It was late at night, and the house had finally grown quiet. We had just finished eating, and I had completed all the household chores. As I was about to lie down to sleep, a thought crossed my mind. The letter.
Earlier in the day, the postman had handed me an envelope for Raghav ji, and in the rush of daily tasks, I had completely forgotten to give it to him. Sitting up, I reached for the letter and called out softly, “Raghav ji... aapke liye ek chitthi aayi thi.”
(Raghav ji... you received a letter today.)
He looked up from where he was sitting, surprised. “Chitthi? Kya kisi kaam ki hai?”
(A letter? Is it something important?)
I handed it to him, watching as he carefully opened the envelope. His brow furrowed slightly as he began reading, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry. What could it be?
After a few moments, he placed the letter down and turned to me, his expression calm but serious. “Aarti, mujhe transfer ka order mila hai. Humein ek naye sheher jaana padega.”
(Aarti, I’ve received a transfer order. We will have to move to a new city.)
His words sank in slowly. A transfer? A new city? My heart clenched at the thought of leaving this place - the house where I was born, the streets where I grew up, and the village that had been my whole world for 18 years. I couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to everything familiar.
“Hum... kab tak jaana hoga, Raghav ji?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
(When do we have to leave, Raghav ji?)
“Ek mahine ke andar. Mujhe wahan kaam sambhalna hai,” he replied gently.
(Within a month. I need to take over work there.)
I nodded, the enormity of the change pressing down on me. The thought of starting over in a strange city felt overwhelming, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to burden him with my fears.
Sensing my hesitation, he reached out and took my hand in his. “Aarti, main samajh sakta hoon ki yeh asaan nahi hoga. Tumhara yahaan ke saath kitna gehra rishta hai. Par main yeh vada karta hoon ki wahan sirf hum dono honge. Tum apni veena bina kisi chhupane ki zarurat ke baja sakti ho. Aur main tumhare saath ghar ke kaam mein khul ke madad karunga, jaise yahaan nahi kar paaya.”
(Aarti, I understand this won’t be easy. Your connection to this place runs deep. But I promise you, there it will be just the two of us. You’ll be able to play your veena freely, without having to hide it. And I’ll openly help you with household chores, as I couldn’t here.)
His words made my chest tighten. How had I gotten so fortunate to have a husband who thought this way? In the silence of the night, his reassurances felt like a soothing balm on my anxieties.
“Raghav ji, kya hum dono ke liye wahan sab kuch theek hoga?” I asked hesitantly.
(Raghav ji, will everything be okay for us there?)
He smiled softly, his grip on my hand firm yet comforting. “Haan, Aarti. Tumhare saath hone se sab kuch theek hoga. ”
(Yes, Aarti. With you by my side, everything will be fine.)
His words felt like a balm to my restless heart. I looked at him, his eyes filled with a quiet determination to ease my worries. How could he always say the right things?
“Tum meri sukoon ho, Aarti,” he said suddenly, his voice tender, his gaze unwavering. “Main chahta hoon ki tumhe bhi wahi sukoon mile jo tum mujhe deti ho.”
(You are my peace, Aarti. And I want you to feel that same peace you give me.)
I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. They welled up, not out of sadness, but from the overwhelming warmth his words brought. “Aap hamesha aise hi rehte hain, Raghav ji. Mujhe samajhte hain, mujhe samarth dete hain,” I whispered, my voice choked.
(You are always like this, Raghav ji. You understand me, you support me.)
He reached out, gently wiping my tears away. “Bas itna yaad rakho, Aarti. Hum jahaan bhi jaayein, tumhare sapne mere liye utne hi zaruri hain jitne mere apne.”
(Just remember this, Aarti. Wherever we go, your dreams are just as important to me as my own.)
His words felt like a gentle caress, softening the edges of my worry.
“Raghav ji... agar aap saath hain, toh mujhe duniya ke kisi bhi kone mein ghar mehsoos hoga,” I said softly.
(Raghav ji... if you’re with me, I will feel at home in any corner of the world.)
He smiled again, pulling me closer. That smile was more than just reassurance - it was a promise.
I placed my head on his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat calming the lingering unease within me. He wrapped his arms around me in a way that made me feel safe, protected, and cherished all at once. He always held me like this - like I was something precious he would never let go of.
I felt his lips press gently against my forehead, a kiss filled with warmth and unspoken love. In that moment, I let go of the fears of the unknown and embraced the comfort of his presence.
In that moment, I felt safe. I felt seen. His love was my anchor in this sea of change.
With his arms around me and his steady breath mingling with mine, I felt my worries dissolve. It didn’t matter where we were going or what lay ahead. Together, we could face anything.
With his arms around me and his presence reassuring me, we drifted into sleep, a silent promise between us that we would face whatever the future held, together.
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