Thnx Albeli_26 for the gorgeous book cover 😚😚😚

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'Wait for me...I vl b late'

'Hv ur dinner...it might take anthr hour or 2 fr me to return....bt stay awake'

'DON'T sleep...it's an order'

She re-read his messages infinite times as her heart began thudding loudly in anxiety. Why was he asking her to wait for him? What could he be upto? She kept thinking of reasons. She had many negative thoughts and a few positive hopes. She shrugged the negative ones and tried to stick on to the positives but the jittery feeling simply refused to go.

She had exhausted herself by walking around the room, biting on her nails, peeping out through the window every once a while, when she saw him parking his car in their reserved parking space. She wiped her sweaty palms on her black kurti and giving herself a pep talk about staying calm, hopped down the stairs to get the door for him.

"Tumne dinner kiya?"
He asked after she collected his blazer and laptop bag from him.

"Haan...aapne kaha tha na"
She said knowing he would be miffed if she had stayed hungry for him even after being asked to have her food.

"Good. Mera khana room me le aaogi please? Mai tab tak fresh hoke aata hoon"
He said before leaving to the room.

"Ahhh...ab jaake pet thanda hua. Aaj ka din bahut tiring raha"
He stretched his muscles after a satisfying dinner.

"Sab theek hai Raman?"
Ishita who was waiting for him to spill out the reason for his insistence to keep her awake, finally asked.

"Tum batao Ishita... Sab theek hai?"
He threw her question back at her.

"Matlab? Mai...kuch samjhi nahi"
Ishita tried to gauge the meaning of his question.

"Mai bhi toh matlab hi samajhna chahta hoon Ishita, tumhare badle badle vyavhaar ka, tumhari is berukhi ka, tumhara baat bina baat ke mujhse door jaane ka, tumhara aise mujhse nazrein churane ka"
He listed his observations in the past few days.

"Kuch nahi hai Raman"
Ishita concentrated on the left over food on the table and wanted to escape under the pretext of putting them away.
Raman held her wrist forcing her to take her place back on the couch.

"Mujhse bhago mat Ishita.
Mujhe dar lagta hai"
Raman expressed his fear making Ishita lift her gaze and look at him in shock.

"Aise chounk kyun rahi ho? Kya tum nahi jaanti ki tumhara mere paas hona mere liye kitna maaine rakhta hai?"
He asked looking intently in her eyes.

"What is bothering you Ishita? Is it about Adi? Kya abhi tak tum us counsellor ki baaton ko lekar chal rahi ho aur mujhse door rehne ki koshish kar rahi ho?"
Raman put forth his first suspicion.
She shook her head in no and he was relieved his lecture on the new year had not turned futile.

"Kya Adi ne phir se tumhe kuch kaha?"
His second doubt was out and she denied that too.

"Is it about Shagun?"
He very calculatively asked to which she just looked down without nodding her head and he knew the answer was a yes.

Shagun! Urghh! He cursed the woman mentally who was unnecessarily making him waste his energy on her and was being the cause of every wrong thing happening in his life lately.

"Kya kiya Shagun ne? Mai use chodunga nahi"
He gritted his teeth.

"Usne kuch nahi kiya Raman. It's just me and my insecurities"
She admitted timidly and narrated how her nightmare and the little things that took place before and after that had fanned her insecurities.

"Mai aur Shagun? Ewwww.... Soch bhi kaise liya tumne"
He cringed at the very thought.

"Pata nahi"
She pouted.

"Yaar please apne imagination ke ghode is direction me mat chalao"
He folded his hands and she sheepishly said sorry to him.

"Ishita"
He said and took her hands in his turning serious
"I am extremely sorry. Mai samajh nahi paaya ke tumhare dil me kya chal raha hai. Trust me, mai kabhi soch hi nahi sakta tha ki Shagun ki harkatein aur uski presence tumhe itna affect kar sakti hai. I took this issue for granted kyunki mujhe laga ke tum achhe se jaanti ho ki Shagun ab meri life me exist hi nahi karti. I am really sorry... Kahin na kahin maine bhi tumhari insecurities ko badhaya hai. I am sorry"
He apologised.

The honesty in his eyes moved her and she felt foolish for thinking he would ever want to reunite with Shagun.
"I am sorry Raman. Maine aapko galat samjha. Mera woh dream aur phir....."
She began to explain herself.

"Ishitaaa....Kya mujhe tumhe ye batana padega ke mai tumse kitna pyar karta hoon?"
He asked.

"Haan Raman aapko batana padega. I need an assurance Raman. Mai pehle ek baar kisi se jhooti ummeedein rakh kar haar chuki hoon, phir se usi daur se nahi guzarna chahti thi mai. Aapke dil me kya hai ye bina jaane mai kaise aap se ye ummeed rakh paati ke aap mujhe akela nahi chod denge"
She broke down holding her face in her palms unable to hold back anymore.

"Heyyy"
He called out affectionately and put his arm around her pressing her close to his body "dont cry baba" he comforted her.
"Listen"
he said cupping her cheeks and making her look into his eyes
"Dekho meri ankhon me aur poocho apne dil se kya inme use tumhare chehre ke alawa kuch aur nazar aata hai?"

He placed her hand above his heart saying
"Suno meri dhadkanon ko aur batao kya inme tumhe tumhara naam goonjte hua sunayi nahi deta?"

He brought her face close to his and said
"Mehsoos karo meri saanson ko aur kaho kya inka tumhe choone par tumhe mere jazbaat ka ehsas nahi hota?"

He then held her arms and said
"I love you yaar. I love you so much"

Ishita stared at him in awe as happy tears rolled down her cheeks. Overwhelmed with his confession, she fell on his chest and emptied out her fears and insecurities in the form of tears. He held her close and let her do the needful without interrupting.

"Yaar...tu toh Adi se bhi zyada nadaan nikli jo ye samajh baithi ke mai aur Shagun phir se ek ho sakte hain. Adi ki tarah tujhe bhi counsellor ke paas le jaana padega kya ab"
He teased in an attempt to lighten her mood after her breakdown.

"Unghh"
She whined pushing him away.

"Waise yaad hai Madrasan jab Sanjana ke mamle me tujhe misunderstanding hui thi, aur maine poocha tha ki tu jealous hui hogi tab tune kaha tha ki tujhe meri zindagi me apni jagah ko leke koi confusion nahi hai.
Toh ab kya hua?"
He asked with a wink.

"I don't know.... Shayad isliye ke aap aur Shagun 6 saal tak happily married the. Aur phir sab kehte hain na ke pehla pyar bhulaya nahi jaata. Shayad wahi sab mere dimag me ghoom raha tha"
Ishita said wiping her tears.

"Pehli baat - mai aur Shagun married the, but not happily.
Doosri baat - pehla pyar bullshit.
Pyar, pyar hota hai, chahe pehla ho, doosra ho ya teesra. Par asal maaine pyar ke tab hote hain jab woh sahi insan se kiya jaaye. Sirf wahi pyar hai jo bhulaya nahi jaata aur bhoolna chahye bhi nahi. Samjhi na?"
He cleared her misconception.

"Hmmm"
She nodded her head in agreement inspired by the new dimension of love he had explained to her.

"Aur phir dekha jaaye toh tu hi mera pehla pyar hai. Kyunki mujhe Shagun se kabhi pyar tha hi nahi. Jo mai Shagun keliye feel karta tha woh sirf ek attraction tha. Un dinon jaisa mai dikhta tha, koi khoobsurat ladki mujhe bhaav hi nahi deti thi. Aur jab ek khoobsurat ladki ne mujhse shadi karne keliye haan kardi, toh mai uspe lattu hogaya aur usi ko pyar samajh baitha"
He analysed.

"Waah kya analysis hai"
Ishita mocked as she did not seem convinced.

"Sach keh raha hoon. Trust me"
He was being honest.

"Chalo maan liya ke Shagun keliye aapke dil me jo tha woh sirf attraction tha. Toh aapko ye kaise pata ke aap mere liye jo feel karte ho woh pyar hi hai and not attraction towards my beauty?"
She asked.

"Oh hello! Tumse kisne keh diya ki tum khoobsurat ho?"
Raman was back in his Ravan avtar pulling his Madrasan's legs.

"Hawwww"
Ishita glared and threw a cushion at him.

"Arey yaar gussa kyun ho rahi ho? Mai sach hi toh keh raha hoon"
He ducked to save himself from the cushion bullets being fired at him.

Seeing her cushion attacks being wasted, she charged towards him ready to strangle his neck.
"Is galatfehmi me mat rehna ki tum khoobsurat ho"
Raman said holding her hands in time and added earnestly
"Kyunki tum bahut zyada khoobsurat ho. Aur tumse zyada khoobsurat hai tumhara ye dil jo apne dushman ka bhi bura hote hue nahi dekh sakta. Aur mai chahta hoon ke is dil me jahan sabke liye bahut saara pyar hai, usme Ruhi ke baad, sabse badi jagah meri ho"

"Sach hai ki Ruhi ki bahut badi jagah hai mere dil me, par is dil pe sardaari toh sirf Ruhi ke Papa yaani mere pati Raman Kumar Bhalla ki hai"
Ishita replied
"I love you too Raman. I love you a lot"
She too confessed her love to him.

After the heartfelt confession and a soul searing hug, they parted away and decided to call it a night. Raman asked her to wash her tear stained face while he went to the kitchen to put away the dishes of his dinner.

He found her settling on the couch with her pillow and the duvet when he returned to the room.

"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?"
He asked.

"Sone ki tayyari Raman"
She stated the obvious.

"Woh toh mujhe dikh raha hai. Par don't you think ke ab tumhe is couch pe sone ki zarurat nahi hai?"
Raman stated.

"Aahhh...ummm....It's ok"
She hesitated.

"It's not ok" Raman pulled off her duvet and threw it on the bed. He then bent down and scooped her in his arms.

"Aap kya kar rahe ho?"
Ishita gasped in shock.

"The king size bed is waiting for it's queen"
he said and placed her gently on the bed
"so is the king"
he added with a wink.

She blushed like never before under the affect of his intimidating remark, his impassioned closeness and his intense gaze.

"Don't worry mai kuch karunga nahi" he assured her and took his place on the other side of the bed keeping a fair amount of distance between them.

He lied on his side facing her and admiring her through his eyes when she forwarded her hand and clasped it with his arm which he had placed in between their pillows.

With the distance between their hearts being covered, they knew the physical distance between their bodies would soon be covered too. But for now they were just satisfied with the guarantee of being there for each other which was sealed with their confession. They pressed their fingers around each other's palms with a serene feeling of contentment as their hearts sang
Tu mere paas toh hai na!

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