The Summer's Bride (MISHBIR)

•Prologue•

Solitude was a cherished gift to some, a horrid reality to others and to the rare few whose bones were made of iron rather than breakable collagen, it was a mix of relief and angst all at once. Meenakshi fell face flat into the category of the few; for she enjoyed her moments alone, for the most part, at least, yet shivers still ran down her spine when the clock ticked for a second too long.

Her fingers would dance in idle fashion across yellow-stained keys and her hoarse voice would hum a lullaby she'd only ever uttered once over thirty years ago, when the remnants of what once was came seeping in, she'd scorch her skin beneath the rays of light that only adorned her eyes that matched those of her son. The very same eyes that had now lost the twinkle of stars and instead drowned in the darkness she swore she'd never let him see.

But she had.

And now she would pay the price of the darkest nights without a sprinkle of sunlight.

She supposed that was why she'd agreed to the marriage her brother in law pushed her into without much of a fight. All she knew was that this was the only way to get closer to the son she'd long ago abandoned in order to grant her husband's dying wish to see her happy and beside the son he loved the most. She didn't quite know how he'd seen a mother within her, but she refused to take her last breath without making that hope a reality, so she'd accepted, signed her name on a dotted line as the enemy before her did the same.

At first, she wasn't too happy about the prospect of living with a man she hardly knew, she was away from civilisation, guarded by the son she'd failed to protect and the only way out was a Range Rover he had the keys for, and on those days when Nadeem's temper was high and the sun even higher, she yearned for nothing more than for the heat to burn Abir before it burnt her. Just so he wouldn't see her suffer as she had seen him. Over time she'd settled into the idea a little better, forewarned herself not to prioritise her safety over his- especially as she had done so before- and tried to bask in the luxury of having her son warming the empty space in her heart. His love was not her agenda, but friendship was, at the very least they could work towards that.

For the last three years, she had lived with her own shattered reflection, taught her son how to feed himself again and hunted for the bond they once had so when the summer in Sudan got too much to surpass, she'd at least have that to hydrate the thirst her new husband would never quench.

Twelve months previous she'd lost her mind, tangled in his web of lies, she'd led there for over a day in paint the colours of black and blue, sure she was going to die when out of nowhere came a howl that awoke her from the heatstroke consuming her and pushed her again to be free. When she got home and sorted out her injuries, her faith in God had been renewed; she'd been saved because she had to be, she'd been saved because her son needed her to be. Life became a little easier after that, she just hoped after the arrival of Abir's unseen carer that she would offer him a different form of companionship that would mask the lonely nights as she had masked his lonely days.

With her idol hidden away in the cupboard and Nadeem asleep by the fan, she blinked through the humidity and thought back to when she'd seen her son again. Truth be told, she had imagined him to look a million different ways, but when she saw him, she knew her nightmares had done him more justice than his reality ever could.

For he was far more older than she’d imagined, his soft skin once hued with childlike innocence had now been tainted with lines of sorrow ageing him as he wheeled forward, his eyes held a light she hoped would never dim, though she knew it only glowed because he did not know, could not know the hands his life was in. Bubbles of water waved around him, encapsulating themselves in his shaggy hair only to drift down his nose causing him to shake his head. It was like even the water purified him, hoping to retain his innocence rather than take it away.

He turned then, lifted his head from his chest and covered both eyes with his hands only to rip them away as his childhood had been. "Peekaboo, Mishti" he giggled.

Falling backwards, Meenakshi held a hand to her chest "A-Abir?"

Frowning, his cheeks puffed out. "You Mishti?"

At his words, her heart broke in two "You don't remember me?"

"Um" he blinked then shook his head fast.

"It's okay" she swallowed away the ache, found her footing and allowed her heart to thump rapidly at the thought of hugging her son who's lost warmth had left her chilly ever since he'd left. "I'm Meenakshi, your ma-".

"Maid" Nadeem growled, interrupting her with a glare cold enough to ice the dunes miles away.

Faltering into a bow, her head dropped "Nice to meet you, S-Sir" she stuttered out.

The second she stood to her full height, his jaw dropped "Nice to meet you too, Big Ben".

~•~•~•~

Leaning against the doorframe, a shadow of a smile covered her lips at the smile on Abir's face. Creeping in closer, she rested a hand on his shoulder "Your carer interviews start tomorrow, any idea what kind of carer you want?"

"Want Mishti" he blinked fast, eyes wide, "Please?" He pouted.

Her smile dropped. For long now she'd heard of this mysterious Mishti, the woman who'd cast a spell on her son and made him happy again. Wherever she was, whoever she was, Meenakshi vowed to bring her back into his life again...if only to see him smile like he used to.

Smile like he did with her, his wife.

"I'll try" she whispered.

"Thanks, BB" he gleamed.

His politeness was a welcomed change from what she had been accustomed to, his presence in itself was a welcomed change from the normality of loneliness and heat that had burned through her skin and took a hold of her beating heart. With a cheshire grin, she held her hand out for her to take “You must be my son” she joked, eyes crinkling at her own humour.

His hand traced her palm while resting within it “No, I not your son, I Abir” he confirmed with his head high.

"Hm" she cupped his cheek, "But you definitely are my Abir" her voice cracked.

"Noooo, I Mishti's Abir" and there it was, that smile again.

The smile Mishti brought.

The smile Meenakshi had taken away.

Hello, hello, hello! If you hadn't already noticed, this first chapter mirrors Winter's Widow, except it's slightly more darker and more focused on Meenakshi's journey as she's quite a central character in this story!

A quick summary: Meenakshi was with Mehul, Mehul died and now she has been forced to marry Nadeem (you'll find out why soon).
The howl of a dog that woke her up was indeed Oatie (yes, he's here too and Mishti will be here soon too, just bare with me for that).
Kuhu + Kunal had their baby, yay, you'll hear about them soon, but for now it will majorly be Meenakshi, Abir + Mishti.
And yes, they get their happy ending!
Im here to answer any questions, but it will all become quite clear soon, promise!