8 Chapter 8: The Only Hope

It was almost 8 PM. The wind blew through the silent brownfields on either side of the road. The truck's head light appeared in the water that stopped on the road — Abhi's truck travelled through it. It indicated that the rain has just stopped.

The stars appeared through the clouds; Akshara enjoyed watching them. Her eyes clearly indicated that she was eagerly waiting to see the glow-hills. The road which they travelled on welcomed them with many curves and mounts. After travelling for a long time, they reached a top of the hill that looked normal. When Akshara was guessing if that was the glow-hill; Abhi turned off the headlights. It was the first time she had experienced such a majestic view. Slowly glow worms started appearing from nowhere. The entire place was covered with thousands of them. Abhi got down from the truck, walked to the Akshara's door and opened it. He held her hand gently and gestured to get down. Akshara heart was filled with lots of love. She did not know how to enjoy the amazing view. She kept her hands close to her mouth and shouted very loudly. She stretched out her arms and ran towards the glow worms and shouted "Abhi I love you … "

Abhi had never seen Akshara so happy. She was enjoying the place like never before. She looked at him and shouted, "— Abhi come here …".

Abhi walked to her; she was standing at the edge of the hill. The stars and Moon in the sky magnified the place's beauty. No other person was shown anywhere except them. They spent time shouting at the edge of the hill. Slowly, Abhi looked into her eyes and grabbed her with both hands and held her close.

— A moment of silence passed —.

Akshara was surprised with it. She looked into his eyes; almost for 2 minutes. She smiled and whispered, " What are you going … " Before she finished saying, Abhi hugged her tightly, closed his eyes and kissed on her lips. It was the first kiss from his side. The kiss lasted very long. It was their first kiss in a moonlight; probably the best moment of their lives.

When they were enjoying the best day of their lives — It started drizzling. Akshara looked up at the sky and whispered, "Abhi … it's raining …" Abhi moved his arms close to her waist and lifted her up and walked to the truck. Akshara held her hands around his neck and looked into his eyes — her mind was running with a thought … " How he turned so romantic …"

It was almost Midnight and it was pouring heavily. Abhi hugged Akshara tightly and sat in the next seat of the truck. They both rolled inside the blanket. Akshara looked up at the sky and whispered, " Abhi …"

" — ha …" he said, gently.

" why do you love me so much,"

" You would have jumped from the truck the day you were leaving the village," she said smiling.

" that's what I did … but I couldn't reach you …"

"I was lost somewhere in the jungle."

"I ran for you so long… and Johnson found me the next day," said Abhi gently.

He intertwined her fingers and whispered, " I don't even know why I love you so much …"

Early Morning:

The birds on the trees fluttered their wings, signaling that the downpour had stopped.

— Abhi was sitting at the edge of the hill by the time Akshara woke up with the sunbeams on her face. She was amazed to see the majestic sun rising in the east — he was gleaming huge with a bright orange color. She got out of the truck, stretched out her arms and walked towards him.

"— It's so beautiful," she said from behind.

Abhi slowly looked into her eyes, and gestured to sit next to him. Akshara sat down next to him — she grabbed his left arm tightly and clung to him.

— They together enjoyed watching the rising sun.

It was almost 8AM — Akshara kept her left hand on her chin and was enjoying the trees and clouds leaving behind. Their return journey welcomed them with many curves and mounts, and one side of the road was covered with beautiful blanket flowers. Akshara did not know that the place would be so beautiful in the morning, because it was dark when they arrived. She smiled as she looked at the blanket flowers — she remembered the day Abhi had given her the same flowers near the school.

"— Do you want those flowers?" Abhi asked, smiling.

"How do you know… Have you read my mind," she asked in surprise.

Abhi stopped his truck and walked across the road to fetch the flowers. Akshara was looking at him who was struggling to cut them.

— Unexpectedly, his truck, which was parked on Steephill, started sliding. Abhi did not know what was going on — he was busy cutting them.

— Suddenly, Akshara screamed out his name very loudly.

Abhi turned back. Everything was shattered for a second. The truck was sliding down on the road. his eyes widened with shock. The flowers in his hand fell under. Without a second, he shouted "Aksharaaa", and rushed to grab the truck — but he couldn't. The truck picked up the momentum. Akshara was scared. She did not know how to get out of the moving truck. Abhi tried hard to catch up, but he could not reach it.

"— somebody help ..." he cried very loudly for help.

At that moment nothing bothered him, his weakness, fear, everything became warden. His mind was running with only one thing — to save her.

For a moment, the peasants working in the brown fields heard his cries. They came from their places and saw the truck slipping off the steephill. Abhi was running very fast behind it. Without wasting a single second, they jumped onto the road and grabbed the truck from the front and put pressure on the legs. Luckily the truck stopped. Akshara fell unconscious by the time Abhi rushed to see her. He had no idea what had happened to her. Tears welled up in his eyes when he saw her unconscious. The farmers convinced him that everything would be fine and took her to the nearest rural clinic in Vithura.

Rural Clinic: Vithura

After a while Akshara regained consciousness and opened her eyes, she was lying on the bed, Abhi was sitting next to her and some people were looking at her.

"Abhi, will I die?" She asked innocently.

He grabbed her fingers, put his head on it and cried, " No, nothing will happen to you."

"— Nothing … will … she just fell unconscious."

"Such a drama," said the doctor walking from there.

Akshara looked at the doctor seriously.

"Abhi you speak…" she said excitedly moving from the bed.

"Do not move Akshara," he said.

"— She can …" shouted the doctor from outside.

Everyone in the clinic laughed at their love affair.

"—How did the truck move," he asked.

"I don't know, I touched something, it's like ..." she said.

"—Handbrake," he said with a smile and tears in his eyes.

"What would happen if you didn't scream," she asked.

"—No weakness can stop me from you ... You are my only hope." he said.

" Abhi do you marry me," she asked.

He nodded his head and said, " I was waiting for this …"

— Master got to know about the incident and rushed to the rural clinic. He was surprised to see Abhi talking to everyone, tears rolled in his eyes and he thought what had happened was for the good sake.

Next day Morning:

The next day Abhi and Akshara started their journey back to Vinnur. They were waiting at the railway gate, like everytime he waited while going back to work. He was eagerly waiting for the train to arrive this time. When the train arrived, TITLE got off and started barking. Abhi also got out of the truck, put his head close to his mouth and shouted very loudly. Akshara did not know why, but she had never seen Abhi so happy and excited.

Time Night 8PM:

Akshara's grandfather was helping her grandmother pick up clothes from the front yard. Akshara and Abhi reached there at the same time. They got out of the truck and walked towards them. Her grandparents were very happy to see them.

" — Can I marry Abhi?" asked Akshara.

Her grandfather was surprised. He looked at his wife and waited for an answer. She nodded that she was OK.

"We'm glad to see you both ..." he said ruffling her hair.

"Abhi, is anyone coming to our wedding other than from Vithura?" Akshara asked.

Abhi smiled and said, " I hope … ".

The day passed so fast with their conversations — Akshara's grandparents teased Abhi — Akshara prepared them tasty food and TITLE ran all over the house very happily. The whole scenario looked like a beautiful family.

Morning:

Abhi was driving on the road with his pet, TITLE. He was looking at each side of the road searching for something — His eyes made it clear that he had visited that place before.

— After traveling for a long time he reached a place which looked like a school. He got out of the truck and walked to it. The name "Little kids Orphanage" says everything about why he was smiling.

" — Little kids Orphanage …"

" If I had known its name before, I would have found Vinnur long back," he said staring at TITLE.

He looked towards the main gate and there was a man sitting inside, the same guard he had last seen Abhi. But he was now older, some part of his hair had turned gray and the wrinkles on his face were more than usual.

Abhi walked towards him.

"How are you?" He asked looking at him.

The watchman wondered who he was. He did not recognize him; Abhi was a kid when he last saw him.

"Who are you?" He asked in surprise.

"Abhi & TITLE" Abhi said with a smile.

After many years Watchman had seen him — he was overjoyed to see him. He got up from the chair and hugged him tightly.

"How are you… Abhi" he said emotionally.

"I'm fine"

"I came to see you," said Abhi.

"I know you will become successful ..." he said happily.

Abhi spent time talking to him, he shared his memories and the past he had spent so many years. He invited him to his wedding.

— But something reminded him suddenly.

He looked at him and asked, "hmm … I have to ask you something … How do you know my name?"

The watchman smiled, walked to his room and came back with a book. He gave it to him. Abhi eagerly opened the book, in which he wrote "Abi".

— Tears rolled up in his eyes as he saw it, it was tears of joy.

"— What's your full name?" asked the watchman.

"— Abi"

"Abirath Srivastav" Abhi said with a big smile.

He walked back towards his truck and drove back to his village. The watchman waved his hand and was very happy to see him again.

.

Night 9PM:

By the time Abhi arrived there, Akshara's grandfather was waiting at the farm gate. He was surprised to see him.

He got out of the truck, walked over to him and gestured " Namaste".

"Can we take a little walk?" He asked.

Abhi shook his head in surprise, yes.

"I do not know if it is right to say… but What do you think if Akshara 's parents do not come to marriage?" He asked.

"Why? Did they not like me? He asked.

"I hope they ..."

"But ... they died when Akshara was at the age of 19" he said taking a deep breath.

Abhi was shocked to hear that. He believed they were alive these days. Akshara never said anything about this.

"I know you don't know this."

"It took us almost a year to come out of the darkest day of our lives"

"Akshara started working as a teacher to forget the past ..."

"We left our village and came back here ..."

"She refused to marry anyone ... because she felt they came to marry because she is beautiful or out of sympathy ..."

"We are worried what will happen to her in the future."

"But when you came ... Akshara was so happy ..."

"We have never seen her happy before ..."

"We always hoped to see you both marry," he said.

" I promise …"

" I will take care of her … she is my only hope …" said Abhi.

Akshara's grandpa ruffled his hair gently and said,

"You are her only hope ..."

Abhi smiled in silence and they walked very long.

Wedding day:

Everyone at the Akshara's house was busy. Gabriel and watchman was helping Abhi dress in their traditional chrisitan style. TITLE too dressed. He was very happy with that.

That morning everyone reached the church at the hill .Abhi and Akshara walked inside the church, it was the first time Abhi had entered the church.

The church father performed prayers and vows and asked them to exchange the rings.

But Abhi had something in his mind, he cleared his throat, sat on his one knee and said with a ring in his hand, "Akshara … I have been trying many days to propose to you … do you love me .."

Akshara smiled with her right fingers close to her lips and showed her left ring finger. Abhi put the ring on her finger, it was the best day of his life.

Everyone at the church was very happy to see the couple and blessed them to stay forever like the names they have carved on the same church a long time ago — and here is how our story ends.

********

— Now don't ask me a question … Why TITLE is still alive.

— Who in this world really wants to lose those beautiful souls of our lives … I don't … I hope my TITLE lived long..