Two Days Later

Rohini clutched into Nikhil's fingers as the flight took off. Even after all this time, her nervousness during flight take-offs and landings had still not dissipated. She was thankful this time that Nikhil was with her; he had offered to hold her hand without any comment.

They were flying down to Delhi, and then onward to Binsar by road. All arrangements had been made, and Rohini had requested Kumud to open up the Guest Room at the Bungalow. Nikhil would be staying with them this time.

Nikhil turned in his seat slightly to look at Rohini. They were mid-flight and she had already dozed off. He wondered how things have changed over the past few months. The last time he was flying to Delhi, he had in him a bubble of hopefulness, knowing that he was en route to meeting Rohini, though he had been sure that the meeting would not turn up to be exactly what his heart desired. However, he had not been prepared for the ultimate truth that had greeted him once he had reached Binsar and found Rohini. It had only been then that he had totally comprehended the compound loss that one wrong decision had entailed.

And now as he gazed at Rohini sleeping, her face slightly turned towards the window, Nikhil was overwhelmed with emotions. The plight of her, all lonely and vulnerable, travelling with a heartbreak chipping away at her - a heart turned to stone; he marvelled at how she had managed. "I should have been there" he whispered to himself again and again. He had promised her the sun and the moon and the stars, but had failed when it had been crunch time.

He was determined to make it better this time, God willing. 

...

The drive from Delhi to Binsar was exhausting and they reached the Bungalow by night fall. Rohini had been quiet throughout the entire journey, and Nikhil had just let her be. He was happy and content to simply be there with her, at that moment, and was slightly elated when he shifted a bit closer to her in the car, and she didn't shy away.

Rohini could feel his warmth enveloping her and the chill within seemed to evaporate, a bit at a time. Her heart welcomed the thaw though her eyes remained fixed on the surroundings outside.

Kumud and her family greeted her with lots of smiles and love, and the twins bounced around her, making her grin. Nikhil's heart overflowed as he saw her glow around them. Kumud though looked at him suspiciously as she led him to the Guest room, which was on the same wing as Rohini's but further towards the interior. 

Nikhil couldn't sleep much as his mind went into an overdrive about the reason why they were there in Binsar now. Their discussion that night over phone, after he left Madhukar Nayak's place, had been pretty significant, as a result of which they were now in Binsar. He remembered how distraught Rohini had been to know that her Father had hit Nikhil, though he had reassured her again and again that he was just being a Father, heartbroken and angry at the deception his daughter had been subjected to. 

He stepped out of his room, pulling his sweater tighter across his chest. He noticed that the door to Rohini's room was open by a sliver, as soft light streamed out into the passage; while his eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness. On his way back, he made his way to her room, the soles of his feet curling on the wooden floor as the chill seeped through. He pushed open the door to find both the bed lamps on, and Rohini cowering under the covers.

She was asleep but she fidgeted around, sweat glistening on her forehead. Nikhil closed the door behind him as he padded towards her and sat down on the bed. Edges of the comforter were balled in both her palms, and Nikhil struggled to free them, while lowering his face to listen to her murmurs. He couldn't make much sense though he heard his name mentioned a couple of times. He tried shaking her out of her reverie while he tried to wipe the sweat off.

And then suddenly she was awake - "You were not there Nikhil. Why? It is so dark ..."

Her eyes closed once again and she shivered. Nikhil stared at her as he realised what had just happened. Through everything, the nightmares had not left her. His eyes teared as he sat there thinking. He needed to make things right, at the earliest.

Rohini whimpered as she moved slightly, shifting to her side, nearly rolling off the bed.

And at that moment, Nikhil knew exactly where he had to start. Ideally, he would have waited for her permission but not tonight. He slid into the bed and reached for her, gently easing her to the centre of the bed. Covering themselves with the comforter, he rested his arm around her middle, willing her to settle down, hoping his warmth would help. They were both damaged, he thought as he reached out to touch her cheek, knowing fully well that their togetherness would only help them survive.

As he mulled over their fates for now and forever, he fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware of when she moved into his arms and held onto him for dear life.

...

Rohini woke up early morning to find herself all warm and toasty, embraced in a bear hug. For a moment, she panicked. But then relaxed slowly as she realised that it was Nikhil. She was however surprised to find him there and wondered why she couldn't remember anything about how they got to where they were right now. His chest heaved as he shifted, nearly pulling her on top of his chest, while he continued sleeping.

Rohini traced the scar on his face lightly, her eyes taking in every square inch of the face that she had dearly missed all this while. There were lines on his forehead, around his lips and under his eyes. Her touch was delicate as she traced those lines, guessing about all those instances that had created and deepened them. For a moment, she thought of slipping out of his arms, knowing well that he would be embarrassed when they woke up, given that they had not spoken about this and now he had slipped into her bed uninvited. However, her heart won over and she nestled into him, her head resting on his chest once again.

Nikhil was dreaming alright. It was a beautiful one, the one where Rohini was in his arms, her soft weight relaxed against his, and he could smell the fruity essence of her shampoo. In the dream, he sneezed a couple of times and then woke up suddenly, all startled and flummoxed at finding himself in a new place. His recent experiences had been pretty harrowing on this count, and he often had difficulty sleeping when away from his own place.

The slight weight on his chest as he tried to move alerted his senses and his heart went into an overdrive when he realised where he was and with whom. Rohini was asleep, all soft and pliant in his arms, and he moved her to a more comfortable position and kissed the tip of her nose, before getting up. Her warmth and softness enveloped him as he headed towards his room, keen to give her the much needed space when she woke up finally.

...

They knelt side by side in front of the small mound; the sapling had grown a bit more and the small leaves fluttered merrily in the wind. Nikhil reached for Rohini and held onto her fingers, as she let the tears flow.

After a while, she spoke - "Let's take the baby home Nikhil, shall we?"

Nikhil smiled as his thumb gently caressed the soft skin of her palm, reassuring her all the while. "Yes, let's"

...

In Bengaluru

Madhukar Nayak paced around in the garden, in front of the shaded patch towards the boundary wall, a riot of flowers of varying hues lending to a pleasant disposition. He nodded as he walked further to the right, and stopped near a recently cleared patch of land, where the soil had been turned over by the gardener that very morning.

Yes this was the perfect spot!

The perfect home for that sapling that would finally travel back to it's own abode.

Forever.

End of Part 57