Meera

Chapter 22

Aunty hugged him tight, almost crushing him. Why wouldn't she? She was living in such uncertainty about the being of her son. Here, he was physically in front of her. She held his face lovingly as she started shedding tears. Arjun began to panic almost immediately.

'Maa, why are you crying now? See, I am in front of you in one piece. Please don't cry.' — He said wiping her tears. I had moved into the kitchen to bring them water. This happened to be so awkward. I shouldn't just be there when Aunty wants to talk to Arjun, it seems rude.

'I will be in the room. I have a little packing left.' — I had excused myself saying that. I remember the day in the hospital when I saw the news and broke down completely. In that moment all I wanted was for him to be safe. I wanted him to come home. If he had come home that moment I would not have been angry. Then why was I angry now? My Arjun was finally home. I should not be angry. He has come from the face of death. I look over at the clock. Oh, I should leave for the station now. Better be early than late.

I peek out from the door, the living room certainly felt silent. Did he know what Gayatri Aunty told me on this trip. Oh my god, he doesn't. He should know, but that man was his teacher. How would he feel if got to know about him? He would loose all his respect for him. Can I do that to him? Can I let him hate the man who made him what he was today? Where are you Arjun? Come, talk to me. I don't want to be angry at you. Just be here, in front of me.

As if listening to what I was thinking, he comes out of the Kitchen but freezes as soon as he sees me and his shoulders slump down. He doesn't try to speak to me. Why? Now, you have to keep quiet. Say something Arjun. As soon as I am about to speak up, Gayatri aunty enters with a bowl in her hand.

'Meera, take this.' — She calls out and I rush towards her, taking the casserole. She had managed to make aloo paranthas out of nowhere for her dear Arjun. I gesture Arjun to take a seat while I try to pull the chaor for him to sit, when he stops me in the middle and signals a no from his head. Instead his hand goes to the next and he pulls that out for me to sit. Straightening my Kurti, I sit down beside him when Aunty makes an appearance again with chai in her hand.

'Mera intezaar nahi kiya, bas baith gaye dono ke dono.'

[You did not wait for me, both of you just sat without a care.]

'Maa' —- Arjun said exaggeratedly, making it clear that aunty had gone back to her careless and dramatic mode. It was a big relief to see her smile once again. I look over at Arjun as he is busy serving aunty. His eyes have a shine which wasn't there the last time that I saw him. They clearly said that he missed Aunty. But did he miss me? Did you miss me, Arjun?

As I say this words in my head, he instinctively turns toward me, his eyebrows raised in question. I just shook my head as I looked down in my plate.

'Meera, have another paratha. You only had one beta.' —-- Aunty persisted relentlessly. She had successfully fed me with two and a half paranthas.

'I should really leave for the station now or I will miss the train.' —- I said hurriedly as soon as I finished my last bite.

'It was very nice that you came to visit me, Beta. Can't you stay longer?' —--Aunty said

'Believe me, I want to Aunty but mumma is all alone in Delhi.' —- I say expressing my misery for not being able to stay longer.

'Okay, don't worry, Arjun will drop you.' —- She said which seemed very out of the way.

'No need aunty. He has just had a very long journey. I have called uber, I will go. You are tired, I don't want you to tire out anymore.' —- I finish looking at him.

He just picked up his car keys, while he said, 'I will never be tired for you.'

I guess he is dropping me to the station. For the first five minutes of the ride, the silence was palpable, then i decided to address the elephant in the room. I started out by apologizing.

'I am sorry. I shouldn't have reacted the way that I did. I don't know why I got so angry. Believe me it was the most non-practised scenario of my mind. Never had I thought that I would wake up and the doorbell would ring and you would be there when I open the door and I would yell at you. It wasn't the plan. These weeks all I had thought was how would I react when I would see you. I am so on the top of the world to see you, even happier to see you not on a bed. Believe me, Arjun.' — he had kept staring ahead all the while that I apologized.

'You made scenarios for me?' —- He asked looking at me.

'Out of the whole thing that is what you listened?' —-- I hit him lightly on his arm as he laughs.

'So, how come you are home early?' —-I had asked him bluntly. He looked towards me astoundedas to what I had asked of him. Taking a long pause while he kept looking at me and by honking had started driving again, he said.

'That attack cleared something for me.' —- we had reached the station as we kept sitting in the car in parking lot.

'As soon as I heard the blast, all I could see was your face. The thought in my mind said, ' I would really hate it, if I died without marrying you.' I ached to listen your voice, it pained me not to see you. I want security Meera. While I am the nation's security, you are mine. I want you to be mine, Meera. I want to marry you. I need to marry you.' 

A/N 

The chapter is finally longer than the previous chapters and I hope this makes it up. The proposal is here. Let me know how was it. I will also rewrite some of the chapter, the ones in the middle so they may be gone for a while. 

Do vote.