"Parcel for Arohi" the three-words rang in my ears and I immediately shifted my gaze to him. He was sitting there, his eyes depicting unsurety, nervousness and fear? I wonder why? Where is his usual cocky attitude and confidence?
"I'll get it. You sit" Abhimanyu said.
I saw the fear increase in his eyes, I remembered how in that letter he had mentioned he does not want Abhimanyu or anyone else to check the parcel or see it's components, as it is a matter between husband and wife. Before I could realise a high-pitched "NO" escaped my mouth. Everybody now started looking at me as if I am an alien.
"I mean.... I will get it, it's for me after all. You sit and rest lazy bum." I clarified, getting up and going to collect the parcel, avoiding any and every look from others. Signing the papers I took the parcel. Looking at it intently I couldn't actually guess what's in it. It didn't seem like chocolate boxes or teddy bears, then what it can be? I looked at him for answers. But I saw him looking at me and then upstairs. Does he want me to open it alone in my room? I guess so.
"Hmm.... I'll be in my room. Abhimanyu draft all the things needed. Riddhi design the seminar plan. I'll be there soon." I said and went upstairs.
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Closing the door of my room behind me, I settled down on my bed. Gazing and the parcel, I tried to guess what hidden secrets did it contain this time? A wrapper covering the deep secrets of the box. Isn't it what we humans do too? Wrapping ourselves with a facade cover, inorder to hide the contains of our mind and heart? Beautiful wrapper can hide ugliest lies, and ugliest wrapped can contain beautiful truths. This game of façade is unpredictable!
Slowly unwrapping the parcel, I saw a box, as I umlid the box I saw a diary. AROHI AVASTHI KHAITAN beautifully incripted in it. My diary, the one which contained my dreams and hopes, my thoughts and ideas, all my secrets, everything. One important thing that I forgot to pack in a hurry, and something which slipped my mind. How could I? I don't have any answer to that. Maybe, just maybe in all those chaos of new life and ECI, I forgot about it. But how did it arrive in this package? Does Dhruv know about it? Did he send it? Was this the reason he looked afraid and nervous? Looking at it I found yet another letter.
"My beloved wife,
It's been a long time since I sent you a letter. I never received a reply for my previous letter. I don't know did you consider forgiving me or not? But since you did not throw the teddy away, I guess you atleast have accepted him.
I didn't get a chance that night, but I want to say, you looked absolutely breath-taking beautiful. It was the first time I had seen you in a one-piece dress, and trust me, I was completely blown away by your simplicity. I wish I had tried to notice you instead of ignoring you two years back. But past is past. You know I was searching for my copy when i came across this diary. A diary that was something personal to you, and I shouldn't have read it. But I did.
I am not going to apologize, not for reading this piece of art, atleast. So.etimes we humans need a mirror to show us the reality. We know the harshness of it but we try to see the real collateral damage we have done. I knew that what I did to you was wrong, but to what extent, I never tried to determine the depth of it. Reading through this diary, I accompanied you in a journey, which I never knew you undertook. I saw a mirror, which clearly showed me my reflection, one without any cover or lustre. Just plain, simple and harsh truth. A reality which I never wanted to face. Pain and struggle of a girl, through her eyes, her painful mourns and her grief, all unveiled.
I won't lie, it hit me with great force. One for which I wasn't ready, one I could never handle, one that finally defeated me. Yes, you read it right. I am a defeated man tonight. Defeated by his choice, his ego, and most importantly by her selfless love and emotions. You know I couldn't read a lot of your poems at a single moment. I used to feel somebody is taking away my breath, he is suffocating me. But I still read it in several intervals, I needed to read it, to let me know the heights of my faults and ignorance. I was mesmerized by the fact that how easily you read me, in those little and equal to zero encounters we had. You understood me in a way in which nobody had, not even my Dad.
You were so young, so innocent, yet you were ready to take the role of the mature in our equation. You took over the whole weight and responsibility of it, while me? I was busy loitering around like a teenage boy. I felt more than guilty now that I realise what I have done. I can't say sorry even anymore, cause I know no sorry is worth the tears you have spent trying to repair me, getting broken yourself in the process.
I won't blame you if you would prefer Jamie or any other man over me. You deserve better, infact you deserve the best. I am not the best, but I will thrive to become better for you everyday. I can't add anymore, because I know you will read me again this time, like all those days, when I couldn't express what I wanted. I know you have the power to hear my unsaid words. I know you know how to read my heart and mind, my soul more than any one in the world.
Love Dhruval."
I don't know what to say or think? Once again this man has left me speechless with his honesty. Slowly I picked up the diary in my hand, touching it, trying to feel it, trying to feel that pain and hope once again. Then I spotted another diary, one I didn't recognize. I picked it up and opened it, "Hope you will write a new series of our story in this diary. One filled with happy poems and memories. One of our second-innings. -💝 Dhruval" Is he the same man I had married almost three years back? No. He is not. He is changed. He is no more the Dhruv Khaitan, he is now Dhruval, simole-sweet broken but golden Dhruval.
Suppressing a sob, I just stored the letter in my file, where I kept his all other confessions. A prove that man can change. Only you need to give him a reason to. If you can provide with vitals, you will find the disease being cured from the root. But if you don't take necessary steps after, there are chances that the disease may return. Because even roses have thorns, but it is still beautiful, all you need is to trim the thorns and handle the rose properly. Picking up my open, opening the page of my new diary, I started penning my hopes and dreams, once again.
" Life is a maze,
Full of twist and turns.
Humans are bound to get confused,
Soul is bound to get lost.
But losing doesn't mean,
Not finding a way back.
After every night there is a day,
Every loss pays back in gain.
You forwarded a hand of help, of trust,
I am ready to hold it, take a second chance."
YOU ARE READING
Drafts Of Her Heartbeat
RandomHe made a face that said he was confused at the name of my title. "The thing with draft is always associated with unsent notes, but here the draft was different. The draft that I gained from the accident proved to be the one I always craved for in m...
