6. Beginning of Healing #2
He opened his eyes again, looking at her sitting there nervously, biting her lip as she waited.
And in that moment, Rakshit knew—
his heart finally had a home and this home has its heart(his IKA).
The moment Shivika saw his eyes glisten, her breath hitched. She stood up instantly, her heart aching at the sight of the tear slipping down his cheek.
Rakshit too got up slowly, his chest rising and falling unevenly.
His voice came out low and trembling, almost breaking midway,
"Can I… hug you?"
There was something raw in the way he said it — like the words had come straight from a place he never knew existed inside him.
Shivika didn't speak, just looked at him for a heartbeat and then nodded softly.
That was all it took. It was as if his entire body had been waiting for that one silent permission.
He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace — not out of impulse, but out of something deeper… something he couldn't name.
His face buried itself in her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her as if he was afraid she might disappear if he let go.
For a second, Shivika froze. She could feel his heartbeat thudding against her chest, uneven, fast, and real.
Slowly, her hands lifted — hesitant, trembling — and then they settled around his waist.
When she hugged him back, his hold only tightened, pulling her impossibly closer.
It was the first time since he had known what feelings meant, that Rakshit truly hugged someone — not just with his arms, but with everything he was.
Last night he had held her too, but that hug had been different. Then, he was trying to take away her pain, to protect her from breaking again.
But this moment… this hug was his own — raw, unguarded, his heart finally finding peace against hers.
The walls around them had once been nothing more than a roof for him, a lonely shelter.
But now, they stood inside what felt like home — a home built not by bricks, but by her presence.
Shivika too was lost in his warmth. Last night, she had felt safe in his arms.
But tonight, she felt whole.
There was something new in that feeling something so soothing she didn't want to let go.
She had hugged people before, but never had it felt like this — never this gentle, never this right.
After what felt like forever, Rakshit loosened his hold, though his hands refused to leave her completely.
He drew back just enough to see her face and cupped it carefully, his palms trembling as if he feared breaking the moment.
Shivika looked into his eyes and what she saw there made her heart skip.
There was a storm inside him — gratitude, disbelief, love, all fighting for space.
He wanted to speak, she could tell. But no words came.
Instead, he leaned forward, his movements slow, deliberate, and pressed his lips to her forehead — not like the hurried touch of comfort like before, but a kiss full of emotion.
His lips lingered there for a few seconds, warm and steady, as if sealing everything between them without saying a word.
Shivika's eyes fluttered closed, and a small tear escaped, not from pain, but from the peace she felt in that moment.
The doorbell rang, breaking the silence that had wrapped around them.
Rakshit quickly stepped back, rubbing his face with one hand as if trying to steady himself.
Shivika too wiped her eyes, composing her expression though her heart was still racing.
"I'll see," Rakshit murmured, his voice quiet but gentle, and walked toward the door.
He opened it to find a delivery guy standing there with a paper bag. Rakshit signed, took it, and closed the door again.
Shivika, who had been watching curiously, tilted her head.
"Did you order something to eat?" she asked, her voice carrying spark of excitement that made his lips curve unconsciously.
Rakshit's eyes softened.
"No… I said I'll make something for you. But this," he said, placing the bag on the table, "is for you only."
He started taking things out carefully one by one, while Shivika sat on the sofa watching in confusion, which soon turned into wide-eyed surprise.
Soft, fluffy slippers came out first. Then a small bottle of massage oil. A box of herbal tea. A pack of dry fruits. A pregnancy pillow rolled neatly in plastic. A cute lavender-colored water bottle and box with brown paper. And many more.
Shivika blinked.
"Rakshit… what is all this?" she asked, her mouth falling open.
He picked up the massage oil next.
He showed her the box of herbal tea.
"This one's caffeine-free — helps you sleep better and calms your mind."
Then came a small box wrapped in brown paper.
He placed the pregnancy pillow beside her.
Then the lavender water bottle.
He pulled out one last thing — a small notebook with "Dear Baby" written on the front in simple print.
He said all of it so simply, as if it was nothing extraordinary, but each word carried care, understanding, and quiet love.
Shivika sat frozen, her lips parted, her eyes blinking slowly.
Each thing on that table wasn't just an item, it was a piece of his attention, his heart, his silent way of saying I'm here.
Her eyes softened as she looked at him, the corners glistening.
"You're so good," Shivika murmured under her breath, but Rakshit heard it clearly. Warmth spreading through his chest at her words.
He bent down and placed the slippers in front of her feet.
"Wear them," he said softly.
Shivika smiled and slipped her feet into the slippers.
"They're so soft," she whispered, wiggling her toes with childlike joy.
Rakshit exhaled slowly, a small sigh of contentment leaving him as if the simple sight of her comfort was enough to calm something deep inside him.
"I'll keep the rest of these things in your room," he said, carefully placing the items back into the paper bag before walking toward her room.
Shivika watched him go, her grin widening as she took a few steps, feeling how comfortable the slippers were.
When Rakshit returned, he stopped at the doorway, his eyes softening as he saw her smiling quietly to herself.
The sight tugged something inside him.
"Rakshit," Shivika called gently when she noticed his gaze.
He blinked and hummed in response, "Hmm?"
"I wanted to ask something."
"Go on," he said, stepping closer.
Shivika hesitated for a second before asking, "Why isn't there a temple in our home?"
She had wanted to ask this from the first day she arrived but had always stopped herself, feeling it wasn’t her place.
But now… she felt that right.
Rakshit looked at her, his eyes shined at her words - our home.
Shivika frowned slightly.
"Why now?" she asked softly.
Rakshit's eyes didn't waver as he replied,
Her heart fluttered at his words, and she couldn't stop the small, emotional smile that formed on her lips.
She didn't say anything just kept looking at him, understanding everything he hadn't said.
She knew the life he'd lived wasn't easy.
It had taken away his belief, his faith, and left him with wounds no one could see.