AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He will be here soon, Princess,” I say gently, as I hold her against me and caress her back. As if God heard my prayers, I see Ranveer’s car pull up with a loud screech of the brakes. I let out an audible sigh and close my eyes, thanking God.
Ranveer hurriedly steps out of his car and is about to move towards the apartment when he spots the police car and his eyes find me. He immediately sprints toward us. As soon as he reaches the car, he swings the door open and gathers Mili and me in his arms.
“God, I shouldn’t have left you alone. I shouldn’t have gone to the hospital.” His voice breaks, while he rocks us against him, giving me the warmth I desperately need.
“We are safe,” I whisper after some time, leaning back to see his eyes. “It’s all over, we are safe,” I repeat as his eyes close and his forehead touches mine.
“It’s all over,” he echoes, holding us tightly in his arms, and my heart melts.
Being in his arms makes me feel safe and at peace. At last, I feel relaxed and stress-free, feeling assured that he will let no harm touch us.
Epilogue
Ranveer
A month later
As soon as I step into the house, my attention draws to Alisha’s voice that drifts from the kitchen. I close my eyes and let out a sigh of relief to know she is fine. Whenever I am away from her, I am on tenterhooks, worried about her safety.It’s been a month since the mishap, the worst day of my life. Thankfully, everything has been back to normal since then. Mili is with Soha in Dubai. I have round-the-clock security to keep a watch on them, making sure they are protected. Alisha has recovered from the mental trauma, which she faced during the initial days, but my internal battle fails to rest at peace. Soha’s boyfriend is still in police custody, posing no danger to Alisha, Mili, or Soha. Yet the fear is still strong. I am aware there is no reason to feel so overwhelmed with emotion, specifically fear. Still, at times, I find myself recalling the terrifying incident. Tremors run down my spine whenever the thought of all that could have happened crosses my mind. Though I was not present when Alisha faced that bastard all alone, I heard her part of the story when she gave her statement to the cops. My blood still boils at the thought of that asshole. When Soha told me about her psycho boyfriend, I knew at that instant that he was bad news. But I didn’t anticipate him to break into my house and lay his dirty hands on my girls. Damn, I was not even there with my girls when they needed me the most. As a husband and a father, I failed and did a shitty job as far as their protection is concerned. I didn’t even pay attention to the dangers Soha’s lifestyle would bring to my life. Thinking back to the times when I happened to see her with her hooligan of a boyfriend, I now know I should have run a background check on him. I shouldn’t have turned a blind eye to it just because she didn’t matter in my life. If I would have done my homework better, then maybe I could have avoided the disaster. I still break into cold sweat, thinking that bastard was close to taking away the two most important people in my life. That one freaking incident could have been the cause of destroying three lives.
I am aware it’s all over, and Alisha is with me, safe and happy.And though it may seem like overdoing, a couple of hours away from her makes me restless. Fortunately, Alisha has been working from our home, and Rewa drops in often to keep her company and help her with the workload. I too have pulled down my office hours, working from my home office and not going out unless unavoidable.
Even today, my fear got the better of me, and I almost came close to cancelling my meeting but Alisha compelled me to attend it. She was adamant about restoring normalcy and not letting fear overrule our lives. Though it was a bitter pill to swallow, I agreed with her. I actually felt the prick in my heart when I drove away from her. But knowing she would be home when I got back made the short distance a bit endurable.
I drop my files on the couch and take long steps as I walk from the living room towards the kitchen. As soon as I step into the kitchen, my gaze settles on my beautiful wife. Alisha is sitting on one of the high stools by the counter, sipping coffee from the cup with one hand while holding her mobile to her ear in the other as she talks. Hearing the one-sided conversation, I figure out she is on a call with her mom. Alisha meets my gaze with a smile on her face as she holds up her finger, asking me to give her a minute.
I smile back and nod my head as I make my way to her. Dropping a quick kiss on her forehead, I flop onto the stool next to her, patiently waiting for her to get done with her call. As Alisha continues to talk, I focus my eyes on her. Meanwhile, I take her hands in mine and rub her knuckles with my thumb. The feel of her soft skin in my hand, the feel of her body heat because of the proximity between us, and the sound of her voice makes my senses tingle with both love and happiness. I feel the heavy weight lift from my body.
After about five minutes, Alisha hangs up the call, but not before assuring her mother that she will be visiting her soon. She then drops the phone on the table and turns to me with a smile on her face.
“Mom has invited us for dinner tonight. If you are not too tired, then I can confirm with her that we will be coming.”
“Anything you wish,” I lift her hands, bringing it to my lips and placing a soft kiss.
Her eyes soften, and so does her voice. “Today, when I was cleaning Mili’s room, I found a few of her favourite puzzles, which she forgot to take along with her. I was thinking to get them couriered to her.” She takes a deep breath and continues. “The house is not the same without her laughter and presence. I miss her.”
I wrap my hands around her shoulder pulling her close to me, kissing her forehead as her cheek rests on my chest. “Me too, Sweetheart, but she will be here during the summer vacation, and you can have your fill of her. I will check with Soha and see what time Mili will be back from the birthday party. We can also do a video call if you want.”
If someone had told me that I would have a civil relationship with my ex-wife, I would have laughed in their face, saying I would rather have a snake in my house than stay in her company. But after the incident, Soha realised her mistake and repented every bit of it, turning a new leaf. She wanted to be the mother to Mili which she couldn’t be till then. That’s the reason Alisha and I decided it’s best if Mili gets to stay with Soha, and we get to meet them once in six months. With Mili’s school, we planned it’s better if we fly down to them.
“You okay?” Alisha whispers.
“I am fine.” I tighten my hold on her. I just don’t know how I would have survived if anything would have happened to her. Losing the one person you love is beyond the worst thing ever. Alisha’s love is the only power which keeps me going. So, I cannot even dream of losing her love. I hate how difficult it is to express what it means to lose the one precious person in your life, regardless of what the circumstances are. I have faced that once in my life when I lost my parents. Life can’t be harsh with me the second time. Not now, not ever, will I want to lose her.
“Please don’t lie and hide your pain from me. I know that day still haunts you.” She lifts her head and looks into my eye, cupping my face as her thumb gently rubs my jaw. “Mili is fine. I am fine.” Her voice is soft. “Please stop beating yourself about it.”
I close my eyes for a few seconds, taking in her words that seem to have a soothing effect on my disturbed mind. Once I feel I have composed myself, I open my eyes and lock them on hers. “Sweetheart, I am trying to, but I just don’t know how to keep my mind at rest. The thought that anything could have happened to either of you on that fateful day, drives me crazy. I don’t know if I will ever be able to forget or forgive myself for that. That fucking bastard would have destroyed my life if Ajay or the cops wouldn’t have come on time.”
“But you didn’t lose either of us. We are with you, Ranveer,” she assures me, leaning towards me, and softly kissing my forehead. I have lost count of the number of times she must have reminded me of this in the past month.
“I know, and I am beyond grateful that you are here with me. Alisha, you are the most precious blessing of my life. I never want to lose you. My life will not have any meaning without you,” I say, watching tears slide down her cheeks. The truth is, when a man loses what he loves the most, he is never the same again.
“You melt my heart,” she whispers.
I lean back and look at her. “Let’s go on our honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon?” she blinks her eyelashes rapidly, registering my words.
“Yes, honeymoon,” I confirm, tapping her nose with my index finger. “Tell me where you want to go.”
