Rekindled Hearts: The Journey Of Transformation[ONC2024]

|#17. Changes for the Good|

Life is not a bed of roses. Every day is not the same; that is, you can't expect every day to be smooth and joyful. Life brings bundles of surprises with every passing day. You never know if it will make you happy or sad. But we must keep our spirits up. We must always try to find positivity in everything.

This is something that Ruhana has learned from Vineet. They have been spending time together during work and at home as well. Lately, they have been visiting each other's homes, though it is Vineet who is visiting Ruhana's home and spending time with Aanya as well.

When you hang out together and stay around each other, individual thoughts tend to affect the other person and this is actually the case with Ruhana and Vineet. She has started to think a lot before making a decision, and Vineet takes it as an accomplishment secretly. She doesn't react immediately and this is enough.

Even Ruhana is surprised at this change, but she's fine with it. After all, her external appearance might be outspoken, rough, & tough, but she's still the same innocent girl at heart that she was in childhood. And somewhere, at times, she also feels that she has come very far away from her roots but something stops her from taking the back steps. And that is why people fear her, for she's a perfectionist at work, and even now, she doesn't lose her work ethic; everything ought to be perfect while working with her.

Vineet has become a game-changer in her life, and he has become successful up to an extent. She has started to change, and things have become somewhat easier for her. Well, with him by her side, her life has always been easier. In the present scenario, she has changed a little bit, and she's happy with it. Lately, she has realized that being honest and direct can be easier than working indirectly and making up stories to get business.

In the past two months, Ruhana has come to terms with the realization that she can trust Vineet and open her heart to him. Of course, Aanya approves of him, and she has realised that he's highly concerned about her and has started keeping close looks at her and her way of doing business. He often says that he will wait for the longest time until she feels comfortable with him and tells him the truth.

Can she tell him the truth? Well, she has told him a part of her past, but she has not told him the whole thing. There's nothing wrong with telling him the truth; he will understand, she knows. Yet her heart is scared to trust anyone easily.

She comes out of her trail of thoughts with Vineet's voice. She finds herself sitting in her office chamber, and Vineet is sitting beside her, gazing at her. He's looking at her questioningly.

"What happened? Is anything wrong?" He asks, concerned at the moment.

"Um, no! I was just thinking about something." She responds.

"If you want, you can tell me." He gazes at her; he's eager to know her thoughts.

"I think I can tell you... I will tell you everything, Vineet." She replies, taking him by surprise.

"Tell me, what is it about?" He asks curiously.

"Not here, Vineet. Come home for dinner tonight. I will tell you everything." She says.

"I know; I can tell you everything." She emphasizes the last line, and he's surprised.

Now, he has hope igniting in his heart. She's ready to tell the truth to him, and he hopes that things will fall into place eventually.

*****

The day passes in a blur, and the two friends head home. They reach Ruhana's home, and Vineet seems quite happy, for Ruhana has invited him to her home and is ready to reveal bits of her past. They enter the home, and the house is empty; there's just the housemaid, Asha, who takes care of the house in Ruhana's absence.