The Strangers - Across the Silent Heartbeat-Chapter 15: The Unexpected Guest

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The year passed by. With every turn, Arjun was now labelled as the greatest coder of the university. People were really inspired by his untiring attempts to be better; he became a kind of accidental mentor to many who would turn to him for advice. Himself an introvert, he grew to become one and started to take others along in his journey to improve skills.

That afternoon, the university had planned one big activity the annual Freshers' Day celebration, where new students would be welcomed by big lights and some activities. It was all the more an eventful affair this time, with them inviting a prominent guest to speak before the students.

"There was much tittering on campus, and though Arjun wasn't easily excited about such events, he still ended up going there due to much curiosity".

Finally, the program day arrived. The university auditorium was in a suds. Students, faculty members, and staff all gathered and mixed up so that they could listen to the speech of the guest speaker and be part of the jubilation. Arjun took his seat at the back so that he would be able to observe from a distance rather than being in the limelight. The program commenced with some great performances by the students through songs, dances, and skits.

The zeal became so infectious that even Arjun was caught clapping to the various performances and further stressing to be a part of the student fraternity. After the cultural program, there were the guest speakers, introduced by Anchal Mangal. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is to our utmost honour to have with us our distinguished guest, who lent much in his field of endeavor towards contributing to the society and today still stands as an inspiration to many. Let's hear from our revered speaker!" .

The applause was deafening as the guest speaker moved on to the dais. Arjun's eyes did almost pop when he realized the lady now addressing the audience was Rina, Ayesha's mother. With that, his heart started to race, and a number of emotions came rushing into his mind. What could she be doing here? Would this mean.? Not too long later Rina started to speak, narrating her tale of struggles, success, and resiliency with steadfast determination.

Arjun sat there silently and every word of hers was akin to a hammer hitting his inner self. Even as Rina spoke, he still had his suspicions that Ayesha must have been behind this one way or another. As her narration started to wind down she stopped speaking, letting her eyes pass around the room. "There is one more thing that I have," she continued.

"The perfect occasion to celebrate these new students, but also the connections and their relations that along the way have been forged. I am also standing here today with someone that has become very dear to my heart. Someone that has had some extraordinary challenges—maybe a bit more than other people could understand—yet in facing them, showed greater strength than the rest of us.

" Arjun's heartbeat quickened in his chest. This couldn't be.... "

Rina said, Please put your hands together for my daughter, Ayesha."

The hall burst into applause as Ayesha stepped on the stage. Arjun gasped at the sight of her resplendent, shining-eyed, and brimming over with life. His eyes welled up, and surged within him emotions—which he could hardly leash.

Ayesha's eyes scanned the audience until they found Arjun's. Then her face filled with recognition and happiness and impulsiveness as she jumped down from the stage and waded furiously through the crowd. Students and faculty parted before her, knowing how intense the moment was.

Arjun stood there like a statue, his heart pounding, as Ayesha walked towards him. The world around them blurred; all he could see was her. He felt a great sense of relief when she finally reached up to him; they locked arms and just held each other tight, the tears still streaming down both their faces.

"I'm sorry, Arjun. I'm so, so sorry," chocked Ayesha's whisper.

Arjun held her close, his own tears falling freely. "I missed you so much, Ayesha. I thought. I thought I'd lost you forever."

They hugged each other for what seemed like eternity—providing a duration in which they were utterly numb to all the gazing, teary eyes at their side of the auditorium. The theatre remained quiet, although the impact of it slowly began to rack the brains of all those seated in the audience. Rina was standing there, moistening her eyes out of tears too, all in absolute relief because of this reunification.

Thereafter, she drew a little, gazing into his eyes. "So much I have to explain, so much I have to tell you. But right now, I just have to tell you that I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Arjun nodded back, his heart filled with both relief and elation. "I don't care about the past; I'm just glad you are here with me."

The event continued as normal, but for Arjun and Ayesha, it seemed like time had stopped. They found a hidden spot and began talking, away from prying eyes.

Ayesha started chattering what all happened, ensuing at the moment of the disappearance. "It's just that that morning, when I told you guys that I needed to prepare for the competition, well, I never knew that that was my last chance to talk to you guys for a while," began Ayesha, her voice shaking. "Well, I had a medical emergency. I blacked out, and my father took me to the hospital. The doctors described it as grave, and I lay in a coma for months."

Arjun heard with a rapt attention as each word stung insides of his heart.

"I called you every day, Ayesha. I was shit scared. I thought... I believed you're gone."

"I know, Arjun. I am really sorry for the pain I have caused you," said Ayesha as tears flowed down her face.

"Despite surviving the impact of that accident, I was into months of recovery when I finally woke up from coma. My parents did everything in their power to get me back on my feet. It was a really long and grinding journey, but I survived."

He just pressed her hand softly. "I'm just happy you're here now. That's all that really matters."

They chatted on and on for hours at an end, filling in each other with all that they had missed. A bond once strained by distance and uncertainty was now strong and unrelenting. Ayesha spoke of recovery, hopes, and dreams, and Arjun of struggle and success over time that had passed in between them.

Ayesha gazed into Arjun's eyes, which told her the tender moments of love were giving way to more decisive actions toward the close of the evening. "I want to be with you, Arjun. I don't want to part again. Let's face whatever is left of life together." Arjun nodded.

He had not felt, for a long time, that his heart was full with the sense of completeness. "I want that too, Ayesha. More than anything."

Closing in another embrace, they seal the bond with one another. The path ahead is sure going to be trying, but being together is all that matters. They can thus face anything.

The episode ends by still keeping the audience waiting eagerly and now expecting more from the forthcoming episodes. They look forward to the journey of Arjun and Ayesha in the coming episodes.