Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Without forgiveness and love, you will live with resentment, bitterness, malice, and strife which result in more pain. You can never love without forgiving. Forgiveness deepens your ability to love and frees you from pain."

"Will you mind a cup of coffee?" Dhruv had asked her and Ayushi couldn't say no. She nodded her head.

"Yes, sure," Ayushi didn't resist and got inside the kitchen with him to make some coffee.

"So, how was your life in these two years?" Dhruv asked her casually, after seeing her mixing coffee powder in a glass.

"Well, I won't say it was a very bad or tragic kind of, but of course, I learned how to be independent and strong," Ayushi spoke with an unknown fire in her eyes while staring at Dhruv who was amused while looking at her confidence.

"What did you do in these two years?" he asked her after taking out the coffee mugs which were kept in one of the glass shelves.

"Let's first make this coffee, then I will tell you," she replied and turned towards the stove where her coffee was in the process of being brewed.

Dhruv just hummed and got busy watching her. He had noticed that she was much leaner now compared to her two-years past self, also her tresses were much longer now.

"You've lost weight," he commented and Ayushi just hummed at him. Other things were currently running inside her mind.

"Here's your coffee," Ayushi gave him his coffee and together they got upstairs towards the terrace from where they could see the beautiful Mussoorie. Small lights were coming from the houses, making it look like some embellished stones on the foothills of the mesmerizing Himalaya.

"Wow, the view from your terrace is breath-taking," Dhruv was amazed after seeing the scenic view.

"That is why I asked you to wait so that I could share my story under these twinkling stars while enjoying the view of Majestic Mussoorie," Ayushi smiled at him and they both cheered their coffee mugs together.

"So, tell me," he encouraged her.

"As you already know, I am a software engineer and currently, I am the team leader of a big project in a reputed IT company. But these are just about my professional life. This has not changed much like I still have to write codes, I still have to give presentations. But one day, everything changed," Ayushi continued and sat on the bamboo chair which she had placed under a shed as she enjoyed sitting in the lap of nature.

Dhruv too was sitting near her and was engrossed in hearing her story. Their coffee was finished and now they were sitting with silence between them when Ayushi continued again.

"I was just coming back from the nearby market and the kids were with Alka. Then I saw something which was just so disheartening, so brutal and it pained me so much after seeing that. I still get Goosebumps remembering that scene," Ayushi literally shivered and Dhruv looked at her in concern.

Dhruv held her hand in his, trying to give her some comfort but she immediately drew her hand out of his hold. She knew that she would cry at any moment, so she just stood up and stood at a distance from him.

"I saw a drunkard man who was beating his wife so mercilessly in front of the whole market just because she had asked him for some money as she along with her two children were hungry because their house was filled with nothing but just the empty bottles of wine and just wine. I was reminded of my past seeing that woman, I saw myself in that woman and you in that man, Dhruv," Ayushi's eyes were moist by now remembering that day.

"Ayushi, please calm down," he tried to pacify her, but she just moved away and got near the railings.

"You won't believe me, but no one indeed dared to save that woman from the hands of that monster. Her children were too small to fight their evil father. I was traumatized seeing that helpless woman in that vulnerable state and don't know from where I got supersonic, unknown energy, I rushed towards that man and pushed him hard on the ground while safeguarding that woman behind me," Ayushi continued.

"I shouted at him for being an impotent man who couldn't even respect a woman and that too his own woman. He was just about to hit me, but I held his hand in time and twisted it roughly, making him yelp in pain. And then I pushed him on the ground, punching him on his mouth and that was the last blow I gave to him as he passed out that impotent rascal," Ayushi laughed bitterly and Dhruv looked at her in shock.

He never knew that the Ayushi who couldn't even hurt a fly had beaten a person and that too a man? It was too hard to believe.

"You don't believe me? Well, I'll show you the paper clip then. Even I couldn't believe in my actions at that time," Ayushi looked ahead and started again.

"Somehow, I rescued that woman and her children from the grasp of that monster who was just so inhumane to his wife and children and at that time our babies were just a few months old and I was very new to this place."

"At that point, I had felt that I did the right thing by running away from you as all the men are the same, savage, and brutal. I had thought this at that point. Their family condition was not good so I kept her and her children in my house and her husband was behind the bars for humiliating his wife, for beating her under the Indian Penal code for domestic violence," Ayushi still remembered how bravely she had acted that time, otherwise this woman could have been died by now by none other than her beloved husband.

"But as time passed, I came across many such women, who were the victims of domestic violence either by their in-laws or their respective husbands. And that ignited a fire within me, a fire to save all the women out there who were being tortured so much just because they were women, who are so weak and fragile in the eyes of this patriarchal society and of course men," Ayushi's words were like sharp needle which pierced Dhruv through his heart. At one point, even he was so monstrous.

"I rented a medium-sized house and all the victims along with their children lived there. I know it was very hard to manage their expenses as well as ours in the beginning but I just got money after exiting my fixed deposit account and from that money, their expenses were being handled by me. Their tension free smile and a safe environment for them was enough for me to be content rather than those fixed deposits." Ayushi smiled sadly, remembering those days.

Those hard days when it was so hard for her to manage her babies, then her office, and then those ladies with a fixed amount of money. But she was content, content that at least she saved the lives of many women out there who were the victims of 'dowry' and 'domestic violence'.

"And one day, I decided why not to start some sort of business for these women to establish them as an independent woman. Many of the women knew how to stitch clothes, hand-embroidery, and other craft-related work as they were the typical traditional women of Uttarakhand. And from there we never looked back," she completed.

By now, Ayushi had a big smile on her face. And even Dhruv looked at her proudly after hearing his wife's inspiring story. He had underestimated her, he had always thought that Ayushi was just so innocent and fragile, he could have never thought that his wife could do something as brave as this.

"Our business was a hit. Those women started earning on their own and now they can send their kids to schools and currently, we have a total of forty such women along with their forty-five kids, who are now living in 'Durga Niwas' whose name was given considering our 'Goddess of Power, Goddess Durga' who fought against the demons of ancient times and these women, who fought against their 'Demonic husbands' of this contemporary world," Ayushi spoke out in a confident tone, while Dhruv just watched her, with bewilderment.

"'Durga Niwas' is a big house which was bought by their hard-earned money only. They live happily now, without any fear of any male and time-to-time, I call some self-defence experts too to teach them and their children as well, some self-defence techniques. Even though I have learned some under them," she was proud of her achievement, the achievement of saving many lives.

"Now, their husbands want them back in their lives, and even five such cases came out where after getting the beatings of the police, those men turned to a sage from a giant and that's how ten of the children again got back to their normal but happy life with both the parents. Women from any sector come here and work and live an independent life where they do not have to beg their husbands for even a penny," Ayushi completed with a smile on her face now, a smile which held determination, satisfaction and of course, courage in it. She accomplished something very big in these two years and Dhruv was bewildered after hearing her revelations.

"Wow, I did not know you were this fierce and brave," Dhruv was still in a trance, he couldn't believe that the woman he once treated so badly was now this powerful as well as a true warrior.

"You might be thinking, why did I forgive you then? Right? Even after all the preaching which I gave to those women?" Ayushi asked him and Dhruv just nodded his head, absent-mindedly.

"I forgave you the day I felt that you also were just the victim of violence. Violence against your consciousness and mental well-being," Ayushi's eyes held remorse and pain, looking at her husband who was busy staring at her, listening to her story with full concentration.

"Your only fault was to trust someone wrong, to love someone who was just behind you for her revenge, maybe you were blindly in love with her that's why she used you like that. With time, even I got some maturity, and that's when I realized that even you too were assaulted by Dhruv, even you too were vulnerable under her drugs," she spoke with a broken tone.

"You had hurt me physically and even mentally, I know, but I also know that at that time you too were heavily drugged, affecting your consciousness and internal system," Ayushi looked at Dhruv with an unknown emotion of love, guilt, and pain.

Dhruv was nonetheless surprised after hearing all these, all this while not even for once he had thought about the things Chandani had done to him, but he had always remembered how savage he was with Ayushi. He was dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. He had never taken his side, taking the excuse of the drugs that Chandani had given to him. He had always blamed himself for whatever happened with him and his life. His family's death, his loneliness, and so on.

"We both had suffered so much, Dhruv, and then my escape from you was the final nail to the coffin. And after two years, I was broken when I saw you in that state, that beggar state," she whispered out sadly.

"Something triggered inside me seeing you in that vulnerable state where you hadn't even consciousness about your surroundings. And I still feel that I was responsible for that. You beat me, hated me, but in these two years, even you also faced so much, endured so much. Now, I want to start a new life with you Dhruv along with our babies to give them the best life. I want to give them the love of both their mother & father and in this step, I need you Dhruv. I don't want my kids to have the same childhood as that of me. Will you stand with me through all thick and thin for my upcoming life?" Ayushi's eyes held so much emotion. Dhruv was now out of his trance and nodded his head at her, holding her hands in his.

"I will Ayushi. Let's start a new journey of life, where there will be no hatred, no sadness, and no misunderstandings. Let's fight this battle called 'life' being each other's support," Dhruv embraced her tightly, crying together, for the pain that they had to endure, for the separation they had to feel and for the guilt of their impulsive actions. Both of them were finally at solace now in each other's arms.

"I love you so much," he whispered and kissed on her head while resting his chin on her head.

"I love you too," Ayushi mumbled against his chest and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of her husband. They stood there under the moonlight for don't know how long, but the silence within them unfolded all the longingness, love, pain, guilt, and all the emotions within them.

Suddenly, Dhruv bowed down a little and took Ayushi in his arms, she was surprised at his sudden action.

"Hey, Dhruv, don't lift me please, you are still so weak," Ayushi was concerned about his health and tried to persuade him but Dhruv paid no heed to her.

"Ohho? So, I am weak now?" Dhruv teased her and sat on one of the bamboo sofas under the shed.

"Yes, hubby, you currently are," Ayushi too played along, while caressing his stubble, looking lovingly at him.

"I've got back my strength, my energy, Ayushi. You, babies, Maa, Papa, Dadi, and Payal. I got all of them back and I cannot thank the almighty enough for giving me this new life again," he kissed her forehead and they both went silent in each other's arms, which was not awkward but soothing.

"We will start again, we will fight against all odds," he whispered and Ayushi nodded her head.

"By the way, you are a great cook, I didn't know this," Ayushi smiled at him and Dhruv looked at her lovingly.

Dil Ka Dariya Bah Hi Gaya

Ishq Ibadat Ban Hi Gaya

"You don't know about my other abilities, wifey," he winked at her and before she could comprehend the meaning behind his sentence, his lips were already on hers, taking her by surprise. For a few seconds, she couldn't even react, letting him do whatever he was doing on her lips but then after regaining her composure, she kissed him back, now sitting on his lap, her legs around his waist, with her both hands on his cheeks, kissing him deeply.

Both had closed their eyes and were relishing each other's lips, softly yet hungrily.

Finally, after a minute or so, when they were out of breath, Dhruv left her mouth and opened his eyes. He saw how she had closed her eyes breathing so heavily. Her lips were swollen and it was trembling now, he had such an effect on her. Her bosom was moving up and down, trying to take as much oxygen as possible. He smiled at his innocent wife.

"You don't know how difficult it is now for me to control myself," he whispered in her ears while sucking it softly at which Ayushi shivered and opened her eyes.

"Why do you want to control yourself? I'm all yours," Ayushi whispered out in a husky voice in his ears and kissed behind his ear while Dhruv enjoyed her touches.

"I didn't know my wife was this bold and naughty," he mumbled while kissing on her chin.

"You don't know about my other abilities, hubby," she mumbled and copied his sentence and pressed her lips on his, kissing Dhruv passionately. He was smiling nonchalantly while kissing her, seeing this side of his wife.

"Dhruv," Ayushi moaned his name when he bit on her lip. He immediately stopped kissing her.

"Do you really want to do this?" he asked her with uncertainty in his voice, asking for her permission. Ayushi didn't reply to him with her words, but she kissed him on his forehead and then on his eyes, indirectly permitting him to go on.

"Let me lock that door then," Dhruv smiled at her and got towards the terrace door from where they had come and locked that. As their house was on the top of the Himalayas, privacy wasn't an issue.

"Let me make you mine, tonight, once again," he whispered and started kissing on her neck, pouring his love which he had stored within himself from the last two years and Ayushi was busy in pulling his hairs while moaning his name in utmost pleasure.

"I love you, Aayuuu" he whispered and kissed on her lips while pushing his tongue inside her mouth.

"I love you too," Ayushi breathed hard, curling her toes, and that night, under the natural light of the stars, the moon, and the mighty Himalayas, they became one, once again, forgetting their pain, sorrows, and separation.

The glacier of their hatred, separation, and sadness was finally broken with the birth of a new love story whose writer was they, themselves.

~**•**~

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