Silently, Kavin stood beside me, making our shoulders touch, and gazed at the night sky, which the full-moon ruled. "Darshan Raval, eh? You never told me that your family is on good terms with big-names from the industry", Kavin initiated a conversation, again. "He's a family friend we've known since childhood", I revealed half-a-truth, chewing my nails. "And, your ex-boyfriend", Kavin completed the truth, and I froze, wondering how he found out. "Right?", from the corner of my eye, I noticed Kavin turn his in my direction and smile. "How do you know?", my voice was as soft as the wind, and I didn't move an inch. "South Indians are know-it-alls, Macha", Kavin teasingly said, stretching his arms in the air. "Kavin, I'm serious!", I chided, looking at him. "Darshan Raval is the only person you talk about when you're drunk. Whenever you're drunk, you'd end up blabbering something or the other about him", Kavin confessed something I was absolutely unaware of. "Don't lie", I threatened him. "Dude, I swear on Idly and Dosa", he swore, convincing me, because Idly and Dosa to Kavin was Butter-Chicken to me, and there was no way he'd lie. "I know everything about the two of you; right from the day you met to your breakup. And you were the only who told me everything", Kavin smiled. "Asshole! You're telling me now", I pushed him, and he laughed. "I should stop drinking too much", I said, thoughtfully. "No, darling. You're flat and out, after one drink", Kavin said, and I smiled. "Do you still love him?", Kavin raised a question, and I chose to answer him with silence.

I still loved him the same. Or maybe, even more than I did before because of his absence from my life, and perhaps that was why I shied away from facing him; I was scared I'd fall harder in love, with someone who detached himself from me long back. He wasn't with me, but he never quitted living within me; he was absent from my life, but his presence was everywhere, which watered my love for him to blossom, no matter how many times I tried to burn it down into ashes. I hadn't loved anyone the way I loved him, and maybe that was why I couldn't merely get over him. I loved him, and I loved him with all my heart that the voice of our love still echoed in the rooms of it. My eyes never stopped searching for him, my heart's hunger for his love never subsided, the cells of my skin still craved to feel his touch and I...I wished he still belonged to me, although I was far from facing the truth. I dragged my feet away from him, but my heart still pounded for him. I may have walked away from him, but I never stopped loving him.

"I often think that I didn't fall in love with him; I crashed hard", I broke the comforting silence between us, and smiled, powerlessly. "Kavin, when you fall, you'll break but sometimes, what breaks can be glued back together. But when you crash, you shatter, scatter apart and spread all over the space; you won't find the pieces you lost when you shatter, so how will you fix yourself?", I told him, and Kavin listened. "When we were together, a part of me was always scared. I couldn't stop thinking about how dangerously destructive it would be, when he'd stop loving me, and what I feared was exactly what happened. The moment he stopped loving me, my life was different", I paused and swallowed hard, gulping down my sadness. Without him in it, my life was an ocean without a shore, a night sky without stars, a soul without a life and a heart devoid of its beats. "I went places, met new people, made wonderful memories, but nothing was ever good enough to dim the spark in the moments I shared with him. But I still kept believing that I'll move on, and I'll stop hurting, whenever I think of him; it did not happen. I won't say that I stopped living once he left, because truth to be told, I did great in life after my breakup; because I had a will, and I was determined to make the most out of Singapore. Somewhere, I fooled myself into believing that determination can make you do everything, and drive anything out of your life; which is true, but there are always exceptions", I spoke my heart out to Kavin, without being drunk, and he was patient enough to hear me out. "And...I love him. I still love him. I know that one day, I'll stop loving him, but I haven't met that day, yet", I shrugged, hugging myself.

"And does he love you?", Kavin asked. "If he loved me, he wouldn't have showed me the way out of his life", I forced a smile at Kavin. "But if he did not love you, he wouldn't have called your family over, even after knowing that you're coming with them", Kavin argued. "He did that because he's alone", I argued back. "FYI, you're not the only existing human beings on Earth. He must have a huge friend circle, for sure, so why would he still turn to you?", Kavin asked. "He has turned to my parents, not me. Get your facts right", I said. "I'm pretty sure you're not this dumb, Dityaa! He knows that if your parents show up, you'll have no other choice but to tag along with them, and stay with him. He needs you, but he's taking your parents' name", Kavin explained. "No", I shoved his statement off, and looked away.

"Dityaa, listen!", Kavin said, holding me by my arms and made me turn towards him. "Kavin, quit being stupid", I sighed. "You stop being stupid. You're the one who told me that he's so secretive and inexpressive. He won't come forth and openly admit that he still loves you. He won't say anything, but he'll show you and don't be blind to that. His actions are the reflections of his feelings!", Kavin said. "You and your philosophies. Stop eating my head", I tried dusting his hand off, but his grasp was firm. "He loves you!", Kavin repeated. "How can you be so sure?", I tilted my head. "What if he does not love me, and what if you are simply over-examining the situation?", I suggested highly realistic and possible situations, which according to Math's probability scale were likely to happen! "What if I am not over-examining the matter?", Kavin raised his brow. "Can we end the argument?", I jerked my head back. "I have an idea", Kavin said, out of nowhere. "Kavin, there's nothing we can do. He has to come forward and admit it, which is something he won't do. So, stop talking about it because you're ruining my mood", I leaned back on the car, again, fishing my iPhone out of my denim pocket. "I'm going to book a hotel room", I absently muttered, turning on my Mobile Data.

"Okay, maybe...", Kavin started off, again. "Talk to my hand, because I'm not listening to you", I told him, Google-searching a list of hotels in Mumbai. "Bitch, listen!", he demanded, monotonously. "No way", I forced a sarcastic smile at him, and looked back at my iPhone screen. "Be my girlfriend", Kavin said and my head snapped up in his direction, wildly. "Not even in your dreams, Macha", I said. "Be my fake girlfriend", Kavin modified, and I looked on, confusedly. "We may not know if Darshan still loves you, or not, but we can find out, without having to literally confront him. We'll use the oldest Bollywood technique and trick – make him jealous. Dude, no matter how inexpressive he is, if the girl he loves spends time with another boy, he'll burn. We'll only have to light the matchsticks and throw it on him; if it sets him on fire, he still loves you", Kavin shrugged. "This idea is worse than your face, and stop watching Bollywood movies, it's affecting you badly. Anyways, shall I book two rooms in Oberoi Trident?", I blabbered in one breath, scrolling through its online page. "Macha, think about it. What if he still loves you, but thinks that you do not love him; what if he's as confused as you? There's no harm in finding out. If he doesn't love you, move on. But what if he does? That's too much to lose", his words made an impact on me, and forced me to think. "If you're worried that your parents would get us married, or something, don't worry about it. I won't make it obvious and they won't even know that we're doing this together. Our target is Darshan, and it'll only affect him", Kavin went on convincing me. "Come on, don't think too much!", Kavin extended his hand out, with a smile, and although it took me a while, I kept my hand over his, eventually, giving in to his plan.

I didn't know if I was doing the right thing, or not, but it wasn't even the time to differentiate between what's right, and wrong. That moment, I simply felt that Kavin was right and I listened to my heart.

[Darshan-Dityaa Aur Woh, much? Where will this land up in? Wait & Watch! Expect the absolute unexpected from hereon. I am SO excited for the chapters to come; there's going to be A LOT of madness, joy and sadness. I hope you like the story, so far. Please do vote for the chapters and add Attachments-2 to your reading-list. You'll find the next updates ASAP!].