Everything but her

Goodbyes and a change in weather

The clock struck 9 and Virat and Aarushi were surprised at the pace at which the time had passed. They both looked at each other with pain in their eyes.

'So, I guess this is it. I have to go', Aarushi said shifting her gaze away from Virat.

'Yeah, well can't you wait for another half an hour. Please?', Virat asked her.

'Nothing would change Virat. You'll still want me to stay even after three hours but I really have to go', she explained to him.

'Okay, I'll come back after a week or so. Till then, take care of yourself and I don't know what all cliched lines are. Just do that', Virat looked a little irritated.

'Hey, you Mr. Handsome', Aarushi pulled him close to herself. 'I love you. Give me a hug.'

'No, just go.'

'Virat, don't act like a kid', Aarushi said.

'Ok, come here', Virat finally accepted his defeat as he knew who the winner had to be in this game.

Virat gave Aarushi one of the tightest hugs and it was quite sometime before he finally let her go. And it felt as though he had let his world slowly walk away from him. Only this time, he knew they were gonna be together real soon unlike the last time when they had waited for years.

Aarushi reached home and saw that Ajinkya had woken up. He signalled her to come and join him at the breakfast table.

'I have been waiting for you. Where had you gone early in the morning?', he asked her still tired due to the jet lag.

'Yeah, I had some work. We had a meeting', she tried to sound confident.

'Okay, anyway. Come here and let's have breakfast together.'

Ajinkya was telling her about some amusing facts of the team but Aarushi seemed lost.

'Aarushi, are you listening to me?', Ajinkya finally asked her.

'Yes, sure. Actually, mom I had something in the meeting so I am not really hungry', she told her mother.

'Okay, don't you have to go today?', her mother probed.

'Yes, mom I think I'll leave now. Bye bro. We'll talk when I come back. Love ya.'

And she moved out of the house and sat in her car. She felt nice enjoying a few romantic tracks. They all seemed to make sense now. Even the weather seemed to be compatible to her mood. There was a cool wind blowing which made her really go out there and enjoy herself. Somehow, she had already started missing Virat.

Virat had left his hotel and was going to the airport. He was feeling wonderful. It was as if his whole life had changed in one day. He couldn't believe how benevolent destiny had become towards him. Life, it seemed, could get no better. They were the lucky ones to have got a second chance and Virat was determined to make the most of it. He knew that he might not get this chance again and this time he wanted her too bad to let her go.

Occupied by all these thoughts, he boarded the plane and within the next hour, he kept thinking of what he should do the next time he meets her. This time, she had come in without telling him. He wanted the next time to be really special. He wanted to make up for all those years they had been apart.

On reaching home, his mind diverted to his family whom he hadn't met for so long. Somehow, Aarushi had resurrected him. After the break up with Anushka, he had felt all alone. He did not want to tell every one what had happened. Those discussions just made his void more prominent. With Aarushi, Virat seemed to have got that half a soul dead back to life. His mom was somehow happy seeing him cheerful.

The weather was changing in both the cities. The rains had come in offering relief to everybody from the murky summers but the two souls lost in love had already had their relief. The very warmth of love and togetherness had made their hearts' weather beautiful.