Chapter 58 - Eshan?

||Innaya||

"Sweetheart." The familiar endearment caused my heart to race. It had been so long. I've never been the person who loved sweet talks, nicknames, or endearments. It was Eshan, who made me habitual to them. Over the period, those annoying and irritating endearments became sweet and loving. 

"Eshan?" I called out, unable to see him. I turned to my left, finding the switch of lights to turn them on. 

"Tesoro." Eshan's deep voice again sounded, but I couldn't locate him.

"Eshan?" I left the bed when the lights didn't work, and darkness remained around me.

"Come, find me."

"Where are you?" I yelled back in the darkness. I blindly searched for my mobile for the torch, yet I found nothing. Everything was pitch-black; I could hear nothing, but the familiar voice of my husband. It was beyond frustrating to have him so close, yet so far. Where was he? His voice sounded from close, but when I extended my arms out for reaching him, holding him, they grasped on to air only.

"Eshan, where are you? Please, come back to me. I am so sorry. Please, Eshan," I cried out in the space in front of me.

Suddenly, light flooded the room, brightening everything. I closed my eyes to adjust to the sudden light, at the same time, I blocked my eyes with the back of my right palm. The bright light hurt my eyes; they were already swollen with all those sleepless nights and endless crying I had done for all these days. I blinked my eyes when after some time, my eyes found their bearing.

I blinked my eyes.

I blinked them again, unable to believe what they were seeing.

There stood the person who was missing from me.

The person, I was missing for all these days.

Eshan's smiling face greeted me. His familiar figure stood there in the white shirt and khaki color pants. The same one we brought when we had gone for shopping. It was the same one that had caught my attention, and I had forced him to try it then and there. For a couple of occasions when he wore them, Eshan had told me how much he liked that combination. I liked him in those clothes too.

Bracing myself against the wall for the support, I let my eyes have their fill. Though my eyes burned with unshed tears, I couldn't lower my gaze from his hypnotizing eyes. I had missed those brown eyes. I had missed looking at my reflection in those eyes. I had missed how his eyes followed me, always.

His honey brown eyes, full of love were trained on me.

His lips never dropped the bewitching smile.

He was there, in flesh.

I never felt so grateful for anything in my life as much as I was feeling having him before me. I stumbled upon my feet while I covered the distance between us.

Without any preamble, I launched myself in his arms that were wide open as if anticipating my actions. I held onto him with everything in me. His arms wrapped around me, engulfing me in his warm embrace. Tears escaped through my eyes. Finally, he was here.

"I missed you, Eshan."

I confessed, raising my head to look at his face.

He just smiled. Why was he not saying anything?

Confused, I placed my palm on his cheek. I watched the smile fading from his face. Minutes later, his lips dropped to the thin line, his eyes turned sad before he stepped out of the hug.

"Eshan?"

I missed his warmth. I felt empty once his arms left me. His eyes glazed with tears, and it broke my heart to watch him in agony. I didn't like it. I wanted his smile back, I wanted his arms around me like they were.

Eshan walked back as if looking at me was his mistake. As if he didn't want to be with me, and that hurt.

"Eshan. Please, where are you going? Stay, please, forgive me. I am sorry. Eshan," I cried out. I tried reaching out to him, but I couldn't move my legs, they remain frozen in their place. With desperate eyes, I watched the scene unfolding in front of me.

With his, every step away from me was like a dagger in my heart. My chest constricted in pain. Tears streamed endlessly from my eyes. I watched him disappear in the dark before everything went black.

*