Siren of Hearts

35. Aftermath

Ishita woke up to the sound of faint cries, immediately noticing the room's newfound order. The absence of Siddharth raised an alarm, and her logical mind led her to the bathroom, where the sound of running water mingled with heartbreaking sobs. Unlocking the door, she was met with a sight that pierced her heart.

Siddharth, in nothing but his undergarments, sat hunched in the shower, head buried between his knees, his cries echoing in the confined space. The raw pain etched on his face told a tale of profound grief. Without a second thought about her own clothes, Ishita entered the shower, kneeling down beside him.

Cupping his tear-streaked face, she locked eyes with him, witnessing the redness from incessant crying. The stream of tears blended with the running water on his face. Tenderly, she hugged his head, resting her chin on the top, while his arms instinctively wrapped around her. As Siddharth continued to release the pent-up grief, Ishita held him close, providing a comforting embrace in the midst of his heart-wrenching cries. 

His grip around her tightened, his cries echoing in the small space. The weight of his loss became palpable as he poured out his emotions. "I lost her, Isha. She's gone. I thought she would stay, she wouldn't leave just Mom and Dad. What should I do now?" Siddharth's words were laden with a deep sense of despair, a longing for the familiar warmth that his grandmother had always provided.

Ishita, also submerged in the running water, felt the weight of his grief. There were no words to offer solace in this moment of profound loss. Siddharth's words echoed in the small shower space, "She was the warm shelter in my every bad weather. How should I live?" In the midst of the water's flow, Ishita silently pledged to be his unwavering support, a steady presence in the face of life's storms.

As he continued to repeat the heartbreaking refrain, "I lost my family again, Isha," Ishita allowed him to release the tidal wave of sorrow. His anguish reverberated through the bathroom, and in that shared space, she vowed to be the anchor he needed to navigate the turbulent sea of grief.

As she emerged from the bedroom wearing his sweatshirt, a unique sense of vulnerability and closeness enveloped them. Seated on the bed, he began to towel-dry her hair. The act of care and tenderness spoke volumes in the quiet room. Unexpectedly, in the midst of this intimate moment, she uttered those life-altering words, "Marry me, Sid."

The movement of his hand came to a pause, the air thickening with surprise. A delicate silence lingered before he cautiously asked, "What?" 

Confident and unwavering, she repeated the request, "Marry me." As he removed the towel, her eyes spoke volumes of determination, a decision made in the unspoken language of shared experiences and emotional connection.

In the dimly lit room, Ishita's words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. Siddharth, caught off guard by the weight of her proposal, looked at her with a mix of shock and confusion. Her eyes, teary yet resolute, reflected a depth of vulnerability that struck a chord within him.

"Be my family, Sid, and I'll be yours. You lost your grandmother, and I have lost everyone and everything," she pleaded, her voice trembling with a delicate urgency. Siddharth's bewilderment lingered as he struggled to comprehend the profound implications of her words.

"Isha, what are you saying?" he finally managed to articulate, seeking clarification from the woman whose emotions seemed to cascade like a waterfall. With a poignant determination, she held back her tears, revealing her readiness to sever ties with her past for the sake of a shared future.

"My mom broke all ties with me, and so did I. For her, her daughter died. But I want to remain alive for you, with you," she confessed, each word carrying the weight of her decision. Siddharth, attempting to respond, found himself silenced by her plea.