Krishnapriya Devashree

54.The Reunion

To the keeper of my heart, my dearest Sri,

As I pen this letter, the ink flows not just from my quill but from the very wounds of my heart, reopened by our separation. The agony of being apart from you is more excruciating than I could have ever imagined.

Sunset without you feels like a reminder of the warmth I've walked away from. I keep thinking about you standing there in the cold morning air, looking so lost and alone. It breaks me. I should have walked back, pulled you close, and told you everything was going to be okay. Instead, I left with so much left unsaid, and it's eating me up inside.

Out here, everything reminds me of you. The wind through the trees sounds like your laugh, and the stars at night are the sparkle in your eyes. I talk to you in my head, recounting my day, imagining what you'd say back.

It's silly, isn't it? But it's the only thing that makes being away from you bearable.

I miss you fiercely, Hridaye.

I miss the fire in your eyes when you talk about things you love, the way your face softens when you smile at me, how you challenge me and make me a better man. Leaving like that, the way we did, it wasn't right. I should have stayed, listened more, and held you. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused. It wasn't fair to you.

I am lost, Priye, lost without your guiding light. You're in my heart, guiding me, comforting me. I hope you can feel my love reaching out to you across the miles, wrapping you up, telling you I'm sorry, telling you I love you more than words can say.

When I come back, I promise things will be different. I'll make sure never to stifle that incredible spirit of yours. We'll face the world together, side by side, as equals. I want to support your dreams Priye not hold you back. I need you to know that you mean everything to me, and I am so sorry for not showing it the way I should.

Please wait for me, my love. I'm coming back to you, and I'm bringing my heart, hoping you'll still want it.

With all the love I have,

Krishna

Clutching Krishna's letter-its words etched deeply in her soul-Devashree moved with a sense of urgency that her recent confinement had seldom allowed. The echo of her footsteps seemed to punctuate the quiet with her resolve.

She rapped urgently on Balram's door, her knuckles drumming a steady, insistent beat.

The door swung open to reveal Balram, his expression one of confusion and sleepy irritation, his hair tousled, and his eyes barely open.

"Dau, you're taking Revati Jiji to her mother's tomorrow, correct?" Devashree cut straight to the chase, her voice laced with a compelling urgency.

Balram, still clearing the fog of sleep, nodded slowly.

"Yes, but... it's the middle of the night, Devashree. What brings you here at this hour?"

Without pausing, Devashree plunged forward with her request-or more accurately, her declaration. "I need to go to Kampilya, and you will take me with you. It's on your way."

"What? No, that is not possible. You need rest."

"No dau, I assure you I am telling you exactly what I need and that is to go to Kampilya.

"Devashree, this is madness! You cannot just decide to gallivant across the kingdoms on a whim. Krishna would have my head for allowing it," Balram's voice boomed in the quiet of the night, filling the corridor with his concerns.