Aryan told her, he cheated upon her - "that one night!". That one night he was not ashamed of or sorry for. For it was not an endeavor he was into for long or even for a day. It just took him 45 minutes to fall for it, and the rest just happened.
But living with the wife he loved eternally wasn't easy. keeping her in dark about that accident, wasn't easy. She wrote him a poem today, on the eve of their 5th wedding anniversary and 8th anniversary of the day he proposed to her and promised to devote himself to her till death parts them away. All this long, she made him the man he was today and he loved her so much that her friends would envy of her to have a husband like him.
Then what happened that he almost forgot her in that one hour, which was to bring their fairytale perfect life at a stop?
More of a question to ask would be - How could he tell his dear wife about a one night stand, that happened! unintended in a moment of weakness when he felt that he almost lost her. And how could he live with her without telling her about it.
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Shreya is getting dressed in a perfect peach dress , with her happiness reflecting in the glow in her eyes. She has planned a perfect evening for the both of them to surprise Aryan by saying she had to work tonight for the deadline of her project.
Aryan knew she was lying to him, kust to surprise him in her usually perfect way of planning unique things for them. He loves her bubbly nature and the innocence with which she expresses her love. But today, its a difficult anniversary for him. Aryan driving back home, with the guilt of not telling her of that night he lost himself to a girl who kept him alive for her.
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This is about 4 months back that:
He was coming back from office. He had got flowers for his 5 months pregnant wife.
About 5 mins from home, He got a call from the local hospital that Shreya got a miscarriage. He was devastated. He went to the hospital and saw her lying pale in a bed with eyes wide open in shock with the news. She had more to tell her than he knew.
She had few chances of being able to conceive again. As he got close to her, she began crying and apologizing to him for having being unable to take care of their baby. He could not stop crying with the dream broken before him, but kept his calm and took her in his arms and expressed his content that she was fine.
He made things sort of normal in few weeks. They consulted several doctors and took advise from a friend who was practicing medicine abroad. This calmed Shreya with a spark of hope, that could reflect in her eyes and her smile.
But for Aryan, he had not cried since that moment her held her in the hospital. He had been suffocating in the pain, pretending he was fine and he escaped the pain of losing his first child.
Aarti, his closest friend before he met Shreya. She surprised him with a surprise visit after years and took him to his place to tell him where she had just moved in in the city. While on the way, they talked of old things and the relation they shared. Once they reached her high rise apartment in the middle of the city, he realized that she left because she loved her and he did not. And he could never understand her love for him.
Then they began to talk about Shreya and Aryan and their perfect life and how he loved her so much. And then a pain striked him.
Aarti: What happened? Why you look pained? Are you alright?
Aryan: My baby... we lost him...
I loved him already.. He used to respond to my voice... (in pain and tears .. he lost control of himslef and cried like someone was dead just next to him... actually someone was... his pain precipitated in that moment of weakness when he shouted, cried.. howled... )
Aarti was not sure what to do.. she hugged him and consoled him .... The moment was not right. He needed Shreya next to him. He held her in his arms, hugged her.. kissed her forehead and in a painful voice ...
He cried: Baby, we will have Arshy again.. trust me...(Arshy is the name they thought for their baby to be...)
Aryan was broken. He felt he was with Shreya. And he kissed her. more passionately.. and he made love to her with all the passion and agony.. releasing the pain and the ache that he had inside him...
The next moment, he realized what he did. He apologized to her.
Aryan : I am so sorry Aarti. I was out of my mind.
Aarti: I always loved you.
Aryan: But I love my wife. I seriously do. I am so sorry.
Aarti: I know that. But you need not be. I understand. (after a pause.. a silence that made none of them in a position to say anything)
Aarti: I promise, no one would ever know. You will never see me again.
Aryan: But I am so sorry I thought you were her, I lost myself.
Aarti: Aryan.. you are the same man I loved.. The only thing is that your love is not for me. But trust me, you have given me something I will never be sorry for. And please stop apologizing, I know you were not loving me.. but your wife.
Aryan: I should go.
Aarti: Can I ask for one last favor?
Aryan: Yes, anything I can do to make it better for you. You know I am sorry.
Aarti: Please don't go tonight.
Aryan: You must be joking! Shreya is waiting for me and I need to go. I love her. (thinking...) But how will I face her.. How will I live with her.. (tensed!) O god...! please give us strength to get past this tough time in our lives...
almost in tears..
Aarti: Covered herself in the sheet and went close to him .
Aryan: Jumped off the bed.. Oh...! I am sorry! I do not want to hurt you. But you are my friend. I love my wife.. And I am sorry.... (speaking this.. again and again; he got dressed and headed towards the gate to leave).
Aryan: I am sorry, tell me anything I can do to make you feel better.
( He said this and left.
Door shut.
He was in the hallway, when he all that came back to his mind. And just one sentence of her: Please Don't Go Tonight! sounded again and again .. and out of guilt and care for her, he called Shreya from the hallway)
Shreya: Hey.. am Home. When are you coming.
Aryan: Baby, I got a US client, will need to stay back till late. You please eat and sleep and take care please.
I Love You.
Shreya: Ok. Love You too..
(Voices in his head: Love You too... Please Don't Go tonight...Love You too... Please Don't Go tonight... Love You too... Please Don't Go tonight...Love You too... Please Don't Go tonight...)
Door opens. He sees around and goes back to her bedroom.
He sees...Aarti wrapped in the sheet, curled.. lying on the bed... a tear on her cheek one wet drop below her face on the bed sheet..
He went close to her and in a sorry and caring manner he looked at her and sat close to her....
There he slept thinking about how to deal with this what just happened and about Aarti, that how could he ever apologize to her.
Birds chirping! Sun peeping into the room.
Aarti wakes up and in a moment of love happiness and pain, last night passed flash her eyes..
Aryan wakes up and looks at her crying in a puzzle of emotions. He went close to her, kissed her on the forehead, hugged her and left with a sorry and I care for you look.
Aryan: Take Care.
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Aryan drives back home, consoling himself that he felt it was shreya and thinking he needed to hide this from her for the sake of her state of mind her health and her trust on him. And more importantly, for he loved her and he could not lose her.He picked up a bunch of Orchids for her.
He went home, had a shower and woke Shreya up with a bed tea and Orchids on the table at the side of the bed. With that look in her eyes, he thought - Oh! I love you so much ! How could I do that to you.
He went close to her and kissed her. Hugged her and kissed again. And this became a morning beginning with making love to his wife, whom he loved.
Aryan: I am not going to office today, and tomorrow is Saturday.So its an extended moon-weekend.
Shreya: Moon-Weekend?
Aryan: Yes my Love...! Moon stands for a second Honeymoon with my pretty wife.
Shreya: But I have work, I did not work over night.
[Aryan turned pale, with the thought of last night.]
Shreya: (looked at him and thought .. this was a good time for them to rejuvenate from the accident they had) okae then think of an excuse for bunking office for me.
Aryan: So call your boss and tell him you are feeling uneasy and vomiting .Because ultimately you will(winks)
Shreya: (Hits him with a pillow ) You monster!
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They left for a beach side resort. He made her feel the special person she was for him. He revisited his love for her and realized how cruel a thought of losing her was.
In the beach view room :
Shreya sitting on the bed side. Aryan sitting on his knee bent , holding her hand.
Aryan: I promise to take care of you in happiness and sorrow.. in good times and bad.. I promise to love you till the end of my life...
Shreya: I Love You.
He moves up and kisses her passionately and makes love to her.
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Aryan rings the door bell.
Shreya: (in her perfect self in peach) opens the door and kisses him there.
Aryan: kisses her without seeming happy.
Shreya is disappointed beyond her control. She wonders what could possibly be wrong.
Shreya: Is everything all right baby?
Aryan: Yes. I m just tired.
Shreya: ( gets him coffee) Everything fine in the office? Did you stress yourself too much? I have never seen you so tensed honey.
Aryan: I need some time alone. (his words tearing himself from within).
Shreya looked at him and came to the living room.
Aryan comes out from the bedroom.
Aryan: I slept with Aarti.
Shreya looks at him in silence, unable to speak a word. Her throat chocked. She wanted to say something, but she just fell on the floor where she stood...
He ran close to her in tears .. saying sorry.. I did not mean it.. It just happened...
He told her the whole story.. she did not utter a word all the while...
He went back to the bedroom... thinking, what to do and how to correct this...
After smoking @ whole packet of cigarettes he came out of the room, he could not find where Shreya was....
He called her.. but the phone rang in the house.. she was no where to be found ...
Horror struck Aryan took off.. he went to every friend, relative where he expected she could go...
She was no where... she went to the place they used to meet at the beach...
She was nowhere to be found...
Aryan:(crying.. shouting out loud!) Please come back... I Love You and I am sorry... He returned to the house.. waiting for her..
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3 Months after she left
He gets a mail :
"I LOVE YOU, But I Am Sorry..."
I ll come back... !
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There after ,He is living a life of pain everyday.. he curses that night everyday.. And prays to God everyday while coming back from office..
Aryan: Let her be home tonight..
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Shreya Died in a car Accident that Night.. Aarti sent him that mail and cremated her...
