Against All Odds

finally, oh god!

**Knock! Knock!**

This time, the knocking was louder, more insistent. Frustrated, Kabir stomped towards the door, yanked it open, and his anger evaporated in an instant. There, standing in front of him, was Liza. Was he dreaming? His mind couldn't process why she was here.

"Kabir, oh god! I've been trying to contact you since morning. Where have you been?"

Her voice was urgent, but Kabir couldn't hear a word. Everything seemed to blur except for her face. *How could she still look so beautiful, even when she's angry?* His thoughts spiraled as his emotions surged within him.

"You came to my house. Siddharth told me," Liza said, pulling him out of his daze.

"Siddharth?" The name brought him crashing back to reality. *That must be the guy.* His jaw clenched, and his heart ached all over again.

"Liza, I really don't want to talk to you. You can go back home." His voice was cold, distant.

But Liza stepped forward, her eyes pleading. "I want to talk to you, Kabir. Please, just hear me out. After that, if you never want to talk to me again, I'll leave."

Kabir's defenses cracked slightly. He didn't want to be hurt anymore, but he was too tired to argue. "Liza, please... how much more are you going to hurt me?"

"Hurt you?" she snapped, her frustration breaking through. "What is your problem, Kabir? Why can't you just talk to me like a normal person?"

"You had a boyfriend all this time," Kabir finally blurted, his voice heavy with accusation and pain.

"I never had a boyfriend, Kabir!" Liza yelled, her own voice cracking with emotion. "Oh my god, you're impossible!"

They were both shouting now, emotions running high, tears forming in both their eyes as the words poured out.

"I never had a boyfriend!" Liza repeated, her voice shaking.

Kabir was furious. "What about that guy, then? The one I saw?"

Liza's anger faded, replaced by exhaustion and sadness. "Dad was unwell, Kabir," she said quietly, her voice breaking. "That's why I had to leave. Siddharth—he's our landlord—he was just helping me with packing and everything. I didn't want to burden you. Why are you like this? Why are you so immature?"

Liza's emotions overwhelmed her as she sank onto the nearby sofa, her hands trembling. Kabir stood frozen, his heart heavy, the truth slowly sinking in. *She didn't have a boyfriend.* His head swam with confusion and regret.

Kabir took a deep breath, his hands trembling as he looked at Liza, his heart in his throat. "You call me immature?" he asked softly, his voice laced with raw vulnerability. "Fine, I'll admit it. I *am* immature... but only with you. Because with you, Liza, I don't know how to be anything else. You bring out this side of me I didn't even know existed. But if you want me to be mature, if that's what you need—I'll try. I'll be whatever you want me to be. But the truth is, I don't even know how to function anymore."

His words came faster now, the floodgates open, every ounce of emotion spilling out. "I can't sleep, I can't eat. I can't think straight, Liza. Since the last time we talked, you've been in my head, in my heart, and no matter how hard I try, I can't push you away. Even when I was with Dhriti, when I should have been focused on someone else, all I could think about was *you*. You've taken over every part of me—my thoughts, my dreams... I've never felt like this in my life."

His voice cracked, but he pushed on, needing her to understand just how deeply she affected him. "I thought it would fade, that maybe I was just infatuated. But it hasn't, Liza. It's only grown stronger. Every day, it's like I'm sinking deeper into this feeling I can't control. I'm losing my mind here. You've made me lose my mind, and I don't know how to stop it."

He paused, his chest heaving, his emotions overwhelming him. "I've never wanted anything in my life this much. Not success, not approval—nothing. But you? I want *you*. You've become everything I pray for, every single night. And I don't even believe in God like that, but I'm on my knees begging, asking for just one thing. For you to be happy, for us to work. For *us* to be together."

Kabir's voice finally broke completely, and tears brimmed in his eyes as he dropped his head, the weight of his confession crashing down on him. "I love you, Liza. So much. More than I ever thought was possible. Please, just... help me. I don't know how to do this without you."

He sat there, vulnerable and exposed, waiting—hoping—his heart laid bare at her feet, knowing that whatever happened next would change everything.

The room felt still. The weight of his confession hung in the air as Liza, her heart torn apart by his words, reached out and pulled him into a tight hug.

The world outside seemed to disappear. Time stopped for both of them as they held each other, the pain of the past few days melting away in their silence.

"I like this immature Kabir more than the serious one," Liza whispered, her voice gentle and full of warmth. "Stop trying to be so grown-up all the time."

They both broke into soft laughter through their tears, holding each other tighter, finding peace in the middle of all the chaos.