Trust in Love

Chapter 58

Author's POV

Anita and Raj's Room

"Raj...." Anita called out to him nervously

Raj stiffened on hearing her voice but did not respond back.

Gingerly, Anita made her way to him. The tension was so palpable that it  could cut the atmosphere with a knife.

"Raj....I...."

Even though she spoke out her anguish downstairs, now she is flustered over confronting Raj alone.

While biting on her lips, Anita turned towards Raj. She was expecting an angry Raj instead she was shocked by what she saw in front.

With blood shot eyes and tears overflowing, his face was depicting a picture of a battered and broken man.

Before Anita could wipe away those tears, Raj caught her hand and rooted his eyes onto her.

As those piercing eyes clashed with Anita's,  she let out a gasp, witnessing the torment in them.

"I failed...I ....failed..miserably....." Raj whispered in pain then without any warning , he fell on his knees and began sobbing out his heart.

Not able to withstand the devastated state of her husband, Anita hugged him to her chest as her eyes also began watering in his pain.

" Please... Raj ....You did not fail....Please....I am not strong enough to see you like this....you are my pillar..."

" Then why...? Why did you hide such an important matter from me? Was I that bad of a husband?...." questioned Raj woefully

" Of course not. You were the best husband I could ask for...." Anita was quick to respond but Raj interrupted,

"Not every time..."

Before she could refute, he continued,

" I agree to that....In becoming a good son and brother,  I missed out on being a good husband. I forgot, in the race of life , my wife also requires my equal attention if not more. It is not like I didnt want to spend time with you, I wanted to but it always got sidelined while performing my other duties and responsibilities. It was a wake up call, seeing Abhi and Ram, taking out time for their wife's.  I realized my mistake but by then it was too late. We became so set in our ways that it was getting difficult to break out of the routine...." he trailed off.

He then trained his eyes back on his wife's innocent face and with a feathery touch ,he cupped her face and placed a heartwarming kiss on her forehead.

Anita was too overwhelmed by the gesture that a sob broke out from her lips. Hearing her sniffles,  Raj pulled her into his arms.

With the support of the wall, they sat down in each other's embrace with his heartbeat, a lullaby to her ears.

Amidst all the distress, there still was a tranquility in the air. Two bleeding souls were finally finding a way to open up their hearts.

Anita slowly realised how she herself was responsible for the weak state of her marriage. She should have taken a stand and not let the insecurities fester. She forgot to show her trust when it was actually needed.

As Anita was contemplating on the ifs and buts, Raj was also on the path of retrospect. He always believed in action rather than words but the past events made him rewrite his thinking.
Like a thunderbolt, he realized, his mother would not have meddled if only he opened himself to his wife much earlier.

Better late than never, with this saying reverberating in his mind, he decided to take the first step.

"Though we were bond together forcefully, you became mine the moment my name joined with yours. But the guilt of failing my family's expectation made me make them my priority. That was my first mistake. You were a dream wife .....no nagging....no demands....no complaints.....and I took you for granted. That was my second mistake.  There were times I could detect a shadow of sadness in you but then you would smile the next instant making me ignore it as my imagination. That was my third mistake...and the list goes on...and on....Trying to prove myself and gaining Amma and Acha's forgiveness was taking a toll on my mind and body but there was one light in those difficult times. Your smile....your one smile was enough to vanquish all my tiredness. I never realized when you captured my heart completely. I used to wait impatiently for that hour when I could be just your husband . You were the comfort my heart craved but I regret not expressing the same to you...."