The Vows
It was a dark, stormy night and she sat up with a start. The clock read 2 AM. The storm outside couldn’t compare to the one inside her. Glancing at the empty side of her bed, she thought of Rahul again recalling the conversation in the morning when he casually announced that he had to travel to Singapore for a conference the same night. Any other day was fine, but their 10th Anniversary? A decade of togetherness, only it didn’t seem like it mattered to him anymore.
She looked up at the paper framed above their bed. Their wedding vows, she recalled. They had been head over heels in love since college and had written them together. In true filmy style, they decided to frame and hang it above their bed as a reminder of their commitment to each other. She loved Rahul for his thoughtfulness and caring nature. Rahul said he loved her for her simplicity and the calmness she brought into his life. They were a good match she knew.
But something had changed in the last 3 months. Those hushed conversations on his mobile, those late-night messages. Those client dinners and constant travel. He had even taken to locking his phone with his fingerprint scan, something he had never done before. She wasn’t sure if she should talk to her parents or his, they would probably think she was being paranoid and needed to be busier. Not that she was free now, she reminded herself. As a successful fashion start up, she had enough on her hands. But, Rahul would always be her first priority she knew. With thoughts crowding her mind and tossing and turning; she somehow fell into a restless sleep.
The next morning, she dressed in a rush as she woke up late. Grabbing a quick breakfast and a coffee, she rushed to work. Walking in she noticed that the reception was empty. Nina was late again obviously. Grabbing the newspaper from the table, she pushed open the door of her cabin and heard a chorus of “Surprise!”
Her heart did a double take! Her parents, in-laws, friends and co-workers were huddled in her cabin. And in the midst of it all, stood Rahul with a bouquet and waving airline tickets. He walked up to her and said “Ria, I am so sorry for ignoring you for some time now, but it was the only way! You know I share everything with you and was scared that I would give the surprise away. Hence, I started staying out longer. I could see the hurt in your eyes. I clearly remember our wedding vows. We had always said that we will celebrate each decade with a bang and I couldn’t think of a better way. Forgive me please! You are the best thing that’s happened to me. Now is just the beginning, there will be many more decades to celebrate ahead!” Choking with emotion, all she could do was nod and hug him.