Dheere Se Kho Gaye!

[5]

                                           Ishi

As I walked out of the room to take my mother's call, I felt Shrinkhal's gaze on me. He had noticed the worried look on my face, but he still smiled softly, letting me go. I knew exactly what this call was about—another attempt to bring me back to Mumbai.

Taking a deep breath, I picked up.

"Hi, Mom! How are you?"

There was silence for a few seconds before she finally spoke.

"I'm okay. What about you?"

"I'm good. How's Nani? Tell her I miss her."

"She has been missing you these past few days. Why don't you come and meet her? She's here with me."

"Mom, I don't have much time, but I'll go and meet her in Pune itself."

"Ab apni maa ke liye bhi tumhare paas time nahi hai? Khair... how's the guy you're living with?"

There it was. Exactly what I had been expecting.

She never supported my relationship with Shrinkhal—just because he wasn't her choice. She had always wanted to control my life, from my studies to my job, from my outfits to what I ate. Just to escape her, I had moved to Pune.

Shrinkhal knew everything from the beginning. He never judged me, never forced me to cut ties with her, and always supported my choices. He even met Nani, and she already liked him. I had tried mending things with Mom, but every attempt was in vain. She disrespected him, humiliated him—and the guilt of that still stung me. He never deserved it.

"Ji Maa," I sighed, "I still live with Shrinkhal. Haan, woh mera hi boyfriend hai. But I'll be marrying him soon. He is given me everything I ever craved for."

"Ishi, listen to me, beta. He's nothing compared to us... Please come back home—"

"You're wrong, Mumma," I cut her off, my voice firm. "Aapne kabhi try bhi kiya hai usse achhe se jaanne ka? Kabhi samajhne ki koshish ki hai? Mujhe na paisa chahiye, na bada ghar. Main khush hoon jaisa bhi hoon. Usne kabhi mujhe kisi cheez ki kami mehsoos nahi hone di. Maa, main khush hoon. Sukoon hai woh mera. Please, try to understand."

She sighed, the disappointment in her voice cutting deep.

"Theek hai, tumhe jo karna hai karo. Par shaadi karne se pehle mujhe milne zaroor aana. Baaki tum toh mujhe apni maa kabhi maanti nahi thi. Jo marzi karo. Tumhari life, tumhari marzi. Bas itna yaad rakhna—ek point ke baad pyaar, pyaar nahi rehta."

And just like that, she hung up.

Her words pierced through me. What was her problem? Why couldn't she just accept that I loved Shrinkhal and wanted to be with him?

When I had first moved in with him, she had blocked all my cards, forcing me to find a job to support myself. She had never understood love, care, emotions, or respect. To her, it was all about control.

The overwhelming emotions crashed over me, and before I knew it, I was sobbing silently, curling up against the kitchen cabinets. My knees pressed against my chest as I tried to steady my breathing, but the pain in my heart wouldn't subside.

After ten minutes of my absence, Shrinkhal got worried and came looking for me. When he saw me sitting there, crying, his heart skipped a beat. Without a word, he rushed to me and knelt in front of me, gently cupping my face.

"What happened, meri jaan?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Why are you crying? Is your mom okay? Please tell me, bacha."

Between sobs, I told him everything. He listened silently, without interrupting, his eyes soft and understanding. When I was done ranting, he wiped my tears, then without another word, scooped me into his arms.

"That's enough for today," he murmured, his deep voice soothing me. "Come on, let me put you to sleep, babe."

I looked at him with tear-filled yet reassuring eyes.

"You know that I love you, right?" I whispered. "I've been with you, and I will always be with you, no matter what. You are my everything. I can't imagine my life without you."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He carried me inside and gently laid me down on the bed. Opening my arms, I invited him to curl up with me, and he did—snuggling into my embrace, his face nestled near my neck.

"Sinkiye?"

"Haanji?"

"Maine gusse mein Mumma ko keh diya ki we're getting married."

He lifted his head, eyes widening slightly.

"When?"

"Umm... Kal subah?"

A mischievous smirk tugged at his lips.

"I'm ready. Mera lehenga waise bhi tayyar hai. Aap sherwani pehnoge, Ishi ji? Ya kurta-pajama?"

I burst into laughter, imagining him in a lehenga.

I knew right now wasn't the right time. We weren't financially stable enough to start a married life, but weren't we already living like a married couple? Did it even make a difference?

But Mom wanted a grand wedding. Just for show.

"Main toh shorts mein hi shaadi kar loonga aapke saath, Mrs. Malik," he teased.

This time, he was the one laughing, and I just stared at him—his face, his smile, his aura. I wanted to imprint this moment into my memory forever.

My subconscious knew—I could never forget this man. His laughter, his warmth, his bad yet endearing cooking skills.

I never had to second-guess whether I wanted to be with him forever. He was like a missing piece of my puzzle, fitting perfectly into my life. The thought of marrying him, building a future together, sent an adrenaline rush through me.

His laughter slowly faded, and he turned to face me, deep brown eyes locked onto mine. Taking my left hand, he started dribbling his fingers over my palm before softly kissing it.

For a few moments, he didn't say anything, as if he wanted to, but couldn't find the right words. Then, finally, he intertwined his fingers with mine.

"Ishi, tumhe pata hai? Maine kabhi yeh phase dekha hi nahi kisi aur ke saath. But jo bhi hai, jaisa bhi hai, main bohot khush hoon. Aur mujhe zara bhi shaq nahi hum pe," he said, his voice raw with emotion. "Mujhe bas itna pata hai ki tum jaisi koi aur nahi. Aur mujhe kabhi chahiye bhi nahi hogi. Will you be mine till the end? Jawab abhi nahi maang raha... jab sahi lage, tab keh dena. Par yeh yaad rakhna—mera sab kuch tum ho."

His words made my heart stop for a moment.

I never thought someone could love me this much—that they wouldn't be able to imagine a life without me.

"Mujhe tumhare saath hi rehna hai, Sri," I whispered, my voice steady. "Chahe jo bhi ho, jo bhi halat ho. Mera dil bas tumhara hi hai, aur tumhara hi rahega."

His lips pressed against my forehead in a soft, lingering kiss before he pulled me into his arms.

And in that moment, his embrace felt like home—as if he was afraid to lose me, afraid of never finding us again.

A/n: I am simping of this couple so bad😭 ah they're just so perfect. I hope they end up soon.