TejRan : A Little Beyond Forever

Part-30

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.

Karan looked at her from a distance. She was with a group of friends. He knew a few of them. He gulped as some memories came back. Memories some of which were beautiful and some that made him flinch.

He clenched his jaw and fisted his palm and that was when he realised that Teja was not holding his hand.

He immediately looked at his right to look at Teja but she was not there. And it took him a fraction of a second to panic. He quickly looked around and took his phone out from his pocket.

"Shit...." He muttered under his breath and called her immediately. She didn't pick up the call and he remembered that her phone was in her sling bag and most probably in silent mode.

He mentally cursed himself for not even noticing that she had left. He didn't even look back at the lady at the distance for once , while she still kept looking at him with her face hardened. He ran to the road to take a cab back to their hotel hoping an praying that she had gone back there.

*****

Teja had taken a cab and gone back to the hotel. She didn't want to overthink anything. She had listened to music on her way back to the hotel and purposely not thought about him. Nothing about him. She had no idea what was happening with them. She had no idea where this would be going , or whether it would ever go anywhere at the first place. She didn't want to screw her mind. Whatever has to happen will anyway happen.

She entered the hotel to find the entire gang chilling in the lawn. She immediately put a smile across her face and went to them. She sat with everyone and tried to involve herself in the fun chat and jamming session.

Karan paid the cab driver and ran into the hotel and saw her with everyone and sighed in relief immediately. He had no idea what he would have done if she wouldn't have been here.

She was laughing with all the people and he smiled a little seeing her laugh and then it hit him.

Didn't she care at all?she must be knowing that she was his ex?that was the reason she had gone away from there right?and it didn't bother her?she is laughing here?

He sighed and went inside the hotel. Teja saw him enter the reception area and was about to get up.

Will it be a good idea to go to him now?

May be not.

She sat back again.

But what if he was not okay?

She thought to herself and got up. She excused herself from everyone and went to the lift lobby. She was nervous and restless. She didn't to invade his privacy and she had no idea what had happened after she had left. She had no idea if they had spoken or not. She didn't even know what to ask him when she would be in front of him.

She reached his room and rang the bell.

He closed his eyes. He knew that it was her.

Finally she remembers.

He opened the door and looked at her with a straight face.

"Yes?" He asked formally.

She was taken aback hearing his tone. And she completely forgot how she had planned to start the conversation.

"Are you okay?" She asked slowly.

"Why do you care?" He asked casually. "You left me there right?alone....now how does it matter?"

"Karan i...." She moved ahead and he went inside leaving the door open. It was the cue for her to go in.

She went inside and closed the door behind her.

"Karan I didn't want to be there because i didn't know whether you would walk upto her or not....had i been there it would have been odd for you...." She said honestly.

"I am sure you have googled me right?i am sure about that....you know about her so you must have googled my previous relationships as well....you said you like me so it is the obvious thing to do....did you?yes or no?" He asked looking into her eyes.

She nodded honestly.

"What are the top links when you google us?tell me...." He asked in a low voice and she kept quiet.

"And you think i would walk upto her and talk?you think she will be cordial with me?you want me to get insulted?" He asked angrily.

"Karan I...." She moved forward and held his arms.

"No tejasswi don't...." He moved back. "You know how it felt to sit at home alone during lockdown....completely alone?because half of my friends for whom i would have given my life believed that i could do everything that i was accused of...." He shouted as tears started pouring down his eyes.

"Karan calm...." Before she could complete he cut her off.

"No i cannot calm down do you get it?do you remember me asking you not to do so much for anyone?you know why this Karan is like this?do you know how i felt for who knows how long?" He sat on the bed and looked at the wall with tears. His face had anger , hurt and exhaustion.

"People kept leaving....i kept quiet...." He whispered. "Nobody stays....i left for the States to stay with my family because the city was haunting me....the most crowded city and i was alone....i woke up alone went to sit alone....the only people with whom i could talk to was my manager , PR and team...."

Teja went and stood in front of him and caressed his cheeks. Before he knew , he was hugging her with his face buried into her stomach as he sat on the bed and she stood in front of him. And he sobbed.

"Shhhh...." She caressed his hair and closed her eyes as tears started to pour down from her eyes.

He hugged her tightly and cried. For the first time after years , he was crying in front of anyone.

"Karan....shhhh....please...." She licked her dry lips and said in a strong voice. She had to be strong now.

They had no idea how much time had passed , he still had his face buried into her stomach but his sobs had stopped now.

"Karan...." She leaned back to see his face.

He slowly left her and wiped his face without looking at her.

"Sorry I just...." He said without looking at her.

"Shhh....you have me...." She said kissing his hair.

He smiled a little and stood up and kissed her forehead.

"I cannot thank you enough for being here with me...." He said softly.

She kept her head along his chest and he wrapped his arms around her back holding her tightly , close to herself , unknown to them of what the next moments will be like for them as she and her friends checked into the same hotel.