AUTHORโS POVย
The days were passing just like that.
Abhimanyu waited outside her door every single day, not moving an inch. Every morning, without fail, he left her favorite white lilies on the doorstep - along with a handwritten note begging her to take care of herself. He always wrote the same line at the end:
"Please don't drink... don't hurt yourself... or I'll break, Shivnya. I'm sorry."
And every time Shivnya read those notes, guilt would consume her. She hated herself for hurting him - because of her own pain. He didn't deserve any of it.
Strangely, the ache she once felt for Advaith had dimmed.
Now, it was Abhimanyu's pain that pierced her more.
While Abhimanyu sat outside like a statue, Shivnya would watch him from the window. She'd sit there for hours - not eating, not drinking, not even touching alcohol or cigarettes.
She just... wanted him.
And he wanted her too.
But she had thrown him out.
And he had once forced her.
So now... silence.
They both were drowning in pain.
Craving each other.
But neither is willing to take the step.
---
One evening, Abhimanyu's mother called.
Ridhima (R) - "Abhimanyu beta... it's been almost a month since that incident. That's enough now. Bring her home. She's alone, and if she keeps living like this, pain will keep wrapping her tighter and tighter. But if she stays with family... slowly, she'll heal. She won't forget, but she'll live again.I want her to get better - for herself."
Abhimanyu (A) - "You're right, Maa. I'll bring her today itself."
R: "And one more thing... I don't know if I should say this right now, but..."
A: "Say it."
R: "Avni is pregnant. She's expecting."
A: (a soft smile tugging at his lips) "Really?"
R: "Yes."
A: "Shivuu will be so happy hearing this..."
R: "Exactly. Now bring her home."
A: "I will, Maa. Talk to you later."
As he hung up, Abhimanyu felt something shift - a gentle push from his mother, the push he had been needing. He knew Shivnya might still not want him. But if she could at least be around people who loved her, he wouldn't have to worry about her destroying herself alone. She could heal.
He went straight to her mansion gate
---
The doorbell rang.
Shivnya froze.
Only one person ever rang the bell nowadays - the flower boy. But this wasn't flower time. She frowned and sent Barley to open the door.
As Barley opened it, Abhimanyu stepped inside - without a word, without hesitation - and walked straight toward her.
Shivnya stood there in an oversized white shirt and beige pants, her hair loose, her eyes hollow. She hadn't slept properly in days.
Anyone could tell - she looked thinner... weaker.
They stared at each other, drinking in every feature as if they'd been oceans apart for years.
The craving was painfully visible - yet Shivnya's face had a flicker of fear too.
Suddenly, without a word, Abhimanyu strode forward and scooped her into his arms.
She didn't resist.
He carried her to the car.
As he walked, she silently leaned into him, burying her face into his neck, inhaling his familiar scent - as if this might be the last time.
He placed her in the passenger seat, walked over to the driver's side, and started the engine. The night was quiet, and so were they.
Shivnya rested her head against the window, eyes blank, watching the dark roads pass. Abhimanyu kept glancing at her every few seconds - her pale face, her sunken cheeks... the heartbreak she wore like a second skin.
The silence between them was heavy.
Each one drowning in their own guilt.
She, for pushing him away.
He, for the way he had once wronged her.
The car sped forward.
Then... the rain came.
It started soft, then louder - pelting against the windshield.
Shivnya stared at the rain, lips trembling. And then... almost like a whisper:
"Stop the car..."
Abhimanyu's brows furrowed. But he didn't ask. He just pulled over.
And Shivnya stepped out.
As Shivnya stepped out into the rain, she moved slowly toward the front of the car, her footsteps unsteady but determined. Abhimanyu followed her immediately, stepping into the downpour without a second thought.
The raindrops fell gently at first, almost respectfully, soaking her slowly as if trying to fill the hollow ache inside her. As she walked under the soft glow of a streetlight, her face lit up - glistening with rain, her eyes glassy with emotion. The moonlight kissed her skin, and for a moment, she looked nothing less than a goddess - a broken, breathtaking goddess who belonged to no one but was worshipped by one man standing inches behind her.
Abhimanyu's breath caught in his throat.
He moved closer and said softly, "Let's get in, Shivuu... before you catch a cold."
He reached out to take her hand.
But she pulled it away.
"Abhimanyu... I'm sorry," she began, voice shaking.
"But maybe... maybe our journey was meant to end here. I think... we should separate."
Her words cut through him like a blade.
His face stiffened, his brows narrowing - anger? confusion? disbelief?
But he didn't raise his voice.
He simply stepped closer, gently, as if approaching a wild, wounded creature.
"Bacha... you're drunk. Let's go home, okay?" he said with forced calm, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face.
Shivnya looked down, ashamed.
"No... I'm not drunk. I'm saying this in full consciousness."
Abhimanyu leaned in, sniffing near her lips, trying to confirm. He pulled back, pain visible in his eyes.
"Really... I'm not drunk, Abhimanyu," she repeated quietly.
And that did it.
Something snapped.
"Stop calling me Abhimanyu!" he burst, voice tight with a mix of anger and agony.
"I'm your Abhi, your jaan. Don't strip me away from you like this!"
For the first time, he was trembling.
Why him?
Why did he have to suffer this way?
He had stood by her when no one else did - when people called her love for Advaith nothing but anxious attachment, he defended it.
He watched her love another man.
He still stayed.
He still chose her.
Always her.
He had done everything a husband would do - without the label.
And now... this?
He was losing her.
Even after earning her.
No. No, no, no.
He couldn't accept it.
Tears brimmed in Shivnya's eyes as she looked at him.
The rain was pouring now, cascading down both their bodies, but their gaze never broke.
They didn't know which was falling harder - the rain, or their tears.
"Abhi..." she whispered.
"I'm not good for you. You don't deserve this mess. You deserve... someone better."
And with that, she crumbled.
Her sobs tore through the silence, and this time, there was no mistaking the tears from the rain.
Abhimanyu's heart shattered.
All he wanted in that moment was to stop everything - stop the past, the pain, the mistakes, the guilt.
He wanted to forget it all.
Just hold her.
Just get back his sukoon.
And so...
He took a step forward.
Then another.
And without asking, without speaking - he pulled her into his arms.
Tightly.
Desperately.
As if trying to shield her from the world - and from her own thoughts.
But she gently pulled herself away from his arms.
Abhimanyu didn't want to let go - his fingers lingered around her wrists as if trying to hold on to their last thread of connection. But eventually, painfully, he did. Shivnya stood still, the moonlight glinting in her tear-filled eyes, her body drenched, her soul drowning.
"Abhimanyu..." she said, voice breaking, "I've punished you too much, just because I was in pain. I don't want to hurt you anymore."
He stepped forward instinctively, trying to hold her again, but she stepped back... and kept stepping back - their eyes locked in a silent war of love, fear, and desperation.
"You didn't hurt me," he said, his voice raw. "Please... I can't live without you."
He wasn't just saying it - he was begging. The great Abhimanyu - the one who never bowed, never pleaded - was standing in the rain, shattered, vulnerable. His only weakness was in front of him: his wife. His love. His life.
But not a single tear escaped his eyes - they just swam, threatened, and built up like a dam about to burst.
"And I can't live giving you more pain..." Shivnya said, her voice trembling, stepping back again - and this time, she stumbled over a small rock.
Before she could fall, Abhimanyu caught her instantly, strong arms wrapping around her waist. He gently cupped her face, his eyes frantic.
"Bacha, no! You haven't given me pain - you gave me life!" he said, desperate to make her believe it.
She looked into his eyes, holding years of sorrow in hers. "Abhimanyu, try to understand... I don't belong to any happiness. Please... let me go. You'll be happy without me. Maybe with someone else. I'm not a good person."
"But you are my happiness!" he shouted, voice breaking under the weight of love and agony.
"After Advaith's death, I've only given you pain. That pain was mine, but you took it too."
"Wasn't that the vow I took?" he asked suddenly, interrupting her, his voice low but steady.
"What vow?"
"The one we took during our pheras. That in happiness and sorrow, I'd walk beside you. That your pain would be mine too."
She fell silent.
"But even before marriage, I gave you so much pain. You don't deserve that, Abhi. You deserve peace, someone gentle..."
He chuckled bitterly, the pain visible in his smile.
"You think I'm a gentleman... and that means I deserve someone else?"
He looked away for a second and then back at her, eyes piercing through the rain.
"I'm a gentleman because of you. The day I saw you, I thought it was infatuation. But then I saw your childhood fear... and I changed. Every habit, every flaw - I tried to fix it, hoping one day... you'd fall for me too.
I didn't change for the world. I changed for you. Only you."
His voice softened, almost a whisper.
"I was a beast once. And maybe I still am. But that beast is caged in your love now. So tell me - do I really deserve someone else?"
Shivnya's lips quivered.
"I... I don't know anything anymore."
Abhimanyu stepped closer, touching her forehead with his.
"But I know."
"I know whom I deserve. And who you deserve."
"You are my wife. And I am your husband."
"You are my love. And I am your lover, your shadow, your fool."
"You are my life, my sukoon, my peace."
"You're like this rain, Shivnya. And I... I am this barren land. Without you, I'm dry, lifeless. Nothing grows in me - not joy, not hope. But when you fall on me, I bloom. I breathe."
She looked at him, shaken.
"Do you really love me?" she whispered.
"Even after everything?"
He cupped her face again, eyes locked with hers.
"I'll love you even if you took my life with your own hands."
"Shh... don't say that," she whispered.
"I love you, Shivnya."
A pause. Her lips trembled.
"I love you too, Abhimanyu."
He smiled - broken, messy, but pure.
"Then we're not separating. Ever. We're one. And we'll stay one - no matter what."
She nodded through her tears.
"Yes, Abhi... Let's go back to our life. Enough of this pain. We've drowned in it long enough."
Abhimanyu wiped her tears, leaning closer.
"Yeah... but before that, I need something."
"What?"
He smirked like a naughty child.
"My kiss. You don't know how badly I've been craving your kiss."
Shivnya blushed despite the tears.
"We're in the middle of the road, Abhi..."
"So what?" he whispered, stepping closer, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I'm just kissing my beautiful wife."
"Abhi, but-"
"Shh..." he silenced her with a smile.
"Let me."
And there, under the pouring rain and flickering streetlight, he kissed her - not to claim her, not to prove anything - but simply because his soul was tired, and only her lips knew how to breathe life back into it.
Abhimanyu took a slow, deliberate step toward her.
Shivnya instinctively stepped back, her breath hitching in her throat. One step... two steps... until she bumped into the bonnet of the car with a soft thud. Before she could react, Abhimanyu gently held her by the waist and lifted her onto the hood.
He leaned in.
Their lips met in a soft, tender kiss - no rush, no hunger - just the pure, silent ache of two broken hearts finding warmth again. He simply kissed her like she was made of glass, like he had missed the taste of her lips for centuries. Just a gentle pull, soft lips sucking against each other's with a whisper of longing.
As their lips slowly parted, their foreheads rested against each other, and Abhimanyu let out a soft breath of happiness. He pecked her lips again, unable to resist.
A giggle escaped Shivnya's mouth - light and sweet, like the first sunlight after days of storm.
Abhimanyu's eyes lit up.
"Finally... my love smiled."
Shivnya smiled more widely and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. Sitting on the bonnet, she pulled him into a warm embrace. Abhimanyu closed his eyes and hugged her tightly, his head resting gently against her shoulder, feeling the peace he had been craving.
Moments passed like that - the rain dancing around them - until Abhimanyu whispered softly:
"Let's get back in the car. The rain's pouring heavily now."
Shivnya nodded, and they both walked to their respective doors.
She reached for the handle, tugged...
It didn't budge.
"Abhi, unlock the car," she called out, looking over at him.
Abhimanyu froze for a second, then scratched his head in mild panic.
"Uh... f*ck."
"What?" she frowned.
"We're locked out. The keys are inside."
Shivnya blinked at him, stunned, then tried her own door again - locked.
She crossed her arms, trying not to laugh.
"Seriously? You locked us out of your own car? In the middle of a damn storm?"
He smiled sheepishly. "My bad. Totally forgot in the heat of the moment."
She sighed, staying surprisingly calm.
"Okay... no problem. Call someone. Roadside assistance. Anyone."
Abhimanyu dug into his pockets... and then looked up like a child caught red-handed.
"I, um... might've forgotten my phone inside too."
"Abhimanyu!" she gasped, half-laughing, half-frustrated. "So... no car, no phone, no shelter... and it's raining like we're in some Bollywood disaster scene?"
He gave a helpless shrug.
"On the bright side, at least we're locked together."
Shivnya rolled her eyes and scanned the area.
"There's literally nothing here."
But then Abhimanyu pointed, eyes lighting up.
"Wait - look! There's a small shed over there."
Shivnya followed his gaze. A dimly lit, half-broken tin-roofed shed stood across the narrow road, partially hidden by overgrown bushes.
"Let's get there before we drown in our own romantic tragedy," he joked.
Hand in hand, laughing through the absurdity, they ran through the pouring rain toward the shelter - hearts light, love rekindled, and destiny playing a perfect mess around them.
SHIVNYAโS POV
It was pouring relentlessly, and the cold was beginning to bite through my skin. I was shivering uncontrollably when Abhimanyu, noticing my condition, wrapped his arms around me from behind-trying to offer whatever warmth he could. But we were both already drenched to the bone.
Suddenly, in the distance, I noticed a structure-somewhat like a farmhouse. "Abhimanyu," I said, pointing toward it, "look! There's a house over there. Maybe we can ask them for help?"
His brows furrowed with concern. Clearly, he was unsure. But one look at my trembling form, and he gave in with a reluctant nod. We started walking toward it, the squelching sound of our wet shoes echoing in the quiet drizzle. As we approached, we could hear the sounds of music, chatter, and laughter-some sort of celebration happening inside. Maybe it was a wedding.
There was no security outside. I looked at Abhimanyu again. He shook his head, silently telling me this was a bad idea. But I had no patience left-I grabbed his hand and dragged him along.
Inside, we were greeted with a scene straight out of a cultural postcard-an ancient-style house with sloped, tiled roofs like the ones in South India. It looked absolutely beautiful and traditional. An elderly couple noticed us-they were dressed in Maharashtrian attire, clearly part of the celebration.
"Who are you?" the elderly man asked, a stern look on his face.
I glanced at Abhimanyu-his eyes screamed I told you so. But I ignored him.
"It's just... our car broke down on the road nearby. The rain caught us off guard and we got completely soaked. We just needed a place to stay for the night... We'll leave first thing in the morning," I explained politely.
They didn't respond immediately-just kept observing us intently. Then the man signaled someone to come over. As we waited, I felt Abhimanyu shift behind me. I turned slightly-and my eyes widened.
What the hell is he doing?
He was unbuttoning his shirt. Right there.
And then, without warning, he pulled me close and draped his shirt around my front to cover me.
Ohhh... protective much?
But seriously, why is he standing shirtless now?! And why doesn't this man wear a vest under his shirt?!
As if things weren't awkward enough, a girl passing by was full-on ogling him. I shot her a sharp glare. This man, however, remained completely unfazed.
Moments later, the elderly couple returned-this time with more people. One of them spoke, "There's a wedding going on in our family. We can't just let strangers in like that. Do you have any ID or proof?"
Abhimanyu and I exchanged a glance-we had nothing on us. I opened my mouth to explain, but before I could speak, he stepped forward and said calmly:
"You can Google us. King and Queen of Rajasthan."
Everyone went still.
They stared at us.
And then... chaos. Phones came out, fingers tapping away quickly. Within moments, their expressions changed from suspicion to complete shock.
"We're so sorry!" the elderly lady gasped. "We didn't know... Please, come in!"
As they ushered us inside, I couldn't help but notice a girl standing behind the lady-her eyes glued only to my husband.
And let's just say... I noticed.
As we stepped into the house, drenched and shivering, they kindly handed us a set of clothes to change into. Not only that, but they even invited us to join in the celebration. Their warmth felt like a blessing after the storm.
We were taken to a guest room to change, and the moment the door closed behind us, I did not wait.
I took his shirt-still hanging over my shoulders-and threw it right back at him.
"What the hell was that, Abhimanyu?!" I snapped, glaring at him with folded arms.
He looked taken aback for a second, then his expression softened with concern.
"What happened, bacha?" he asked gently.
I scoffed. "Huh! Now you remember me? You didn't remember me when that girl was openly ogling you! Who told you to take your shirt off in the first place, huh? Tell me!"
And this man-this man-had the audacity to laugh.
Not just laugh... full-on laugh. Like petrol on fire.
"Bacha," he said between chuckles, walking toward me, "your shirt was sticking to you. And that view? That's for my eyes only. I couldn't let anyone else see you like that."
I froze. My heart melted a little. Okay, a lot.
"And as for that girl..." he smirked, cupping my face, "I didn't even notice her. I only noticed you. I was busy pouring all my love into the one woman who owns my entire heart-my lady."
Ugh. Why is he like this? He knows exactly how to shut me up.
I know he loves me. He's not the kind of man to be distracted. But still... I'm protective. And unapologetically so.
( I hope you all understand what shivnya is feeling... but wait aren't you all single... sorry ๐๐ )
He chuckled and kissed my forehead.
"Let's change before we both catch a cold," he said softly, and we started to change our clothes
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