Shillong was the immaculate paradigm of the word 'picturesque'. Every bit of stress and emotional turbulence that Neysa and Adhrit seemed to have experienced had vanished away into the thin air as they took in the surreal beauty of Shillong and its hills.
The accommodation Adhrit had offered to Neysa was located atop a hill and had offered scenic view from almost all the windows. Neysa was sure that she would not be missing her old home and city too much while she was surrounded by such divine landscape.
"Nisha, this is Swati Aunty. She literally brought me up from my childhood. Aunty, this is Nisha, I mean Neysa," said Adhrit, stopping midway, unable to name their relationship in a way which would placate both Swati and Neysa.
"Good morning, Aunty," said Neysa with a smile gracing her lips. Adhrit was pleasantly surprised to see Neysa addressing Swati like him.
"Good Morning, Adhrit and Neysa. I hope you did not have any trouble while traveling here," greeted Swati affectionately.
"Aunty, show her the master bedroom. I will freshen up and be back," said Adhrit.
"Master bedroom? It's your right to stay there. I cannot stay in that room," said Neysa, unable to stay in a room which might have been shared by Mohini and Adhrit in the past. She just did not want to take over something which might have a lot of emotional value to Adhrit.
"I will be coming here just for a few days, Nisha. You need comfort and the best this time around. Master bedroom has an intercom and has every kind of security measure added to it. At least for my peace of mind that you would be comfortable, please don't refuse," he requested, knowing well that Neysa could not refuse anything which would give happiness to him.
"If you say so," accepted Neysa, finally giving up, despite a part of her heart fighting against her.
"Thank you. Aunty, if you don't mind," prompted Adhrit, as Swati took over, smiling at them affectionately.
Swati began leading the way towards the lift to reach the floor on which the master bedroom was located, which Neysa realized was second, after Swati pressed a button with '2' printed on.
"I don't know what relationship you share with him or why he brought you here, Neysa. I don't even know if I am supposed to tell you this or not, but this is the happiest I have seen him since he got into a relationship with Mohini. He is almost like a son to me, so thank you so much for bringing happiness into his life as your name indicates," said Swati with a motherly smile.
"Since the beginning of their relationship? Everyone knew about their relationship?" questioned Neysa, gulping down her pain as she spoke about their relationship. She was not aware that Adhrit's family was aware of their relationship since the inception of it.
"In fact, it was a pre-planned one, dear. Adhrit's parents, god bless them, they loved Adhrit a lot but sometimes it looked like they loved their status more. Mohini's father was a client of the company founded by Adhrit's father. Mr and Mrs. Solanki wanted Adhrit and Mohini to be in a relationship so that the business ties could deepen, and they could flourish," answered Swati, moving out of the lift as it stopped at the second floor, closely followed by Neysa.
"I cannot believe it! They asked their teenage son and daughter to get into a relationship!" exclaimed Neysa, rolling her eyes in disbelief.
“They forced the poor boy to prove his worth by engaging her in romance. He thought he had no other choice and Mohini ended up falling irrevocably in love with him,” revealed Swati, a weak smile on her lips as she opened the password-locked door of the master bedroom as Neysa lost herself in thoughts.
"Password is 139014390," said Swati pulling Neysa out of her reverie and making her move into the room following her.
"But why did you tell Adhrit's past to me, Aunty?" questioned Neysa suddenly.
"Because, there are only two people that I have seen looking at Adhrit with the same love as me. One is Mohini and the other is you. A mother's heart always yearns to find happiness to her child and Adhrit seems to have that happiness with you which he had lost years ago. I was being selfish by trying to gain your sympathy for my son so that he can be happy throughout his life. Anyways, please take rest and if you need anything call me through the intercom on 1000," said Swati with a chuckle and moved out of the room, leaving Neysa to her own mental turmoil and confusion.
How did it escape her mind for years, wondered Neysa? His eyes had betrayed his sorrow to her since ages and it had not been till Swati informed her that she realized that the unknown emotion hovering in his twinkling eyes during their school times was agony. Neysa cursed herself for not being by his side over the years. Her insolent heart could not help but question her if their lives would have been completely different if she had chosen to be open about her unconditional love towards him since the beginning.
Night, The knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts. She carefully rose from her lying position to open the door.
"Adhrit?" she questioned as she eyed at the man who stole her heart at her doorstep.
"I had a wish, actually. I don't know how to say it..." Adhrit was clearly struggling with his words in a way Neysa had never seen him.
"You can tell, Adhrit. I promise I won't mind and will try my best to fulfill it," she vowed.
"I want to feel the baby," he said in one breath, taking away her breath.
Neysa's heartbeats raced at a previously unknown speed as she felt a wave of unknown emotions develop in the pit of her abdomen.
"If you want, you can listen to the heartbeats of the baby too. It has been more than twenty-seven days so the heart must have formed. I have my stethoscope with me," she offered, finally gaining a control of her emotions.
"Definitely! Where is it?" he questioned without wasting a moment. His eagerness to feel the baby and the smile which played on his lips made a smile grace her own lips as her heart swelled with affection.
"It is in the draw beside the bed," she answered as Adhrit took the largest steps he could to reach out to the medical instrument he had mocked in the past but cherished more than anything in the present for being the channel to connect to his unborn.
Having prepared for the medical stream, he was aware of how the instrument worked and how much pressure would be appropriate to hear the heartbeats of the unborn.
He knelt down in front of Neysa and carefully lifted her top, the trail of his fingers leaving fire on her skin, making Neysa feel if Adhrit had some magic in his fingers which seeped right through her skin and seared her soul.
As he pressed the cold metal against her hot skin and the sound of the heartbeats reverberated in his ears, he felt inexplicable and delirious joy coursing through his veins, and he felt light-headed with sheer exquisiteness of the moment.
The baby, which was a part of him, his biggest dream and also the part of the woman to whom his satisfaction meant more than anything. Adoration, admiration and affection swelled in his heart towards the angel who fulfilled his every wish. He could feel his very mind etching the picture deep in itself on the canvas of his senses with myriads of emotions as colors.
The divine smile which played on her lips to see him happy threatened to steal his heart and then did he realize why they said that it was not possible for a man to not love two women in his life- his mother and the mother of his child.
Allowing his emotions to take control, he gravitated towards her and placed a firm yet gentle kiss where her womb was present, sending waves of euphoria through her body which resonated in his own.
Neysa clutched her hands together to avoid touching him and suppress the storm of her own emotions. As Adhrit looked up, his eyes meeting hers in an embrace of sublime and overwhelming emotions, they were both sure of one thing- they were going to get trapped in the web of complex emotions and even complicated situations, but they did not seem to regret it even a bit.