How to Break Your Own Heart - Zain Imam x OFC

Chapter 2 - I won't leave you

Hi guys,

Since there was a lovely commenter (thank you) for this story, I thought I might give it another try. 

This one is a bit longer..

Hope you guys enjoy. 

____________________________________________________

Piavri goes back to Delhi in the morning the next day, feeling sad to leave her best friend behind, but glad that she was able to hang out with her for a few days. Piavri was studying to become a graphic design in Delhi and since she had some time off before the hustle started. Through the next few months of studying and trying to find a job after finishing, she learns from Leila that she now was hanging out a lot with Amir and Zain, which meant Piavri got to know about them a lot even though they don't really see each other.

"Let me tell you my friend, this stupid boy will be ruining my life", Leila complains to Piavri. Piavri just laughs and shakes her head thinking that every person who has to deal with Leila must be crazy by default. "Can you believe that this idiot will get his degree and find a job and get paid", Leila babbles on about Amir and Piavri is only listening to half of what Leila was saying, as she just received an e-mail response to a job application she has sent a few weeks ago. She opened it with her heart beating almost out her chest.

"Pia! Are you here?", Leila almost shouts into the phone, startling Piavri, who almost couldn't believe her luck after reading the mail. "LEILA! I GOT THE JOB!!!", she screams with excitement and almost jumps around in her room like a lunatic. "WHAT? CONGRATULATIONS!", Leila said laughing. "It's in Mumbai, right?", she asked after they both calmed down. "Yes, I am terrified but also, I am so happy", Piavri said still not believing that it worked out. "Oh, don't worry, you'll blow their minds!", Leila assured and added: "Oh and I totally forgot to tell you! Zain is also going to be in Mumbai since he'll be trying the acting thing". Piavri scrunched her nose and asked "Oh, he finally decided to go for it?". "Yeah, I mean..., why not?", she said laughing. "And besides, I even think it's close to the place you will work, so you won't be alone!", Leila added further. "Yeah, I think it's admirable that he's trying", Piavri said somehow feeling a little bit calmer knowing that she might really not be alone all along.

A few months later, as it turns out, Zain and Piavri managed to get in contact and somehow ended up hanging out quite a lot due to the fact that they were both new to the city and since they kind of knew each other already. Zain's acting career took off and also Piavri's job turned out to be exactly what she was hoping for. Even after they meet new people, they always gravitated back to each other. As more time passed, little by little, from an outside perspective, one could tell that there is more than just friendship.

On one hand Zain knew that he felt something for Piavri but was not sure about how to let her know besides also thinking that she's way out of his league. On the other hand, Piavri, even though having feelings for him, doesn't think that there might be a chance that he might be interested. So, basically, they're stuck in a loop.

After one faithful event however, something changed.

All day long at work Piavri was having a bad feeling, but she was not able to pinpoint what exactly was wrong. Somehow, she was thinking a lot more about Zain than she would normally and when she was about to call him right after work, she saw the missed messages of Leila on her phone, confirming her bad feeling during the day. 'What happened', she thought and rushed out of the office building dialling Leila's number. She finds out that Zain's grandmother died because of a sudden heart attack and that the whole family was gathering Delhi to do the last rites. Piavri stopped walking and took a few deep breaths to keep her from crying. "Have you seen Zain", Leila asks sounding like she was crying as well. "No, but I will go now", Piavri said trying not to think about in what state she'll find Zain. "Okay, I will talk to you soon, please take care of Zain", Leila said and hung up. Zain was very attached to his grandmother to a point that even Piavri facetimed with her a few times. She was a wonderful lovely woman, who loved his grandson to bits and Zain always talked about her and almost didn't leave Delhi to pursue his acting career since it meant he wouldn't see her that much.

Before ringing the bell at Zain's apartment complex, she again, took some deep breaths mentally preparing herself to be strong for him. She rang the bell and was immediately let in, which surprised her, but she didn't think more of it, only after she saw that someone else answered the door.

"Hi, you must be Piavri", the guy asks her, and she just nods a bit confused. "Good that you're here, I have to leave now sorry, bye", he said leaving with a small nod without any other explanation. Piavri entered the apartment leaving her stuff at the entrance and was not expecting what she was seeing in front of her eyes.

Zain was pacing around the living room with a phone in his hand, talking with a pressed voice to what Piavri assumed a travel agency. "I need one today!", he almost shouted at some point startling Piavri since she has never really seen him getting angry or upset to this extent. Zain hasn't noticed Piavri to this moment, so he just continued arguing with the person who he was talking to until Piavri finally made an effort to make herself noticeable. What she didn't expect him to do was to completely turn his back to her and continue. She thought that it was a strange behaviour, so she waited for him to finish his call. At some point he hung up, but still didn't really act on the fact that she was here. As he continued to ignore her, she decided to ask him anyway. He was about to go to his room, so she stopped him by asking "Zain?", she asks, trying to look him in the eyes. "I am okay, you didn't have to come", he says absently and goes into his room. Scrunching her eyebrows, she follows him into the room and is determined to make him face her. "It doesn't look like it, though", she says. "Not my problem, if you think so", he says a little bit louder and more upset.

"Zain, will you please look at me", she asks sighing. He turns around and looks at her, making her shiver with the coldness she gets to see in his eyes. "Fine, what is it?", he asks voice tripping with anger. "I can ask you the same", she counters even though she doesn't really want to be like this. "I told you, I am fine, just leave me alone, am I asking too much?", he asks and turns around so that his back is again against her. Getting frustrated, she takes a few steps towards him, grabs his arm and turns him around.

He flinched a little, making her feel bad but as soon as she looks him in the eyes, he's back to being cold again. "Do you need help with that?", she asks pointing at the suitcase on his bed and mess of clothes around it, trying to ignore his behaviour. Suddenly, she feels his hands around her arms gripping tightly. "Which part of 'leave me alone' did you not understand", he asks her, anger spying in his eyes. "I-i...", Piavri stutters, feeling his grip tighten around her arms even more, definitely hurting her by now. As sudden as he had grabbed her, he pushes her away, turns around and starts putting the clothes into his suitcase. Piavri shakes her head to focus and takes a few deep breaths to collect herself. "I am not going to leave you alone, Zain.", she tells him as calm as she manages. He huffs and asks mockingly, "why?", not stopping with what he's doing.

"Because your grandmother died.", she says boldly, and sees how he abruptly stopped his movements. She sees how he tightly gripped the shirt he was holding his shoulders starting to shake. 'Finally', she thinks, finally he's showing a behaviour that was more relatable. "She died, and you're here, all by yourself. I am NOT going to leave you alone right now. It doesn't matter how many times you want to push me away.", she says observing how he bowed his head, dropping the shirt in his hands.

All of a sudden, she also sees, how he started to lose balance. Reacting fast, she takes the few steps towards him and catches him before he falls. Since he was bigger than her, she manages to catch him but slowly makes herself and him sit on the floor. That's when she hears the first heart wrenching sob from him. He slowly turned towards hers burying his face into her neck and holding on to her as a lifeline. She holds him close and consoles him as best as she could, trying to stay strong for him.

That night, he falls asleep on her lap, just like he would in the past on his grandmother's lap.

Precap:

Zain takes a sip out of his mug, smiling slightly at the questioning look on Piavri's face: "I'm in love with someone."

____________________________________________________

I'd really appreciate if you could let me know what you think and if you like it!

Thanks for reading!