TejRan : A Little Beyond Forever

Part-25

Disclaimer : All the characters written below are imaginary and a work of pure fiction. There is no resemblance to any incident or situation and is written as work of fiction.

"Ban liya apna paigambar....tar liya tu saath samundar....fir bhi sukha man ke andar kyun reh gaya...." He hummed softly looking at the rain.

"Karan...." She said softly placing something on the table in front of him.

It was the lock that she had bought from Pont des Arts or the love lock bridge.

He looked at the lock kept on the table in front of him. On the golden shiny metal with blue ink , it was written Karan and Tejasswi.

Karan licked his dry lips immediately as his heart started to race. He looked up to see her face.

"Umm....i don't know how exactly to put this...." She said slowly. "I told you right that i am fond of you....i don't know how it turned into a...." She stopped and said nervously. "Crush may be?"

He looked at her blankly taking in everything. He knew what she felt for him. He was not a fool to not see it but he had never expected her to express it in front of him.

"You are a very good person...." She said looking at him.

Not a lot people in my life say that.

"Someone with a good heart....i don't what exactly made me start to like you....umm....yeah...." She said restlessly.

Karan gulped and licked his lips again and avoided her eyes.

"Teja i...." He stopped and looked at her hoping that she would get him like she does , always.

"I know....i know you don't feel like that....and i am completely okay with it...." She said immediately.

His face relaxed immediately.

"I know you consider me to be one of your closest friends....you feel comfortable with me...." She said softly. "And i do not want or expect anything else from you trust me....i just told you this because i didn't want to lie about this....in the sense umm...." She stopped to search for the right words. "I didn't want you to keep taking me as a friend while i kept liking you....i want to give you the option to choose to walk out of this friendship if you are uncomfortable with this truth...." She said honestly.

He took the lock and fidgeted with it quietly.

They sat in silence for a few seconds and he took a sip of his wine.

"I would never want to let you go because of this...." He said putting the lock in the pocket of his jacket. "Having said that i appreciate your honesty....i do....but then...." He looked at her guiltily.

"I know....i get you...." She said softly.

He gave a small smile.

Kaisi teri khudgarzi na dhoop chune na chaao
Kaisi teri khudgarzi kisi thor tike na pao....

"Chalein?" He asked sweetly as the cruise stopped.

She nodded happily and got up and they got down.

"You think we should buy an umbrella?" He asked frowning as it was drizzling lightly.

"I don't think we will need it....it is a light drizzle right?" She asked frowning.

"Fair enough...." He muttered as they started to walk.

He put the cap of her hoodie on her head making her pout.

"Whattttt?" She frowned.

"Shhhh....laddoo kahi ki....if your hair gets wet you will catch cold...." He said sternly.

"Tu aise teacher banta firta hai nuh...." She huffed angrily and he pinched her cheeks.

"Chai peeyegi?" He asked looking at a cafe.

"At this time of the night?after dinner dessert and wine?" She rolled her eyes.

"So?" He asked amused and went to the cafe pulling her with him.

They sat by the window and had their tea looking at the drizzle.

"You know i have this tattoo....have you seen it?" He asked out of the blue.

"Yeah everyone has....somebody likes to show off his chest...." She rolled her eyes making him chuckle.

"It says fakira...." He said with a smile.

She looked at him and tried to understand the emotion behind his smile. And it took her no time to guess that.

"You think it suits you?" She asked softly.

"That's why i made a tattoo right?" He asked shaking his head hopelessly.

"And you think this is how you will be for the rest of your life...." She said softly.

"Was that a statement or a question?" He asked immediately.

"Both...." She said looking into his eyes.

"Matlab?" He asked immediately.

"A statement considering this is how you think now....a question considering will you ever allow yourself to change?" She said still looking into his eyes.

He looked away immediately into the rain.

"It is better i stay like this....it is better for people around me....i have only ended up hurting people whoever has come into my life...." He chuckled.

"No you didn't...." She said immediately.

He looked at her immediately.

"You didn't hurt them....they themselves did....they expected you to keep them happy....when we do that we burden the other person with a huge responsibility and nobody can take that for a long period of time....and that is why relationships fall apart....any kind of relationships....we should be responsible for our happiness....or else we will be disappointed and we will be responsible for that hurt....not the other person....even in friendship...." She said softly.

He looked at her and nodded after taking in everything that she said.

"I don't think not a lot of person thinks like that....even i don't....i give my key to happiness to the other person...." He said smiling.

"That even i do....that's what i am saying....and then we get disappointed....hurt....we all do get hurt....but the reason is us....not the other person....that's what i said....you have not hurt anyone....they hurt themselves....and you have only hurt yourself...." She said softly.

He looked out again. The sun was about to come out. The night was over. And so was his time with her. He had no idea when he would get this chance again in life with her. May be a few more times in this trip. And then may be never. And he smiled at that thought.