The evening had commenced with skies turning grey and closer to the darkness of the night. Ishita gloomily looked outside the window lost in her thoughts as she was seated on the passenger seat of the car. Dushyant was driving quietly with his eyes on the road and disha was seated at the backseat with her eyes fixed on her phone. 

Dushyant would make two or three glances towards ishita after every minute or so, making it seem like he could sense what kept her occupied. 

"toh disha tumhe kaise lage phir purav ke parents?" asked dushyant casually, as he averted his glance to disha for a second, making her look up from her phone. 

"aunty bahaut sweet hai, baaki uncle ka toh pata nahi, purav toh kehra raha tha woh aise toh nahi hote normal days pe...shayad stress thoda zyada hai kaam ka.." responded disha, as ishita couldn't help but swallow a lump down her throat at the mention of purav's father. 

"unka behavior mujhe toh samajh nahi aaya...tumhe kya lagta hai ishita?" asked dushyant casually, as ishita immediately faced him in astonishment, unable to say anything.

"uhmm...." barely uttered ishita at a loss of words and with her mind turning completely blank. 

"waise papa, woh, purav acha laga na aapko?" asked disha very sheepishly, as dushyant looked at her for a second, which made her look away for a second. 

"acha ladka hai...parva hai usse tumhari sach mein..." stated dushyant as his eyes was on the road meanwhile disha smiled gleefully, leaning forward, placing her hand on the back of the driver's seat. 

"sachi papa?" asked disha for confirmation, as dushyant nodded his head in agreement. 

"ab itna bhi koi zaalim nahi hoon main...jitna tumne bana diya tha mujhe pichle kuch dinon mein..." remarked dushyant, as disha pouted. 

"sorry na papa..." pleaded disha playfully, as dushyant just chuckled, while ishita seemed to find no way out from her thoughts. 

                                                                          ***

Purvi was washing the dishes at the cinq in the kitchen and Purav was helping out by wiping the cleaned dishes with a cloth to dry them out and place them on the appropriate shelves in the kitchen. 

"mujhe toh kaafi achi family lagi, ladki bhi pyaari hai...i think sahi mauka dhondke at the least hum engagement karwa dete hai tumhari...phir baad mein ladki ki graduation hojayein, tumhari job lag jayein, sochenge phir shaadi ka...abhi ek commitment hojayegi na...parents secure hojayenge uske thode." explained purvi, as purav only smiled. 

"mummy aap kasam se chaar nahi chaudhan kadam aagi hi sochti ho!" exclaimed purav jokingly, meanwhile kavin, who was clearing up the dinning table just nearby the kitchen was left with unresolved feelings he could barely solve through. 

                                                                   ***

Dushyant was setting up the bed as night time came closer. Ishita stood by the dressing table, applying her night cream on her face in slow and circular motions. Dushyant was quietly glancing at her, which she could sense, but it seemed like they both didn't say anything about it. Ishita was now moisturizing her hands, engrossed carefully, making her way to the bed and seating herself beside dushyant. 

Dushyant finally found his gaze to meet with ishita's as it was very apparent the silence in the air was soon going to disappear. 

"tum aaj bhi shayad usse utna hi pyaar karti hona?" asked dushyant in a very relaxed tone, but conversely ishita's eyes widened in shock immediately, dushyant only smirked. 

"yaad bhi aata hi hoga bahaut...tabhi usse dekhti hi pehchaan gayi...tumhari nazar samajh gaya tha...wahi hoga..." continued dushyant morosely, as ishita looked down, her eyes moistening. 

"dushyant, maine humari shaadi puri wafadari se nibhayi hai...jiss dinn se maine jiya ko apnaya uss din se maine ek bhi dinn uska khayal nahi aane diya mann mein...aur, jiss dinn se maine aapse pyaar kiya, maine apne dil mein aapke aur disha ke alawa kisiko jaga nahi de hai aaj tak..." confessed ishita, as she looked him straight in the eye, when he leaned forward to move closer to her and clasped her hand with his. 

"ishita, maine dekha aaj tumhari aankhon mein...." attempted dushyant to explain calmly only to be interrupted. 

"nahi dushyant, koi pyaar nahi tha meri aankhon mein uske liye...koi yaad rehne nahi di thi maine itne saalon mein par...aaj jab woh mere saamne aaya, woh sab bas, aisa laga saari yaadein ek pal mein mere saamne aa gayi...aur mujhe pata bhi nahi chala..." stated ishita, as dushyant examined her carefully, before sighing at her response. 

"itne saalon mein na...uski tumhare dil se jagah kabhi sach mein mitti nahi thi...tumne andar hi dafna li thi...aaj toh bas, bahar gaya sab kuch..." responded dushyant in a matter of fact way, as ishita looked at him helplessly. 

"aap samjhein...main..." attempted ishita to speak in her defense, only for dushyant to intervene. 

"ishita, mujhe pata hai, mujhe iss baat par koi shaq nahi ki humari shaadi mein itne saal tumne mujhe bahaut pyaar diya, woh bhi sache mann se...par yeh bhi baat sach hai, ki tumhara pyaar uske liye adhoora reh gaya tha na, woh kabhi puri tarah mit nahi paya...aur aaj woh bas tumhare saamne aaya..." replied dushyant gently, as he squeezed her hand for comfort, while she only looked at him gloomily with reluctance. 

                                                                          ***

Kavin stood outside his room in the balcony with his palms resting on the railing just two feet above the floor. He looked at his surroundings as everything was seemingly lost in the darkness of the night sky,  in a perplexed state with his thoughts consuming him completely, not realising purvi has just arrived in the last second and stood beside him. 

She gently tapped on his shoulder which made him finally face her that too in complete surprise as she only smiled. 

"tum toh bade dukhi lag rahe ho...khushi nahi hoye khoyi hui mehbooba se mile aaj..." retorted purvi jokingly, hiding her smile, as kavin scoffed, looking away. 

"woh khoyi nahi thi na, haalat se haarkar maine usse chodha tha..." admitted kavin, as purvi sighed deeply. 

"jaanti hoon, tum bhaagne waale the na uske saath, humari shaadi ke dinn?" confirmed purvi, as kavin looked at her with complete shock. 

"tension na lo, jab maine uss din sunna tha, mujhe do second khushi hui thi...mujhe laga tha shayad issi bahane ek zabardasti ki shaadi ruk jayegi aur unn logon ki shaadi hogi jinhe sach mein karni thi...mujhe laga main shayad jitni dabav mein thi...utne mein tum nahi hoge...acha hi hai..." confessed purvi, as she looked at him with a wistful smile. 

"pata nahi kya hi chal raha tha mere dimaag mein uss din...pehle toh shayad ishita ko khone ka hi darr tha...phir jab, mere saamne hi tumhari maa ke saath....apne akhri pal mein woh bas tumhe ek khushi dete hue jaana chahti thi...koi apna hojayein tumhara bas yeh chahti thi...main...mera dil nahi maan paaya bhagne ko...aur, mujhe shayad, yeh guilt satata hai ki woh uss din mere liye aayi par main nahi aaya...naa chahte hue bhi usse dhoka de diya...apna pyaar khudh hi khatam kardiya..." revealed kavin his feelings, as purvi rubbed his back gently for consolation. 

"main samajh hi nahi paya ki kuch sahi karne ki koshish mein mujhse itna galat bhi hua....aur mujhe aaj bhi nahi pata ki main aur kya hi kar sakta tha...kisika dil zaroor dukhta...uss din mera dil tumhara nahi dukhana chahta tha...tum, bilkul tut gayi thi apni maa ko marta dekh...tum ek hi raat mein ek aur gham kaise jhelti...shayad achi hi hua lekin, tum itni achi biwi nikli, aur uski bhi shaadi ek ache insaan se hui, jisse pyaar bhi mila usse...sab theek hi kardiya waqt ne..." pondered kavin over his overwhelming emotions as his eyes moistened, and purvi only looked on, something seemed to be bothering her too but it seemed to be kept hidden by her.