Hate Love Story

15

ONCE KARAN REACHED TEJU'S HOSTEL, HE WAS SURPRISED TO SEE HER WAITING FOR HIM AT THE ENTRANCE WITH A MISCHEVIOUS SMILE ON HER FACE.

TEJU: WELCOME, MY DEAR SLAVE. ARE YOU READY TO FULFILL ALL MY COMMANDS WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS ASKED?

KARAN: OF COURSE, MY QUEEN. I AM AT YOUR SERVICE.

TEJU LED KARAN INSIDE THE HOSTEL, WHERE SHE HAD SET UP A SERIES OF TASKS FOR HIM TO COMPLETE. FROM FETCHING HER SNACKS TO DOING HER LAUNDRY, KARAN OBEDIENTLY FOLLOWED HER EVERY ORDER. AS THE DAY WENT ON, TEJU COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE A CHANGE IN KARAN'S ATTITUDE. HE WAS NO LONGER THE ARROGANT AND MANIPULATIVE PERSON SHE HAD KNOWN BEFORE. INSTEAD, HE SEEMED GENUINELY HUMBLE AND EAGER TO PLEASE HER.

TEJU: KARAN, WHY DID YOU AGREE TO BECOME MY SLAVE SO EASILY? WHAT CHANGED?

KARAN: TEJU, I REALIZED THAT I WAS WRONG IN THE WAY I TREATED YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. I WANT TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU, EVEN IF IT MEANS BEING YOUR SLAVE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

TEJU WAS TAKEN ABACK BY KARAN'S SINCERITY AND DETERMINATION TO CHANGE.

TEJU: I WON'T FORGIVE YOU EVER... THEN WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS.... RUINING YOUR LIFE BECAUSE OF ME.... YOU HAVE UR FAMILY, BUSINESS.... SO JUST GO AND HANDLE THAT NA

KAR: FAMILY AUR BUSINESS KO PRINCE AUR AARU SAMBHAAL LENGE.... BUT I WANNA STAY WITH U HERE....

TEJU: WHY.... JUST WHY? IS THIS JUST BECOZ OF UR GUILT? IF SO THEN I FORGIVE YOU.... NOW PLEASE GO AND LIVE YOUR LIFE AND LET ME LIVE MY LIFE.

KAR: IT'S NOT JUST MY GUILT.... IT'S MY.... NO NOTHING.... UMM SORRY BUT I CAN'T TELL U NOW.... BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I AM NEITHER HERE BECAUSE OF MY GUILT NOR ANY STUPID REVENGE. I AM HERE FOR U AND FOR ME.

TEJU: (CONFUSED) WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHY CAN'T YOU TELL ME?

KARAN: (HESITATING) I...I JUST CAN'T. BUT BELIEVE ME, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK. I'M NOT HERE TO HURT YOU OR USE YOU. I'M HERE BECAUSE... (PAUSES, LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT WORDS) I'M HERE BECAUSE I NEED TO BE.

TEJU: (FRUSTRATED) NEED TO BE? WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?

KARAN: (TAKE A DEEP BREATH) IT MEANS THAT I NEED TO BE WITH YOU, TEJU. I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, TO HELP YOU, TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. AND I KNOW IT SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT I FEEL LIKE I'VE FOUND MY PURPOSE IN LIFE, AND THAT PURPOSE IS YOU.

TEJU: (STUNNED) KARAN...I...I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

KARAN: (SMILING) YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING. JUST LET ME BE HERE FOR YOU, TEJU. LET ME SHOW YOU THAT I'M NOT THE SAME PERSON I USED TO BE. I'VE CHANGED, AND I WANT TO PROVE IT TO YOU.

TEJU: KARAN, U PLEASE LEAVE FOR NOW.... IT'S NOT EASY FOR ME TO FORGIVE U AND GIVE U ANOTHER CHANCE.... I NEED TIME.

KARAN NODDED UNDERSTANDINGLY AND TURNED TO LEAVE, BUT NOT BEFORE SAYING

KAR: I UNDERSTAND, TEJU. I DON'T EXPECT FORGIVENESS TO COME EASILY. I'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE TIME YOU NEED. BUT KNOW THAT I'M NOT GIVING UP ON US. I'LL BE HERE, WAITING FOR YOU TO BE READY TO MOVE FORWARD.

AS KARAN WALKED AWAY, TEJU FELT A MIX OF EMOTIONS AS SHE WATCHED KARAN WALK AWAY. SHE WAS ANGRY AND HURT BY HIS PAST ACTIONS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SHE COULDN'T DENY THE SINCERITY IN HIS EYES. SHE SAW THE REMORSE AND REGRET IN HIS BODY LANGUAGE, AND IT WAS HARD FOR HER TO RECONCILE THE TWO.

AS SHE STOOD THERE, TRYING TO PROCESS HER EMOTIONS, TEJU REALIZED THAT SHE NEEDED TIME TO THINK. SHE NEEDED TO FIGURE OUT IF SHE COULD EVER FORGIVE KARAN AND GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE.

WITH A HEAVY HEART, TEJU TURNED AND WALKED BACK INTO HER HOSTEL, LEAVING KARAN AND HER EMOTIONS BEHIND. BUT SHE KNEW SHE COULDN'T AVOID HIM FOREVER. SOON ENOUGH, SHE WOULD HAVE TO FACE HIM AGAIN AND DECIDE ONCE AND FOR ALL IF SHE COULD FORGIVE HIM AND MOVE FORWARD.

KARAN, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS DETERMINED TO WIN TEJU BACK. HE KNEW IT WOULDN'T BE EASY, BUT HE WAS WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO REGAIN HER TRUST AND LOVE. HE WOULD WAIT FOR HER, NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TOOK, AND HE WOULD PROVE TO HER THAT HE HAD CHANGED.

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THE QUESTION WAS, WOULD TEJU EVER BE ABLE TO FORGIVE KARAN AND GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE? ONLY TIME WOULD TELL.

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