Rekindled | ✓

Chapter 25. Self-love

🎶 Jaane Kyun and Roohdaariyan (play after 💓)

Published on 18.12.2022

❝ jo rote-rote de hasa,
tu hi hai vahi,
jaane kyun, jaane kyun dil jaanta hai,
tu hai toh i'll be alright. ❞

🥀

Self-love was one chapter Inaaya had never written and now wanted to.

As she sat in front of her Mom who was oiling her hair and massaging her head, watching Alisha, Nikita and Kartik share abundance of stories and incidents, making her feel as if she was actually being a part of it, she felt a cocoon of love engulfing her.

Inaaya had her legs bent at her knees and arms wrapped around them. She felt content, calm, free. They all were present at the unoccupied flat which belonged to her family after she refused to return to her house. She knew Alisha and Nikita won't have much of a reaction on it but it was her brother who surprised her, more like shocked her. He accepted her word, didn't argue or try to push her, didn't question her, suggested them to come over to this flat rather than having a get together at Alisha's place and moreover, even convinced their mother for this and not only that, he made sure she didn't budge her daughter and end up upsetting her.

It was unexpected, hard to digest because nothing in her life ever seemed to happen smoothly. She mentally thanked the miracle which instilled so much change in his brother.

Inaaya's heart swelled to listen to her people speak with so much mirth. She would laugh or smile in between but didn't say a word or interrupt them. Even if she had something to add, she kept it to herself. The moment she was living in, watching it pass by her eyes felt like a song playing, a song which you never want to end, a song you knew would end and she was scared to miss even a tiny tune of it by the blink of her eyes or the clink of her words. She wanted to collect every bit of it, savour it, engrave it with all the minute details so she could revisit them and relive them.

"Won't you say something?" Her mother inquires, pulling her back with her hair lightly, eliciting a wince from her.

"Ouch, Mom!" She whines, making everyone chuckle. "I'm tired, too tired to even speak," she answers with a weary tone.

"Ofcourse, you would be." Kartik grumbles like a grumpy kid. "You were too busy arguing with me earlier," he mutters under his breath but everyone heard him nonetheless, arousing curiosity within them.

Inaaya scoffs. "I was just being professional and doing what I felt was right for us," she retorted referring to the company she worked for, aware that her brother was annoyed because of Ayansh.

"What are you two talking about?" Nikita questions, glancing between them.

Inaaya and Kartik both shook their head in dismissal at the same time and shrugged, "Nothing important."

Another round of chuckle follows their synchronisation.

"Bhai, I can't believe you confessed to Nikita in front of Alisha," Inaaya speaks, an undertone of humour lacing her voice, bringing them all back to the topic they were talking on.

Alisha guffaws in an exaggerated manner. "That wasn't the worse part. You should've seen Niki's reaction." She didn't even try to mask the laughter that kept bubbling through her.

"Shut up, Alisha." Nikita grits, her face flaring in embarrassment.

"I also want to know the story," Anita chimes in, interest sparking in her eyes.

"Mom," Kartik says, staring at her helplessly and she simply urges Alisha to spill the tea.

Alisha controls her laugh as she speaks. "The man," she points at Kartik, "says I love you to this woman," she points at Nikita who was looking anywhere but at the four of them, "and the woman replies with "like a sister right?"