1.2 | Firecracker

xxiii | mine

KEY:
sahana / veer

Veer had crumbled when he learned that Sahana had been engaged all this time. The picture of a ring sitting on her finger taunted him every night since then, slowly poisoning him. He wished she'd told him. Having to learn about it from someone else made him feel defeated, as if all the efforts he had made to make this work was suddenly declared null. He lay on his bed, repeating the conversation he'd had with her. After days of mulling it over, he could hear her shaky breath, the thin layer of hurt in her voice and the guilt and frustration over the situation. As she requested, he tried looking at it from her side. But that only made him sadder. She didn't have to go through it alone.

That's why as soon as Ishita had frantically called Veer at seven in the evening, he knew it was bad news. "Sahana packed up and left the house. We don't know where she is. Her phone is switched off. You have any idea where she might be?"

Veer was already putting on his shoes, giving his father a gist of the situation. "Take the umbrella. If you don't bring her home, I'll kick you out of the house too," he said, handing over the car keys. "You two can live in the streets."

"I'm beginning to think you like her more than me," Veer grumbled before getting in his car. He remembered every single text she'd sent him so he had an idea where she might be. I love the sea. It's my comfort, my peace. I go there when I need to disappear.

Veer found the closest beach to her house and drove, hoping he was right.

Sahana didn't know what delusional part of her thought she could actually keep both Veer and her family. Because now she'd lost them both. Veer was mad at her, rightfully so, and her father had kicked her out of the house. Even though Jai had called off the marriage, her father figured it was her doing. His words struck her like a whip, her skin still burning with the aftertaste of the pain. He disowned her and her mother hadn't said a word like the puppet she was. He had picked a time when Ragav wasn't in the house so that no one would be on her side.

Sahana had dumped whatever she could grab into her suitcase, dragged it outside to her car. The whole time her jaws were clenched so tight to not let the tears out. She couldn't cry in front of her father. She couldn't show him how much he hurt her. He didn't deserve to know.

Without consciously deciding, she ended up on the beach. She sat on the sand, digging her feet into the grains to feel it grind against her skin. She needed that pain to ground her. The wild sea and it's crashing waves being her only witness, she let herself break down. Tears rolled onto her cheeks, mirroring the waves before her. Her shoulders shook as she buried her face in her knees and sobbed.

Even though she had Veer, she felt like she'd lost him too. She felt like she had lost everything.

The clouds were being nasty. They turned greyer and greyer as seconds passed by and all Veer could think about was if Sahana had an umbrella with her wherever she was. It was going to pour.

He parked the car closest to the beach and ran as fast as he could towards the sea. The clouds began their play with a drizzle, teasing him. Frantic, he searched for the woman he missed having in his arms. The woman he loved. There were a few people on the sand but they were all turning to leave or take shelter.

Except one little figure, hunched on the sand.

Just as he reached her, sharp pellets of rain fell from the sky. Sahana looked up through her pink puffy eyes and they went wide before softening at the umbrella he was holding over them. Her eyes flicked to his, tearing up again. Lips trembling, she said, "I promised myself I wouldn't let myself cry in front of you."

"Why not?"

A choked laugh escaped her lips. "Because I look ugly when I cry."

"You're questioning my ability to handle a snotty nose and pink eyes? I'm offended, firecracker."

"I missed it. You calling me firecracker," she said, her voice breaking. Veer couldn't stand it anymore. He crouched low and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry I took so long," Veer whispered. It was barely audible midst the rain but Sahana understood. "I'm sorry I'm late."

She shook her head. "It's my fault. I fucked up."

"Come on." Veer stood up, giving her a hand. "This rain is romantic and all that but let's go somewhere else where we don't have to shout to hear each other. Alright?"

Sharing an umbrella, both of them trudged up the wet sand and made it to the cemented platform. Veer pulled her under one of the stalls selling street food and sat her down in the chair. "Wear this and stay put," he said, draping his overshirt around her shoulders. "I'll be back."