VEER MALHOTRA

lines with a dark blue pen scribbled on the white pages stacked in a green file were kept before me but I was finding it hard to focus on them.

The file before me stated the records of our sales for the past five years.

We manufacture medical equipments at 'Hope', which has been a prestigious and trustworthy corporation for about 4 decades.

'Hope' is that little assurance that keeps all of us going. Our loved ones are precious to us and we fear losing them. With our quality products, we give assurance that their family members will return to them safe and sound and that is why I love my corporation.

I took up the enterprises from my dad after he ruled it successfully. We hold the top place for highest annual turnover. Our business is spread across all over India, we also share a reputed trade with foreign countries.

But from the last few days, we are getting complaints against the quality of our products.

And there I was sitting to analyze, what actually went wrong.

The stethoscopes kept in front of me reminded me of certain someone and that's how I ended up losing interest in the lines painted in blue ink.

She wanted to be a gynecologist.

As soon as my conscience reminded me of her, a series of events followed in front of my eyes. Her eyes, her smiles, her talks.....

Enough!

I stood up banging my hands on the table.

Just Don't remind me of her.

I gritted my teeth hard at those dreadful memories. I don't even want to remember them.

I so wish if I can remove all those years from my mind. I wish to forget her but my stupid heart never allows me to. Every time it fills me up with her memories.

The painful thoughts increased to such a high point that I had to throw my chair on the glass table, breaking it into pieces, to control my rising anger.

Broken pieces of glass and broken pieces of my heart looked so similar.

I sat down on the floor, I could see her smiling face in those broken pieces of glass, I picked up one.

Again her smiles, her eyes, her face was in front of me, I squeezed the glass tightly in my palms. Forget her. Bloody forget her. Forget her smiles, forget her face. Just forget her.

Red was dripping off my palms but it was giving me pain relief.

"Sir... Sir, what are you doing? "My PA

Alex asked horrified standing before me.

" Sir please get up and leave that " He tried to pull my arms but I didn't budge, I glared at him to back off.

"I won't leave you alone, sir. please get up ".

" Just go away " I barked at him.

" Sakshi mam needs you ".

Sakshi. Oh! no, what happened to her?

" What happened to her, " I asked agitated, hurriedly getting up, leaving the glass piece.

" She is in labor pain, sir. It's the time for the delivery". He replied equally worried.

But her due date was after a few days. She is in pain. She needs me.

"Alex we need to hurry " I ran past him and he followed.

In the car, he bandaged my hand while I was continuously barking at the driver to drive fast.

She must be scared. She was in pain. I needed to reach her as soon as possible.

We reached home, I jumped off the car and ran towards her. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, crying hard in pain.

I kissed her forehead, rubbed her palms, did everything possible to calm her down. I picked her up in my arms and we headed towards the hospital.

I was screaming, shouting at the doctors crazily, looking at Sakshi who was in unbearable pain. I couldn't see her in tears. They took her to the ICU.

My heart was racing. I could not figure out what to do.

"Everything will be fine sir. Please don't worry". Alex said calmly.

I just nodded my head but I was dying with worry.

Anxiety was eating me up, I kept walking too and fro, Nurses kept running.

Hours passed and finally, I heard no screaming of Sakshi but a cry of a newborn. A small smile played on my lips.

Minutes later, I was holding an innocent; little soul in my arms. He got his eyes from Sakshi. He was so tiny that I was afraid I would end up squeezing him in my muscular arms. He cuddled himself like a cotton ball.

Putting him on one arm, I tapped his pinkish little palm, he closed his palm caging my big forefinger. My heart filled with joy and tears of happiness made their way through my cheeks.

Looking at his innocent face, I made up my mind then and there, I will protect this child from everyone no matter what. I owe him my life. I would never let him be sad. I will bring all the happiness of the world to his feet.

I saw Alex, the person who never smiled was also smiling gleefully looking at him. Looks on his face screamed he wanted to hold my piece of heart but he didn't dare to ask. I chuckled to myself, I indicated Alex to take the baby, his eyes shined with happiness. He didn't wait to be told twice. He took the baby in his arms, singing a lullaby to him even when the newborn already slept.

I shook my head. The person who never spoke more than required, who never even a smiled was laughing whole heatedly.

My little bundle of joy did the magic. Only with his arrival, he has filled my life with happiness.

I went to meet Sakshi who was conscious by then. I took the baby from Alex, who whined by giving unreasonable excuses for not taking away the baby from him but one glare and he offered the baby gladly, or at least it was what I thought.

I put her son in her lap, she was exhausted but didn't fail to give me her ever so charming smile. I kissed her forehead and fed her.

I felt a strong gaze towards me. I looked towards the door to see someone passing by the door in a doctor's coat.

Must be the doctor was checking if Sakshi is up.

Sakshi slept again after feeding the newborn. And I sat on the sofa kept at the right corner.

The hospital, the doctor everything around me was reminding of her.

My soniye❤.

Purest premises, soothing voice of ardas(holy Sikh prayers) chanting in speakers, the mixed fragrance of tasty food on the earth (langar). A feeling of giving only giving without expecting anything from others.

A place where everybody came only to serve. A place equal to heaven.

I was standing in front of 'Shri Darbar Sahib' (golden temple) .

The most sacred place on the earth. soothing to millions of hearts including mine.

[The Golden Temple]

The closest place to me, where I would go to forget all my sorrows, where I would talk for hours, where I got peace of mind.

The place where the gust of winds was enough to take away my inner turmoils.

Smiling wholeheartedly, I stepped inside the gurudwara. I felt a wave of peace run down my spine on the first step itself. indeed a guru-dwara (door to reach god).

I removed my shoes and covered my head with the handkerchief, dipped my feet in the foot cleaning pool where water was running continuously. I closed my eyes to feel the sacredness of the place.

Suddenly, someone passed by my side, and a sweet fragrance hit my nostrils. I heard the sound of anklets, I tried to look at the person but it seemed like she vanished in the crowd.

shaking my head, I walked ahead. while passing by I could see small golden fishes dancing and swimming happily.

I took Karah prasad (sweet dish made of flour and ghee) and stood in the line leading to Guru Granth Sahib.

[Karah Prasad]

I was admiring the golden boundary of the holy bridge when I heard a sweet giggling followed by the sounds of bangles clashing and anklets dancing. the same anklet sound which I heard a few minutes before.

I followed the sound of carefree giggling, due to the crowd I couldn't see much but I saw two girls standing at least five steps ahead of me.

I tried to see the face of the one who was laughing but her head was covered with a dupatta. I managed to see her tingling jhumkaas. Among the so much crowd, my eyes settled on her.

There was a commotion and she disappeared, I realized I already reached Guru Granth sahib and it was my turn to Ardas.

Dariji always said "oyee mere shera...onhi takat kise vich ni hundi jini waheguruji de aage sach maan to kitihui ardas vich hundi hai".

[Oh my son... Nothing has as much strength as a prayer made before God with a sincere heart]

I smiled recalling his words. I offered my Karah prasad to sevadaar sitting near the Granthi and sat a little far away from the crowd near guru Granth sahib as I didn't want to get disturbed while doing the ardas.

I sat on my knees and bowed my head in front of the Guru Granth sahib.

pure peace is what I felt.

I closed my eyes, joined my hands, and prayed for the thing which I always craved for....a happy family.

I always wished to feel the love of my family, moments of laughter with them.

Wanted to have meal together, i wanted beautiful memories with them

To feel the love of my family was my only dream...only wish but I guess I wasn't lucky enough to get that.

Every time I came here I couldn't help but to pray for it again and again.

I was so immersed in the Ardas that I didn't notice a presence beside me.

Completing my Ardas i opened my eyes and bowed down again.

I felt solace.

I turned my head to see the intruder....just one look at her and I was completely gone.

There seated someone with closed eyes, fair pinkish skin, long eyelashes, a small slender nose and heart-shaped pink lips. Jhumkaas dangling in her ears, the same I had seen in the queue.

waist-length hairs with some traitor strands encircling her beautiful face, her head covered with a peach coloured dupatta.

I went to worship Rabb [God] there but I was worshipping someone else.

I kept staring at her and she kept praying.

I was waiting for her to open her eyes so that I could get a glance of her eyes but the commotion increased again, I turned my head just for a second and that one second was enough for her to vanish.

Sighing to myself, I too stood up to go but a cold metal under my feet took my attention.

I picked up the thing and I found it to be an anklet.

I smiled looking at the pretty anklet.

Maybe I could see her again. May be waheguru Ji was giving me another chance to see her.

I kept the anklet in my pocket smiling in a hope that I would meet her again...

Ringing of my Mobile phone took me out of my trance, My fairytale which I thought was true. Once.

I picked up the call, walking out as I didn't wanted to wake up Sakshi and the baby.

I was walking in the corridor, when something or shall I say someone bumped into me.

She backed away, rubbing her forward. Starry silver bracelet she wore jingled at the motion of the hand, creating a sweet noise.

The person to whom I was talking cut the call abruptly, I glanced at the phone screen surprised.

While the girl in front of me looked at me. That's when the time froze.

It was her.

Suhani

Suhani sharma.

Dressed in peach coloured suit, she stood in front of me with silver round earrings kissing her cheeks. The same colour she wore when I first saw her. The same Peach colour.

Her jet black orbs were penetrating into mine. She is still beautiful. Beautiful enough to make my heart beat faster.

By looking at her it was clear she cried.

But why?

Is she not happy now?

But why do I even care?

Oh so vaidehi is also with her.

Great.

After destroying my life she should be at peace. Why crying now?.

Her eyes again threatened to pool but she was trying hard to control her tears.

My heart softened at the sight.

But again those painful events started revolving in front of my eyes.

I could feel rage building inside me.i wanted to smash something really hard.

Not wanting to blast her, I walked past her.

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Suhani's outfit.

More pictures of the Golden Temple❤.

[Image Source :- Instagram ( golden. temple) ].

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The best Editor:- (chahat) ❤.

(Brilliant in her work) 😍. All the punjabi essence of the story comes from here🤭🤭.

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[:- The writer do not support any type of self harming. This is just a STORY. Kindly do not perform any such type of self harming in real life]

What? Veer also hates suhani? 🧐🧐. Why so?

And who is Sakshi? 🤭.

Please ignore grammatical mistakes.

You all are precious ❤✨.

Thanks for reading❤.