Distance between us

Before starting this chapter I want to tell you something that I had started a new story named "Falling For My Husband". That story is totally different from this one and also the male protagonist is not like Adrijay. So, do check it for once.

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Hearing that, Vishakha was shocked. She didn’t know what to say. Sarika had indeed endured a lot, but what Yamini Ji had told her about Sarika was completely different from the Sarika she knew. And now, Vishakha was realizing that.

Silence filled the room for a while. Then, breaking the silence, Vishakha looked at Devansh and said angrily, “Dev, how could your brother do this? When Bhabhi needed him the most, he turned his back on her! I knew Bhaiya didn’t like Bhabhi, but does he not even have a shred of humanity? Bhabhi was actually in depression, and still, Bhaiya did nothing! How could he do this, Dev? How?”

Listening to her, Devansh looked straight ahead and said, “Sometimes, two people just need to talk, Vishu. No relationship can survive without communication. Bhaiya and Bhabhi never really talked. They were so drowned in their own pain and struggles that they never thought it was right to share their feelings with each other. Maybe they feared that doing so would only add to each other’s sorrow… It’s not just one person’s fault. It was the circumstances. I won’t say Bhaiya was entirely at fault because I have seen him suffer. I saw him with my own eyes when he performed his child’s last rites… I have felt the pain of both of them. And to be honest, they both endured the same pain. The only difference is, Bhaiya has moved on from that pain, but Bhabhi… she is still stuck in that moment.”

Hearing his words, Vishakha looked at him with hopeful eyes and asked, “You’ll never do this to me, right, Dev?”

Looking into her eyes, Devansh said, “Never! But Vishu, relationships don’t work one-sidedly. You also have to promise me that no matter what the issue is, whether it’s small or big, you will always come and tell me! Tell me, will you?”

Vishakha nodded in agreement, seeing which Devansh smiled slightly, pulled her close, said goodnight, and closed his eyes.

Devansh had fallen asleep, but sleep was nowhere near Vishakha’s eyes. After her parents passed away, Nishchay was the one who raised her. He was a father figure to her, while Shivika was like a mother. Vishakha clearly remembered how insecure she had felt when Nishchay got married. Some relatives had even fed thoughts into her mind that after marriage, Nishchay would only care about Shivika and their future child, not her. Because of all this, Vishakha had misbehaved a lot with Shivika. But Shivika had always tolerated her behavior with patience, and one day, she proved to Vishakha that she had not come to separate her from Nishchay but to become her family, her mother. Since then, their bond had strengthened.

Vishakha knew very well what being in depression meant because, after losing her parents, she had spent two years battling it. But Nishchay had never left her side—he had always been there for her. Now, after hearing about Sarika’s depression, Vishakha could truly understand what she must have gone through. But perhaps no one else could understand it as deeply as she did because she had experienced it firsthand. She remembered how many times she had tried to commit suicide… Had Sarika also done something like that?

Lost in these thoughts, she didn’t know when she finally fell asleep.

On the other side, when Sarika entered the room and saw the lights off, she silently took her clothes from the cupboard and went into the washroom.

A while later, she changed and lay down on the bed.

Meanwhile, Adrijay, who had been awake, waiting for Sarika to return, turned towards her, rested his head on his hand, and said, “How did you like the surprise?”

Sarika, who was about to sleep, was startled by Adrijay’s voice. She looked at him in shock, then placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm her racing heartbeat, and said, “It was nice.”

Hearing her indifferent reply, Adrijay felt a little disappointed and said, “Just nice? I thought you’d love it. And you looked so happy meeting Maa Ji, Baba, and Shlok. So, I thought—”

Sarika cut him off, lowered her gaze, and said, “I really liked it. Thank you so much. And another thank you for agreeing to come home for Diwali. But I’ll just say one thing—please don’t raise my family’s hopes with all this. Because I know how it feels when hopes are shattered! I don’t want my parents to go through the same pain and suffering. I can’t hurt my Maa and Baba anymore, so please… don’t give them hopes that will never come true.”

Saying this, she turned away, closed her eyes, and tears spilled down her cheeks. She didn’t wipe them, just tried to sleep, but sleep didn’t come. Instead, she drifted into the past.

On the other side, hearing Sarika’s words, a strange pain rose in Adrijay’s heart. He realized how many times he had broken Sarika’s hopes like this before. Thinking about it, he too got lost in the past:

It was eleven at night, and Sarika was sitting in the hall, waiting for Adrijay. They had only been married for a month, and Adrijay had kept his distance from her, which Sarika absolutely disliked. So, she tried every possible way to carve a small place for herself in his heart.

Around 11:15, the doorbell rang, and Sarika quickly got up to open the door.

Draped in a red saree, the 20-year-old Sarika stood shyly before her husband, smiling with innocence, hoping that Adrijay would say something—after all, she had dressed up just for him.

But Adrijay shattered all her hopes and walked straight past her without even looking at her, heading directly upstairs.

Tears welled up in Sarika's eyes at his actions, but she consoled herself, saying, "No, Sarika, you can't give up like this. What did Maa say? That the way to a husband's heart is through his stomach. If he eats food made by my hands, he will surely give me a place in his heart… Yes, he will definitely like the food I cook."

Wiping her tears, she smiled, shut the door, and rushed to the kitchen to warm the food for Adrijay, preparing fresh, hot rotis.

A little later, she arranged everything on a plate, placed it on a tray along with a glass of water, and walked towards the stairs with a smile.

When she reached the room and opened the door, her smile faded as she saw Adrijay sleeping on the bed. Tears filled her eyes again, and this time, she couldn't hold them back. Closing the door, she went straight to the kitchen, set the tray down, and, sobbing, said to herself, "Maa, you said everyone here would accept me, so why aren't they? Why isn't even Maa ji accepting me? Tell me, Maa, what should I do? I don't know how to win his heart. I can't even call you, Maa, because I don't have my own phone! What do I do, Maa? What do I do?"

Just then, someone placed a hand on Sarika's shoulder. She quickly wiped her tears and turned around to see Devansh. Trying to smile, she said, "Oh, Devarji, you’re here? Did you need something?"

Devansh looked at her innocently and asked, "Bhabhi, were you crying? Did Bhaiya say something to you? If he did, tell me! I'll teach him a lesson. I won't talk to him ever again because he made my Bhabhi cry!"

Hearing his words, Sarika got emotional and pulled him into a hug, sobbing. At that moment, she missed her parents terribly. Since she had come to this house, no one had been there to listen to her, talk to her, or share her pain. But Devansh, even though he was young, had always been by her side. In just a month, she had grown very attached to him.

Devansh, worried by her tears, pulled back and wiped them away. Angrily, he said, "Please don't cry, Bhabhi! I told you, I'll teach Bhaiya a lesson! I won’t talk to him at all! I hate him for making my Bhabhi cry!"

Sarika quickly wiped her tears and said, "No, Devarji, it's nothing like that. Actually, I was just missing my parents, that's why I cried. Your Bhaiya didn't say anything to me, I promise!"

She didn't want young Devansh to harbor any resentment towards Adrijay, so she lied.

Hearing this, Devansh let out a relieved sigh and said, "Oh, then you should have told me earlier, Bhabhi! I thought Bhaiya had said something to you."

Changing the subject, Sarika said, "Alright, now go to bed. You have to wake up early for your pre-board exam tomorrow! Do you remember?"

Devansh nodded happily and said, "Yes, Bhabhi! And I’m fully prepared, thanks to what you taught me! But Bhabhi, I feel scared sleeping alone. Maa is in her room, so can I rest my head on your lap and sleep? You can leave after I fall asleep. Please, Bhabhi!"

Sarika smiled and nodded, walking with him to his room—unaware that Adrijay stood by the railing upstairs, watching her and Devansh. For a moment, he felt like he was wronging Sarika. But then, his status, his pride, flashed in his mind, stopping him from thinking any further. Silently, without waiting for or caring about Sarika, he walked back to his room.

That night, both Sarika and Adrijay were lost in different emotions. Sarika's eyes couldn't stop shedding tears, while Adrijay’s heart filled with regret.

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At Chaudhary House, Kishori Ji affectionately touched Sarika’s cheek and said with a smile, "Now you're going to be a mother. Just wait and see, Adrijay will shower you with love! You know, the moment husbands hear about their child, they start caring for their wives. By the time the baby arrives, they fall in love with them too."

Sarika beamed with happiness at her words. Once again, a hope ignited in her heart—that maybe, just maybe, Adrijay would accept her upon hearing about their baby. But she had no idea that this hope, too, was destined to shatter.

That evening, when Adrijay returned from the office, Sarika eagerly opened the door with a smile, took his bag, and said excitedly, "Ji, I need to tell you something!"

Adrijay said coldly, "Listen, I don't want to hear any useless talks right now. I just need some peace. So please, just go!"

Saying this, he removed his shoes, placed them on the rack, and started walking up the stairs.

Sarika's smile faded, but Kishori Ji, standing near the kitchen, gestured for her to follow him and tell him anyway.

Nodding, Sarika smiled again and happily followed Adrijay upstairs.

As Adrijay opened the door to his room, Sarika entered behind him. Sensing her presence, he turned around and, glaring at her angrily, said, "Didn’t I tell you to stay away? Don’t you understand in one go?"

Sarika flinched at his anger but gathered her courage and said softly, "Ji, I... I have something important to tell you… I… you… you—"

Irritated, Adrijay said, "Are you going to say it or just stutter?"

Sarika, startled by his tone, quickly said, "Ji, you’re going to be a father!"

Adrijay froze.

Sarika smiled at him, hoping he would say something or at least hug her. But instead, he said expressionlessly, "Fine. Now at least Maa’s wish is fulfilled, right? Anyway, did you tell her?"

Her smile disappeared. Looking at him with hopeful eyes, she asked softly, "Ji! I told her… but aren’t you happy?"

Adrijay looked at her for a moment, then turned away and said, "I don’t know. Right now, I just want to be alone. Please leave me alone for some time."

At that moment, Sarika’s last hope shattered. She finally understood that perhaps she would never have a place in his heart. Tears streamed down her face. Wiping them away hastily, she placed his bag on the sofa and silently left the room, crying.

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As Sarika recalled that day, she thought to herself, "There was never a place for me in your heart. I was a fool to think that one day, you would accept me, that I could live a normal life, that one day, I would receive your love… But I was wrong! I was wrong because I wished for the moon in the sky, the one we can see but never have. You are like that moon to me—so close, yet still out of my reach."

A tear escaped her eye, which she quickly wiped before trying to sleep.

Meanwhile, Adrijay, remembering that same day, looked at Sarika’s back and thought, "I wish, Sarika… I wish I could have explained to you back then what I was frustrated about. The frustration of work, the suddenness of such big news… I wasn’t ready, yaar. First for marriage, then for a child. But every time, decisions were forced on me. No one thought about me, not even once. But I know it wasn’t your fault either because no one thought about you either. I realized it later… I wish I had realized it earlier. Maybe then, there wouldn’t be this distance between us today."

With these thoughts, he didn’t even realize when sleep overtook him.

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