V Y O M

"Mubaarakein tumhe ke tum, Kisi ke noor ho gaye,

Mubaarakein tumhe ke tum, Kisi ke noor ho gaye,

Kisi ke itne pass ho, Ke sabse dur ho gaye.."

("Congratulations to you on becoming someone's light,

Congratulations to you on becoming someone's light,

You're so close to that person that you've become far from everyone else")

I turned down the volume as I heard the doorbell ringing. Wiping my hands on my apron, I headed to open the gate. There she was – Noor. My wife.

I offered my usual smile, but like always, her eyes remained downcast as she brushed past me, making her way upstairs into our house with silence followed as her shadow.

Six months of marriage, and she still hasn't emerged from her shell. It pained me looking at her in pain. She hasn't shed a single tear since her father died and as much as I know her, she is the woman who would cry just looking at someone crying. I wonder who had hurt her so bad. If only she let me in, but so much had happened in these few months. The last thing I wanted was to suffocate her and make her feel pressured. She needs to trust me and this should come from within her own.

However, at times I could not help but ask, 'What have we become?' Once best friends, now merely two strangers sharing a roof. The silence between us stretches like an endless chasm, filled with unspoken words and buried emotions.I understand that for her, this marriage is simply fulfilling a promise I made to her father. If only she would look into my eyes just once, she'd know I was too selfish to let her go and she's the best thing that's happened in my thirty years of life.

I watched her disappear into her room before returning to the kitchen, where I was cooking chili mushroom – one of her favorites. Once everything was ready, I made my way to her room, plastering on a small smile before knocking.

"Dinner is ready," I announced, turning to leave when her voice stopped me.

"Vyom." My name on her lips – how I'd yearned to hear it.

"Can we talk?" Nervousness laced her voice, and my heart threatened to burst from my ribcage. Perhaps this is the moment.

"Sure," I replied, trying to sound casual. This was the first time she'd initiated a conversation; I couldn't let my internal excitement scare her away.

She gestured for me to sit on her bed while she settled into the chair across from me.

"I don't know what to say," she began, eyes still fixed on the floor. "I know these past few days... months, I haven't been an easy person to deal with."

I remained silent, letting her continue. "Thank you for being here. Thank you for keeping baba's promise." A small smile graced her lips. "Today at the beach, watching the sunset, I felt all my anger withering away. My anger towards fate... our fate..." Her hands moved expressively between us, just like old times – speaking not just with words but with gestures.

"I've realized there are so many things we can't leave to destiny. Sometimes we have to make our own decisions." Before I could interrupt, she grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet. What happened next stole my breath away – she closed the distance between us and wrapped me in an embrace.

Her arms encircled my waist, face pressed against my chest. My skin erupted in goosebumps, eyes brimming with hope. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming, but the dampness of her tears on my shirt anchored me to reality. Casting aside all hesitation, I held her close, pressing a gentle kiss to her hair.

Her embrace was home, filling me with hope I thought I'd lost long ago. With her in my arms, I swore that not even death would separate us – I'd never let her go. My feelings intensified a thousandfold; what had been mere liking before had bloomed into mad, consuming love. All from one embrace.

I tightened my hold as she nuzzled against my chest. She would surely be the death of me.

"Hey... hey... don't cry..." I wiped the tears from her cheeks, tilting her face toward mine.

"Everything is fine. I'm with you, okay?" She nodded in a childlike manner while I fight with urge to kiss her nose.

Passing me a small smile, she freed herself from my arms and asked me to wait, moving to her cupboard to retrieve something.

"I... I've never been so sure in my life, Vyom." She returned to her previous position. The excitement in her voice filled me with excitement too.

"I want you to live your life now. I'm setting you free." And just like that, I learned what it felt like to fall from cloud nine straight into the depths of hell as she handed me the divorce papers.

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