Nothing's Real Here ~ It's All An Illusion | A #ShaKhi fanfiction

Part 24 - Delete Everything

Aditya consoled a hysterical Anokhi by rubbing her back and made her sit down on a bench at the side of the big gate. Then he knelt in front of her, a sniffing, crying mess.

"Anokhi, kabtak tum apne aapko aise chot pahuchati rahogi? Kya tumhe abhi bhi proof chahiye that Shaurya is NOT a good influence in your life? Aur kitna apna dil apne hi haath se tudwaogi tum? Whenever you meet him, you are so broken! You are devastated. When will this end Anokhi? I am worried about you!!"

When Anokhi didn't reply, he sighed, "Okay. Maine aaj tak tumse is bare mein kuch nahi kahan because I thought time will set things right. Par aab mujhe waisa kuch nahi dikh raha, so I have to tell you this. You have to delete him from your life Anokhi. It's high time you do it."

Now she looked up into his eyes, questioningly.

Aditya took a deep breath before continuing, "Listen Anokhi, if you really want to forget Shaurya, you have to make it happen. Just delete everything related to him..."

He pointed to her phone.

"He is not even a healthy memory for you to keep. Are you getting my point?"

Anokhi looked at him with wide eyes, "How?"

"Delete his number, block him, delete his photos from your gallery. I don't want to force you but you need to do it for your sake."

Anokhi unlocked her phone as an obedient school girl and went to her gallery. She stared at the folder with nothing but only Shaurya's memories. Yes, she had kept every single photo of their 17 months of togetherness, tucked away in a separate folder. She tapped on it and the memories started flooding in. He playing the guitar, cooking, she sleeping while he snapped her, moments of their intimacy, she posing in his shirt, cute videos of him making faces and her giggles in the background. They looked happy! They WERE happy in their tiny world. Her own happy face in those photos haunted her conscience.

"Delete Anokhi. Just do it..."

Aditya's tone changed from coaxing to desparation. Even a few glimpses of those photos made his blood boil.

Her finger trembled as she tried to tap on the 'Delete' button.

"You know I love you, right?" Aditya's voice rang in her ears, "Do it for me."

Suddenly, Anokhi felt her stomach churn at the words he used. Shaurya NEVER asked her to do anything for him. It was always and always about her, her comfort, her happiness, her pleasure, her pains....

"I...I can't...." She shook her head.

"What do you mean you can't?" Aditya's voice sounded impatient, "You.....you love me, right? Then do it for me Anokhi. I love you too."

"No...I can't. I don't need to." Anokhi tucked her phone away inside her purse and looked up at Aditya.

"I don't need to prove you anything by doing these childish stuff. Mr. Saberwal will always be an important part of my being. And you knew that, didn't you? I have my reasons not to go back to him. I don't feel safe. I don't trust him. I am scared that he will leave me again. But I can't ignore the fact that HE is my first love, the first man in my life. The first man to touch me with my consent, make me feel like a woman. The first person to think of my welfare, keeping aside his own desires. He always put ME first, Aditya. I can't DELETE him from my memory like that. Not for you. Not for anyone. Not even for myself."

Aditya stared at her determined face in shock. After a long time, she sounded like the old Anokhi, the one who could rebuke anyone who tried to intrude in her personal space.

"Well said, my dear!"

A soft yet deep voice made both of them turn. It was Aastha Denis, quietly standing a few feet away, arms crossed, a subtle smile on her lips.