It was a winter evening. The sky was lightly cloudy and the gusts of cold wind were causing a slight prick in the face every little time. The streets of the city were bustling, as if someone was returning home after settling their daily chores.
Sitting in the corner of a park in the midst of this same crowd, Arav's face was streaked with deep thought. He put his hands in the pockets of the jacket to protect him from the cold, but his eyes were fixed in one direction.
A little away from there was a girl sitting - Sia. She was sitting on a bench, lost in herself, and there was a strange discomfort in her eyes.
Aarav and Sia met a few months ago in this park.
Aarav, who belonged to a middle class family, always wanted to do something big in life. She had set foot in the big city, looking for a job. Sia, on the other hand, the most beloved daughter in her home, was everyone's lady. But there was an incompleteness in her eyes, as if she was looking for another world.
When they first got their eyes on that day, they both felt that it might be the beginning of a deeper relationship. Aarav saw something in Sia's eyes that was like forgetting all the pain of her life. There was a sense of belonging in Sia's smile, which was taking Aarav away from all his troubles.
Today, when the two were sitting opposite each other, there was a strange restlessness in their hearts. Sia looked gently at Aarav and said, " Aarav, don't you think our life should have been something different?"
Aarav mused on her for a moment, saying, " maybe... But life doesn't always go according to us, Sia."There was a slight pain in her voice, which was not hidden from Sia.
"But should love also be so difficult?"Sia had tears in her eyes.
Arav remained silent for a few moments. He had no answer to Sia's question. He loved it, he loved it, he loved it. But why his life was not so easy, no one had an answer.
Both remained silent for a long time. The wind had started to get cold, but their words were not getting cold. Sia took Aarav's hand and said, " You remember when we first met?
Everything looked so good. It was as if all our troubles would end in one stroke. But now it seems that every day new trouble arises in front of us."
Arav grabbed Sia's hand tightly, as if he wanted to say that she was with him, no matter what happened. But inside he also knew that life had only hurt him so far. There was love, but there was pain along with that love.
They were married for six months. Only a few days after the wedding, Aarav lost his job. What was a little saving, too, was slowly ending.
Financial hardship had added to the silence and tension in their relationship. Sia's family was against this marriage, and now every trouble in her marriage was being blamed on SIA.
There was a strange conflict in Aarav and Sia's relationship. The two loved each other desperately, but the situation had put them at a juncture where even their love could not save them.
When Sia returned to her home that night, she had many questions. Will he really be able to play this relationship? Is Aarav and his love so strong that he can cope with all these troubles?
Aarav was also struggling with the same question. As soon as he entered the walls of the house, he saw that his mother was sitting in wait for him. Mom had anxiety in her eyes, but a strict silence on her face. He knew that his mother was not happy with his situation.
"What happened, AARAV? Why was it so late?"Mom asked softly.
Arav bowed his head instead of responding. He had fatigue in his eyes, and pain in his heart.
Mom looked at him and said, "Son, I always told you that this path will not be easy. Sia is a good girl, but she is not right for your life."
Aarav knew that there was some truth in mother's words, but he could not even think of leaving Sia. His love was true, but the situation had weakened him so much that he could not speak anything.
In the silence of the night, Arav's eyes did not sleep. He just wondered if this was all going right? Is he doing it right? His life had become such a confusion, where there was pain everywhere. But still, there was one hope in her heart - of Sia's love. Perhaps this love can only get him and Sia out of this darkness.
He was also sitting in his room wondering if there would ever be a happy morning in his life? Will their love be able to withstand all these troubles?
Sia had the same love for Aarav in her heart as on the first day of the wedding. But now there were just tears in her eyes. The two even separated from each other and thought the same thing - do love and pain always go together?
The night went deeper, and questions rained down in their hearts.
The silence of the night was deepening, but the sleep was far from the eyes of both Aarav and Sia. Sia stood by the window, looking at the darkness outside. The cold gusts of wind were hitting his face, but the burning pain in his heart was beating this cold too. She wondered, why had her life become so difficult? There was never this pain, this stress in the dreams she and Aarav had before marriage.
At the same time, Aarav was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. Sia's smile was spinning in front of her eyes. The smile that he saw for the first time and the same smile he was living for today. But now that smile was lost somewhere. His place was now just pain and Despair.
"Am I really able to keep Sia happy?"These questions arose in Aarav's heart everyday. He knew that Sia loves him infinitely, but is love enough to fight all this hardship?
Both of them had questions in their hearts, but the answer was nowhere to be seen.