1.5 years later
Two years felt like a blur, a mix of deadlines, sleepless nights, and an unshakable longing. Balancing the demands of my final year and the subsequent internship was hard enough.
But the true weight came from the distance between us, miles and miles of silence, broken only by calls and messages.
He was posted in a remote area, far away from our old life together. I’d get updates when I could—his voice would crackle through the line, telling me about the rugged landscapes, the hardships of his regiment, and the challenges he faced.
But it wasn’t the same. I couldn’t feel his presence, couldn’t see his smile, or even hold his hand to remind myself he was still mine.
There were times when I questioned if we could make it, if this strain on our relationship was worth it. The long nights during my internship, rushing between patients, working shifts that drained the life out of me, didn’t leave room for anything more.
We were both running, me toward my dreams, him toward his duty and somewhere in the middle, we hoped to meet.
In the last year and a half, I’ve barely seen him more than once. Yes! You heard it right.
Short calls and video messages were all we had, but they somehow kept us connected. Even in those brief moments, hearing his voice or seeing his face, though pictured, made the distance feel just a little smaller.
I remember one call so vividly. I had held it together for so long, but that day, everything hit me all at once. I just burst out, overwhelmed by the weight of our separation.
Flashback start
I was already feeling so overwhelmed without him today, the weight of everything pressing down on me.
And then my phone rang, his name lighting up the screen. For a moment, I hesitated, my emotions so close to the surface, unsure if I could keep it together.
But I answered anyway, and the sound of his voice—familiar, comforting—was both a relief and a trigger.
“Hey, how’s my Sunflower doing?” I heard his voice and the dam broke, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“I’m not doing well, Vayu!” I whispered, choking on the words.
“I hate this. I hate how far you are. I'm just tired of all this!” I sobbed as tears flooded out of my eyes.
“I miss you so much it hurts, and I don’t even know when we’ll be together again. I can’t keep pretending like I’m okay with this.” I blurted out all at once.
“Mujhse nahi raha jaa raha, Vayu!” I whispered, pushing my face into the pillow.
The distance, the silence, the constant missing—it all caught up to me. I couldn’t hold back the tears, and for once, I let him hear just how hard it was. He listened quietly and there was a long pause, and I could hear him take a deep breath on the other end.
Then, with that familiar tenderness in his voice, he said, “Sunflower!”
I hummed, tears rolling down my eyes.
“I know it’s hard. I feel it too. But every time we get through another day, we’re one step closer to the life we’ve always dreamed of.” his voice was calm.
“You know I’m counting down the days until I can hold you again, and I swear, when that day comes, all this waiting will be worth it. Just a little longer, love. I’m right here with you, always.” His words wrapped around me like a warm embrace, and even though the distance remained, in that moment, I felt closer to him than ever.
“Vo photo frame dekh rahi hai!” He said, making me lift my head towards the side table. A photo frame having a photo of us from our Roka day.
He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in, then added, “Jab tu thak jaye, iss photo ko dekh lena. And feel me around you. Tu meri hai, aur hamesha rahegi. Thodi der aur… bas thodi der aur Sunflower!”
In that moment, his voice soothed the ache inside me, and I realized I wasn’t carrying it alone.
All I wanted was to leave everything behind and run straight into his arms. I imagined what it would feel like, his embrace, warm and safe, melting away the months of loneliness and longing.
The thought consumed me, and for a split second, nothing else mattered. Just him. Just us, together again, like we were always meant to be.
Flashback end
Whenever he managed to come home, I was always tied up—either drowning in the endless hours of my internship or in exam prep.
I’d hear about his visits through a phone call, his voice laced with disappointment, though he tried to hide it.
I wished I could run back to him, to steal even an hour from this hectic life, but the reality was crueler.
I had commitments I couldn’t abandon, and he had his own world, far from mine. It felt like life was forcing us to live in parallel, always close yet never really touching.
But despite the chaos, there was a quiet strength in the distance. We built our love on the faith that, no matter how far apart, we were still moving toward each other. And somehow, that kept me…us going.
With the time passing, there was a glimmer of hope. My internship was finally nearing its end, and the convocation for my MBBS degree was just around the corner.
It felt surreal, like the light at the end of a long, winding tunnel. Soon, the constant rush of hospital corridors and the endless nights spent with textbooks would be behind me.
And when that chapter of my life closes, I could finally imagine having the time to see Vayu without feeling the weight of unfinished tasks.
Our long-distance relationship had been getting harder with each passing day. She didn't complain often, but when she did, it was usually brief.
I knew she was holding back because she feared her sadness would make me feel helpless, knowing I couldn't be there for her. Still, even when she didn't say much, I could sense it in her voice.
She missed me, and I could feel the weight of that, even though she tried so hard to hide it. It hurted knowing she was sad, and I was so far away, unable to comfort her the way I wanted to.
And it was the same for me, too. I kept a lot of my feelings bottled up, not wanting to add to the weight she was already carrying.
I knew if she saw just how much the distance was affecting me, it would only deepen her sadness, and I couldn't bear the thought of being the reason for her tears. So, like her, I stayed quiet too.
But the truth is, I miss her every single day. There were moments when the silence felt too heavy, when all I wanted was to hear her voice or hold her hand, but instead, I was left staring at my phone, knowing it was not the same.
We were both trying so hard to stay strong for each other, and even though we didn't say it out, I knew we were both feeling the same loneliness.
The cool night breeze brushed against me, but it didn’t help the uneasiness I felt.
The stars above seemed far away, just like the people I cared about, my family and my Sunflower.
It has been almost a year since I took a single day off. I was saving my leave for Reya's convocation, which was just a few weeks away now.
I’ve been holding onto that day, hoping it would make up for all the time we’d missed together.
I had planned to surprise her on her convocation day, imagining the look on her face when she saw me after all this time.
But, of course, she already knew. She always does. No matter how hard I tried to keep it a secret, she saw right through me.
She has always been sharp like that—one step ahead, reading me like an open book. It was like she could sense that there was no way I’d miss a moment as important as this.
I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her knowing me so well, sometimes even better than I know myself.
It was as if she had this unspoken understanding of every little detail about me whether it's about my thoughts, my habits, even the surprises I try to plan.
And now, all I could do was to wait for my duty to end, counting down the days until I could finally pack my bags and run to her.
The thought of seeing her again, after all this time apart, kept me going. I imagined the moment I would step off that plane, knowing she’ll be there, and for once, the distance won’t matter.
In those moments, everything felt a little bit easier, and the loneliness faded away. The thought of her smile was like a comforting embrace, reminding me that soon, we would be together again.
Her smiling face, even just in my imagination, brought me a sense of peace that helped me find sleep.
Few days later
As the hums of the engines entered my ears, my heart started racing already. So finally I was sitting in the back of a cab, heading straight to her room.
The excitement built with each passing minute. She assumed I would arrive on the day of her convocation, completely unaware that I was already on my way, ready to surprise her a day earlier.
The thought of her reaction, seeing me earlier than expected, brought a smile to my face. This time, I would catch her off guard, and I couldn't wait to see that look in her eyes when she opens the door.
The thought of her still going about her day, expecting me tomorrow, made this moment even sweeter. She had no idea that in just a short while, I would be standing at her door, a day ahead of schedule.
As the car rolled through the familiar streets of Delhi, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. This city held so many memories for us—the time we spent here on our cozy dates, my accident, and the way she cared for me afterward with so much love and patience.
And then, of course, our Roka, that beautiful day when we made it official. It all happened here, in this city. Now, returning here feels as if Delhi itself is a silent witness to everything we’ve been through.
It was already past 4, and the anticipation was growing with each minute, and all I could think about was how close I was to her now. And now I couldn't wait any more to see her.
I lay back on the bed, feeling the weight of the past hours of study slowly ease from my shoulders. Three hours had passed in a haze of notes and pages, the familiar words of important subjects running through my mind.
Despite my exams being over, and with the relief of having done well in NEET PG, something within me urged a quiet diligence, to read them again.
The stillness of the room felt like a calm before the day ahead.
My convocation, the culmination of years of persistence and sleepless nights, awaited me tomorrow. I smiled at the thought, but it was quickly replaced by the reminder that I still needed to prepare my clothes for the event.
But what was making my heart flutter was meeting Vayu. That too after almost a year. The excitement of finally seeing him again was overwhelming.
It was almost a year apart, and the thought of holding him in my arms felt like a dream come true.
I couldn’t wait to feel his warmth and comfort, to experience the joy of being together again.
All this made me blush but then I controlled my happiness and I decided to take a power nap before I start preparing myself for the big day.
I was on the verge of drifting into sleep, my thoughts began to blur when the sharp sound of the doorbell jolted me back to the present.
My brows furrowed in mild irritation as I reluctantly pushed myself up from the comfort of the bed. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I headed towards the door, too tired to care about who might be standing on the other side.
Without a second thought, I skipped the usual habit of checking through the peephole, my mind too fogged with drowsiness to worry. I turned the handle and opened the door, curiosity half-formed, waiting for reality to reveal itself.
I blinked my eyes open a few seconds later, and my jaw almost dropped seeing Vayu standing in front of me, smiling softly, holding a bouquet of flowers, his usual gesture of love.
My breath caught for a moment, as it always did when I saw him after so long. This was his way, a quiet tradition that never failed to make my heart swell—bringing flowers every time he came to see me.
"Holy fuck!" I screamed, the words slipping out before I could even think. I covered my mouth with my palm, unable to get a hold over my tongue.
“Hii Sunflower!” He said with wide smile adoring his lips.
And before I knew it, I jumped into his arms. The overwhelming rush of emotions hit me all together, joy, disbelief, relief.
Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably as I clung to him, unable to suppress the waves of emotion.
I continued to sob quietly as he guided us inside, his arms firmly holding me. He gently shut the door and locked it behind us, sealing us off from the world.
Holding him close, it felt like time stood still, and for the first time in a long while, everything felt right again.
Us!
Just the two of us!
“I missed you so much, Vayu!” I managed to whisper in between my sobs as he guided us inside, and settled us onto the bed.
I found myself nestled comfortably in his lap.
He brushed a tear from my cheek and softly replied, "I missed you too, Sunflower! More than you can imagine."
Resting my head on his shoulder, the world outside seemed to dissolve, leaving just the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat and the warmth of his embrace.
In a choked voice, I said, "I can't b-believe..tu yahan hai m-mere..p-paas!”
He pulled me closer and murmured, "Shh..don't cry jaan! We’re together now, and nothing else matters.”
He reached for the bouquet he had brought, a soft smile playing on his lips as he handed it to me. “Dekh iss baar Rose, Lily, Daisy,...mm Tulip, or Sunflower, itne saare flower laaya hoon! Tujhe konsa pasand hai?” he said his gazing moving between the flowers.
And before I could answer he picked one of the Roses and, with such tenderness, tucked it into my hair.
He leaned in, his lips pressed a gentle kiss on my forehead, "Beautiful, just like you," he whispered softly, his voice warm and comforting.
I lifted my head to meet his gaze, and the sight of his eyes filled with tears made my heart ache. It was rare to see him cry, and in that moment, the weight of the past year, the distance, and all the unspoken emotions hung between us.
His voice was soft, almost breaking. "I didn’t realize how much I needed this, how much I missed you, Sunflower!”
I reached up, gently wiping away the tear that escaped down his cheek, my own eyes welling up again. "We made it through," I whispered, my voice trembling. "We’re here, together."
He nodded caressing my back as I curled deeper into his embrace, feeling his arms tighten around me. "I was so scared, Vayu!” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"Scared that this distance will drift us apart!”
He pressed his lips to my forehead, his breath warm and reassuring. "No distance could ever change my love for you, Sunflower! His heart only beats for you!”
I buried my face in his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing. "I didn’t know if I could make it through sometimes. I just wanted you here."
He gently tilted my chin up to meet his gaze. "You’re stronger than you think. We both are. And now, I'm back to you! And I’m not going anywhere."
I let out a shaky breath, the tension slowly easing from my body. "Promise me," I whispered, my voice trembling with the vulnerability of the moment.
He gave a small smile, his thumb tracing circles on my back. "I promise. Always."
.
.
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To be continued.
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