"How are You?"
Roohi couldn't believe the audacity of the man in front of her to ask this question. Did he really ask how she was? Didn't her red teary eyes- eyes which haven't slept for days answer that question? Or the fact that she had locked herself in her room and haven't been out for a single day , said anything? How can a girl be , Roohi scoffed in her head as she deliberately ignored the man in front of her , how can a girl be whose husband of six months is missing , presumbly to be dead.
She helped herself with a glass of water , as the man in front of her stood there searching her face for an answer .She didn't eat anything since last morning , not after the news of Rohit's accident had reached her. She had then rushed frantically alongside her father in law , her breakfast left half eaten, to the bridge from where Rohit , her husband's car had been retrieved . She had seen the viechle from far . Roohi's eyes got blurry again as she remembered the fresh visuals. The car samshed , reduced to a quater of its original height , the windows smashed ..who could have survived that . But then again , they didn't find Rohit's body , did they? That ...that means ..Rohit is safe ...he is safe right ? But he didn't pick up her calls ...she had tried calling him ..once..twice ...Roohi couldn't remenber the number of times the call remained unanswered.
"Roohi...."
Roohi broke her inner conflict only to find that the man didn't leave her alone . He was still looking straight at her , his eyes beseeching an answer. Roohi found herself , yet again , looking at his pale green orbs . His eyes were beautiful , that the was the first thing that had come to Roohi's mind , the first time that she had met him- two elegant globes of the lightest of green , woven around it were a strange fusion of innocence and maturity , that had the power of convincing anyone of anything . But today , his eyes reflected hers , his state - the shirt he had been wearing for the past fourty eight hours while desperately searching for his brother , using all of his contacts he could reach . Roohi felt pity for him .
"Aakash.."
Aakash Sharma , Rohit Sharma 's brother , and Roohi Birla's brother in law . Well , it was long before Rohit had returned from USA , finishing his degree and entering their lives , or the Birla and Sharma family got involved with each other , that Roohi and Aakash had known each other. They had met just by happenstance when they were both engulfed with their lonlinesses. Their meeting , though by chance , had proved to be one of the best things in their lives as they soon found the happiness that they have been searching for so long in each other . Their friendship grew , and with each day that they were spending together , their long lost smiles were comming back . Their bond could have almost become that of love , had they confessed to each other in proper time. And time ...time was cruel ..it never waited. Roohi's family wanted her to get married , and considering her grandfather's weak heart conditions , she had agreed to marry a groom of family's choice. (Aakash didn't like her, did he ) . But how cruel can fate be ? To marry her off to the same house as Aakash's yet not as his bride . And for Aakash , how much pain did he feel to see his Roohi with his brother. But they accepeted this , beacuse of their love for Rohit. Rohit was innocent and happy with this marriage and morever they were friends -just friends.
"Why is it always with me"
That was the longest Roohi had spoken , since the news of Rohit's accident.
"Why is it always with me . This grief ..this pain ....why are the ones I love taken away from me "
Aakash didn't know what to answer. That was same question he had asked himself. He looked at the girl in front of him breaking down hysterically. He was never good in comforting people. He had always swallowed his own emotions , and didn't know how to deal with them. Rohit was good in these cases. If he were here know , he would have cracked a silly joke , or done something stupid and Roohi may have stopped her tears only to burst out laughing . That was on of the reasons , he didnot say anything when the prospect of Rohit's marriage to Roohi came up . He had thought Rohit's cheerfulness would have washed away Roohi's grief which his own sadness couldn't. But yet here they were..
He saw as Roohi broke down to the floor , her emotions uncontrollable and Aakash felt ashamed of himself for not being able to do anything , for not been able to stop her tears.
For the only thing that he did , was sit beside her and just say a name that he didn't dare to call her by , for the past six months , a name which he curated for her
"Rooh..."
