Loving You

Chapter 12

I sat there on the hill feeling numb. I wasn't sure how long I was there. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. It didn't matter.

I sat there with my arms wrapped around myself. I sat there with tears soaking my clothes. I sat there with a weight that made it tough for me to breath. I sat there with questions that I could no longer answer.

What was real? What was illusion? What I saw just now or what I saw before I left Manali?

"Ruhi," came his deep firm voice.

I felt my breath catch in my throat. I closed my eyes trying to find the strength to turn around and look at him. To ask him the questions that I needed to.

But I was scared.

Scared of hearing those very answers.

"Everyone is searching for you. And you have decided to be here" He was angry.

I was the one who should be angry! Me! Not him!

I rose up and turned around to look at him. Irritation pricked me with its sharp thorns as I saw him once again avoid looking at me.

"Why are you here?" I knew I was cold.

Sahil snapped his head to look at me. His burning with anger too. But nothing could match my anger right now. "Tarun and his family is waiting. In case you have forgotten, it's your Roka that is still going on," he bit out.

"Why did you have those photos?"

"Everyone is waiting for you," he said through clenched teeth.

"How did you get those photos? I didn't even know when they were taken. Did you take them?"

"Now is not the time for this."

"Then when is?" I yelled striding towards him, "When will it be time?"

"We can talk about this later." He walked past me towards the edge.

"No. We are going to talk about it right now." I shot back.

"People are waiting for you." He was still refusing to look at me.

I walked to him and turned him around, "I. Don't. Care."

"Do you also not care about your new in-law and your fiancé?"

"I am not leaving here without my answers."

"Then I am leaving." He tried to move away.

I caught his arm in mine, "No, you are not."

"Don't be a child," he tried to shove my hand away.

I held on tight, "I don't care what you think of me. I am not leaving until I have my answers."

"Its the past. It doesn't matter," he said grabbing my hand to pull it away from his.

"It does to me," I yelled.

"Right!" he shook his head.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," he muttered.

"It is not nothing. I want to know. What were you doing with those photos?" I asked again.

"Look I didn't put them on the projector. It was someone's stupid prank," he said finally freeing himself.

"So they aren't your photos?" I asked again grabbing his shirt.

"Ruhi," He pulled at my hands again annoyed.

"I am not letting you off until you tell me the truth. Were you in US? Were you in Boston?" I pleaded, desperate for answers, "Sahil, were you?"