• ADVIKA •

The next thing my eyes witnessed— much as I predicted while playing Call It What You Want on my mobile— was a white ceiling and a matching ceiling fan rotating over my head.

I got up from my position and saw the room— which I was familiar with even in my dreams— was much different to what I had seen in the past. The walls were painted in pastel purple as I had noticed that the bed and the bedspread was cream in colour.

Getting up from the bed, I walked up to open the door and get out of the room. When I was only two steps away from the door, it opened wide, giving way to the five-feet-tall man who was the owner of that house and my heart.

The moment he entered the room and I got lost in those lush green canopies yet again, I knew that everything changed between though everything was constant. He was still in his handsome avatar, donning a two-months-old beard, ruffled hair, a crisp pistachio green shirt and a pair of ivory white pants in addition to those muscles which looked well-built and better than before.

Did I forget to mention his iconic rainforest green eyes that were already melting in emotions the moment he was bringing sunshine to my blackness?

The world outside us— which seemed as though time was waiting for us to get lost in each other's gaze and to meet each other's soul in our embrace— continued to run as Ishaan held his head high and asked, "Why did you come here?"

"Why not?" I whispered as my voice went on a hideout after hearing his voice.

"I will die if you meet me again, ma'am. That was what you had said before leaving even without a goodbye," he stated and stood upright, therefore killing me with his curtness.

"Ishaan, I..." Unable to bring up words that could convince him, I looked down at the tiled floor. "Things have changed now," I whispered as I looked back at him with a bare minimum statement to convince him.

"What? Did that lady say, 'I have no issues with you people fucking each other'? She granted you the permission to keep loving me, didn't she? As if we have done everything after granting her permission!" Before I could stop him midway, he let out a bitter chuckle and continued, "And, you came back to me, knowing that there are no more risks. As though I were some shares issued by a company and you're an investor."

"Ishaan, I didn't mean to do that, but—"

"Shut up!" His roar boomed through the room— possibly the entire house— as I noticed Fiorella approaching behind him. A few seconds after looking at us, she left the place while he continued, "I told you, didn't I? Never think about loving me again."

"I didn't guarantee it, Ishaan," I retorted instantly, taking a step forward. "I still love you. And, you know it."

"No, I don't think you love me. You know what, Miss Bansal?" He stepped closer to me, his breath hitting stronger on my face like a storm. "You and Maahi are one and the same. Such a red flag bitches that you two are! Ugh. Red flag, commitment-phobic bitches—"

"Who the fuck do you think is a red flag?" I roared out of anger which was a sign of the love I had for him. "I can't believe that you had the guts to compare me with Maahi the bitch! She ran away for her sake, Ishaan! She was a selfish asshole! She was the one you can call commitment phobic! She left you only because she can't handle serious relationships.

"You call me and Maahi one and the same, don't you? I mean, ending things to save someone's life is so similar to escaping serious relationships, isn't it? Yeah, right!" I let out a chuckle that was loaded with bitterness and fury, though I felt my eyes shining with glistening tears. "Look, Ishaan. I'm sorry for leaving you like that in the past. But... Do you get it why did I leave you?" I screamed it on the top of my voice, not after letting out a few sobs while Ishaan was already in his tears. "Because, I loved you! If I stayed back, Aadya Chatterjee would have killed you with one of her infinite ways to kill someone. You saw how Mehak was almost dead, didn't you? Had I not left you, you would have died a worst death. You'd have died a wanted criminal— which is not who you are. Don't you get that I did good to you?"

"Oh, thank you so much for doing all of these to me!" Ishaan joined his hands dramatically. "I'm oh-so-grateful for all that you did to me." He broke the joined hands. "But..." After biting his lower lip to suppress his sobs, he released the grip and continued, "I was dead already. Twenty one months, three days, ten hours and forty minutes ago. You might have left me without any goodbye and moved on as though it was all a dream. But all I did for this whole time was exist like a ghost, waiting for my true love to return."

"I did try to come back," I stated the fact, my mind replaying the moment I played You Belong With Me to bid him a proper goodbye.

His face, which was so red out of sheer anger until then, froze into snow white as he whispered, "What do you mean?"

"Yes. The very moment after entering my world. And... You thought that I had moved on? Never. I was worse than one could imagine. I was a mere particle— consisting of no soul and no wish to live and love but of blood, flesh and bones— existing in that world." Letting out a deep exhale and wiping my tears, I continued, "Listen. I know you hate me. And, you do deserve to hate me for real. But..." Unable to hold back my sobs and tears, I allowed them to go free as I joined my hands. "I am sorry, Ishaan. I'm sorry for all that you had to face. Forgive me, Ishaan. It wasn't that I left you because I stopped loving you. I loved you. And, I still do. I want to live with you for many more ages, Ishaan. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and experience the joys and sadnesses with you— my man— by my side. Understand, Ishaan!" With that, I instinctively knelt on two knees and kept sobbing instead of doing the talking.

He, who was standing until then, sat on the floor cross legged and held my hands which were joined then. As he placed his forehead on my hands, I felt some hot tears on my fingertips. After sniffing his nose to clear the mucus, he looked up at me sighing and asked, "Why do I have to love you more than I hate you?"

I couldn't help but pull him closer into a hug and put him under my arms while he reciprocated mine. "I'm sorry, Ishaan," I cried and pulled him closer though he was already closer to me.

"No, don't be," he said between strained sobs and continued, "I'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that." Kissing my right shoulder, he laid his head on it as we spent the rest of our minutes in that silent embrace that spoke up those unspoken declarations of love we wished we could tell each other.

***

Look how cute mah babies are! Especially when they're together! I wish I wasn't single *sighs*.

Oh, and if you still couldn't trust me for giving them a happy ending, trust me, peeps. I DID give them a happy ending.

Swipe more for the last chapter (you have a teeny tiny surprise there ;)