Exit to the sunrise

Love find its way
in to the hearts of who are meant to be together

She squealed with delight as he hugged her from behind and planted a kiss at her neck...She turned around only to be more delighted to see him holding a  bouquet of flowers of paradise. She would always wonder how he managed to get these rare beautiful flowers for her. He held her by waist and started walking to the terrace lounge for dinner in candlelight and live ghazals. With all these things and many more, he was so lively and romantic. Prakruti couldn't have asked for a better lover than him. He was like her dream come true. She looked at him with love and longing as he talked and she listened

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"What? you cant do this.", Prakruti shouted at her mother
"Its already done Pari, so better not fight it. Your dad gave his words to the groom and his family. You are getting married as soon as possible"
"But ma I love someone"
"He is a history now for you, better live with it", her mom walked out of her room.
She stood dazed trying to grasp the events.
"Oh my God, they are getting me married to some unknown guy", she ran to call him...cried over phone as she told him the news.
"Get married", was all he said in a dead quite voice and the line went dead.
She sat there for a long hour staring at the wall like a numb.
went through the rituals...got married...angry and unhappy. She was determined to make her marriage a failure. She was angry to the point of being at fault. She was determined to turn blind to everything but her pain.
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Swikrit was shy and reserved. Just opposite of Prakruti...He never expressed. He grew up as the man of the house after he lost his father in an early age. life made him serious, quite and undemanding. He fell in love with her just by her picture. She looked so soft and lively. But now she looked angry. he understood she wasn't ready for this marriage so he gave her time, but in vain. He so desperately wanted to work this out but she seemed determined to spoil it. But she loved his family. He had seen her playing with his nephew and nieces. She was full of love but not for him. And he yearned for it. In time he did everything to win her love over but she was reluctant to yield to his efforts. Time passed. He tried letting her be but cared too much to do that. He only grew quieter and withdrawn. And she kept making it worse.
"I want a divorce", she said to him
He wasn't surprised yet it had hurt me in ways nothing had. She was so blind to his love for her. "if this is what pleases you". His tone reminded her of her love. For a moment she felt the ice melting in her but she checked herself in no time.
"I want to go to my home till then"
"I will drop you", he said in a tone that would haunt her forever, but she was determined.
As he pulled at her home his heart clenched. he felt like breaking down. She got out and he never once looked her way. She saw his knuckles turning white by holding the wheels too tight. He was trying to hold on. She could see he was suffering and that bothered her.
"Won't you come in?" she asked
"I won't be able to let you go then", that was the closest he came to confessing his love for her, closest to being romantic. She was surprised. For a moment he thought she will change her decision. But then she turned back and walked in. He drove away.
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He would always see her here and there and would crave for her.
"Shall I drop  you somewhere?", he couldn't stop himself when he saw her struggling with so many packets at bus stop.
She was startled and was surprised more by the fact that she was indeed pleasured to see him. "No thanks"
"I know you can manage but with so much of crowd it will be tough for you to travel with so many packets".
She quietly put all the packets in the back and came around to sit. He looked tired and aged.
"Looks like you have been working too hard", she tried to make a conversation to escape the killing silence.
"yeah, have nothing else to do since you left", she was speechless and the silence prevailed.
This turned out to be a routine. He would always pick her up and drop her home. He never asked her reasons of spoiling her marriage. Never complained. But the conversation got better.
He would initiate the talk and would let her take over. He would look at her while she talked while she used to do with the guy she loved. She felt conscious but pleased. She started liking him as the time went by. And the never talked about divorce.
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!3 July 2011, she was on a leave from her office. She was surfing the channels when at one news channel the breaking news read "terror struck Mumbai, three blasts rocked Mumbai at Zaveri Bazar, Opera house and Dadar.
"Swikrit", she exhaled sharply. Ran for her phone, she frantically tried his number time and over again only to find unreachable. She called at his home.
"Beta he left for work at his usual time." She could hear the panic in his mother's voice. He worked in Dadar. "We will let you know once we hear any news of him".
She can't wait...she was desperate...she has to go look for him herself..she can't wait. She took her father's car and drove crazily. Mumbai looked no less than a madhouse. After 7 hours of her zealous desperate search she was able to locate him. He lay on the floor of a stuffed hospital....wrapped up in bandages...her heart skipped many beats...she crawled towards him...his eyes were closed...he din't seem like breathing...she was scared...to lose him...frightened she took her fingers to his nose...and felt a faint exhale of air...she cried in relief...wrapped her arms around him and cried...cried professing her love for him...cursing herself for being blind to his feelings and her own. She cried for long hours...and then she called at his home.
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He was better now..out of danger but still in hospital..She never left his side even for a minute...and he shyly confessed that it was one reason why he recovered quickly. He noticed the change in her but still had no idea about her feelings...he was happy, confused but happy. She was feeding him like she would have fed a nagging child, when there was a knock on the door. The lawyer peeped in with the papers. He felt sad..the good times have come to an end...lawyer ended him the divorce papers...and a pen..he stared at it blankly...trying to gather courage to sign it. Just when he thought there was a hope..the sun set and the night started hovering. He sighed and we as about to sign when Prakruti put her hand over his to stop him from signing. He was astonished. As he looked at her, he saw her holding a ring in her hand.
"Swikrit...I have fallen in love with you....and I am determined to start it all over again...will you marry me".
"You will have a price to pay", he said sternly.
If she was surprised she din't show..she knew it wasn't going to be easy but she was determined to do anything to make it work "Anything you say"
"You will have to stay in love with me like  this forever"
And they both smiled.