Two Yearning Hearts

2

Impatient and excited Shekhar and Nikhil came back to the living area as their mother didn't come to their room to pack their stuff. Their smiles faded when they didn't find their papa.

"Mumma, where's papa?" Nikhil asked, looking up with curiosity at Kajal.

Kajal felt bad seeing innocent sad eyes of her sons. She mentally cursed Suyash for trying to ruin her evening, but she remained cheered up for the sake of her kids. She smiled at the boys and said, "your father had sudden office work, so he had to go..." She explained. "But no worries, today we are going out with Viren. He will treat us with tasty food, lots of ice cream, and chocolates. Will you come with us, won't you?"

At first the boys were disappointed that their father had broken his promise to spend the weekend with them. However, the thought of going out for dinner and eating different flavors of ice creams and chocolates cheered them up instantly. Both the boys nodded their heads smilingly.

Viren was delighted to learn that Kajal had refused to let Suyash take the kids, and spent the evening well with Kajal and the kids.

__________________________________

Parvati stood in the corner of the bustling hospital room, her heart overflowing with joy as she watched her family members celebrate the arrival of a precious new addition. The room was filled with congratulatory remarks and gasps of awe as everyone marveled at the beautiful little boy. Parvati's eyes were fixed on the newborn, her gaze filled with happy tears that she quickly wiped away with a smile.

As the excitement settled, Parvati suddenly realized that she had forgotten to share the good news with her closest friend, Suyash. Without hesitation, she stepped out of the room and quickly sent messages to him, eager to share her joy with the one person she always felt comfortable confiding in.

Meanwhile, sitting on a lonely beach at night, Suyash gazed at the vast ocean and the strong waves that came crashing down to the sand a few feet away from him. He would feel ease in the company of the moon, stars and the rhythmic sounds of waves, they had most of the time managed to temporarily soothe his guilt that consumed him for almost a year, However, on this particular night, they were not enough to provide him comfort. His heart was heavy with regret and sadness.

He wished, dearly, to turn back time, to the days when his life was filled with joy and happiness, to the time when Kajal's sweet smiling face and his chirpy little munchkins filled his life with joy. He had everything in life a man would desire- a beautiful wife and two adorable children, loving parents in the form of a mother-in-law and father-in-law, a perfect life which he ruined by himself for his ambitious professional goals.

As he sat on the beach, Suyash couldn't help but wonder what his life would be like if he had made different choices. He knew that he had only himself to blame for the mess he had created. He had let his ambition get the best of him, and in doing so, he had destroyed his life. He was pulled out of his forlorn thoughts by the chat message notification sound from his mobile. He took out his mobile from his pocket and tapped on the notification bar. A chat window popped up.

Pallavi and Kamal are now proud parents of a baby boy.

He read Parvati's message and looked at the pictures of the baby sent by her. A smile appeared on his face seeing the cute photos. There were photos of the baby sleeping, crying, lying still and even yawning.

He has taken after his father, round and cute, hasn't he?

Suyash chuckled slightly reading the message that had just come, and he did agree with Parvati in his thoughts that the baby was beautiful and indeed looked like Kamal. For a brief moment Suyash forgot his pain thanks to Parvati.