Officially mine [ MINE series book#1 ]

CHAPTER 31

AUTHOR'S POV:

A guy sat by the cliff with his feet dangling off below. Loud thunder could be heard, but it didn't start raining yet. He stared into the rough sea clashing with the cliff. He found peace here. He felt his emotions mirroring the sea: angry, frustrated, and guilt-ridden. A few droplets of water fell on him.

He looked up at the sky as the drizzling started, droplets of water covering his face. Most people would run and find shelter by this time, but not him. He sat there.

He heard a phone ringing as he turned around. A car was parked some distance away, and the phone inside it was ringing. He dragged himself up as if he had no energy left, making his way towards the car and sitting down.

The screen flashed brightly as he squinted his eyes a little before picking the phone up.

"Where are you, Ayaan?" the person on the other side said with a sigh, probably knowing what Ayaan was feeling right now.

"I'm on my way home, Papa," he said in a low voice. He hadn't cried, but his voice had turned hoarse.

"Okay, come safely," he replied, cutting off the phone as Ayaan threw it on the seat beside him.

He kept his head on the steering wheel, the pain rushing back in. It wasn't physical pain; that would go away with medicine. It was the mental pain that buzzes in your head until it drives you crazy. And it had driven Ayaan to the edge.

Ayaan's POV:

I kept my head on the steering wheel as the memories came rushing back. After Heer's departure, everything changed.

Me, my family, my friends, my life, everything!! My family got to know about Heer's disappearance the day after. I had told them everything, and the disappointment in their eyes haunts me to this day. My dad didn't talk to me for five months before we did talk, but just because of Maa. While Maa did talk, every time I looked at her, I remembered Heer and how close they were... how I fucking ruin everything. So I also kept my distance.

My friends, on the other hand, did stay beside me, but there was a distance I had noticed. And they had all the right to do so too. I didn't deserve a bit of anything.

Ishaan had been working endlessly trying to find the slightest clue about Heer, but every night getting the same message, 'No update yet,' killed something inside.

I had confronted Heer's mum the next day, in front of everyone. First, she denied it, crying and making a drama. But soon, the evidence was kept in front of her, and she knew she was caught. I had never seen Uncle this broken. He was in the business world with us for so long, but I had never seen him like this... so betrayed. When Uncle asked her the reason, she simply shrugged.

"You love her more than me. I thought your father-daughter drama would lessen after I got her married... but no. Every time you just have to boast about her, right?" she said, and Uncle snapped, calling security to get her out of the house with her stuff.