Amor Fati - Our Love, Our Fates [COMPLETE]

Part 39 - Oneness

Rohini's Apartment, Some time later

Dinner over, Nikhil settled down on the couch and turned on the TV. He could hear Rohini speak animatedly over the phone, as she moved from one room to the other. He guessed it was Deepti. He tried making sense about the conversation; he knew that he was involved - he had heard his name being mentioned a couple of times.

The dishes had been done, the kitchen had been cleaned, the glassware had been stored appropriately - Nikhil now waited for Rohini to join him. He remembered how distraught she had been when they had left his Grandfather's place. 

Rohini came and stood by his side, still talking over the phone, as she reached for the remote and selected a sports channel.

"Ok, here he is ..." she thrust the phone in his hand, and mouthed DAD as Nikhil's lethargy vanished.

"Hello Sir ... I am good ... Okayish good, I mean ... Came to drop Rohini ...". After a long while, he continued "Yeah leaving in a while. It's still raining here ... Sure, Good Night"

He returned the phone back and looked at Rohini, his face stricken with panic.

"Why is he after my case?" he grumbled.

Rohini slid into the couch beside him, as he pulled her into his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head, her face resting on top of his heart.

"It's a Dad thing. You wouldn't know" she teased him, her hand now resting loosely on his waist.

"Really?" he teased her back.

Rohini smiled up at him, still nestled on his chest, and Nikhil smiled back. She loved it when he smiled; she was glad that he was steadily losing his sad countenance, and that he smiled more nowadays.

Their eyes returned back to the TV, her fingers playing with his.

After a while, Nikhil gently nudged Rohini

"I wanted to speak to you about today. What happened Ro?"

Rohini  fell quiet and Nikhil could feel her body tense up. He was now thoughtful. It was not characteristic of Rohini to share her problems with him that easily, though he knew that she was trying hard. Unlike him, she had never been a sad, lost soul - she had in fact been the very opposite. However, he still knew that it was not easy for her to share. He wondered if she had ever shared or conveyed her feelings with Deepti, or with her Dad.

She had taken her fingers away from his, and Nikhil felt bereaved. Her eyes were still fixed on the soccer match, but Nikhil knew her mind was somewhere else. He had started understanding her a little bit, he thought. A ghost of a smile crept up on his lips - she was still an enigma to him. Yet every time they were together, he was amazed at how easily she unfurled one more layer of herself, revealing a bit more to him. Making him love her even more.