LOVE. THAT LASTED FOREVER

# Chapter 8 – Actual Maturity

Rudra: After that, I told the driver to leave for the day. I’ll drive myself back home. You take leave today.

I took the keys from him.

I started my car and thought I'd drive for twenty kms and come back, but something happened to me and I ended up driving about two hundred kms and reached my friend's village where he was currently staying.

Dhruv: (my friend) What a surprise man.!

How are you?

Such a sudden visit.

You don’t look good, all okay? Everything good?

Rudra: I didn’t say anything, he realized it and spoke

Dhruv: OK, first go change and we will talk afterwards.

Rudra: Bonfire was set up.

All the drinks and food came.

Dhruv: So buddy, what happened?

Rudra: I told him what had happened, all of it.

He kept on listening and didn’t interrupt me even once and I took all my frustrations out.

Dhruv: In the end, no matter how hard you try, destiny will always play its part and, Yes, it’s we the boys who are taught to be hard, be bold and we make all the sacrifices.

Unfortunately, there is no recognition and no remedy for that.

Give it some time, keep focusing on your work, everything will get settled.

Rudra: I felt really calm,

We then talked a lot about our past memories,

He was my college mate and we did find our different ways in life in order to build our future, but we stayed in contact and were connected all the time.

Some friendships just never end.

Me: You are now making me realize why you should not lose your friends and keep hold of them.

Rudra: We had dinner and I spent the night there itself.

A peaceful sleep after a very long time.

I got up in the morning and I had to go back home,

Had breakfast at his place,

All set to go then, I said.

Dhruv: Next time, if there’s anything you want to share.

Call me, I’ll come to your place or

If you are coming, then get someone to drive with you

Don’t take such long drives all alone.

For now, take my driver with you,

He will drop you at home and then he will come back.

Rudra: I said, how much you care for me?

Dhruv: Ah...! you still haven’t left your drama behind.

Still the same.

Go for now. Bye.

Rudra: Bye mate, see you soon.

Me: Friends like this are a blessing.

Rudra: The drive was good,

I played some relaxing and soothing music while coming,

I kind of felt fresh. I came home,

I took a bath, got freshened up and went back to work.

I never wanted to remember her as a bad past, but instead, I wanted to carry all the good memories between us.

After a week, I said to my family that

OK, if you feel like this is the right time to marry, then your wish

Anyhow, you didn’t give me the choice which I wished for.

So, there is no point in asking me now.

Do as you wish.

I won’t even see the bride’s photo,

If you think that you can never harm my future, then

Go ahead but one thing,

I will promise that I’ll treat her the same way as I would have treated my love,

She will have a lot of expectations from me being her husband. I will not spoil her future and give her all the respect she deserves.

Me: You are a man of values.

Yes, she will have a lot of expectations.

After all, she is leaving her home, her everything, even her surname.

So, she will have expectations.

You did the right thing, Rudra.

Rudra: I was going to work after saying that and all the drama started,

How can you talk like that?

Why would we harm you?

I said I’m saying the exact thing that you are saying.

A bit of drama and then I left to work.

In about two months, I got married and

Literally, the first time I saw my wife was on the wedding day itself.

Her name is Shakti.

She looked amazing…!

We got married with all the rituals, a long list of those.

Marriage life was interesting,

A very good one,

We did share amazing moments and built a lot of memories. I never told my wife about Maya.

She kind of felt something was wrong because

I wouldn’t sleep till four in the morning,

Randomly get up in the middle of the night and go to the terrace and sit there for a while.

I was always there for my wife if she needed me, but whenever I used to get some free time.

I used to go and sit in a park or any interesting place and sit there for hours watching the lake or enjoying nature.

Never tried to show Shakti any kind of sorrow in my face.

Always smiling though it did hurt a lot.

Me: The irony of true love is that it never ends.

Rudra: But she still felt something was strange or she didn’t know a thing which she should know.

I tried all the measures that she shouldn’t know about Maya. I thought that if she knew about Maya then, she might understand or not?

Why create unnecessary problems in both of our lives.

One day, she comes and asks me.

Who is Maya?

I said, who told you?

She said, I found out from one of your college friends.

I said, I never introduced anyone to you.

She says, come on I’m your wife. You think that’s too hard?

I was like wow, the super powers of wife.

Me: Wives are God-gifted.

Rudra: She was not furious but she wanted to know. I said, you really want to know it?

It doesn’t matter now.

She says, I know that it doesn’t matter, but I still want to know. I said, OK then if you are asking for it,

I’ll not lie to you,

I told her everything, each and every bit of it.

In the end, I said,

See, don’t you ever compare yourself with her,

She was my past and it doesn’t have to do anything with you.

She says, I can’t believe this.

This is what Eternal love means.

Do you still love her?

I said it’s not worth answering this question.

Got it she said.

She grabs my hand, hugs me and says that

Honey, we have a lot of memories, sweet ones together. You are the best.

Even after all this, not for a single second you let me down,

I’m proud to be your wife.

You know honey go, if you want to.

I won’t question you nor ask you for an explanation.

Go live your life.

If you want to go back to her, fine it’s OK.

I’ll happily give a divorce.

Enjoy, Roam, Work, Think,

Do whatever you feel like.

You have your complete freedom.

You will always be my beloved husband.

I’ll always wait for you,

I don’t care if you come back in a year or two or even ten or twenty years, The door will always be open.

Me: You got a wife which you deserve. She is such an understanding person.