He was her saviour,
She was his strength.
***
"Good afternoon, husband," I said once I brought the phone to my ear.
"I miss you" His instant reply came while a grin cracked on my cheeks.
"Mr. Rajput, it has not even been three hours since I left...
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As I stepped out of the bathroom, I found my wife peacefully asleep on the bed. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. Quietly, I approached her, adjusting her duvet and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Watching her sleep, I felt a wave of protectiveness as well as possessiveness. I would do anything to keep her safe.
Sliding into bed beside her, I wrapped my arms around her from behind, my hands instinctively caressing her waist. I gently brushed the strands of her hair behind her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple before nestling closer to her. "Good night, Mira," I whispered, before turning off the lights.
But before I could drift off to sleep, a murmur broke the silence, followed by the sound of sobbing. Mira was shivering and crying in her sleep. In an instant, panic rushed through me. Sleep fled from my eyes as I saw her trembling and weeping beside me.
"Mira?" I shook her gently, trying to rouse her from her nightmare.
"Please, let me live. I am not a burden." Mira muffled and my heart twisted more.
"Dhadkan," I called out softly, my heart aching for her. "Please, open your eyes, love."
Was she okay? What if she was experiencing those nightmares again?
"MIRA!" This time, I called out louder, fear overpowering me.
She startled awake, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine as she struggled to catch her breath. My heart shattered seeing her like this. I pulled her into my arms, feeling my shirt grow damp from her tears. "It's okay, Love. I'm here," I murmured, holding her close and trying to soothe her trembling body. Her gaze searched for mine, and I could feel her pain piercing through me.
"S-Sidd," she mumbled, her voice shaking from terror as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Shh, I'm right here, sweetheart," I muttered, clutching her tight, my heart breaking at the sight of her anguish.
"Are you... again having those nightmares?" I inquired quietly, each word carefully chosen to avoid jarring her fragile state.
Her response came in a weak whisper, the words stuffed with emotion. "Wo-Worse... than that."
My heart squeezed at her admission, and a rush of helplessness swept over me as I hugged her tightly, attempting to shelter her from whatever darkness was in her mind.
"I am," she choked out between sobs, her voice trembling with fear. "So scared, Siddharth."
I drew her closer, my heart bleeding for her. "I'm here with you, Mira," I said softly, wanting to relieve the agony she was feeling. But soon her whole body began to tremble and it hit me that she was having a panic attack.
I pulled out of the embrace and looked at her. My vision got blurred by seeing her state. I don't know how she was handling her fears before marriage. It only made me feel worse that I wasn't there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on. I rubbed her back to calm her down. I know that it's her parents' words that triggered her panic attack. Her mind was still fixed on the past events that happened to her. I peppered kisses all over her face until she came into a better state. We both stayed still in our embrace.
