Always Is Not Forever (Breaking Myself - Part II)

46. The One Where We Cross Limits

[ A L I N A ' S P O V ]

"When are you coming back?" He asked, the sadness in his voice clearly visible.

Staring at the luggage in front of me, I scourged for mine and tapped my feet on the ground. "Did you see my pictures?"

After a long take, he answered, "Yes. You looked pretty. Now, when are you coming back?"

"Grumpy, are we?" Finding my black bag, I stepped forward, took the handle and placed it on the ground before looking for the exit. "Can't handle two weeks without me?"

"Two weeks?" He exaggerated. "Make it fourteen days."

Giggling at his grumpiness, I walked out of the airport to look for a taxi and lied, "Three more days."

"But your last stop was Hyderabad."

"Yes." I bit my lower lip to contain my smile. "But I'm going to stay here for a while. I never visited Hyderabad before, and, damn, you didn't need to get me a presidential suite."

"That hotel is yours too," He deadpanned. "Take advantage of me and my hotels, I don't mind."

"I'm not married to you yet." Flying my hand in the air, I looked for a taxi but the buzz of the evening was hard to kill, and finding the taxi was even harder. Tired, I settled my headphones again and opened the uber app.

"Still. You're future Mrs. Oberoi. You stay in something which belongs to you. Dad persisted."

"But in every city?" I deadpanned. "Good thing you've no hotel in Kolkata. And Mumbai was grand."

"Loved it?" I could feel his grin. "Nisha love it too. I told you. Mumbai one is much grand than Delhi."

"City difference." Sighing, I stared at my watch, hoping Kriti had done the things I had guided her to do. Curling my fingers around the device, I added, "Papa called."

"Marriage date?"

"Yes. Both of our parents went to get the dates out. Kabir, I don't want to get married until I complete my post-graduation. I told you I want to complete my studies first."

"I know," He argued. "I told dad to wait out for a while. Most of the dates are after October. Dad's like marriage preparations takes time and all. I will make an excuse."

"I think we should tell them. The truth. It's our marriage. Our decision."

"They will push us, Alina, you know them. As soon we go back to Delhi after May, they will push us with constantly being on our heads. We can't even escape to Bangalore."

I squeezed my eyes shut for a while. How many time had we avoided the same conversation?

"I'm coming to Bangalore. You're staying in Delhi," I whispered.

I wanted to complete my studies in Bangalore, neither I had any desire to leave this city soon and make my home in Delhi. I wanted to live the rest of my two years in Bangalore, when I was finally getting better. And Bangalore felt better, more mine than strange.

Kabir's silence was enough for me. He hated long distance relationship, he hated how we both wouldn't be able to meet much. He wanted to do his MBA from Delhi, and I didn't mind. Unlike me, he loved his family, he had everything there and wanted to be with them, and little did I know, he came to Bangalore for me. And when it was my time, I couldn't do it.

"It's just two years," I added. "We will survive that. After that, I promise I will marry you in a month. We will have this grand wedding like you want, and I will be with you for the rest of my life."