Aisha- bhai I'm telling you hum uss Mayank ke ghar jaake usse dou thappad marte hai.

Ishqi- ohh hello koi aisa nahi karega aur abhi kyu call kiya?

Aisha- di aapne uss Mayank ki story dekhi na, hame aapki chinta hui toh call kiya.

Ishqi- main thik hu...

Aisha- pakka??

Ishqi- ha meri maa pakka...

Aisha- di aapke mann mein kya chal raha hai? Aapke chehre pe bara baje hai...

Ishqi- Aisha tujhe yaad haijab main 9th mein thi tab maine ek play mein participate kiya tha?

Aisha- woh kaise bhul sakti hu, play bas teen din ka tha par aap uske bareme baat teen hafte tak kar rahe the...

Ishqi- tab mujhe wahi feeling aarahi thi jo abhi aarahi hai, feeling of letting go.

Aisha- Matlab?

Ishqi- iss Saturday hamare shoot ka last day hai.

Aisha- toh aapko toh khush hona chahiye na, first day pe toh keh rahi thi "Pata nahi kab shoot khatam hoga?"

Ishqi- ha aisa lagta tha mujhe, Ahaan bada irritating lagta tha, uski non-stop bak-bak, uska mujhe tang karna woh sab irritating lagta tha par ab...ab nahi lagta, pata nahi kyu par nahi lagta...

Aisha- di because you like him...

Ishqi- what!!

Aisha- di I know aap abhi aap confused ho, but I think woh bhi aapko bohot pasand karta hai.

Ishqi- Ahaan!! Mujhe pasand karta hai?!?!? No way!!

Aisha- come on di, usne aapka khayal rakha when you needed the most, khud khichadi banayi aapke liye, kya nahi karta woh aapke liye. I think jab aap non-date pe gaye wahi pe woh aapko propose karne wala tha, par jab usse pata chala hoga about your past, tab woh ruk gaya. Di he cares for you issliye hi toh woh aapki roasting, daant, taane sab sunta hai...

Ishqi kept mum while thinking about what Aisha said...

Aisha- di aap uss Mayank ke dhoke mein kab tak jeeyoge?

Raj- Aisha!! Tujhe pata hai na di iss bareme baat nahi karti...

Aisha- I know bhai par main aur kya bolu, I can't let an idiot like Mayank ruin my di's life. Kitne dino tak yeh ussi dhoke mein rahegi, she has to move on sometime. Please di uss bande ko jaane mat dena, aap uske saath wahi purani Ishqi bann jaati ho, and, he is not at all like Mayank, aapko yaad haina jab aap hospitalized the aur Mayank ka football match tha issliye woh aapko dekhne Tak nahi aaya, he didn't even call you, aur Ahaan, aapko zara sa bukhar kya aagaya woh puri raat aapke apas tha. He gives you all the love, support, respect and care that you deserve...

Ishqi- even if I don't like him, fir bhi hum friends toh reh hi sakte hai na shoot ke baad...

Aisha- di kitne din Tak rahoge dost, ek mahine, dou mahine, chaar mahine, zyada se zyada ek saal, par uske baad woh bhi toh irritate hoga na, woh bhi busy hojayega aur aap bhi, usse bhi naye projects milenge aur aapko bhi, kya pata usse koi miljaye. Di...yeh bhulna mat, kismat badi kutti cheez hoti hai, aaj aapke favor mein hai par kya pata kal ho na ho...

Ishqi- thank you for your Ted talk main dekhungi mujhe kya karna hai aur tu movies zara kam dekha kar, "Kya pata kal ho na ho..." 

*  *  *  *  *

Ishqi was helping herself with a cup of coffee still being lost in her own thoughts...

"Ishqi yeh tujhe kya ho raha hai? Ahaan sachme tujhe pagal kar raha hai. Jab yaha aayi thi toh laga tha ke kabhi woh purani Ishqi nahi banungi. Extrovert, loud, friendly, caring, yeh sab banke bas dhoka milta hai aur kuch nahi, but I failed, firse ek baar shayad main wahi raste pe jaa rahi hu..."

Ishqi sat on sofa as she sipped some coffee. Suddenly her gaze fell on a sticky note, the one Ahaan felt earlier when she was sick...

Ishqi...please rest karna, I know tum bilkul thik ho, you are absolutely fine, tum meri tarah velli nahi ho, you have a lot to do, par please aaj ke din keliye rest karlo, I know tum probably yeh ignore karne wali ho but please, you need to rest...

Ishqi started smiling, maybe Aisha was right afterall, maybe Ahaan was not like Mayank. Ahaan won't do anything that will hurt Ishqi, but Ishqi never thought Mayank would hurt her...

"Ishqi life mein toh sab unexpected hi hota hai, yeh show milna, mera aur avm ka best friends bann jana, all of these things were unexpected. My life has again taken an unexpected turn, what if Ahaan bhi dheere dheere Mayank jaise hi hone lagega. I can't let myself hurt again..."

For the rest of the day, Ishqi kept thinking about her feelings but couldn't agree that she liked Ahaan. The fear of getting hurt again was simply too much...

"Main kya karu, mere mann mein aakhir kya hai, agar mujhe Ahaan pasand bhi hai toh kya guarantee hai ke woh bhi Mayank jaisa nahi nikalega. Already dou baar dhoke khaye hai maine, agar teesri baar dhoka mila tab main kya karu..."

"Ishqi..."

Ishqi heard from behind and turned. Surprisingly, she saw Ahaan standing there...

Ishqi- Ahaan tum yaha?

Ahaan- Ishqi mujhe tumse zaruri baat karni hai...

Ishqi- ha bolo...

Ahaan- Ishqi I like someone, her name is Maya, aur mujhe tumhari help chahiye usse propose karne mein...

Ishqi felt a sting in her heart as if someone just stabbed it with an arrow....

Ishqi- what??

Before Ishqi could react Ahaan was vanished...

"Yeh toh bas ek bhram tha, fir mujhe itna bura kyu laga? Maybe I do like him afterall..."

Even if Ishqi was not in denial anymore, somewhere in her heart she still was really afraid of getting hurt...

"Main aise kaise firse kisiko aapni life mein important bana du, the people I trusted the most didn't support me when I needed the most..."
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To be continued...
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Guys I know this part might be a little boring but next parts are going to be interesting... 

Precap:- At that moment she realized...

"I can't let this end..."

Word count- 1027

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