Thank you for your lovely votes and comments on the previous chapter❤

Sonal's POV:

(In the car)

We have been driving to the city outskirts for the past one hour.

The moment we retired from our room Arjun has never left my hand.

Even in the car, he was clutching my hand in his as if I would run away from him.

I kept staring at the feared Arjun who was looking outside the window lost in his world.

As my one hand was clutched by him I rested my free hand over his only to get his attention.

He looked at me with his innocent baby face that was reflecting his scared state and my heart clenched seeing him in that condition.

Lifting my free hand I placed it over his cheek and blinked my eyes gesturing that I am with him.

He too placed his hand over mine that was cupping his cheek and blinked his eyes as I did and his lips formed a thin line.

And the car halted and Mohan Bhaiya announced "Bhaiya we have reached"

And the next moment I could see his expression changing within a fraction of seconds. His eyes again recharged with a hint of fear.

Sensing his discomfort I made him move out of the car.

It was barren land and I could see 3 more cars parked.

Holding his hand we strolled further and I found a set up of Pind Daan Kriya.

A man of my Baba's age performing the vidhi in front of the photo that depicted a Woman of age 20+.

My eyes rolled to check out the people over there.

I saw Maa...Badimaa (Raghav's mother) and one more lady same of my Maa's age standing along with them.

Next, I saw My Baba and Raghav standing opposite them.

With a number of questions attacking my mind we stood next to Baba and Raghav.

Arjun was just constantly staring at the picture standing like a solid rock.

Who's the lady in the picture??

With my free hand, I held his forearm and his hold my on other hand tightened.

It took me no time to realize that he is going through something very bad.

I made sure to make him feel my presence every passing second.

"Bappa please give me the strength that I can make him stand strong"

While I was praying closing my eyes, Raghav whispered something really shocking and unexpected in my ears that made my eyes bulge out.

"The lady in the picture is Arjun's Mother"

I looked at him in disbelief for which he just shook his head.

If Arjun's mother is no more in this world then who is the lady to whom Aaru addresses as Maa??

While I was confused with the happenings around me I heard the priest saying "One by one all of you join your hands and pray for her soul"

As he said one after the other everyone present there paid homage kneeling in front of the photo.

Now it was our turn and suddenly my heart raced thinking about my baby who was standing next to me clutching my hand.

"Arjun Jao Beta" (Arjun Go Son) Rubbing his back Baba gave him some strength and then he looked at me with his tears brimming in the corner of his eyes.

I could feel that he was struggling hard to hold back his tears.

At that moment I hated that feeling to the extreme core. I wished to kill the person responsible for his pain. I hated to see him being vulnerable.

But composing myself I made him step forward and kneeling we paid homage joining our hands.

Opening my eyes I found Arjun still being in the same posture with his chest moving up and down as if he was resisting his tears that were dying to flood out his heart.

"Arjun" I called him softly placing my hand gently over his shoulder and he stood up with a jerk and rushed to the car.

"Sona don't ever leave his side..he needs you the most" Raghav said for which I looked at them with tears pooled up my eyes and Baba just nodded his head.

Wiping my tears I hurried to the car and found Arjun sitting quietly watching the view outside the window.

Taking a seat next to him I asked Mohan Bhaiya to drive us back home.

He was still facing the window as if he was trying to hide his tears. Without uttering a word I clasped both his hand in mine and he rested his head on my shoulder and closed his eyes.

The whole journey seemed like a silent hell to me.

He was battling with his tears only because he didn't want others to discover his broken state.

As soon as we reached home I dragged him to our room and made him sit on the bed.

Positioning the glass in front of his mouth I made him gulp a glass of water.

Unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt I tugged his head on my chest and gathering his huge frame into me I finally ordered him

"Arjun...cry as much as you want"

And the very next second he burst out in tears

In my arms, he wept like a baby.

His hands travelled to my waist and clasped tightly.

His tight hold was the reflection of the great pain that he has been hiding for so long.

My heart ached to see my baby in that vulnerable state. It was like someone stabbing a knife and piercing needles into my heart simultaneously.

Never I felt so helpless before.

I wanted to heal his wound...

I wanted to stop the bleeding of his heart....

I wanted to pull out the core of his pain...

But at the same time, I wanted him to cry...

I wanted him to open up his heart...

I wanted him to free himself from the cage of pain in which he has locked himself...

Crying his heart out was a must at that moment because crying is like a thundershower for our soul....tears can wash away our pain.

After crying, the air around us feels so fresh as if it is welcoming the change in our life. The change that is meant to be in our life....the change that can rewrite our life.

So I let him cry to his heart extent.

With my arms around him, I kept rubbing his back and caressing his head.

After a while slowly he moved out of my chest and resting himself on the bed he laid his head on my lap.

Wrapping his hands around my waist he was snuggling more into my stomach.

My saree veil was wet with his tears.

I kept running my hands through his fingers assuring him that I was with him. I didn't speak a single word because I didn't feel any need for words to comfort him or soothe his pain.

As I was shedding silent tears and running my hands through his fingers he grabbed my hand and clenched it close to his chest and his sobbing became a bit louder.

His heart was beating erotically due to nonstop crying.

Leaning down I placed a lingering kiss on his head and cuddled him for a while.

As my one hand was feeling the wild thumping of his heart...I went on running my fingers through his hair with the other one.

He cried and cried till no more tears were left in his eyes.

After sometime I felt his heart beating at a usual rate and breathing become normal as well.

After fighting for a long with his tears and pain my baby was finally drifted off to a deep slumber.

The area under his eyes was stained and beard was wet with his tears. His nose turned red and lips went dry.

My hand was still clasped close to his heart as if he was scared to lose me.

I wiped his tears with my thumb and brushed off the hairs falling on his forehead.

Moving my lips close to his forehead I placed a soft yet long kiss.

Isn't it said that when someone is going through a storm your silent presence is more powerful than thousands of empty words.

I did the same.

This is it for today my dear readers

Will try hard to post the next part as soon as possible....till then please bear with me 🙁🙁

And sorry if you are not satisfied with the chapter...will try to compensate in the next update.

The prologue part 2 of THE HORIZON OF LOVE has been posted...do read it and let me know your views about the same.