CHAPTER 25: FORGIVE ME, MY LOVE

CHAPTER 25: FORGIVE ME, MY LOVE

The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden hue through the sheer curtains of their bedroom. The room was quiet, save for the soft ticking of the clock and the rhythmic hum of the ceiling fan. Pia sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her kurti. Arjun stood near the balcony door, lost in thought, his silhouette bathed in the fading light.

She had remembered everything.

Every stolen moment, every promise, every touch, every tear. The night of the accident. The child they had lost. The second pregnancy. Her paranoia. Her accusations. And worst of all—the fear and distance she had created between them. A painful ache settled in her chest.

"Arjun," she finally whispered, her voice barely audible, as if she was afraid it might shatter the fragile silence between them.

He turned around slowly. His eyes met hers, filled with both caution and longing. He had been waiting—waiting for her to look at him the way she used to. Waiting for a sign that she remembered the love they shared.

Tears welled up in Pia's eyes as she stood and walked toward him, her steps hesitant at first. When she was close enough, she reached out and gently placed her palm on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'm so, so sorry, Arjun."

His breath caught in his throat. He didn't say a word, letting her continue.

"I hurt you. I doubted you. I accused you of something terrible. I pushed you away, even when all you did was love me. I forgot us... I forgot the life we built together. And you... you bore it all with so much patience."

Tears slipped down her cheeks as Arjun gently held her face in his hands. "You were in pain, Pia. You were confused. None of this was your fault."

She shook her head stubbornly. "No. It may not have been my fault, but I still broke your heart. I saw it in your eyes every time you looked at me and I didn't remember... when I said cruel things... when I tried to leave you." Her voice trembled. "And yet, you never stopped loving me."

His hands slipped around her waist as he pulled her into a warm embrace. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing softly, and he pressed his lips to the top of her head, holding her as if afraid to let go.

"You're everything to me, Pia," he whispered against her hair. "There's nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you."

Pia looked up at him, her eyes red and glistening. "How are you so perfect?" she asked softly, brushing her fingers along his jaw. "Even after all that, you stood by me... even when I forgot our baby, you protected me from the pain. You made me feel safe."

Arjun kissed the tears off her cheeks, and then gently cupped her face. "You are my world, Pia. I would walk through fire for you."

Her breath hitched as she leaned in and kissed him—softly at first, as if seeking forgiveness, as if asking for his love once more. But Arjun kissed her back with the passion of a man who had waited too long to hold his wife like this again. His arms wrapped around her tightly, and he lifted her effortlessly into his embrace, carrying her back to the bed.

As they lay side by side, Pia's fingers traced the familiar lines of his face, her touch gentle, reverent. "I missed this... I missed you," she said.

"You were always with me, Pia," he replied, his voice husky. "Even when your mind forgot, your heart remembered."

She smiled faintly, her eyes shimmering. "I want to start over, Arjun. From where we left off. I want to be yours again. Entirely. Fully. Mind, heart... and soul."

"You always were mine," he whispered, kissing her deeply. The kiss grew more intense, more emotional, as their bodies pressed together, melting into each other like two pieces finally made whole.

Pia's hands explored the familiar curves of his chest, his shoulders, his back. She felt safe again. Loved. Wanted. As if no pain could ever touch her when she was in his arms.

He kissed her forehead, her nose, the corners of her lips, whispering her name like a prayer. "Pia… my Pia… I love you more than life."

"And I love you, Arjun," she whispered back, lips trembling. "Forever."

Every kiss, every touch was a promise. A memory rekindled. A pain soothed. They made love slowly, reverently—rediscovering each other, forgiving, healing, cherishing.

Later, tangled in the sheets, Pia lay with her head on Arjun's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. She drew small circles over his skin, her legs wrapped around his under the soft coverlet.

"I still can't believe I forgot so much," she said quietly.

"You remembered at the right time," he murmured, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I don't ever want to forget again. Not a single second of our life together."

He smiled and tilted her chin. "Then we'll keep making new memories. And if you ever forget again..." He kissed her softly. "...I'll help you remember. Just like tonight."

Pia giggled through her tears and kissed him again—this time deeper, longer, like sealing a promise with her soul.

Outside, the night air was cool and gentle. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow over their world.

But inside that room, time stood still. Wrapped in each other's arms, with hearts bare and love renewed, Arjun and Pia had found their way back to each other.

And this time, nothing could break them.