"Aiden?" I called, my voice trembling as tears fell.
"Clarissa, please don't cry. I'll come back to you. I promise," he said, his voice soft yet filled with determination.
"But I'll miss you so much, Aiden..." I whispered, the weight of our parting pressing heavily on my chest.
"You won't. We'll stay in touch. I'll call you every day," he reassured me.
"Promise?"
"Promise," he affirmed, his gaze firm but gentle.
"Okay. See you... I'll miss you, Best Friend." I said, my voice breaking as I pulled him into one last hug.
"I love you," he whispered, pressing a brief kiss to my cheek.
Frozen, I stood there, watching him walk away, the weight of his words lingering in the air. Had I misunderstood him, or was this moment truly as significant as it felt?
One year later...
We met again.
Everything felt the same-familiar, comforting, and just as we had been.
But beneath the surface, something had changed. Or had it?
"Clarissa," he whispered, leaning in so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. If I moved even slightly, our lips might meet.
"Aiden, you're not in the right state of mind right now. Let's talk tomorrow," I urged, my heart racing, fighting the pull of his proximity.
"No, Clarissa. This can't wait." His voice was firm now, but there was an underlying tension in his eyes-something more than just anger. "Please, just listen."
I stood there, staring into those intense, blue eyes, feeling everything I had buried deep inside rise to the surface.
I knew what he wanted. But was I ready to give it to him? Could I overcome my fear, silence the doubts, and listen to what my heart had been telling me all along?
I waited, breathless, for him to speak.
"Sshhhhh....." he hushed and pinned us against the wall leaving no space between us. I held onto his biceps with my hand in reflex.
He shook his head lightly signalling me not to scream. But did not remove his palm, awaiting confirmation I guessed. I nodded a little locking eyes with him fearfully. I witnessed a glimmer in his eyes and he removed his palm from my mouth slowly.
I mustered up a little strength and asked nervously.
"Kon hai aap aur yahan kya kar rhe hain,"
His eyes softened, looking deep into my eyes as if he could see through them as if he owned them. A strong wind surfaced, pulling away the fabric and revealing his face. It was him. My heartbeats raced wildly. He flickered his gaze to my lips for a few seconds, licked his lower lip a little with an unreadable emotion and peered back deeply into my eyes, delving into my soul. He replied in the raw, masculine and resonating voice I had heard months before.
"Daksh naam hai hamara. Vivaah karne aaye hai aapse,"
***
I could not believe my eyes that he was standing right in front of me.
The day I walked away from him, with a swarm of butterflies in the depths of my guts and belly, I never considered the possibility of crossing our paths again. I never thought we would get another chance in this life. Was it a wise decision of me to run away back then like that?
The moments we shared back then flashed back into my memory. I started wondering if this was a coincidence or if he purposely located me.
***
This is the love story of Daksh Pratap Rathore and Radhika Maan Singh. Storyline occurs in early years of 21st century(2001).
A love saga bridging the gap between a city-born man and a village-raised girl. They are soulmates longing for love and solace from each other in different parameters. Let us dive into their journey of togetherness, and internal conflicts and see if and how they find solace with each other.
First 2 chapters can be descriptive but I'm sure you'll like the story further.