Nobody's daughter ~ Yrkkh Musings

3. Acha Aadmi ~ OS

A sweet melody was drifting through the buzzing atmosphere. Admist the sophisticated carousing of wine glasses, and soft greetings of the country's top most legal professionals, dressed up in branded tuxedos, elegant sarees and dresses, Abhira stood near the bar counter, her heart racing in anticipation, a slight wave of anxiety rising in her chest. It's been 5 years since she walked out of the Poddar mansion, away from the shackles of their emotional abuse, away from the constant tornado of undeserving blames, that seemed to drown her. And after the divorce proceedings had concluded, this would be the first time she would be facing them. Abhira wasn't scared, not anymore, but the mere distant sight of them, made her relive the tapestry of the abuses inflicted upon her, and the years of grief, pain, counselling and healing that followed, overwhelming her with the weight of emotions that rushed through her veins. Abhira had made a rope of her own spine and moved forward in life and it hasn't been easy.

She was about to lose her grip when a hand gently wrapped around her waist from behind, instantly relaxing her tensed nerves, and she let herself lay her head back on Rihaan's chest, sighing in relief. "Are you alright Abhira? I am right here, okay. You don't have to do this if you aren't ready, we can make this one of our escapades and embark on another night adventure, what do you say?"

Abhira smiled softly and turned in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. Rihaan was still getting used to her being so fluid and carefree around him. And every time she did something like this, he couldn't help but stare at her in awe. He would never forget the abyss of grief that he has seen in the depths of her kind beautiful eyes. He had seen how raw her wounds were and how she had meticulously built these walls around her, isolating herself from any real human connection.

But then he has also seen her kindness, he has seen her regaining her light, he has seen her mischief and her cute antics. And he would never forget the first time he had heard her laugh, it was about one year into their friendship, when he had tripped and fallen into a puddle on the side of the road, while he was walking backwards ranting to Abhira, and accidently smeared his ice cream on his face, making a clown nose. If you ask him, her laughter wasn't a mere melody, to him, it felt like the first ray of the sun when the dawn breaks. Her laughter had such child-like innocence to it, the sun just seemed to brighten with a soft glow when she laughed. That day, she had laughed so hard, after so long, that she started crying. That was the day she told Rihaan about her past with the Poddar's. Ever since, April seemed like the cruellest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.

"I know I am beautiful Mr. Singhania but you have to stop staring at me", Abhira playfully flicked his nose. His gaze softened and he caressed her cheek. "I can't help it you know, your eyes, they are beautiful. But on a serious note Abhira, you don't have to put yourself through the pain of looking at their faces. I know how strong you are, but we can escape if you want."

She closed her eyes, letting him rest his forehead on hers. Rihaan had scared her initially, with the softness and adoration that his eyes carried, almost seemed unreal, especially when directed at her. He has been her constant in the past four and a half years, he has been there through her panic attacks, through her breakdowns, her sudden bouts of self doubt. Her time with the Poddars had damaged her psyche in ways that it almost seemed impossible to have a life free from the scars they had inflicted upon her. There were times Abhira would wake up in the middle in the night, when the voices in her head got too loud, screaming at her broken spirit, reminding her of her loneliness. On those nights, Rihaan would stay on call with her until she fell asleep and some times even reach below her balcony. He had cried with her, laughed with her and well fallen in love with her way before she was ready to, and he had patiently waited, never once letting her feel guilty about her fears.