MishBir : Fool's Gold ✓

Chapter 25: You Belong With Me

Hey guys. I am back with another chapter. Thank you for your votes and comments. It was so endearing to read your responses about Abir being fine. Enjoy this chapter.
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" Abir, Mumma and Badi Ma ketu aur ansh bhai ki shaadi ke baad mere liye ladka dhundhne wali hai. " Mishti said and Abir dropped the fork on the plate, making a cluttering noise.

Abir stood up abruptly from the chair, wiping off his mouth with a napkin and left hastily from there, breathing heavily.

"Abir! Abir?" Mishti shouted, running after him.

Abir shut the door of his room, sliding down, still breathing heavily. He couldn't- He was trying but he couldn't-

His breath caught in his throat and he choked on air. Another gasp. There wasn't any- he couldn't find any- he needed to-

He choked on his breath again and put his hand on his throat. He felt his world crashing down and Mishti's words kept replaying in his mind. He couldn't lose her again. He spent 6 miserable years without her and the thought of her marrying someone else arose panic inside him.

He coughed and spluttered, trying to clear his airways. Sticky tears dribbled down his face. He must so disheveled. Another ragged breath. He took a step back and fell into the wall behind him. A sob escaped his quivering lips as he tried to calm down his panic attack just the way he did when Mishti first left him.

The door slammed open and he heard a set of footsteps. Another set of footsteps, this time they came in, they felt close. He turned away, trying not to focus on their eyes burning in the top of his head. His chest tightened, he couldn't breathe.

"Abir?" God, no, not her, not now. He was a mess, she shouldn't have to deal with him right now. "Abir, breathe! relax! " Mishti crouched down beside him, patting his back softly, wiping off his tears. Her mind took her back to 6 years, when Abir helped her with her panic attacks.

"Abir! Hey," she moved a little closer, a hand on his knee. "5 things you can see, go."

He took a deep breath, making an effort to focus on five things. There was a warmth in the pit of his stomach: he wasn't sure whether that was just his anxiety or because she remembered the techniques he used to calm her down.

"Bed, tables, curtains..." in the spaces between his words, she muttered phrases of encouragement and comfort. Her hand never moved from his knee. "The door..." he looked around, stuck. "You."

He focused on her face, watching the way her smile pulled at the corner of her mouth like she was fighting it. The way her eye creased on one side until the smile was everywhere, yet it was still one-sided. Her eyes held concern, pain, guilt and above all- LOVE.

"4 things you can hear." Abir shook his head, the anxiety taking over again.

"I can't, I can't hear anything."

"Abir, shhh, stop listening to your head, I need 4 things we can both hear."

He closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing. "I can hear... the wind near the window, Dadi shouting?" He took several desperate breaths and by the time he caught his breath, Mishti was beside him, an arm around him with her hand rubbing circles on his shoulder.

"C'mon Abir! I need two more!"

"My heartbeat? Is that cheating?" He smiled as Mishti chuckled beside him, repositioning herself yet again. "And you, shuffling. You're not very stealthy, you know. The earring makes quite a dangling noise."

She apologised, embarrassed. His hand moved to her open hair, twirling them around his finger.

"3 things you feel."