Ashlok SS: Waiting for you epilogue Page 30 11/08/14

Shlok took her photograph in his hand, her face glowing with happiness, her smile bright, her eyes gleaming with mischievousness. The picture was taken before their marraige; her innocence, her childishness, her sweetness, everything was reflected in her picture, everything that he ruined in her. It had been two years since Astha died or he can say he killed her, tears welled in his eyes. How can he do that? How can he be cruel that he killed the innocence of a girl, he killed a girl, a girl who never think for herself but for others, a girl who is very sweet and kind that any one would want her in their life, a girl whom he loved after he lost her.

He regret the day he thought of seeking revenge from her, for insulting his father in media, or he thought so, she never intended to insult him, she didn't even know that it was live broadcasting, she just wanted to help her friend whom he rusticated from his university. It was more of his fault, if he hadn't replied heatedly, things would have been different, if he gave her the real reason, if only he listened to her before the award ceremony, but no, he was so engrossed in his ego, he didn't thought of that, much worse when he thought of revenge. Now he regret everything, he marrying her just for revenge, breaking her pure heart with his fake love, treating her badly after marriage, threatening with her father's false case, worse killing herself. Every day he feel guilty for what he did, he is choked up with guilt, every day she was haunting him, he felt restlessness, he couldn't do anything.

He will never forget the day, when he learned about her death, he was in Kolhapur for business matters. She took this opportunity to escape from him, he still have the letter, her goodbye letter to him, her last letter. He was so angry that day, her leaving the house was going to tarnish his father's image, he wasn't going to spare her if he had found her. He looked for her whole day till night, calling her constantly but it was switched off. He made up his mind to pass the file of her father's case, though it was going to tarnish his father's image too but it will be more severe for her father. Every body asked him why did she left suddenly, what had happened between the two of you, he only replied that they had a fight nothing else, he didn't want to reveal the truth because he was hoping she will be back but the fate had other plans. He received a call, a call which changed his life. She had met an accident, the car fell into the cliff and blasted, her body was never recovered, she may have escaped before the blast but they never found her. He was numb for two weeks, he didn't utter a word to anyone, he was like a body without life in it. It was his fault, if he hadn't treated her badly, she wouldn't have left him and she wouldn't have died. After a month, her parents moved out of Pune to Delhi because the place always remind them of Astha. He kept himself busy, so he wouldn't think about her, but she was always there, in his thoughts, in his mind, in his heart.

He knows this is the punishment for what he did with her, she begged him, longed for his love but he insulted her, abused her, break her and he will have to live with this guilt.

He always hope that one day, she comes back, comes back for her family, if not for him. But he knows, his wish will never come true. Still deep inside in his heart he is waiting for her.

"I love you, Astha." He spoke softly while caressing the picture.

"Please come back, I'm sorry for what I did, please get angry at me, shout at me, give me any punishment but please do come back. I promise I will never hurt you again! Please Astha!" He said aloud crying while pressing the picture close to his heart.

"I'm waiting for you.." He said faintly.

***

Astha lazily stretched herself then leaned her head against the window pane, watching the crowd and hustle n bustle in Delhi road. It has been two years since she had shifted from her home in Pune to her new home in Delhi with a new name, new identity and new Astha. She is now Astha Malhotra, not Astha Kirloskar or Astha Shlok Agnihotri.

She doesn't think about her past anymore, Oh! Whom is she kidding? She still think about him almost every day, she still loves him and God knows why she still does when he betrayed her, played with her feelings.

Everything happened according to her plan, she didn't know how she will escape him without tarnishing the reputation of both families. She also knew if she left him and live with her parents, he wouldn't allow it and do everything to keep her with him. Also if she got divorce, he still wouldn't agree to or if miraculously divorce happened, he will get another reason to get revenge, vengeful as he is, so in the end she will still be in his mercy.

She made up a plan of her fake death with the help of her parents and friends. The day came when he went to Kolhapur, that was her only chance, so she left the house bringing one of their car. She called her friend who was a mechanic, they met at the cliff, he did something so the car would get blasted after they push it into the cliff. The car fell into it, severely damaged and then blasted in front of their eyes. She went to Delhi that same day, and stayed with her aunt for few days before she shifted to her new home in Delhi. She changed her appearance, got hair curled and colored into lightest brown matching the color of her eyes, instead of suits she started wearing western clothes. She got her surname changed from Kirloskar to Malhotra, she opened up her own event company, a small one not a big one. Her parents moved to Delhi even with her constant insistence not to move and she is fine but still they worry for her and moved into Delhi and stayed with her. She was grateful that they shifted because she doesn't like living alone anymore. She is happy now with her life but there was still something missing, she knew it's Shlok, the love of her life

When she asked her parents, what Shlok felt when he heard the news of her death, their reply was unexpected, he didn't speak to anyone and closed himself in the room for two weeks, he cried like a baby, he was like a walking corpse. Could he be feeling guilty? That thought always comes into her mind, he would never feel guilty as heartless as he is, he didn't even felt a bit of remorse when he hurted her, she shed tears in front of him but he never felt guilty, why would he feel guilty when she is no more to cry in front of him, he maybe just putting up an act to show people how much he loved her, after all he does great acting, she had seen it first hand in his fake love.