Forever Yours, Vrinda

Part 21

"Bhai, I want to meet Uncle," said Vrinda, stopping Daksh from leaving her room.

"Papa does not want to meet you till you know the entire past, Vrinda. I am sorry about that," he replied, turning to face her. He could not help but feel torn apart by respect towards the decisions taken by his father and brother and his concern for Vrinda. In the past, the expectations of those who surrounded her burdened her, and it was their choices that were burdening her.

"Bhai, please! When will I even know the entire past? There would always be something left to be known. I can never be that Vrinda again, Bhai, so I cannot take any decisions for her. What I would have felt in that moment, no matter how much I learn, I can never feel those emotions. It makes little sense for Uncle to feel guilty about something that I can never feel, something which I can never remember. Please, Bhai!" she pleaded, holding his hands.

Her honest confession about everything she had lost along with her memory moved him. They had been unrealistically hoping that once she learns of everything of her past, she would the Vrinda they had known and loved. They can fill her mind with memories, not of hers, but of their own and that's where everything was lost - the memories weren't hers, the feelings weren't hers and she wasn't that Vrinda anymore.

"You are right, Vrinda. Unknowingly, we were still subjecting you to overwhelming expectations. Come," he muttered, clasping her hand as he wrapped another around her shoulder as she had not practiced descending the stairs. With every wobble and whimper of hers, he lost a part of his control on his tears. The glimpses of his chirpy, naughty and prankster Vrinda played out on the canvas of his mind and he contrasted her with the one who was struggling to step down the stairs. He felt his heart wrench with guilt, which kicked him right in the gut.

He walked her towards the living room where his worried parents and broken Vivaan were seated.

"Papa, Vrinda wants to talk to you," announced Daksh, garnering everyone's attention who stood on their feet in surprise.

"Make her sit, Daksh. She is not supposed to stand for long periods of time," instructed Sucheta in a concerned tone. Daksh nodded in affirmation as he guided her to the sofa in which Vivaan was seated but at the extreme corner and took his seat on the sofa in which Sucheta was sitting.

"Uncle, I have heard that you considered yourself to be my culprit in some twisted way. I just wanted to say, you aren't, Uncle. To love for the second time it is not a sin, it is a very courageous thing to do. I know the question of betrayal which hangs down at your neck, the guilt which churns your insides but the mind cannot forget the one it chose, I know the feeling, Uncle, I have experienced it for some days now," she said, looking at Vivaan from the corner of her eyes as she enunciated her last sentence.

"It is not your fault if my father could not make any proper sense out of it, it is not your fault if he used that situation to cement the belief he had since years, it is not your fault if my father used it to justify his belief. It was not your fault, Uncle, and you are not my culprit. You are the closest thing to a father-figure I have now, and I don't want to lose you to guilt of something you have never done. In fact, I apologize on the behalf of my father," she continued, hanging her head down in guilt. She had learned enough to know that her father could have put a stop to the taunts if he had wanted, but he seemed to have a vested interest in letting them taint Sucheta's self-esteem, almost like a punishment.

Suresh walked up to her in silence. "No, Beta! Please don't! Your father and I, we were good friends apart from being an employer and employee. He had his shortcomings, true, but I don't want his daughter to feel guilty on his behalf. He had his beliefs right since our school times, but he found his voice strongly only after my marriage. I am glad that you don't consider me as your culprit and I will wait for the day when my conscience will agree with you," replied Suresh, patting her head affectionately.

"I hope your conscience will agree soon, Uncle. You deserve that peace of mind," she said, smiling weakly at him.

"It has been quite a day. You should sleep now, Beta. Vivaan, escort her!" ordered Suresh, startling both Vrinda and Vivaan as he signed to the rest of the family to move out of the room to give them a chance to speak with each other.

Vrinda felt at a loss as Daksh turned to give her a guilty smile but continued to walk towards his room. There was no way she could climb those stairs without help, and she could not help but feel awkward to be alone with Vivaan after everything that had happened. She was afraid of losing her sanity and her control over herself.

Vivaan forwarded his hand towards her, causing her to look northwards towards his face. She could see the dried tear strains, his swollen red eyes and bruised lips, probably during an attempt to stifle his sobs. His appearance was disheveled, and he looked every bit broken as he was and yet, he did not utter a word to her. She placed her hand in his, continuing the embrace between their dazed orbs, and stood on her feet. He guided her towards the stairs silently and it was the silence which was causing more storms to brew in their hearts.

"Will you be able to climb upstairs or should I carry you?" he asked, breaking the silence as he noticed her nervousness as they approached the stairs.

"Huh?" she muttered, unable to comprehend his words as she was too lost in her nervousness at being alone with him and the approaching stairs.

"Should I carry you or will you be able to climb?" he repeated, looking at her observantly and reverently.

"It's fine, I will climb," she replied, not wishing to make the situation any thicker with tension than it already was.

"You can barely walk. Looks like descending took a toll on you," he retorted, unable to contain his concern despite her choice.

"Why do you ask then?" she questioned, eying him in a lost manner, realizing that he was in the quandary much similar to that of her.

"I did not want to make you uncomfortable but couldn't help the observation out of habit and, well, concern. So.." he prompted her to express her choice once again, sighing in resignation.

She merely nodded in approval at him, and he took the hint as he lifted her up in his arms, compelling her to hook her arms around his neck. He struggled a bit before he got a hang of climbing the stairs without being able to look forward, but the way he held her, touching her only at her shoulders and her knees, he had impressed her in a way she had not expected.

He placed her on the bed gently, panting and huffing slightly at the exertion, trying to avoid drowning into her hazel orbs, which held so much pain and disappointment when he last drowned in them.

"Thank you," she whispered, trying to break the pregnant silence which added to the turbulence of her tempestuous mind.

"Anytime. Goodnight, Vrinda!" he said, covering her with the blanket, ignoring the urge to look at her and drown in her presence.

He was about to walk out of the room when her voice stopped him midway, "Will you come tomorrow? To complete the diary?"

"Do you want me to come?" he countered, looking at her in the hope of her approval.

"Yes, I want you to be here," she answered, maintaining the heated lock of their eyes longing for one another.

"Your wish is my command, Vrinda!"

That night, so many words remained unsaid, so many confessions remained unheard, yet love had found its way.