Intricacies of Love

Chapter-23

There she sat, her body hunched over on the edge of the bed. Her face was glazed with tears and her eyes staring dazedly at the wall in front.

As he moved closer towards her, he could see how her puffy eyes seemed hollow, only fear clawing at them as they stared in a trance.

Guilt started spreading in his being. He should have been there for her yet he wasn't. He had never seen her so distant and vulnerable before. It seemed as if his Saumya was gone, replaced by a dead corpse. A pain throbbed in his throat as he blinked his eyes willing the tears to go away.

"Saumya," his voice came out soft and hoarse.

"Saumya," he called out again. Still there was no response.

He walked closer towards her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"No... don't come... come near me, Samar," she screamed jerking his hand away as she shrank away from him.

He hadn't expected that. He had never expected that she would be so broken and vulnerable. He had the urge to kiss her miseries away. Tell her that he is not Samar. He is her Akshit. He will always be hers.

"Saumya, I am Akshit. Samar is not here." His whisper seemed to calm her a bit.

"You... you are not Samar? But... he was here... he was going to... slap me." She broke into tears. Tears silently fell down her cheeks as she stared helplessly at him.

Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered, "I am here, Saumya. Your Akshit is here. No one will harm you, Saumya. I will kill anyone who tries to touch you."

"Will you really do that?" she asked looking up. Her red puffy eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Yes, I will, always."

She buried her face in his muscular chest as more tears turned his shirt moist. His heart wrenched to see her like this. He had never been good at expressing his emotions. He wanted to help her, assure her but he was clueless. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life.

"I will always be a failure," she mumbled in his chest. "I... I can never do anything correctly... I am a weak, poor and miserable childish girl..."

Her words made him furious. How could she think so low of herself?

Raising her tear-stained face with his hand, he spoke while looking in her eyes, "Saumya, you are a strong, independent and responsible woman. Don't ever think that you are a failure because you are not. Your parents would be proud of you."

"How can they be proud of me when all I have ever done is hurt them?" Her voice cracked, her tears never stopping. Her face had turned a deep shade of red as she sat there.

"I am sure they must have forgiven you. You are too adorable to be angry at for long," he winked.

"You don't know anything. They are the best parents anyone can ask for but I am the worst child anyone can ever have." Her eyes stared at him, pain and guilt evident on her face.

"You are a great woman, Saumya. Any parent would be proud to have such a daughter," he said trying to assure her.

"Even when she runs from home leaving them alone?" she challenged.

His face turned blank. He was shocked to the core to hear her words.

Burying her face in her hands she cried no more silently. Her sobs brought him out of his trance.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice a soft whisper.

"I... I was fed up. Fed up of listening to Dad's scolding and Mom's indifference so I decided to go away."