara smiled against him, pressing a kiss on his chest, right where she knew his heart was beating.

And this time she knew for sure.

It was for her.

Just like hers was.

For him.

Enjoy. I can never see them in dukh and dard for too long & this was always meant to be a light hearted one. <3

Wrapping up this story soon! 

N x