Broken Wings

Shackled Love

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sharon was perplexed. She couldn't understand the reason of Swayam's behavior but she knew one thing and that he was highly disturbed.

"Sharon, Is everything alright? Did you two fight again over the issue? You just said things were better?" Gautam quizzed his daughter seeing Swayam so disturbed and angry.

"No! No Dad! It's nothing like that. Why don't you go and take rest Dad? I should be with Swayam I think." Sharon said looking at the direction of his room already.

Gautam smiled to himself listening to Sharon's words.

"I don't want to live with him Dad!" She had said to him in the hospital after accident. He always knew she loved him and cannot stay without him even  if the situation was blinding her to see anything else and now looking at his daughter's concern for her husband he knew he hasn't been more right ever.
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Sharon knocked on the door but there was no answer.

"Swayam, Open up. It's me."

Sharon said knocking but all she got was silence in the reply.

"Swayam, it's just me. No one is around." Sharon said again softly and this time she heard the door unlocked.

She opened the door slowly and found Swayam standing at the window side. She locked the door behind her and covering the distance stood beside him. There was a long silence which she finally decided to break up.

"What's wrong Swayam? You look disturbed."

"Where are Dad and Stephie?"

"Dad is in the guestroom and I sent Stephie home."

"You had your dinner?"

"Swayam, that's not the answer to my question. What's wrong?"
"Everything. Nothing is right but I will make things right now." Swayam said, anger blaring in his eyes. Sharon for a moment shivered looking at the intensity of his anger.
"I don't understand. What happened? You went to meet Rey right? Then what happened?"
"I feel so stupid Sharon. So damn stupid. Such a fool I am. So many things just went so wrong because of my stupid beliefs. I almost lost you in that accident. . . I . . ." Swayam was blabbering and Sharon was scared seeing him so anxious and so troubled.
"Swayam. . . Swayam. . ." But he was just not listening. He kept talking like in a totally different world. Sharon just did not know how to calm him and when nothing came to her mind, in a fraction of second she hugged him holding him tightly, close to herself.
Swayam felt like a wave of relief washed over him taking all his worries in its stride. Her warm arms felt like a temple to him where all his stress just zeroed. After such a long time, such a long time that it felt like ages he felt himself so close to her with her will that every roar just silenced inside him. He clutched her tighter and stilled. Sharon without a word supported him till she felt his breathing even, till she felt him getting calm in her embrace.

"What happened Swayam?" She asked as she pulled herself back from the hug but she just got a negative nod in answer while he just looked down.
Sharon realized that he wasn't going to tell her anything and it hurt her a little.

"Why have you started to conceal everything from me Swayam?" She said softly even though she didn't want it come out, not now, but she just couldn't herself.
Swayam looked up at her and said nothing. His eyes bored into hers and he could see all the hurt, the expectation, the concern and the hope. He could see it all floating in them. She broke the eye contact as pearls started to form in her eyes.

"Take some rest. Sleep, you need it." She turned around to go but felt her wrist in Swayam's arms.
She glanced at their hands first and then at Swayam as his gaze dropped to their hands from her face and he moved his hands from her wrist to her palms to cover with his own. He held her hand in his and looked at her again.