The Last Note [ON HOLD]

17. THE LOVE THAT STILL EXISTS.

Ajey's P.O.V:

The Bhardwajs somehow managed to convince my parents to stay here until their son's wedding. And so, my family and I were gonna stay here now for the next seven days, until new year, actually. I know, my work's gonna suffer real bad amidst all this. But thank God, my appearance in the fest is still not at risk.

For the same reason, I was allotted a separate room which was for guests, here. We were already served with the dinner and so, all tired and exhausted of everything that took place today, I quickly freshened up and took a shower before sinking into the soft mattress of the bed.

And this was when my overthinking took over me.

She's back.

Trishika Bhardwaj is back.

I just hope this all is just a bad dream and when I wake up, I'll be back at home again.

As much as I might avoid speaking about her to my people or even restrict my mind to think about her, I still do that. I can't control it.

The maximum I've ever done to not allow myself to think about her is to remind myself about the pain I had to suffer throughout my teenage years as a consequence of whatever happened seventeen years back.

Lekin kya karein? Dil toh bacha hai. Aaj bhi kahi na kahi, sirf usi ke liye dhadakta hai.

When we met online a few weeks back, I somewhere hoped to actually see her, even when I said I didn't. I hoped to see her after seventeen years and just get to know if she was doing okay. I also even promised myself that now that she's back, I won't ever let go of her.

As much as I hate to admit it, but somewhere, I still loved her, on that day. And I still do, to this very day. She's the reason why I'm still alive, or I would have killed myself when I was seven, only.

What made me try to kill myself was her. But what kept me alive and away from the thought of suicide was also her.

When we shifted back to Faridabad from Lucknow, seventeen years ago, I was a hell depressed child. And why wouldn't I be one, when I lost my only best friend, the only one who understood me without judging, the only one who made me do the silliest things for her as a kid? Nobody could have ever made me do things for themselves, that she made me do. Afterall, I was the "arrogant and rude" kid.

From going to pay her weekly visits on Sundays, in their previous house, along with my dad, whenever he came to meet Akhil uncle for work, and helping her clean her room, to plucking flowers from her garden for her, just to end up getting scolded by her gardener. All so that she could put it in her hair and click pictures of us from her polaroid camera. I did the silliest things for her!

Not because I wanted to make myself valuable in her eyes, I know I already was. But to feel that happiness when I saw her smiling face because of me. All I did for her was an outcome of pure love and innocence.

I didn't even know and eventually started liking her more and more, with each passing day. And when we got separated, I couldn't bear the pain of losing her, and that too without being able to say her a last goodbye.

When I came back to Faridabad, my birth place, Maa and Papa had to leave Yash and I with our grandparents, so that they could go to the capital to get a new job now.

The thing was, when I was a year old, Maa-Papa left Faridabad and came to Lucknow in search of bigger opportunities. Maa got a job as a head medic in a well-reputed hospital in Lucknow, whereas Papa started working as the head of the legal advising team for Akhil uncle's company. And as time passed, our parents grew to become close friends and not just a formal, business relationship. Papa would take me to their place every Sunday so that he could talk with her father regarding the work-related stuff, whereas I could meet Trishika, my new and only best friend here.