Seasons- Golden Hours

🍷🌻Letting Go🌻🍷

Eshani

"Agastya is everything alright?" I held his shoulder feeling the stress on my palm. After horse race, its been days and I haven't sensed a single danger around us yet but Agastya is still on his guard.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He whisper gazing into my eyes, his face softens. "Parv..."

"When I say I can handle him then I can." I rub my fingers on his shoulder, he takes a relieved breath.

"I think Adhira's wedding is close Eshani." Unknowingly he tucks my hair behind. "Don't you have to leave for that?"

Yes, my best friend is going to get married with the love of her life but I am here in another place smiling at random people. I have planned her wedding since we were teenagers but right now my priority is helping Agastya.

"I promise, I am not missing anything." He cocks his eyebrow. He knows I can't lie, not when it comes to him.

"She is your best friend."

"and you are my- friend." I stare at the ground, not being able to face him anymore. "I am not leaving you alone here." I open and close my palm, controlling the pace of my breath.

"Friend... I see." His voice drops down into a dangerously low level. "Eshani, look at me." I look up, holding the remaining breath but it tightens inside watching the hardness on his face.

"I am not lying Agastya." I held his hand, his face titled towards the connection. I manage to wrap his 2.5 fingers in my palm, holding his wrist softly with the other. "I want to help you."

"You have helped me in distracting Parv. I can't take you further."

"So." I halt my words. "Is that it? We will part our ways now?" I try not to let my tears simmer up. What was I expecting from him? That he would stay forever?

I knew what we had was just a contract. His life and mine are way different like two parallel lines. They might work together but could never touch each other.

"I guess." He removed the grip of my hand from his, taking a step back. "I will drop you back home. Thankyou."

My lips thinned in an attempt to calm the storm going inside me. Thankyou? He is thanking me? He is letting me go like that? From days he has been quiet, was it because he felt off the last time we get intimate?

He turned to walk away. "Agastya" My voice came hushed, half in whisper and half in the remaining hope. "Are we friends?" He released a breath, I could see his back muscles moving with tension.

"Hum aapko khud chor kar aayenge. Get ready on time." He left the room without looking back at me for one. I sat on my bed, unexplainable tears left my eyes.

Why do I feel like I just got dumped my my crush? Like the butterflies when he called me Rani sa Were burnt and now there is just acid running in my veins, coming out in the form of tears.

Yes, I cry a lot but I have never cried over someone not wanting to be with me.

When I would reach home, my mom and dad would have left for their travel. It was Agastya who gifted me the freedom to choose. I wanted a frog to kiss and make a prince and then through him in the mud- where he belonged.

We kissed, fucked, talked beside a lake, ride on a horse and he is ready to keep all that behind and let me go.

Alone and free.

And I have never felt such throbbing heartbreak in my entire life. I curl myself on the pillow, letting it absorb my tears. It helped my silent my sniffing voice.

It's okay Eshani... deep breaths. Deep breaths. I sucked some air and hugged myself, my body curled like a fetus but nothing could give me the warmth that Agastya bring to me.

Is that it? We would never meet again?

Agastya

Eshani has always been the obedient type with her parents but I could see the repulsion in her eyes. She had started to have a liking to my place. The people, the culture- She blended in like she always belonged here.

But I am involving with something dangerous and I will involve Eshani in it over my dead body.

As simple as that.

I stride out of her room, my heart blazing with the images of us. She is better alive than being on the brink of death like me.

I slam the door shut behind me, Aarav rotating his body. I have fed him with good food so he doesn't look weak when he goes out from here. Keeping him hostage was harder than I thought it would be but I have to survive his annoying personality for my own good.

"Grumpy much?" He grinned, patting on the stool next to him, asking me to sit with him.

"No, thankyou. I have to drop one of my guest." I sighed at the used cigarettes on the ground. "I just came here to remind you about our little agreement."

"I will not betray you Your highness. Is that certain guest by any chance is Eshani?" My face hardened and he noticed my hand turning into a fist. "I see... Raja Shahab is in Love." I wanted to punch his annoying smirk.

"Eshani is none of your business. Focus on what you are asked about." He looked out of the window like an ignorant brat.

"Don't bawl your eyes over Eshani. I know you want to." I Ignore him. "You know, men like you are suckers for such sunshine and then you loose your guard. That's when people like me take advantage."

Eshani has never been my weakness but my only support and power. But I would not waste my time explaining that to him.

"Says the one willingly being a hostage for a certain Cafe owner that gives no fuck for his presence." I lift my face up as he looks at me, this time aggressively. "Fuck off, Aarav." I turn on my heels, closing the door behind me.

I couldn't care less about his personal life. I have to drop Eshani safely.

***

She stares out from the window of my car. I choose to drive this time. "Eshani." She looks inside, her face paler than before.

The silence between us thickens. I move towards her, adjusting the seatbelt. My eyes land on her lips, her eyes on mine. The urge to seal my faith in her with a kiss increase but the pressure of staining her throbs my internals.

She is wearing her Baggy crop tee with jeans and snickers. Her golden nose pin shine in the sun, silver bangles adorning her thin wrists giving a contrast to the western outfit.

If I let her go, would she still choose me?

The thought of her doing what she did with me felt like a knife twisted in my gut. I know what I am doing is the right decision, both for me and her but if it is right then why does it feel so wrong?

And kissing her, making her mine is wrong then why does it feel so right?

She turn her head away, her breath erratic. I could feel her lips parted and her breath fanning my neck. My cologne mingles with her vanilla fragrance.

I give her some space and carry on with my driving.