Love Me...Once Again

CHapter 18

It was 10 AM and all sat together in Nirali's apartment as Amisha locked the door. ''I wanted you two to discuss in private but you guys don't know how to make things simpler. So , here we all are. Whatever happens today will decide where you two go from here. Lakshay, who was he girl Nirali caught you with?''

That bought a wave of shock. Lakshay frowned, ''What girl and when did this imaginary thing happened? Are you trying to prove that I am the reason all of that happened? Grow up Nirali, just say we are over.''

''Really? There was no girl, I saw you Lakshay. The very same day Riya was taken away by her parents , I saw you hugging that girl. You never hugged any one, not even your friends. You were not the touchy type then why were you hugging her Lakshay. I stood there, waiting for you to notice me but you kept consoling don't know who. How long Lakshay? How long were you 2 dating? Is she the reason you never came back or your friend Varun convinced you to break my heart like he broke Riya's''

''DON"T! Its between us.'' Lakshay warned. He had seen how bad Varun had gone before he and his friends pulled him up.

''THEN ANSWER ME DAMMIT...WHO WAS SHE?'' Nirali's anger surprised Lakshay and her friends. They had never seen her this mad. Riya understood that the unsaid emotion had gone deep and now it came out in form of anger.

''No one, I don't even remember. Are you just making his up.'' Lakshay questioned her. Before Nirali could retaliate, Varun intervened. ''She was Vanya, our classmate.''

''Who Vanya?'' Lakshay asked

''Really, you were hugging as if you were 2 bodies one soul and you don't remember her.'' Nirali mocked

''Lakshay, she thought she was in love with you. She threaten to commit suicide if you refused her feelings.'' Varun added

''So! When did I hug her.''

''You didn't. The day whole fiasco happened with Riya. Vanya decided she needed to speak her heart.  She had been weird for sometime, believing unknown would happen to her  and teachers had asked her parents to come and get her. They thought she was acting. Until it got worse. That day, everyone was talking about Riya and me. They discussed you and Nirali as well and something triggered her. Vanya went hysterical .Long story short, I wore your jacket that day and it was me who hugged her to calm her down. She was then admitted to an asylum .'' Varun concluded 

Naman and Arun rubbed their foreheads. They were angry but were controlling for the sake of Lakshay. ''You know what the problem is?'' Riya voiced the thoughts of everyone one. 

''You two never bothered to discuss anything. You had all. Good partners, consenting families a beautiful life but no. You were missing a villain so you created one of your own. Your imagination about what other wants created the rift. Lakshay believed Nirali wanted out and Nirali , she just decided that Lakshay was no more in love with her, without even discussing the same with him. And what should I say about you?'' Riya took a pause. ''Nirali was your world but you forgot she has an individual world as well, you wanted to design her world and make her like it.''

''Both of you knew each other's whereabouts but none bother to reach the other one out.'' Riya pressed her heart. ''Nirali, every  living creatures dream of having a kind of love that stays for ever. You had that kind of love, a man who made you his world. You are not aware how men give fake promises and then break hearts. They crush their partners but he stayed loyal. You think Lakshay never had options, he did but you were his only dream. Don't throw it away.'' There was again a silence. ''We will give you two some space, but pls be logical.''

Amid all this Amisha still wondered how two people could be so in love and yet egoistic. There were people who would do all for the love of one person they desired the most and here, these 2 hadn't spoken because of their own prejudice and beliefs. Nirali believed Lakshay cheated on her and was not good for her because her friends' heart was broken by his friend, and Lakshay believed that she wanted the distance.  Amisha wondered if she would ever had had the kind of Love Nirali had, what would she do for one such person to accept her the way she was.  She took a deep breath to follow others out and found Naman's eyes on her and she found her cheeks heating up.

***

Riya stepped out and others followed. Naman's and Arun decided to get a cup of a coffee. They asked others and Amisha followed. Varun shared a look with his friends and they walked away with a nod. 

Varun stood at a distance , his eyes watching the girl who loved him with all the innocence and he broke her heart. The girl he knew was innocent pure and had a golden heart and gave all she had and he ruthlessly walked over it.

RIya stood leaning on the window, her back to Varun. She knew he was behind her. She had always known of his presence. There was a time she would breathe the air he was in. She hated the fact that her heart still felt him and wouldn't turn ice to his presence .She hoped he would walk away but he seemed to be have frozen

''Riya!'' He called out. No response came and he hesitated to call her out again. ''What you said in there....about moving on.'' He took a pause. There was so much he wanted to ask but couldn't form a meaningful sentence. Varun shut his eyes tight, he had heard from other about what Riya went through and that made if more difficult for him to face her. ''Riya, have you really forgiven me? Have you moved on?'' He gathered all his strength to ask the final question. 

Riya felt rage filling her blood, this man was responsible for what she was today. She had changed, she was no longer the girl with dreamy eyes and a positive heart. She was practical, a way to practical. She didn't believe in dreams, miracle and magic. Life had been hard and she had learned her lesson the worst way possible. She wanted to hurt him the worst possible way . She wanted him to feel the pain she felt for all those years. But No, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that she was still living the pain.

Riya took a moment before she turned and stood facing him, her face devoid of all expressions. ''Do I Know you? And what forgiveness you are talking about. I don't remember a thing.'' Riya's cold voice slashed his heart deep. She stood opposite to him, her face devoid of any expression but he could still read  a hint of mockery in her eyes. He deserved it, all of it.

Varun took a step, he smiled a little and then nodded. ''Its fair.'' He lost his balance, falling on his back. Varun felt his anxiety kicking in. He heart mocked, he deserved all of it. He killed that girl who loved him with all her heart and now when he loved her she seemed to frozen her heart. He looked at Riya once, she had turned away from him. Varun walked like a drunk man, he tried the elevator but his fingers shook violently. He had to get away to stop this mad beating in his head. He moved towards the staircase , his brain pushing him to escape. He took 2 at a time and somewhere lost his balance rolling off the stairs. Varun felt a hard impact on his head , but he had to escape.

''Need to check on Varun, he cannot be alone with her.'' Arun said , he excused and started towards the building. What happened and why he couldn't understand but his speed doubled. Arun wanted to take the elevator but looking at the crowd, he took the stairs and then his heart sank. His friend sat cowered in a corner his head bleeding. Varun's breath came shallow. ''Varun, look at me. Its okay, there is no one.'' But Varun stayed frozen. 

''Naman, 10h floor stair case. Come fast.'' That was all Naman needed  and Amisha followed. Lakshay walked out hearing the emergency in Arun's voice but before walking out, he gave one last look to Riya. She stood in a corner , her back to him. ''Everyone deserves a chance.'' lakshay said

''I am no more the good one.'' Riya closed the discussion and decided to join Nirali. Once Lakshay stepped away, Riya let go s breath she had been holding. She gently wiped the corner of eye crossing her fingers. 'No one cares of pain. People are happy that someone is in pain.'

She recalled a lesson life taught her and stepped into Nirali's flat. ''You fine?'' Nirali asked

''Why should I worry?'' She gave a cold smile before excusing herself to use he washroom. Nothing will make her forgive Varun.

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Broken Beads- pls suggest more titles for Varun and Riya's story