"Who exactly am I?" she asked, refusing the spoon of porridge offered to her. The disheveled woman with gray strands of hair sticking out of her updo squirmed uncomfortably in her chair while she fed her. With a pained expression, she exchanged her affectionate smile for a troubled frown and put the spoon back in the bowl.
"You're Vrinda, sweetie. Our precious Vrinda."
Vrinda's hand, trembling and unsteady, fumbled to find the comforting grasp of the maternal woman's hand. Her eyes were filled with a whirlwind of desperation and despair, shimmering with teardrops on the brink. Her ashen face and lackluster hair were a constant reminder to the other woman of the hardships she had endured.
"I identify as Vrinda, yet I have no knowledge of who she was. I do not know who you are, and I'm also clueless about why I have amnesia. Aunt, you delayed telling the truth for half a year. It has been half a year since I woke up in an ICU with no recollection of anything. I need to know what happened, Sucheta Aunty. Please!"
Sucheta felt a shudder run down her spine as she listened to Vrinda's quivering voice. As tears rolled down her cheeks, Sucheta cupped her dampened jaw with her free hand, feeling the lingering saltiness on her skin. "Soon, Vrinda. Soon."
****
"When I went to feed her today, Vivaan, she started asking questions. Who is she, who are we, and why does she have no recollection? Her memory may have been lost, but her quick thinking and cleverness remained intact. How much time can pass before someone loses their sanity if they have no knowledge or recollection of themselves or their past?" asked Sucheta, her tone reflecting her confusion and pain at the situation.
Her son, Vivaan, didn't put up any resistance when a wave of guilt crashed over his conscience. Hanging on the wall opposite him was a photograph, a nostalgic reminder of happier days. Their joyous smiles were a stark contrast to the waves of repentance crashing over him, each wave eroding away his peace.
The love of his life. His best friend from childhood. His dance partner and in pranks, they loved to play on his elder brother. With an effortless grace, Vrinda Chaturvedi took on those roles and more, making it impossible for him to picture anyone else in her position. The uncontrollable tears streaming down his face were a feeble reflection of the unbearable torment he experienced when he realized he had been erased from her heart, along with every single memory they had shared.
As he pondered his choices, he realized that he could either reveal the complete truth of her life, potentially losing her once more, or confess his misdeeds, proving his unwavering love for her. The man found himself in a timeless dilemma, torn between the straightforward path and the right one, as he stood at the crossroads.
Taking a deep breath, he carefully selected the course of action, feeling the weight of the choice settle on his shoulders. "Maa, we need to be completely transparent with her. We'll share whatever memories we've got with her. Let her decide after hearing us, but she deserves the truth.
"Are you certain about your decision?" asked Sucheta, eying her son lost in the bittersweet memories; those which were ruthlessly snatched from her. The heart, once filled with love for you, will shatter if she discovers this. The gleam of joy in her eyes, that once sparked at the sound of your name, will now be replaced by smoldering amber eyes filled with hatred."
"Deep inside, I feel the temptation to exploit the untouched canvas of her heart and mind, but I cannot bear the thought of betraying her. Again."
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he remembered the painful moment when he shattered her trust in front of a crowd of friends and family. Completely unaware, he had no idea that the intense moment would be their last shared experience.
"Think again, Vivaan. The idea of disclosing every detail of her past may sound noble and ethical, but can you handle the reemergence of the hatred you once tried to leave behind?" she asked, placing her hand over his slouched and shaking shoulder.
"Vivaan is right, Maa. This is the chance he craved to explain the fiasco from his perspective," said Daksh Agarwal, the elder brother of Vivaan, who had remained a mute spectator thus far.
Defeat washed over Sucheta, and she couldn't help but let out a sigh of resignation. Despite having his reasons for his betrayal, her younger son never sought to justify his actions or deny the pain he caused her. In the aroma of lavender, in the golden hues of mangoes at the dawn of the spring, the crimson hued curtains of the room - Vivaan had searched for her essence in every nook and corner.
His remorse was palpable, as he hesitated to take pleasure in anything he had once enjoyed with her. But his eyes remained fixated on the crème brûlée or the Malapua, anticipating the sweet indulgence that awaited him. The weight of his regrets clung to him like a haunting presence, a constant reminder of his past. The thought of robbing Vrinda and Vivaan of the merciful second chance filled her with unease, and she chose not to be the one to do it.
"So be it. We'll share our memories with her."
Daksh flashed a slight smile at his mother, a silent gesture that conveyed his deep appreciation for her support. "I have a request. Please don't tell her I am Vivaan. Invent a cousin, a friend, or neighbor. Anything. When you share those memories, make sure not to disclose that I am the person she'd know as Vivaan."
"What? Why?Daksh looked perplexed as he asked, "What do you mean?" with furrowed eyebrows. "Don't you like the idea of her warming up to you once again?"
"I have no desire to place the burden of fixing a broken relationship on her, nor do I want to manipulate her feelings towards me."
Uttering with a quivering voice and an evident inner turmoil, he asserted that she deserved the chance to decide his punishment freely, without worrying about the consequences, and that chance would be lost if she forged a bond with Vivaan.
Before nodding in confirmation, Daksh and Sucheta shared a brief, meaningful look with each other. As Vivaan turned around, he couldn't help but be captivated by the blissful picture before him, though a pang of sorrow lingered in his heart.
"I hope my unwavering love for you, Vrinda, leaves no room for doubt in your mind, and that you understand I will be yours forever."
YOU ARE READING
Forever Yours, Vrinda
Romance"I don't love her in the way she does," said Vivaan, causing Vrinda's hopeful smile to fade into a heartbroken frown. She stood amidst two warring families, hoping for support from childhood best friend who had won her heart, only to be spurned awa...
