10. Always
10
Always
Vihaan
Fifteen Years Ago
“ W ill you ever try to meet your parents?” Vihaan glanced at the dark head resting on his shoulders as they sat under the shade of a massive rosewood tree. The day was bright and warm, and the sweet chirping of sparrows filled the air around them. They’d managed to sneak away to their favourite place—a secluded spot by a little lake, deep into the lush groves that bordered the town park. Vera and Vihaan had spent hours here, undisturbed, hidden away from the world, talking, holding hands and kissing until sundown.
“So much for a fun conversation,” she mumbled, her tone impatient.
Vihaan knew it was a risk to push her. As strong as she was, she was also incredibly tight-lipped. But they’d been dating for a few months already and he was itching to see her drop her guards. He couldn’t help but wonder how much longer it would take for her to trust him. To let herself be vulnerable with him.
Vihaan’s gaze dropped to where they held hands, their fingers laced together while Vera drew random patterns on his forearm. He nudged her gently. “I ask you so many questions and get an answer to one out of a dozen. Talk to me.”
“About what?”
“Tell me about your dad. Or mom.”
“Not much to say. Father was out of the picture from day one. Mother left right after. Nani passed away couple years later. Nanu is my everything.”
“You’ve never given any thought to reaching out to your parents? Or at least your mom?”
An awkward sound of disbelief erupted from Vera. “Why would I seek her out when she’s made it clear that she doesn’t want me?”
“She told you that?”
Vera absentmindedly picked invisible lint off his sleeve—a nervous tell—before she glanced at him. He noticed the moment her shoulders fell, as though she’d decided to let him in and see the bruised parts of her heart she kept hidden.
“Before Nani died, she’d send letters to my mother, telling her about me, sending pictures of how I looked. The last one begged her to come back. ‘A young girl needs her mother,’ she’d written. Unfortunately, when my mother called, I picked up the phone.”
The sigh she heaved was something Vihaan felt deeply, troubling him before he even heard her continue.
“Long story short, she called me a mistake and told me that Nanu should dump me at an orphanage because I’m too much of a burden on everyone. That no one really wanted me anyway. I know it shouldn’t matter to me, but I was seven and I’ve never been able to forget what she said. ”
Vihaan was speechless, shocked by the callousness of a parent towards an innocent child. “It’s her loss for not having you in her life.”
Vera’s tremulous smile did little to calm the rage Vihaan felt on her behalf. Despite her conviction, it was clear how hurt she was. Her mother’s vicious words had left a scar.
“My birth parents abandoning me set the narrative for how everyone saw me before I ever got a chance to show them who I am. I was either pitied or shunned. Parents wouldn’t want their children to associate with me because of the gossip. Eventually, it was easier to be alone than wait in the hope that someone would want to include me in their lives.”
“Vera, I—”
“I’m not telling you all of this because I want your pity. I don’t. You feel like I keep you at an arm’s length and this is why. I have a hard time letting people get close because no one has bothered to stay. Except Nanu. That’s why I love him so much,” she admitted, her voice cracking. “He’s the only one who’s ever truly wanted me.”
Gently slipping his fingers under her chin, Vihaan tilted her face up towards his. He dropped a peck between her brows before pressing his forehead against hers. Their noses nestled together like two halves of a yin-yang. With every ounce of honesty he had, he confessed, “I’ll always want you.”
A tiny light of hope flickered in her eyes when she whispered, “Always is a lifetime.”
“It is,” he agreed. And he didn’t take his words back.