UNDYING DEVOTION

CHAPTER 37 | There's No 'Us'

Author's POV:

The cars departed one after one, clearing the porch. Raghbir, after leaving the guests out walked inside the house. It had been five days since his father's demise. His aunts and uncles just left that day.

He looked at the recliner where his papa would sit everyday and sip his morning tea, and Raghbir would always sit next to him on the floor, doing his homework in his small study table.

He tore his eyes off it when he heard the door to his parents room unlock. He looked at the source of the sound, Meera came out of the room before locking it properly.

She wore a white salwaar, there was a tray in her hand as she walked towards the kitchen, still oblivious to the fact that she was being observed by Raghbir.

He couldn't fathom why she was doing all this.

The day his father passed away, she came with her family. Her family left that day, but Meera stayed, even when he told her to leave.

The last conversation flooded back, clouding his vision again

“Why are you here?”, he had asked her with anger and hurt lacing his voice.

“You need rest Raghbir.”

“No. I don't need rest. You can go home now. No need to stay here, Shekhar must be waiting for you.”

Meera had looked at him startled, unable to speak anything. And for some reason Raghbir couldn't look into her eyes.

“There's really nothing between us. It's all a misun-”

“That night, you were with Shekhar”, he had seen her nod her head. Eyes brimming with tears.

“When I called you, you were with Shekhar?”
She had nodded again.

“Leave.”, he had moved a few feets afar from her, letting her go out from the room. But instead of leaving, she had come forward and tried to tell him that it was all a misunderstanding but he had again interrupted, “Stop. And leave. Before I start hating yo-”

“Shut up! Dare you!! You are not fine. And this is not the right time to have this conversation.”
She had pushed him to the bed and switched the lights off, urging him to go to sleep.

“You are trying to divert the topic now!”, his tone was accusatory.

“No. I'm just helping you, so that you don't end up speaking something you'll regret later.”, and with that she had left his room.

And that was the last conversation they had. Raghbir had avoided her like a plague.

But now it's become intolerable. She was always around him. In some or some other way. She'd always come into his room after he's slept and before he would 's even woke up. She made sure he was eating well. Beside that, she also made sure to provide the support to his family.

And strangely to Raghbir, it didn't seem fake.

Argh, his head would burst.

He walked towards the room where Meera went, it was where she'd been staying for the past three days. He knocked on the door to find it already open.

She was stunned when she saw him coming inside.

“Stop doing this. And go back to Mumbai.”
Meera looked at him confused.

“I don't want my family to be attached to you in any way. Whatever it was between us, is over now. You can continue living your life. Go back to Mumbai.”

She smiled, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“Easy for you to tell.”,her voice barely audible.

She clenched her eyes shut and turned her back to him. She didn't want to fall weak at that moment.

Raghbir looked at her, his eyes smouldering with an unknown emotion.

“Why do you act like you care?”, he walked towards her. His heart feeling heavier than ever.

He had always found peace when with Meera. This time it wasn't the same. He could feel a sharp pain in his chest. His knees wobbling. He could barely stand on his own feet.

Good lord, he wanted to give up. He wanted to do nothing and just sit back, letting the darkness consume him whole. For he couldn't find the solidity in the only woman he loved, anymore.

“I wouldnt have come running to check up on you if I didn't care for you, Raghbir. Kyu kar rahe ho aisa humare Saath? Is that how much you trust me?”

“Baat trust ki nehi hai Meera!!”, his voice raising.

She shook her head. Turning around, she looked at him. Determined.

“Baat trust ki hi hai, Raghbir. Since the very start, in our relationship, what we lacked is trust! And that's what brought us to this place today. I'm not accusing you for not trusting me. I'm just asking you to work on it. We will work on it together Raghbir. But I won't give up on you. On us. Ever!”

“There is no US! We are over.”,Raghbir gritted.

That was enough for Meera to lose her composure. She walked furiously towards him, hands clutching his collars, “So easy for you to say. Magar mera kya? Have you ever thought what would happen to me if you leave me? And i know, you need me as much as i need you. I will not give up on you. And get this thing in your head. You are the only man I have ever loved. And I will love you even if you don't love me back. And I dare you to utter another word!”. She left his collar with a jerk. Wiping her tears virgously she left the room, leaving a stunned Raghbir behind.

A heavy sigh left his lips and he couldn't help but collapse on the chair. His head has started to hammer now. He ran his fingers through his hairs, clutching them tightly to stop the brewing headache.

He hadn't slept for the past few days properly. His eyes were almost dropping. He felt thirsty all of a sudden. His heart racing wildly in his chest.
His hand moved to his chest, messaging it lightly as he reached for the glass of water. His vision blurring, breathing became hard, he felt like he was drowning, almost. Until he heard the door unlock and Meera walk in, “Raghbir”

His trance broke. He looked at her, his eyes dropping close. He saw her running towards him, with a look of worry ceasing her face, before everything in his vision went black.

…

Heyy! Saddening to see the number of votes dropping? I mean, now you guys want me to beg for my own hardwork? Or what?