NEVER LOSE YOU AGAIN

CHAPTER 8

A gentle kiss on my cheek woke me up the next day. I opened my eyes and saw varun so near to my face. For a moment that scared me but then i smiled a little.

'You slept on the sofa itself !' He said

'You got me in?' I asked.

'Yes. Your back would've ached! How careless can you be?!' He said

I just starred at him.
'Sorry for yesterday. I was a little scared and out of zone.' He said and again kissed my forehead.

'It's okay. I understand.' I said and cradeled his cheeks.

'Aaru, we'll not separate, right? God won't do that to us, na?' He asked.
The heaviness of the question broke my heart. A tear rolled the corner of my eye and fell down on the pillow.

'Varun, i'll be with you, no matter what.' I said 'hmm? I'll never leave your hand!'

He matched his forehead with me and nodded. 'Come on, get ready. We have a video call coming on our way!' He said and got up.

'Video call?' I asked, sitting up on bed

'Yes. With our mothers. Let's ask them.' He said

'Are you ready for the typical over reaction?' I asked him

'I need to. Especially for my mom!' He said and we looked into each other's eyes, ready for the drama!!

_______________

they both looked at us in shock. neither of them said anything.

'mom? we haven't video called you to see your mum faces. please, tell us something!' varun yelled. i patted him on his knee signaling him not to shout.

'varun, thank god you're not in front of me, i would've slapped you!' rashmi aunty said

'fine, sorry. i shouldn't have yelled.' he said, apologetically.

'no, not for the yell, but you took the seat without asking us, or discussing with us!' she said angrily.

'mumma come on. i haven't taken the seat yet, i have asked for a week's time. i took that time to specifically inform you.' he said

'did you see shobha ji?' rashmi aunty told my mom 'now our kids will inform us, and not ask us. this is what they're showing us now!' she complained. varun sighed and covered his face.

'will you say something, aarushi? please?' he looked tired as he said this.

'aunty, mom,' i said 'we both haven't taken any decision yet. we both wanted to ask for your opinions and that's why we video called you today. so please, if you could tell us what would be the best for us, we would be happy.'

'aarushi, varun is stupid, don't listen to him. i can't let go the only son i have! and that too at such short notice- in three months!?' rashmi aunty yelled at him.

'mom, so you think my company will send a letter to you asking if your son can come to new york for work with your all due permission. mom these are MNCs. and i had been asking my boss and worked hard just so that i could get promoted for the new york seat! and you're telling me not to go?' he asked and i again patted his knee signaling him to talk softly to his mom.

the change in his tone was clear enough for someone to notice that something had been bothering him.

'varun, all this take planning, and in three months, you think you can figure out everything?' she asked.

'rashmi ji,' my mom finally said something 'varun is not wrong. he worked so hard for this opportunity, and he finally got it. he should go for it. but what about you two then?'

'exactly aunty,' varun said 'i am just thinking about aarushi. i can shift mom over there once i get settled, but aarushi? she is denying. so even if we get married before i leave, the only option we have is long distance. and do you think we can do long distance for whole life?'

i was mum. varun was right.

'aarushi, beta, tell me, what do you want to do?' rashmi aunty asked. varun looked at me.

'i...i...don't know...' my throat chocked. i was breaking from within, because all i could see was the end coming near, and i wasn't ready for it. varun held my hand, signaling me to calm down and tell me that he's here. i don't knw why, but a little sympathy always made me cry.

i could see my eyes watering but i controlled.

'i don't have a career as a doctor over there. so i can't go.' i said

'aarushi you can do something else too. doctor is not the only profession in this world!' my mother said and i can't believe that the person who knocked off my ass during childhood to become a doctor was herself saying this to me.

'mom?' i asked, and i could no longer hold back my tears. it hurt me to hear that i should give up on my dreams...and that too from my mother. my own mother.

'shobha ji, what are you saying? aarushi has her right to pursue whatever she wants.' rashmi aunty said.

'aarushi what will you do then? end things with varun?' my mom fired her question, and just like a bullet it went straight into my heart, leaving me in pain. i couldn't say anything to her.

i could see varun breaking down from within, despite of him trying to look like he's fine.

'see, you both are grown up enough to take choices on your own. neither rashmi ji or i will intervene with your decisions. but you have to be practical and think. you don't have much time left. you have to take a decision, right?' mom explained.

yes, i could see it, it's ending. it's ending. please god, show us a way.

'thank you mom, thank you aunty. i guess, we'll take some decision and let you know soon.' varun said.

'yes, aarushi, are you okay?' rashmi aunty asked. varun looked at my face.

'yes, i am fine.' i lied.

'take care both of you. and don't worry, you will find a way out soon, okay?' they said and we hung up. varun and i sighed at the same time.

even the thought of varun leaving me and going was unbearable. i wasn't able to soak in the moment that things could get worse in such less time.

i got up from there and started walking towards our bedroom. 'aarushi?' he asked

i didn't stop. i was tired of dealing with the thoughts.

i could hear varun get up after me and following me as i entered the bedroom. i stood at the balcony and varun's hands crawled up my waist with his chin on my shoulder.

'aaru?' he asked (calling me by 'aaru' after a long time) 'what happened?' and he gently kissed my ear.

'varun, it's back.' i said with a deep sigh.

'what?' he asked

'the phase...your cancer phase...' i said

'what? i have cancer?' he asked 'that's something more serious!'

'noooo. you remember how god took you away from me during that phase? we both were in so much pain, especially you! that phase,...it has returned varun, it has returned.' i said

he passed a hollow laugh. even though he laughed, i knew it was fake, just to make me normal, he was dying inside.

'aaru...' he held my face 'and after that? how good we reunited! noone can separate us.' he said, giving me fake hopes.

'yeah? and what about now?' i asked

'we'll find a way baba! calm down! look at your face!' he said

'varun i can't leave you. never.' i said with a chocking throat.

'and i am not going to let you leave me.' he said

i hugged him tightly. 'aaru...i can't see you in pain...' he said and i let the tears flow silently. he hugged me back tighter.

He picked out his phone and dialed a number.

'whom are you calling?' i asked

'our problem solver.' he said.