Abhira- Finding our way home

The Three Days-Part 3

Akshara

*Akshara wakes up with a severe headache the next morning...

As she looks around, she finds herself in an unfamiliar room. Before she can make out where she is, Abhimanyu enters with a glass of lime water*

"What--what am I---?" She gets embarassed.

"You were really drunk last night and I had no idea where you were staying so..." He replies, trying to act all calm.

"Uhh...thanks...I usually don't-"

"You don't owe me an explanation" he smiles and gives her the glass.

*She gulps down the lime water and looks around trying to avoid the awkwardness

After a few minutes, she tries to get up to leave.*

"I should leave..." She tries to act normal.

"Yeah, but you should eat something first. You haven't eaten anything since last evening" he says, sounding a little concerned...

"Umm, no-"

"Alia, I won't force you to stay here after that. But I'm not letting you go without having breakfast" he says seriously but then smiles looking at her child-like face.

"Alright... I'll just freshen up..." As soon as she tries to get up, she feels a severe pain in her right foot...

"Ouch..." She screams in pain.

"You almost fell down last night, I think you had hurt your foot then" Abhi says as he moves closer to examine her foot.

*He gets the first aid kid and gives her the basic medical treatment*

"Come, I'll take you to the bathroom" he says while giving her a hand...

She reluctantly holds it and takes support "thanks..."

As he leaves her outside the bathroom, she goes inside while he goes to get breakfast.

Akshara

Have you gone crazy Akshara? How can you let him take care of you? When did you become so weak that you needed another person to take care of you?

Why didn't you leave immediately? Why didn't you say No when he offered to help!

You don't need anybody Akshara, you don't need anybody!

She tries to fight the thoughts running in her head...

But he has been so kind... And he helped me last night...if it had been someone else, anything could have happened...

No Akshara! Stop! Emotions are a weakness.

First people get close to you. And then they leave! All of them!

But what if he's-

No, he's not different. They're all the same. People leave. They hurt you.

"Alia?" She hears him calling.

*She quickly washes her face and steps out to see him carrying a huge tray full of different food items*

"I didn't know what you like so I ordered all this" he says, a little embarrassed.

She giggles and sits on the bed and starts chewing on a garlic toast...

"It's my last day in Goa" she says, all of a sudden.

*At first, he doesn't reply but after a minute, he starts speaking*

"You know Alia, I'm the person who likes everything planned. I always want to know what's going to happen next...

But for the first time in my life, I don't care... I don't care about what's gonna happen tomorrow...

Because for once, all my focus is on the present. My attention is completely on this moment. So if you're leaving tomorrow, we'll think of it tomorrow.

But for now, can we spend the day together?

We don't have to do anything fancy, I'm okay with whatever you like."

He looks at her with hope in his eyes and even though Akshara can sense trouble, she cannot stop herself "You're right, let's focus on today"

*For the next few hours, they binge watch comedy movies while laughing their asses off...

As Akshara sees Abhimanyu laughing, for the first time ever in a very long time, she feels something- hope.

Hope- something she refused to let inside her heart. *

xx

"Alia, I know you said we shouldn't share anything...but I'm thinking... Can we share just one thing...

Something I can remember you by? Something that doesn't tell me anything about your personal life but tells me something about you?" Abhimanyu whispers as they sit in the balcony of the room, watching the stars.

*They had watched movies all day long and after eating a large pizza, they were now chilling in the balcony, sipping their beers...*

*Akshara looks at Abhimanyu's innocent face and smiles*

"You drive a hard bargain, Dhruv" she teases him. "Okay..." She takes a huge sip of her beer and begins...

"The day you thought I was committing suicide, when I jumped off the cliff...

I actually-- I'm afraid of heights... I needed to get over that fear...so I had those drinks first so that I could relax a little and when I felt a little better, I decided to fight that fear by doing exactly what I was afraid of...falling from a height..." She gets a little serious but when she sees him looking at her, she immediately lightens the situation..."but of course you had to come to my rescue" she laughs.

He too laughs..."okay I'll go..I never wanted to come on this trip... You know why? Because Neil and Parth did not decide and plan the trip in advance, they made an instant plan and asked me to come along...

But now that I think about it, there was a plan. Not mine or Neil's or anybody else's... But destiny's...

I was supposed to meet you..." He says while holding her hand and when she does not protest, he intertwines his fingers with her...

The beer makes them both a little tipsy...

"I know we may never meet each other again Alia, but I will never regret meeting you" suddenly the air becomes full of sexual tension...

*Before he can say anything, she kisses him hard on the lips... They kiss passionately as Abhi lifts her up and carries her into the room...

They lie on the bed and kiss each other with passion...

"Alia, I just want to hold you and rest... it's been so long since I have slept peacefully...I want to be at peace" he says, locking his eyes with hers...

"Rest, Dhruv..." She says as she moves her fingers in his hair and hums a song...

"Alia, I-" Before he can say something, she puts a finger on his lips and shuts him up...

"Shh...I know" she whispers and he doses off...

*Tears start streaming down Akshara's face as she looks at him...

She knows she has gone too far this time and there's no way she can leave this place without getting hurt...

But now, she needs to do what she always does. Leave. Leave before it gets impossible to leave.

She kisses his forehead and takes a last, long look at him before stepping out of the room...

She is ready to leave another city, but this time, she will take a souvenir along... A memory of her Dhruv in her heart...*

Author's note: Hi guys, please share your feedback and let me know if you liked the update :')