The Journey

Chapter 13.

Ishitha's POV-

"So, tell me." Aarav stated.

I looked at him, totally confused.

"Tell you what?" I asked.

"Why were you off back then?"

"I wasn't." I said, chuckling.

"Look, if you don't want to share things with me, you can tell it to me directly instead of lying."

"Oh god, Aarav."

He rolled his eyes at me before waiting for me to answer.

When I didn't say anything, Aarav spoke again.

"Ishitha, I've had my dinner about an hour back, and pretty sure, within the next thirty minutes I'd be fast asleep."

"Which means, tell me before I fall asleep." He stated when I gave him a confused face.

"Just one of those days." I mumbled.

"You're on your chums?" He asked.

"What? No!" I exclaimed, giggling.

"Then?"

"Just one of those days where I miss mom. A lot." I stated, as soon as my giggle died.

"Some days I miss her more than I actually should. I cry like a little baby who has lost her mom in a grocery store." I chuckled.

I could feel tears build up in my eyes.

"The only difference being, I lost her forever." I added.

Tightly shutting my eyes close, I looked down. I was never this vulnerable infront of anyone. I can't show this side of mine to Aarav.

Tears started rolling down my eyes by now.

"Ishitha, stop." I mumbled to myself, wiping the tears away.

Suddenly, I felt two arms wrap around me.

"Shh."

And that's when I broke down completely.

"Shh.. Ishitha. It's okay." He said, trying to calm me down.

"No, it's not okay, Aarav." I said, shaking my head, and crying harder.

"It's not okay." I cried, while hugging Aarav tightly.

"Ishitha, look at me."

"Look at me, Ishitha." He said, bringing me to look at him.

"Where ever your mom is right now, she's extremely happy and proud of the woman you've become. Trust me, Ishitha, she'd never want it any other way." He said, holding my face in between both his palms.

I shut my eyes close, letting the tears fall.

Shaking my head, I said, "I'm not supposed to cry infront of you."

"Why?" He asked.

"I don't really cry infront of people. I don't like people seeing me this weak and vulnerable." I said, crying.

Aarav got me back to his chest.

"Neither are you weak nor vulnerable. You're a strong and a beautiful woman." He said before kissing my head.

"And crying doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're letting your emotions free, which is absolutely fine." He added.

We spent the next few minutes in silence, with only my cries being heard.

"Ishitha, listen to me carefully."

"You're beautiful. You're strong. You're passionate. You're kind. You behold the gift of love. You look at other people with a kind eye. You've got dreams. You've got a childhood to smile at, and a future to chance at. You still don't see yourself as well as you should though. And I don't know why."

"Sometimes you need to remind yourself that you were the one who carried you through the rough times. You are the one who sits with the cold body on the shower floor, and picks it up. You are the one who feeds it, who clothes it, who tucks it into bed, and you should be proud of that. Not everyone has the strength to take care of themselves, and you have it. This strength is the strongest thing in the universe, remember this always."

"Enjoy the present, each moment, as it comes, because you'll never get another one quite like it. And if you ever find yourself lost, then simply take a breath and start over. Retrace your steps and go back to the purest place in your heart..... where your hope lives. You'll find your way again." He ended.

Rubbing my back, he hummed a familiar tune and calmed me down. I had stopped crying by now and was fighting against my eyes shutting close.

The last thing I thought of before I dozed off to sleep was, go back to the purest place in your heart..... where your hopes lives.