Kaira : Love is destined to Happen

Turmoil of Emotions

"I've made chicken cheese pasta,you know Kartik it's Naira's favourite dish"

Mansi voice had broken the strange silence in the room as she came out of the kitchen with the tray of food and put it on the dinning table, "oh!! Really I didn't know"

Naira didn't smile, not so much as a twitch of the lip. But a desert-dry look of amuzement flickered briefly in her eyes and Kartik was quick to noticed it as his eyes met with her for a mere second and he straightened himself again giving a slight smile to Mansi, "tell me what things she likes".

"she hates milk---I still can recall those faces she used to made whenever I would had entered in her room with a glass of a milk" Kartik gave Naira a teasing smile turning his head to look at Mansi and she smiled recalling the moments through her lashes and Naira could see the water floating in her eyes'her heart sank for a moment to feel motherly love in her eyes for her.she gasped shrugging herself.

"and she used to complain me that Naira isn't taking proper diet 'she would get ill "

Naitik had interrupted their conversation taking seat beside Mansi.

"and when she got ill Mansi spent sleepless nights and took care of her"Naitik crawled his arm around Mansi giving her a side hug and then he looked at Naira, "we love our daughter very much'Kartik she is everything for us'please as a father I request you to keep her happy always"

Naira felt her eyes pockets wet and gulps of air removing her eyes from their faces,she couldn't have bear the urge to hold them to feel their love.

"I'll--I promise I'll keep her happy always"

He smiled with the promise and then gave a love-filled glance to Naira who was still looking lost in deep thoughts.

The dinner passed with the light conversation on random things.Naira didn't take much part in their conversation whenever someone asked her or tell her something about her she just nodded her head slightly in reply or gave a slight smile.

Naira clicked the knob slipping in her room and her eyes took a brief look of the room and struck on a picture---her mother picture. "I didn't change anything'everthing as the same as you always kept"

Mansi's voice roused her from her deep thoughts and it was the first time she titled her head to meet with her eyes, "Thank you"

A slow whisperd had escaped her lips and she saw tears slipped from Mansi's eyes and then she cupped her cheek lovingly in her palms and leaned to kiss her forehead.

"I hope I didn't come on wrong time"

The both women looked back at him and gave him a smile, "you came on right time---Naira show him your room and I'll bring coffee for you"

Giving them another smile Mansi left from there and Naira straightened herself quickly hiding her emotions but Kartik had been seen the lines of dry-tears on her cheeks he felt urge to ask her the reason of that panic and hurt but then he left as he realized it was not right moment to ask her anything'let her be with herself for sometime he thought and whispered close to her ear rousing her from her scattered thought. "didn't you show me your room?"

"yeah---sure"Naira startled and then tilted her face towards him giving him a slight smile.

"So'it was your room before marriage---quite big bed'we can adjust here if we would stay here for a night '"giving her a look from the corner of his eyes he teased her and got a glare which brought a grin on his face. "finally my wife is back"

He slipped his arm from her back gathering her in his arms and she gasped for breath as her back touched with his chest,Kartik smiled rested his chin on her shoulder and it was the first time she didn't feel to protest against this intimacy but felt urge to lose herself in the hold of his arm and she did the same.

"Kartik I want to go back home"

His body stiffen to hear the weakness in her voice,she was looking so valunerable,as fragile as eggshell and he couldn't see her broken,he held her shoulder turning her towards him, she didn't drop her eyes, even when he drew his face closer to her and touched his warm lips with her skin giving her a quick peck on her cheek then pulled back quickly cradling her face in his palm, "as you say".

So here are you and I was searching you in the whole house", Kartik drew her into his arms from back and whispered close to her ears. She startled coming out of her trance but didn't speak and he didn't demand her reply as he knew she had needed some space to think and decide what she actually wanted, His hands were so firm upon her. She had felt secure in his arms, safe, the whole evening she felt restless and finally his warm hold had given her much needed comfort, she wanted to hug him so tightly---so firmly dipping herself in his chest and then let her tears to spill out of her eyes which were threatening in her eyes like a sharp pin hurting her eyes with guilt.

"Kartik!"

After a long moment of silence she whispered turning towards him and he pulled back to meet with her eyes still holding her in his arms, "I'm listening Naira" He had stroked her cheeks with his fingertips speaking so politely' so lovingly that she felt like throwing her arms around him and kiss him until she forgot everything but she held her urge gulping the lump and looked at him through her lashes.

"She is-- my step-mother.how can ---she love ---me so much?"

Her voice choked dangerously and Kartik felt as something hit him so hard, he gasped for air, his fingers felt motionless on her cheeks for a moment but as the tear slipped from her lashes he bowed and kissed that before it would wet her cheek and the next moment she knew he had pulled her in tight hug crushing her with him and she let herself feel him, dipped her face in his broad chest and let her tears to flow, he held her tightly, rubbing her back but this time he didn't stop her he wanted her to pour out what was in her heart'she had held so much in her heart for so long'so long that they had been become dark scars.

"She is'---not ---my real mother---but she loves me so much--how could she? i never loved her'I never called her as my mother but still she loves me---so much"

Her voice choked with her hiccups and he gasped as finally her words absorbed in him deep, he never had thought it could be the reason of her empty eyes'her hollow-deep eyes

"I never' loved her' I never loved my parents." her voice muffled, she pulled back and then stared at him, Her throat hurt; some more tears shimmered in her eyes and she bit her lower lip then parted her lips "I don't deserve their love, I don't deserve your love?"

It wasn't just a question but it was the burst of those emotions which were fastened around her heart from long back and she couldn't have got courage to give them words.

"Do I?" Her drawl dripped with uncertain hope and this time he knew he couldn't wait anymore 'he'd to speak---he couldn't let her speak further.