Shraddha POV

"He's still here!" I exclaimed. I was annoyed with Varun.

"He's playing with Eva," Eshanka sighed. "Look, Shraddha, I don't want to force you into anything or repeat what I said last night but he is sorry."

"I wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow," I said quietly and a smile formed on her lips.

"Shraddha, you are the strongest person I know," Eshanka said softly. "You will be fine this time. I gotta go pack."

With that Eshanka left the room. I sighed and stared out the window. Three years have passed since I left Mumbai and everything else behind. When I felt emotional pain, it doesn't hurt like a bruise or cut does. It's a heavy feeling that affects you more than a bruise or cut would. Bruises and They say time heals all wounds but I don't agree. Even though the pain isn't that bad anymore, that doesn't make things any better. I grabbed my phone and opened Instagram. I haven't touched my real account for three years but I have another account which I use to check Instagram. I glanced at Pari's post and then checked Varun's post.

Instagram

Varun Dhawan

Varun Dhawan: Thanks for your support everyone so far. We'll overcome this journey together @ParineetiDhawan

-Comments-

AliaBhatt: We all are with you Varun and Pari.

Pari_my_queen: Nooooo nothing can happen to my queen😭😭😭😭😭😭

Varuneeti_is_life: Bless them and hope everything will be okay.

Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt: We all are with you Pari @ParineetiDhawan

-Comments-

Aliabhattfans: bless their bond😍😍😍😍

Pari-dieheart-fans: I can't believe this😭😭😭😭

Pari_Alia: hope everything will be okay

************

There were tonnes of posts of actors, friends and fans supporting Pari and Varun. Life is not fair, it never was and never will be. Painful memories flash in front of my eyes. I came here to start a new life, a completely different one to the one I had. Yes, I've changed. Pain changed me. Pain does that people. I thought that maybe leaving everything behind might be the best solution. I don't feel like myself anymore. Not anymore. I was different. I always hid emotional pain and never talked to anyone about it but Kriti, Disha and Tiger, they always knew when I tried to hide my pain. I could never hide it from them. They always knew when I said, 'I'm okay,' that I was never okay. They would always listen to me, comfort me and give me a hug when I needed it. I glanced around. This mountain always reminded of me of a particular  incident that happened when Varun and I were eight.

"Varun," the eight year old me dragged Varun to the mountain top while holding a picnic basket.

"Shraddha, why do we have to come here?" Varun complained. He was feeling hungry I guess.

"I want to tell you something," I said smiling widely, revealing a couple of missing teeth.

"What!" he said, immediately became curious to find out what I wanted to say.

"Okay, I will say it," I said happily. "Here, have a muffin."

"Say na," Varun whined as he was getting impatient but took a muffin and started to eat.

"You love I," I took a deep breath and said it quickly.

He was confused at first and then it hit him. "No!"

My eyes began to well up as he chucked the muffin on the floor he and ran off, leaving me alone on the mountain. I fell to my knees and began to sob.

I was small that time. I didn't know what love was. That strong feeling of affection had already started to develop for my childhood best friend. I cried for weeks after that incident. I didn't know what heartbreak was. I was too young and dumb to realise that. As years passed by, the strong feelings I had for Varun turned into love. When we were teens, I finally developed the courage to confess my feelings but another surprise was waiting for me.

Maya and I rushed into the house after high school.

"Stupid maths test," Maya complained as she threw her bag on the floor and jumped onto the sofa.

"It wasn't that bad you know," I commented while Maya glanced at me with disbelief.

"Your name isn't Scholar Shraddha for nothing," Maya reminded me as she made herself comfortable on the sofa. "Of course it will be easy for you. You should be moved to the next grade."

"Hey, I didn't say it was easy," I argued.

"But that's what you are thinking Shraddhu," Maya chuckled. "I know you better than that."

"Shraddha, Maya," Ma and Karuna Aunty called out our names and rushed to us. Maya instantly stood up, she and I hugged Ma and Karuna Aunty.

"Chirkut," Varun shouted and pulled me into his embrace. Maya smirked at me while I looked away.

"Oi! Varun!" Maya said loudly.

"What is it!" Varun said, pretending to be annoyed.

"You forgot my hug," Maya shook her head but embraced Varun anyways.

"Stay away from him," a voice said and a girl appeared and pulled Varun away from Maya.

"What the hell!" Maya said, glancing an angrily towards the girl who was glaring at her.

"This is not what I expected," Varun laughed nervously. "Maya, Shraddha, this is Natasha, my girlfriend. Natasha, these are my best friends, Shraddha and Maya."

"Ooh!" Natasha said as if she remembered something. "I'm so sorry. It's lovely to meet you Naya and Shraddha."

Maya gulped as she shot me a concerned look while Karuna Aunty made a face, indicating that she was not a big fan of Natasha. I forced a smile as Varun flashed one of his charming smiles to me.

"Congratulations Batuk," I said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as I could. He always failed to recognise that I was hurt.

"My name's Maya," Maya snapped. I could tell Maya already hated her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, so sorry," Natasha gasped.

"Really, Tash," Maya smirked at Natasha's direction.

"Don't call me that!" Natasha whined. "My name is Natasha."

"You know, you annoy me when you are breathing, really," Maya said solemnly.

"Natasha, Maya," Varun sighed as Natasha and Maya shot each other angry glances and stormed off. Karuna Aunty and Ma rushed behind Maya.

"Sorry Shraddha," Varun said after everyone left the room. "Sorry, for not telling you. So, please don't be mad."

"Why would I be mad," I said softly as he looked at me, relieved.

"That's good," he smiled and left to find Natasha.

"That's what you said to him," Maya said quietly. "What happened to the confession you were going to make."

"Plans change," I said sadly.

"He is meant for you and you are meant for him," Maya said softly. "Someday, he will realise that. Natasha is just short-term."

Tears began to spill from my eyes onto the grass. Maya was wrong.  We were never meant to be. For years, she and I used to think that but a fatal car crash happened, taking Maya away from our lives. She wasn't here when everything changed when Varun fell in love with Pari. Then, things got worse. After Varun shut me out of his life, I cried everyday. I could have easily hurt Varun. I had many chances but I couldn't. It burned my heart, thinking about you loving someone who wasn't me but I reminded myself that sometimes loving someone is letting them go. Then, a car crash occured, costing the life of my family. I had never experienced this type of grief before. Ma, Dad and Sidhant, they left the world, at a moment of that loss, my world collapsed. Once what I treasured and loved, is now a painful memory.

After a couple of years, I left Mumbai and decided to go and live in Lonavla, Maya's birthplace. I tried to stop loving Varun but you refused to leave my thoughts. I thought the pain isn't so bad anymore, but everything changed when I saw Varun again after three whole years. Those memories came flooding back in. I thought, finally after all these years, I will be over him. But the feelings I worked so hard to loose, returned.

************

Author's  POV

"So he's gone. Where?" Kriti asked curiously.

"He didn't say," Pari lied. She hated lying to Kriti but she didn't want to get her hopes up. "He is sorry now. He knows that she isn't going to forgive him, and you but we want to make things right."

"Well, it's a start," Kriti sighed. "I'm sorry for losing my cool over you and Alia. It wasn't fair."

"It's fine Kriti," Pari said softly. "We shouldn't be hiding things from each other in the first place."

"You're right," Kriti agreed. "Shraddha, she hurt herself more by keeping into herself."

"I can't believe that someone like Maya existed," Pari sighed. "This sounds like a plot from a movie."

"Maya's death affected Shraddha especially and also her family, Tiger, but Varun was also deeply affected," Kriti spoke quietly. "It was a horrible feeling. I had only known her for months but she was the person you would never forget, very sweet and friendly, easy to talk to, beautiful, I could go on about her."

"So, you believed that Shraddha and Varun were not meant to be," Pari said slowly.

"Yes," Kriti nodded and sighed. "I mean Maya thought that they were but that's not true. And, we never thought that you stole Varun from Shraddha. It's just that I had a huge problem with Varun that distanced me from you, Alia and Sid."

"Thanks for coming Kriti," Pari said gratefully. "It means a lot. I don't have much time to..."

"Don't say it," Kriti said, interrupting her, "You are going to be fine and we all are going to be with you."

************

Shraddha POV

I reached my home. To my surprise, I found Varun leaning on the wall of my home. I sighed. It had been three days since Eshanka and Eva left and five days since Varun had entered my life again. He noticed her and took a deep breath. I ignored him and pushed the door open.

"Shraddha," Varun said pleadingly. "Just do it for Pari. I know you hate me."

I never hated you only disappointed.

"You can come back here, I am sorry for what I did," he continued. "After what I did to you, I wanted to go back and spend time with my best friend but being the idiot, I was, continued to believe that you betrayed me. I still miss our friendship..."

"Varun," Shraddha interrupted and said slowly. "Thank you for saying that."

He smiled sadly and turned to leave.

"Varun," I called his name and he turned around.

"I'll come to Mumbai with you."

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Pleasure of love lasts
but a moment.
Pain of love lasts
a lifetime.

-Betti Davis

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Ended with a cliffhanger😜

Your views on the chapter😎

Hope you all enjoyed the update. This update was supposed to be updated two weeks ago but my school has been keeping me busy.

What do you think will happen next in the story? Drop in your views❤❤❤

Can't wait to watch Saaho. Is anyone watching in the cinema?

Till then signing off
Mrs Hrithik Roshan
Tia💜💙