NEVER LET ME GO ✔️ (COMPLETED)

Chapter 14~ Heartbreak & Desperation

The next few days were painful for Aashi as well as Rishabh. They had stopped talking again, and this time for a week. Every time Aashi saw him running behind Laila, she felt a strong pang in her heart.

Once she had heard that Laila's boyfriend, Prakash had beaten Rishabh to a pulp and he was admitted to the medical ward.

Aashi couldn't stop herself and secretly went to see him. She wanted to take care of him, but she saw Laila there, bandaging his wounds and her heart broke. The way Rishabh looked at Laila. Aashi felt like she had been stabbed.

Nevertheless, when Rishabh was asleep in the medical room and Laila wasn't there Aashi came to him.

She sat beside him and looked at him. His handsome face was bruised. She moved her hand and lightly caressed his hair, tears pooling in her eyes. And when the teardrops fell, she didn't stop them.

'Aa-Aashi...' Rishabh murmured in his sleep. And for the first time in the whole day that day Aashi smiled.

'Look what you have done to yourself-' she said, her voice cracked. She bit her lower-lip trying hard to not sob. As she caressed his hair, she noticed him smile in his sleep. She smiled too.

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'At times, one must learn the hard way, Aashi.' Suchitra said suddenly.

'Huh!' Aashi looked up from her notes. Aashi, Kajal, and Suchitra, the three were doing group studies at Aashi's place. They were seriously immersed in studies when Suchitra spoke these philosophical lines out of blue. Kajal looked up from her book too.

'I am talking about Rishabh.' She cleared. Aashi frowned and looked back at her notes. Suchitra pressed her lips tightly watching her flip a page.

'Rishabh needs to get hurt to learn, Aashi. If Laila is indeed trouble, then he must get into it to come out of it. At times, getting hurt once can save you from a lifetime of misery.'

Aashi doesn't respond, but she knew what Suchitra said was true. Besides, Rishabh himself wants to hit his legs with an axe, what can she do?

'Yes, Aashi, she is right.' Kajal said thoughtfully. Aashi recollected Rishabh's sad face when he was trying to stay away from Laila, maybe the girls are right, Aashi thought sadly.

'Aashi.' Suchitra placed her palm on her shoulder and Aashi looked at her.

'You don't like Rishabh with Laila because you are just concerned about him or is it something else?' She asked seriously.

'Yeah, Aashi,' - Kajal interrupted, - 'Do you fear that what you think of Laila is wrong and they might end up together and you will lose your friend or someone special.' Kajal smirked towards the end.

Aashi felt blank, she kept blinking at both the girls.

Suchitra sighed and leaned forward capturing Aashi's gaze with hers, - 'Do you love Rishabh?'

One simple Question and Aashi is blown away.

Do I love Rishabh? Aashi wondered.

Anyone who didn't know about Aashi and Rishabh usually mistakes them to be lovers and when they point that out both used to feel disgusted.

Yuck, they would say in unison. But not today, now when Suchitra asked Aashi if she loves Rishabh she didn't feel disgusted, rather she felt confused.

That night, she kept asking herself the same question and fell asleep without an answer. A restless sleep.

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