CHAPTER NINETEEN

Dedicated to Mameetah11.

* * *

Present day,

"Reima, what's wrong? Reima!" Aman shook me, or rather his lookalike shook me, gently. "Hey, Reima! Come to your senses! Hey!" His voice shook in fright and his growing panic can be seen in the intensity of his hold on my body.

He paused briefly with his pained eyes staring at my lifeless body. However, it wasn't just pain lurking within it's depths, there was also fear swimming unabashedly within too. Taking a deep breath, his hands touched my lips ever so slightly and with no further ado, his lips merged with mine in a kiss of life.

One...two...three times, his lips consumed mine and yet it yielded no response from me.

"R-Reima! Please come to your senses!" He pleaded desperately as his arms rest on my chest as he began CPR. "Please! Please! I still-," his voice cracked, "I still have things to say to you." He kept on pressing my chest gently, pleading.

"Hey! Reima! Reima! Hey!"

However none of his effort to resuscitate me worked. He, however, kept on pressing as if his life depended on it and the truth was, it did. He kept on thinking 'not again', he couldn't survive losing everything again; he simply couldn't, not after what he'd given up to be here.

No, he couldn't afford to lose her. Not today! Not now! It wouldn't be fair. No, it wouldn't be.

"Reima! Please-," his voice laced with pain and fear and hope pleaded desperately.

He, however, knew his options were growing thin by the minute. If he was going to save me, he needed to do something, anything, fast.

Reluctantly, he pulled his hands away from me and then he pulled out his phone and dialled a number. However he hesitated before pressing the call button. His hands balled into fist as he pressed the button finally. It was clear he wasn't fond of whoever he was calling.

The person picked up after two rings.

"Hey, man. I'm-

He cut him off. "Reima fainted! Her face suddenly went pale and she was sweating a lot of cold sweat before she fainted and collapsed to the ground." He explained breathlessly, "She isn't breathing and doesn't have any pulse. I did CPR twice but her breathing didn't come back. What do I do?" He asked shakily and then a little aggressively, "I can't afford to lose her. Not again!"

There was a pause on the other end before he asked;

"Does she have any health problems?"

"No, at least none that I know of." He thought about it for a moment. "She is... healthy."

"Did she drink or take anything?"

He shook his head as if he could see him.

"Okay...she probably has concu-

"Reima! He screamed suddenly, letting go of the phone.

I was sitting upright with my gaze a bit unfocused as I slowly took in my environment and for a minute there, it felt as if i didn't know where I was but the sound of his voice had it all crashing on me again. I looked up at him.

"Aman?" I asked softly

He bent down and enclosed me in a bear hug. "Do you know how scared I was? Do you Know how much I regretted?" He hugged me tightly, "I thought I had lost you,"

"Aman-" I barely choked out, "-you are strangling me,"

"Sorry!"

He released his grip on me and put his hands on my shoulders instead with his eyes burrowing into hers.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," he hugged me again, letting out a deep breath and closing shut his eyes. "I thought I had lost you." He mused softly

I pushed him away hard making him almost fall by its unexpectedness.

"Don't you ever touch me again." I hissed angrily.

"I'm sorry!" He apologized as he regained his composure,"I was uhm-," he cleared his throat,"You scared me."

I ignored him as my eyes moved around in search of something. They stopped on the body of the lifeless Aman lying behind me. I faced him again.

"What's happening, Aman? Why are there two of you?" I asked my voice surprisingly calm.

He stood up wordlessly and began walking away towards the chair that held me prisoner a few moments ago.

"Aman?"

He sat down. "It doesn't matter."

"No, it does." I closed shut my eyes in an effort to curb my rising rage with my eyes going back and forth from the living and probably dead Aman. "How can it not?"

"Trust me, it doesn't."

I huffed. Trust him? Who was he kidding?

"Reima," he sighed deeply, standing and walking back to me. He stopped a few metres away from me and bent down, facing me; he let go of a deep breath.

"Listen well! I-I like you,"

My eyes widened in shock. What was he saying in such a situation? However, he went on not minding my demeanor.

"I know I've done terrible things to you and your family and I also know that I am a monster, but I like you, Reima, despite it all and I want you to like me too."

"Aman. He-

"I'm not asking you to answer me right away. I just want you to know how I feel about you and allow you time to think about what I just said. But-

"He is alive!"

"What?" He was taken aback

I pointed to my hand and Aman's gaze followed. My hands were held captive by the other Aman. He was conscious again. I watched my prisoner curiously. He looked unperturbed by the new development, if anything, it feels as if he was expecting it. And his voice confirmed it all.

"Hello... brother,"

Brother? A voice repeated from deep within me.

The other Aman sat up, groaning slightly in pain, with his hand not leaving mine.

"What did you do to her, Amar?" He hissed.

"Nothing you haven't done already, Aman." He jeered as he walked back to the chair once again.

"I swear if-

He cut him off. "What will you do? Or rather what can you do? You are just as pathetic as ever."

His grip on me tightened a bit. "Don't..."

"Don't what?" He taunted as he stood up, his hands raking through his thick hair. "Don't tell her the truth or don't tell her how I feel about her? Cause I already did."

I yanked my hand away from his forcibly. What's with the two of them and touching my body? I hissed softly getting on my feet. I was sick and tired of whatever it was that is going on; gunshots, running away, being kidnapped, half-baked truths, all of it and I was leaving, truth be damned. I didn't want or need to know the truth anymore; not after all the lies and games. It simply isn't worth it. I crossed my hands across my chest staring spitefully at them both.

"I don't want to know which of you brought me here," They both began to protest and I raised my hands to stop them. "I don't care. Just take me home!" I wasn't asking.

The one whom just professed his love spoke first. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

I glared at him. What does he know about what I want?  I just want this whole nightmare to stop.

He let go of a deep breath and stared down at the other Aman.

"Look Aman, I always told you she was stronger than you give her credit for."

"Leave her alone, Amar." He gritted between clenched teeth, "She has nothing to do with this."

"It doesn't matter anymore. I already took what you've been too weak to take for so many years," Amar smiled wickedly

"I'm war-

He turned to me suddenly, "Aren't you curious?" And at her silence, he went on,"Who did you meet in the forest, who kidnapped you, who did you marry, who was shot and who did you runaway with? Why three days? Or even why the need for such drama?" He paused, "Aren't you curious why your mum never mentioned me, us? Or who caused the car accident that almost cost you your life?"

"Runaway?"  She frowned

"Oh yes!" He said softly, "We once shared a deep relationship, you know."

"What? We've met before?" I wasn't convinced but I was curious nevertheless.

He nodded slowly

"How come I have no memory of such occurrence?"

The answer came from the Aman still sitting on the floor. "That's because you lost part of your memory after the accident."