Chaahat || چاہت ✓

Ep VII [Ishq]

Flashback / 10 years ago

Ekansh was standing near the railing of the bridge, looking down at the river. He was scared but still stood closer to it, his grip on the railing tightened, and his eyes blurred with unshed tears. Exhaling a shaky breath, he moved back from the railing, saying to himself, "I... I can do it, I can do it" before taking off his glasses.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and put the glasses back on. As he took shaky steps towards the railing, a voice halted him in his tracks. "Wait!" He frowned when he saw a girl running towards him with a box in her hands.

Once she was near him, she extended her box towards him and said, "We're collecting donations for Sunshine Dog Shelter. It would be a great help if you could contribute," her voice filled with genuine warmth.

Ekansh looked at her with a mix of confusion and surprise. Here he was, contemplating ending his life, and this girl was asking for donations for a dog shelter. The contrast was stark, and yet, something about her kind eyes and sincere smile made him hesitate.

"Sunshine Dog Shelter?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The girl nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. "Yes, it's a local shelter that rescues and cares for abandoned dogs. They provide them with the love and care they deserve."

Ekansh glanced down at the box in her hands, filled with coins and a few notes. Without fully understanding why, Ekansh found himself reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of notes, dropping them into the box. His eyes met the girl's in that moment.

"Take care of those dogs," he said softly, his voice laden with something akin to hope.

The girl nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, and here," she took out a card from her pocket and handed it to him, "the address of the dog shelter. If you ever want to adopt one, you're always welcome."

He looked at the card in his hands before glancing at her. She looked young, maybe seventeen or eighteen.

"Will you be there?" he found himself asking.

"I'm sorry, what?" She adjusted her glasses before taking a step towards him to hear him clearly.

"Never mind, what's your-"

"Priya, beta, hurry up!" someone yelled from the other side of the road.

"Yes, papa!" she yelled back before turning towards Ekansh and giving him a smile. "Thank you again."

With that, she walked away, leaving Ekansh standing there, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. He looked back at the river, but this time, the desire to jump had dulled.

"Priya, Priya what? Shit, how will I find her now?! Wait, the card!"

*****

Days went by, and Ekansh always went to the Sunshine Dog Shelter. He wanted to talk to her but never got the courage. He admired her from afar, the way she carried the puppies around the field, scolding the puppies cutely when they fought with each other.

He started to smile quite often these days, daydreaming about her. He would imagine their conversations, the jokes they would share, and the bond they could potentially have. It was a new feeling for Ekansh, something he hadn't experienced before.

One Sunday, he gathered some courage and went to Sunshine dog shelter, to talk to her. He set his hair with some gel, he wore his most expensive jacket and a tone of cologne. He looked at himself in the mirror before taking off his glasses.