Her eyes were blazing fire as she snatched back her hands. He looked down at his now empty hands, struggling to fight the tightness in his chest. “You were going to hide this from me and keep me in the dark! Just like you and your father did to your mother! What else are you hiding Rohit?”
He began stammering while trying to grasp her hands, hoping it would undo the knot in his chest. He needed her touch to calm him enough so that he could speak. Too many emotions were clouding his senses, overwhelming him.
“Sona, trust me! I’m nothing like him! I was scared to tell my mom! I still am! What if I lose her? But I’m not hiding anything from you.”
“Lies. Looks like you guys are all expert liars! I can’t believe that after all those dialogues about not lying and hiding things, you decided to not tell me this before we got married!”
“Sona... I... I admit I should have told you! I didn’t think... I... would knowing this change anything? It won’t change our love for each other!”
“It changes everything Rohit. In fact, it’s not too late. Please tell your dad I won’t make any claims on the Sippy property once I leave today. I’m done here.”
“Sona please! Don’t do this! I would never ever do what my father did! Please trust me.”
“Sorry Rohit.” She walked away, leaving him all alone.
Rohit heard a scream that sounded so much like his own as he frantically sat up. He felt someone rubbing his back as he began gasping for air. His heart was beating faster than usual & his body was covered in cold sweat. He looked at a concerned Sona and suddenly recalled what made him scream in the first place.
“You had a nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?” He looked down to hide his tears but he forgot that Sona was not just his wife but also his best friend. She reached out and squeezed his hands. Deep down, Rohit knew the compassion she was capable of. But he also knew that she had every right to the truth.
He opened his mouth to speak but was unable to form the words. Sona understood that he needed some time to compose himself. She sat back and patted her lap. He put his head down as she began stroking her fingers through his hair. He blinked away tears as he thought about the vivid nightmare he had. Grabbing her hands, he pulled them closer to him. “Don’t leave me, Sona,” he whispered in a broken voice as she shushed him. Pulling him closer, she whispered soothing words of assurance as Rohit gathered the strength to tell her something he never shared with anyone.
Indian Idol 16
