The end

12 years later

"Anand Uncle!!" Ragini called from a little distance. Anand turned to look at the grown up girl who looked almost the same as Sanjana, yet her eyes always remembered them of Rajiv.

Anand rubbed his eyes to look at her carefully then he looked at the clock. It was almost 11 at night. Because of a tired day, he fell asleep early. But what the hell she was doing at this hour?

"Ragini......how did you enter the apartment?" Avantika looked at her with awe.

Yes, Anand and Avantika got married after six months of Drishti's coma. Anand was happy about Avantika but not having Drishti beside him hurt most. He prayed day and night for her to wake up. The person who never used to go to temple, went everyday to pray. Because only the Almighty could help him. But maybe he never listened.

"I just happen to have the keys. Raunak uncle gave me before going to Texas. And Dad is waiting outside. Let's go." Ragini pointed through the window where Deep was waiting beside his car.

"Ahh!! Like dad, like girl. You guys will be the death of me." Anand gritted his teeth.

"Did you forget? Raunak uncle's flight will land soon. We need to go to the airport. He's coming from Texas." Ragini huffed.

"He's not a kid that we need to go to recieve him everytime. that's his city, he knows it well. Let me sleep." Anand pleaded. But how could he say no to Ragini? Of course he got changed and started with them.

After Drishti went to coma, Raunak shifted the house. It was the same house where Rajiv wanted to stay together. Now deep, Mitali and Ragini stays there and Raunak too when he comes to Kolkata.

He gave his attention into business more after that. That's the only way to flow with time. Because every single second reminded him he needed to wait for Drishti.

Raunak stays in India for half a month and the other half he goes for business trips. And each time he comes back, he buys one book from each renowned library he visits. His bedroom is not full of books like Drishti liked.

When they spotted Raunak, Ragini hurriedly went to hug him tightly. Sometimes Deep felt Ragini had strongest feelings for Raunak. But he never minded. Blood is thicker than water and he knew it. And he didn't hide anything from her. With the passage of time, she forgot a lot of things. Still the picture of Sanjana and Rajiv hang on her bedroom besides Mitali and Deep's.

When they got into the car, Ragini made a pout, "Uncle I wanted that Harry Potter series from you. You didn't give it because you gifted it to aunty."

Raunak smiled faintly, "I brought you a new set."

"But I wanted that. I wanted her memories."

"Rag, you can take other books, but not that series. Let it be with me." His eyes moistened instantly, "You know that was not her age to read Harry Potter. I thought our kids will read it.......ah!....I thought I will tell her the real reason when we will have a kid in our embrace. But that cruel girl is still sleeping. She didn't wake up. Just let that book with me. I am attached to it."

Raunak never said all these before. He used to keep one book of that series in his bag always and he still had it. But his words surely affected the others. Ragini didn't know what to say. She understood she shouldn't have pestered him for that. Deep and Anand also wiped their tears.

After driving Anand home, that went to their house. The moment Raunak entered his bedroom, it smelled like Drishti. Actually it was nothing unique, it was just those book, smell of new and old books and naphthalene. He looked st the photo frames hung on the wall, most of them were taken by Dhruv.

In some, Drishti was with her friends, in some she was with him, some with deep, Rajiv, Anand or Manav. Some old photos with Dhara and Mayank. That was his life now, only those memories.

Her friends also couldn't forget her. Aditya still studies her file everytime just to make sure when she wakes up, she will be okay. Rishi learnt to cook food, specially those she liked to prepare. Mohit kept all of the design of Raunak and Drishti's wedding with him. He never wanted to lose it. And Dhurv kept all of the pictures he had but one thing changed, he used to stay on marine trips more. He comes to India rarely.

Ragini didn't talk much after returning home. She straightly went to her room and started drawing not caring about get freshened up. Mitali noticed her unmindfulness but health was important.

"Rag, what are you drawing now?" She peeked at the paper in it was a butterfly. The butterfly used to be Sanjana's tattoo on her wrist.

Ragini turned her head to look at her, "That's the thing I watch dreams about. Every night angle comes to me and shows me a lot of butterflies. Mom didn't leave me , right? She's with me, huh?"

Mitali bit her lips not wanting to cry. She never wanted Ragini to forget Sanjana. But seeing her in pain like this, it hurt.

"Yes, Sanjana Di comes to you." She said in a shaky breath.

"Then why doesn't Drishti aunty comes to Uncle? Did she leave him?"

Her questions made Mitali more weak. She didn't know how to reply, "Drishti is here with us. She didn't leave us. She's just sleeping."

The storm had calmed down a lot ago. But the destruction it created still hurt them. It uprooted their shelter. They were still suffering.

Raunak took that book out from his bag. He never said to anyone but there's a reason he kept it always with him and that was the lyrics of Bangla song of Tagore Drishti wrote at the end.

"Tokhon ke bole go sheyi probhate neyi aami. 

Sokol khelaye korbo khela ae aami 

Notun namya dakbe more, 

Bandhbe notun bahu-dore, 

Ashbo jabo chirodiner aye aami. 

Tokhon amaye naiba mone rakhle, 

Tarar pane cheye cheye Naiba amaye dakle. "

(Translation: And who says I shall not be there on that morning 

I shall be omnipresent in all proceedings. 

You will call me by my new name, you will bind me with new chains. 

I shall come and go eternally, the same me. 

So you need not remember me anymore 

Staring up in the skies, you may not recall me anymore. )

Really, who said she was not with them? She was Drishti, the light into their darkness, the light to show them way. She was their reasons to live. She thought them to be strong. She was the smile in pain. She was the touch of enjoyment in sorrows. She was alive, she was alive in their hearts.

Raunak had only one hope, she could wake up any time. and he was waiting for her, he waited for 12 years. He would wait till death.

Because she was his first love, his wife

She was the arranged bride of that jerk of a CEO.

....

THE END