ᴇx-ʙᴏʏʀꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ, ɴᴇxᴛ ʜᴜꜱʙᴀɴᴅ

Chapter 56

Nishtha

"It's just the way we last saw it." Pri said, "I missed Chicago so much."
"I did too." I said, "Chicago is home."
Chicago is home.
It really is.

We landed in Chicago early this morning and we took a nice nap, now it's 12pm and we're going for a walk around the city, before we reach our conference.

"Beautiful!" Pri said, looking at the West Loop.
"I missed the city so much." I said.
"We sound like Chicago simps!" Pri said and we laughed, "Valid though."
"I'd love to have moved back here."
"It's too far from home, Nish."
I chuckled, "You're telling me that? I'm far from my home even at home. I don't have a home."
"Nish.... I'm sorry."
"No, you're right. I shouldn't constantly be sulking about all this. It's fine."
"It's not fine and I know the chapter hasn't ended but I think we need to talk."
"Tell."
"What about your in-laws?" Pri asked.
"What about them?"
"They deserve to know what's going on Nish. I mean Uncle and Aunty should know, right?"
"I don't know how to tell them Pri. What should I even tell them? That hey Uncle, your son kicked me out again." 
She sighed, "I know. I'm just trying to make things work, I hope it does."
"Don't think about it yaar Pri. Just.... Give me sometime off before I get back into that. We have 6 days left."
"Okay." Pri said and we went back to roaming.

~•~

The conference went really well. I was able to also get in touch with the IBM office in Chicago and work there for a few days until I get back to Mumbai. Things were good.
I walked around and reached my university.
The University of Chicago.
Stepping inside, I felt the rewind about my entire university life. I missed being in Chicago.
I walked over to my professors and had a great chat with them before I could head back to my hotel. They were glad to see me and for the first time in a while, I felt genuinely good about myself. I felt valued and wanted and I felt good about life - in general.
I'm not saying that I want love, what I want is respect, and neither my boyfriend understood it and neither did my husband.

My in-laws.
Man, Priya is right. I need to talk to them. I need to address this with them and they need to know about everything. Ugh. Yuvaan wouldn't have told them but I know I need to.
I need to tell Aai Baba as well.
I sighed and sat on the bench at my university and dialed the number, and waited.

"Hello?" I heard my mother-in-law's voice.
"A... Aunty?" I said, my voice breaking. I felt embarrassed that I didn't call her ever.
"Nishu? Beta? How are you? It's been so long since you called. Kidhar hai?" She asked.
"I'm fine, I... I'm in Chicago right now. I was at my university.... And I wanted to tell you about something...."
"Beta! I'm aware that you're in Chicago."
"How do you know?"
"Well, your Aai Baba told me, and since Priya is with you and she's linked to YuBM, Yuvaan knows too!"
"Right."
How do I say this?
"I want to tell you something Aunty...."
"Oh! So do I!" She said, excitedly.
"Oh, please tell." I said.
"Vamika's boyfriend.... His family came home and...."
How did she find out about Dhruv?
"And?"
"We agreed to their relationship and they're getting married soon!" She exclaimed.
Married?
Oh my God!
"Oh! Wow! But... isn't she a bit young?"
"She's 22. I know it's young but she got it all sorted out, don't worry about it!"
"So? When is the wedding?"
"They're coming over tomorrow morning to decide the next steps."
"Is... Uncle okay with it?" I asked.
"Firstly, I don't know why you keep calling us Uncle Aunty.... It's Mom Dad to you, secondly, I know he's a little skeptical right now but... maybe you can talk to him, he'd be fine?"
Me?
"M...Me. What would I say?"
"Rajesh will listen to you, trust me. Try to talk to him."
I sighed, "Okay. Give him the phone."
She chuckled and handed the phone to Dad, I heard him talk, "Nishtha? Beta?"
I felt tears in my eyes.
His fatherly feeling to me gets me everytime.
"Dad..." I said, "How are you?"
"I'm good beta. How are you?"
"I'm good. I heard about Vamika. Congrats. I know you're a little skeptical but I want you to be sure that it'll all be fine. Love... love is easy. When you love it's... it all falls in place, it all makes life easy and the road somehow feels easier because you're not walking alone, you're with someone. You wake up every morning knowing that there's someone who's holding your hand, someone who will choose... choose you every single day and someone who will fight for you. Such confidence gives you the courage to fight through all odds and tackle everything. "
I felt tears in my eyes.
"U...Um.. Va..Vamika and Dhruv have passed the test of time and distance, two factors which are really important, but, they've also passed the test of trust.... Something which is the foundation of a relationship. If they choose to trust each other everyday Dad, nothing can keep them away. Give them a chance. Let them get married and watch them grow together."
If only you knew the truth, Dad.
"Nishu... you're a strong girl." He said and I was on the verge of breaking down, "I know that if you're there, Vamika won't ever be in a bad place."
You have no idea, Dad.
"I'm there for her Dad. Let her get married."
"When are you coming back?"
Am I even coming back to the same house?
Well, I have to, before I leave for good.
No, I'm not stepping foot in his house.
"I... I'll be back next week but—"
"Excellent. We'll plan the engagement for after you're back then. We can't do it without our daughter-in-law." He chirped.
So Yuvaan hadn't told them anything.
I looked up at the sky, forcing my tears to not fall down.
"Da...Dad I think you can get it done... sooner than later."
"Nonsense. We aren't doing it without you!"
I didn't know what to say.
"I... I need to go now Dad. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay Beta, see you." He said and I cut the call.

I cried, completely unbothered that I was sitting on a bench with a bunch of people probably staring at me as I did.
I didn't know how much more I can control.
Why is God making me go through this?
Why God?
Please stop this pain, now.

✨