A/N: And we continue the conversation / tea spilling session... Omg, kitty what are you doing now?!

Kitty: Meow.

***

Rohit was stunned by the revelation.

"Why me?" Rohit queried.

"I may not run with your crowd but I do run in the same crowd as Aman," she explained. "Or rather, I used to. When he came back from boarding school, at least in the first year, the only person he kept talking about was you. It was Rohit this, Rohit that. How great of a person you were, how different you were from the other boys, how you didn't care about his background..."

"Aman used to write to this girl called Shona," he interjected. "Were you..."

"Oh my god!" Shreya cut in, horrified. "Absolutely not! Shona's a friend of mine."

Rohit looked apologetically at her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "The thing is we've never met her and we always thought Shona was never real. We thought he was just writing to some figment of his imagination."

"Shona is as real as you and me," she stopped his train of thoughts.

"Got it," Rohit cleared his throat and reverted to the initial topic. "You said you chose that university because I went there?"

"My parents were a bit protective so they wanted me to go somewhere nearer to home," she shared. "I had a few in mind but since Aman had already gained entry thanks to your financial help... Other than it being one of the best universities around, I thought it'll be a good chance to finally meet you."

Rohit's jaw tightened.

"And did we meet?" Rohit inquired.

Shreya nodded in response.

"We met at a party," she revealed. "Aman invited a few of us to one of those senior parties and introduced us."

The picture. Was that the night they met? Why couldn't he recall anything?

"What were we?" Rohit asked, cutting straight to the chase.

Shreya knew that question would come but she hoped it would be later rather than now. Luckily, she didn't need to answer as Rohit understood what her silence meant.

"How long?"

"2 and a half years," she replied.

2 and a half years?! They were together for 2 and a half years and he couldn't remember anything from it.

"Were we happy?" Rohit questioned.

A memory reel begun playing in Shreya's mind. Were they happy? Shreya felt sad for him. Those were some of the best times of her life and the person she shared them with can't remember anything.

"Yes," she settled.

"We loved each other?" Rohit stated more than asked.

"Yes," she confirmed.

They loved each other. Judging by how his body naturally responded to Shreya, he must have really loved her in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Do you still love me?" Rohit needed to know.

That was a very loaded question. How was she going to respond to that? She had been in love with him ever since the first time they met. But does she still love him the same way as it was back then? No. Does she care for him? Yes.

"Rohit, I..."

"No more lies," he said. "Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth. Please?"

She raised her downcast eyes to look at him. So much pain, so much longing.

"I loved you," she answered.

It was the truth.

"But not anymore?" Rohit pushed.

Why was he doing this?

"I care for you," she added.

What the both of them didn't realize was that throughout the conversation, they had closed the distance between them. Their faces were inches apart and all they had to do was...

"Oh shit!"

Both Rohit and Shreya turned around to find a mortified Kavya by the stairs. She faced the wall away from them.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I didn't see anything. Please continue."

Kavya was about to leave when Rohit stood up and straightened himself. His parenting instincts kicked in.

"What are you doing awake at this hour?" Rohit asked. "You've got school tomorrow. Also, you'll need to pack up for the move."

Kavya finally turned around to meet them.

"I came down for a snack," she sheepishly answered.

"Fine," he accepted. "Make it quick. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Kavya nodded and went into the kitchen.

"I'm going to bed," Shreya announced.

"Here," Rohit offered. "Let me help you."

"I'll be ok," Shreya returned. That was enough excitement for tonight. "Stay with Kav and make sure she doesn't burn the kitchen down."

Rohit hesitated but upon Shreya's insistence he relented and joined Kavya in the kitchen. She was munching on a bag of snacks. That would definitely not going to cause the kitchen to burn down. He quickly realized this was a rouse by Shreya to put some distance between them. In all honesty, he needed the space too.

"Are you ok?" Rohit started as he joined her.

"I didn't think my parents could scar me for life at 16 but here I am," she replied. "Do you like my mom?"

That wasn't what he'd expected.

"Why would you ask that?" Rohit retorted.

"You were about to kiss her," she returned casually.

Rohit will admit the thought did cross his mind and if Kavya hadn't interrupt, he might have gone in for the kiss. However, that almost kiss was just a spur of the moment thing, it didn't mean he liked her.... Right? Then, what were all those feelings he felt whenever they were close? And then there's the way his body would react naturally around her... Could those be memories his body retained when his mind didn't?

"I care for you."

Shreya's words played in his mind.

"I care for her," he muttered, using her words.

"Huh?" Kavya voiced, confused.

Rohit shook his head and laughed, dismissing that thought.

"Honestly," he said. "I don't know. It's complicated."

"Why are things always so complicated for adults?" Kavya groaned.

Rohit ran his hand through her hair, ruffling it.

"Finish that snack and get back to bed," he said, changing the topic. Rohit didn't want to pursue this line of discussion any longer. It would cost him his sleep if he did. He wanted answers and he partially got them. That was enough for tonight.

***

Shreya leaned against her bedroom door to both physically and emotionally steady herself.

What was that? She had almost kissed him. Shreya had to remind herself that he isn't the Rohit she fell in love with all those years ago.

I care for her.

He had said it just barely loud enough for her to pick it up.

Was it a realization or was it a statement?

Don't think about it! Shreya told herself.

Her Rohit was gone with the car crash. Her Rohit was gone the moment he handed her the cheque.

Yet, why does her feelings threaten to betray her?

***

A/N: So... Erm... They care for each other...