Part 9 – Woven Fates

Night adorned Sirigao with its calm serenity, but back at Samiksha’s home, several emotions flooded the mom-daughter duo.
“Samar Khanna”, said Samiksha.
“What? Say again.”
“Samar Khanna, mom.”
Suniti’s startling response and the doorbell’s ringing coincided, leaving a pin-drop silence in the room. Samiksha walked towards the door, alternating glances between her mom and the door.

She opened the door, and Suniti’s heart raced faster than ever. Slowly, a familiar face appeared from the edge of the door. It was Karan. Suniti sighed deeply and said, “It’s Karan, Samiksha. I thought someone else.” Disappointed, she was about to turn. To her amazement, one more visitor made an entrance into the room. She turned her neck to identify the accomplice with Karan. Suniti blinked her eyes to confirm what her thudding heart was screaming aloud.

It was none other than Samar,

her first love. Similar reactions were flowing through Samar’s heart. He had tears of joy in his eyes. In fact, he refused to believe that his Suniti was in front of him, standing next to him.
Karan and Samiksha exchanged glances of joy, seeing the two lovers unite after over a decade. He gestured her to leave them alone for some time. They went quietly into the garden, leaving the lovers in the room.

Samar saw his Suniti

with eyes full of undying love for her.
“Suniti, I never betrayed you, my love.”
His words resonated in her ears, and she whispered, “I waited for you until the last moment, Samar.”
“And you thought I cheated you, right?”
Somehow, Suniti felt a clear conscience emitting from his soul.
“What happened, Samar? What went wrong?”
“I lost my dad that night, Suniti.” Saying this, he sat on the sofa. She sat next to him, looking deep into his sorrowful eyes.

She was taken aback

by his words and, at the same time, surprised that this news had failed to reach her.
“Samar, what happened suddenly? He wasn’t sick as such .”
“We were not even able to find out the exact reason. It happened all of a sudden. Mom needed me, Suniti. I tried to contact you the next day, but you could not be found anywhere. Your neighbours refused to reveal your whereabouts and …”

“I am so sorry Samar

for doubting your love for me. That night, Papa got a big opportunity at work, and we had to leave the same night. I tried to explain my reasons for waiting here, for you and our love, but he refused to pay heed. And when you did not turn up that night, my hopes vanished at once. I agreed to leave the city. The ring you gave me was my only asset, the symbol of our love. We boarded a ship, and unfortunately, it got caught in a wild storm. The ship sank, taking the lives of several people on board. In the struggle to save our lives, I lost my ring. Papa and I survived somehow, and we headed towards Sirigao with other people. After a few days, Papa found a groom for me and insisted on getting me married.”

“I understand his concern for you, Suniti.”

“I agreed to the marriage. We also started living a normal married life. But the path where we got separated always echoed our incomplete story.”
“I, too, got married for the happiness of my mom and fulfilled my duties towards my home, but a void always remained. Of you, your smiles.” He placed his hand over hers. “And your heart.”

“I wish things worked out for us. And our dream was fulfilled.”
“Things will work out for you, even now,” Karan said as he entered the living room.
“And your dream of getting married at Mayem Lake will also come true,” Samiksha added.

Both Samar and Suniti looked at each other and at them.

“I am so glad, Dad, you found your lost love again. And even you realise you were not betrayed in love; they were just the testing times. See, true love triumphs at the end, no matter how long it takes.”
“Yes Karan, I agree with each word of yours. And I am so happy for you, Mom, that you have found your happiness.”

“But now, at this age …”
Samar interrupted, “Love is free from societal restrictions and rules, Suniti. People refused to tell me where you were when I searched for you. The same people even misled you. We were the ones who faced everything. So even now, we have the right to happiness, to lead a life as we wish.”
“Well said, Dad. Now we have two things on the hit list: getting back our ring and arranging for your dream wedding, dear Dad, and …” he looked at Suniti and continued, “Mom.”

“I forgot to tell you that the receipt I found for the ring is very old, and hence, the lettering is not clear.”

Concluding part/– Soon.

https://blogbyhema.com/2023/03/22/the-moon-naturally-draws-some-blessed-souls-towards-himself/