"Aisa kyun hota hai ki hume apne dil ki feelings batani padthi hai. Saamne wala insaan khud se nahi samajh saktha?"
"Why do we have to express our deepest feelings in words, Abir? Why can't the people we are closest to read them on their own?"
For a few petrifying moments, Mishti held her breath waiting for Abir to say something, anything that would let her know that he understood what she was telling him and more importantly, that he felt the same way.
She looked into his eyes, desperately searching for his answer in them, wishing hard that she could, for just once, read him, his feelings like he always manged to read her so effortlessly. The hazel eyes remained wide open in shock for a few heart stopping seconds and then the shock made way for something else, something that Mishti could not quite understand. She was expecting to see happiness in his eyes, hoping for unbridled joy but instead what was she seeing? Serenity?
Mishti's words had drenched Abir's soul with joy and an indescribable tranquillity suddenly permeated his whole being, quieting the roiling emotions that had tormented him for 15 miserable days. He suddenly found himself at immense peace, the peace that came from knowing that he had not gone wrong in recognising his soul mate after all. A moment passed by as he cherished the much -missed feeling, letting it settle into his soul.
In the silence that stretched between them briefly, Mishti's anxious face turned puzzled and crestfallen. A sudden pang of fear went through her. Had she been wrong?? Did he not feel for her the way she felt for him?? Would she lose him forever? NO! NO, she could not even IMAGINE not having Abir by her side, in her life. Over the past 15 days she had felt as if she was missing a part of herself, as if she was missing her heart. She could not imagine going about her life without being able to see Abir every single day, without him being there within reach, without being able to hear his happy voice, seeing those smiling eyes that brought the sunshine into her life.
Without even realizing that she was actually saying the words out loud she beseeched "Please come back, Abir. Please come home". And then she bit her lip, not wanting to pressure him into anything.
He saw her face drop and instinctively reached for her hands, his long artistic fingers gently closing over her slender ones and tugging her hands into his own, clasping them. And then, his gaze fixed upon her hands safely in his grasp, he said simply "I AM home, Mishti. Wherever YOU are, that is home".
