The rain fell in soft sheets outside Suman's balcony, a gentle rhythm accompanying the quiet tears on her cheeks. The smell of wet earth and brewing coffee filled the air, a comfort that only deepened the ache in her heart. Rain always brought her back to Abhinav.
It had been years. She had found the courage to marry, to build a new life with a child and a husband. Yet, this weather, the kind Abhinav used to describe with such romantic detail, brought his memory rushing back. She could almost hear him talking about all the rainy days they’d explore together. But life, relentless and unfeeling, had moved on without him.
Her reality was a stark contrast to those dreams. This morning, like many others, had been a whirlwind. She had woken early to pack her husband's lunch and get their child ready for school, all so he could make it to an important interview. She reminded him multiple times about the time, but he was still late because he didn't finish his chores. When she called to make sure he arrived safely, his words were a punch to the gut: "My interview got rescheduled because of you."
It was a familiar story. The blame always shifted to her. Whether it was being late or a visa being canceled, any failure was her fault. But when things went well, the credit was his and his alone. She had learned to take it, sometimes with silence, sometimes by simply ignoring it. But it always, always brought her back to Abhinav.
In these moments, she felt as if Abhinav was right beside her, whispering the words she desperately needed to hear: "You are brave, my dear. Don't worry, I'm around."
Her heart ached, and she wanted to scream at the sky. Why had her life been spared, while his ended so soon? Why did she have to know such a soothing, calm love, only to be left with a partner who was its complete opposite? She had loved talking to Abhinav; she dreaded talking to her husband. It was an unbearable contrast, a painful reminder of what she had so desperately wanted versus what she had.
And so, on days like this, she would close her eyes and let her mind drift to a future she knew she could never have in this life—a daydream of an afterlife where she and Abhinav would meet again. They'd laugh, they'd joke, and they would look at each other with the sense of coming home. A small smile touched her lips, and she realized her coffee cup was empty. The spell was broken. She went inside, ready to get busy again, to face another day.
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