Always Is Not Forever (Breaking Myself - Part II)

6.2 The One Where I Revisit

This chapter is divided into two parts because of too many words. Don't forget to read Chapter 5 before jumping here. Next Update will come in April.

A knock interrupted me from the reading. Pushing my glasses, I stood up, unlocked the door and opened it.

Dad was standing outside with a tray in his hand.

"You were hungry." I stepped aside, letting him enter. He had changed his clothes to casual. Placing the tray on the bed, he waited for me to join him. Sighing, I settled opposite to him as he revealed the dishes and the mug of hot chocolate. "Sorry, you had to hear that."

"Papa." He levitated his gaze upwards. "I'm sorry for not picking your call."

"You must be busy," He didn't mean it as a taunt or snide remark. He hoped I was busy.

"I wasn't," I squeezed my eyes tightly.

"Oh." Happiness wore down his face. "Then why? I thought everything was okay between us."

"I'm sorry." I shook my head rapidly, curled my hand on top of my thigh. "I was mean. Forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive, Alina. Just don't ignore my call again, okay? It worries me. When Kabir told you weren't coming, I was going to fly to Bangalore."

"When you met Kabir?" I took the rice bowl from him.

"Arnav's office." He grinned at my plate. "Since when you started eating this much?"

"I'm hungry," I whined. "Flight food sucks, and I missed this food." I sniffed the fried spices and moaned in relief. "Tasty. You made the hot chocolate, right?" He nodded. I stared at his empty plate. "Don't you want to eat?"

"I'm good."

"No." I poured the rice on his plate. "Kabir says we should never eat alone if someone is with us. It's bad manners. So, you've to eat."

"Is it?" He stopped my hands from pouring too much of everything and laughed when I shushed him down. He too didn't eat anything earlier. "Dinner together as long as you're here?" I stilled. "Just you and me. Our secret?"

I nodded enthusiastically.

"So tell me about your college. What you did in past three months?"

And then I went into the chronicles of my college, reciting the late nights at the hostel, reciting how some of our college professors were, recited the southern culture.

He was here. He would listen to me.

My phone buzzed from beside me. Ignoring it, I snuggled deeper into the bed and it rang further and further. Annoyed, I freed my hand from beneath me and searched for my phone.

Where was that devil?

When I had caught it, I looked at the caller with my one eye, and immediately, sat on the bed and answered the call.

"Where are you?" Kabir asked, worried. "Why weren't you answering my texts since morning?"

"It's morning." I yawned, stretching my arm in the air. "Why are you calling this early?"

"It's three in the evening, bookworm."

"What?" I checked the clock placed opposite to me. He was right. "I slept late."

"Enjoying holidays? And Happy Diwali."

"Happy Diwali, baby. And Na, papa and I talked till late night." I smiled at the last night. When our conversation was done, he tucked me in as if I was still a child.

"Uncle? You took his call. Good. He was sad when he got to know you weren't coming back."

I licked my lower lip, fully aware that Kabir didn't know I was here.