I had a wonderful sleep and I felt so relieved and good. I was just getting through my daily routine of brushing and washing when my phone went off.

Without checking the caller ID, I answered the call.
"Are you home?"

What?

I checked the ID and ofcourse, it was Arjun. "Yes," I replied, sounding all monotonous.

There was silence on the other side for sometime. Then he reminded me,"We had to meet today, remember?"

My bad...why have we planned to meet by the way?

"Yeah...," and I realised, I had to meet him because I wanted answers.
But what are the questions? Silly me.

"Seven tonight?" He asked.

"I am not planning to go on a date with you Arjun. I need answers. Come over to my place in the afternoon," I literally sounded like I was ordering him.

"Okay," I heard him chuckle over the other end of the line. "Bossy much?"

"I think I was never bossy Arjun," I asserted.

*pouts* Bossy and me are two opposite things.

"No Amaya, you really were bossy. I think when you went on a mini hunger strike to make me apologise for getting mad at you, you had me on my knees to beg for your forgiveness. After you forgave me, you dragged me to a stupid clubbing night with you and I had to obey your commands because had I not done that, you would have set my study on fire,"

Okay, maybe I'm a little (very little, 0.00001%) bossy...

And he remembers this incident?
Glad! So he knows, I'm dangerous.

"That was one incident. Only one," I stressed on the word 'one' to prove that a single incident cannot prove that I'm bossy.

"I have a number of incidents to prove that you are bossy and stubborn but I have a meeting to attend and I don't think you would like to tolerate me over a call for so long,"

I rolled my eyes and blurted, "Exactly,"

And I heard him chuckle.
I raised my eyebrow and even before I could say anything else, he hung the call.

I'm not bossy.

Ignoring Arjun completely,
I went back to my morning routine and for a moment I just felt like having some fun - alone.

After a very long time, I was home alone without any nonsense going on in my life and even if Arjun was still there to remind me that my life wasn't yet ridden of all the troubles, I still felt like enjoying a little bit.

I put my 'Favorites' playlist on the home theatre and stripped to my shorts, letting my hair loose and poured myself a nice morning drink. Morning with whiskey.

Rich girl was the first song that played and I danced all the way down the stairs, making, what I thought, were legit sexy moves and in that course, I bumped into a wall and hurt my head a little. But that didn't stop me from having fun.

I really started to enjoy and it was when the song shifted to Blank Space, I started to sing out loud.

"GOT A LONG LIST OF EX LOVERS, THEY'LL TELL YOU I'M INSANE...," but I've got a blank space baby, and I'll write your name.

I fangirled over Shawn Mendes for sometime when Treat you better played and then again poured myself another round of drink.

I'm twenty six and a mother to two adorable children but this side of me doesn't cease to exist. I'm so proud of myself. I didn't lose my fun side to the stupid shit that almost ruined my life.

I crashed on the couch and rested my feet on the centre table.
I'm really not looking forward to more drama. A full stop to all this is all I need.

Arjun used to mean a lot to me. Now, I do feel for him at times but it isn't as strong as what I used to feel earlier. Time and again he proves to me that he's an ass. But the fact is that this ass is my children's father.

~~~

Arjun and I were seated on two opposite couches in my living room after having lunch. I was not going to break the silence.

"You know if you don't ask questions to which you need serious answers, I cannot help you because let me inform this to you beforehand that I cannot read minds," he said.

Ha.ha.ha.
Very funny.

"Can I call you a jerk?" I asked.

"Is that what you really wanted to ask?" He was surprised.

"Just starters," I gave a fake smile.

He chuckled and said, "You ask anything you want to because I won't lie to you today,"

"So you were lying to me all this while?" I questioned.

"How does that even matter? I'm trying to settle things between us," Now I can't help it if this particular line of his triggered me.

I stood up and walked up to him. He was seated, resting his back comfortably on the couch and when I stood there like a bitch, he straightened himself up.

"Now two things, get this straight, I don't want things to settle between us," I first pointed towards him and then back at myself. "And second, I hate you,"

Woah! That was more than just easy.

He seemed to have been taken aback with this sudden reaction of mine.

"Okay," he tried to digest the things well. "Settling things doesn't mean getting back together Amaya," he said. 

"Whatever it means to you, I don't care. You've lost me in every way possible," I said taking a few steps back and getting back to my seat.

He didn't say anything. His face just fell with all that I told him. He deserves it.

I folded my legs up on the couch and framed my first question.

"So were you in a relationship with Disha?" I don't like twisting and turning things. I just shoot.

This is something that has been with me for last six years. It has made me feel like trash for all the time I was a part of his life.

"What sort of relationship?" He turned to his serious-Arjun self and asked.

"Relationship is relationship Arjun. There's no kind of it. Whether it's friendship, love, both, or whatever...were you there with her through any of these bonds?" I snapped.

He sighed. "I don't intend to hurt you but yes, friendship was there,"
"And love?"

"Wasn't there," he replied.

I narrowed my eyes.
"So the physical relationship that you had with her was just for the sake of filling those empty spaces in your heart," I stated.

His eyes widened in surprise.
"Physical relationship with Disha? Are you crazy or what?"

"No, I'm not. I know this Arjun. You don't need to lie,"

"I told you I'm not going to hide things from you today and I'm telling the truth,"

"How am I supposed to trust you after all these years of endless lies you've told me?"

"Okay, I know that's too much to ask-"

"Yes it is,"

He calmed himself down and then spoke, "Who told you all this?"

"Who else...Disha," I replied.

"And you trust her?"

"You know what Arjun? Let it be. Whatever happened was between the two of you. I don't know whom to trust-"

"She was trying to fill your ears against me, why don't you understand Amaya?"

Fuck. Why did I even ask this...I think I look like a jealous ex wife.

Fuck Fuck Fuck!

"No Arjun, I don't want to understand this crap. It's not just you who has the right to misunderstand someone," This meet-up and ask-Arjun session was turning into a heated argument.

"Okay...okay, this is getting on you," he said as he stood up and got seated on the couch next to me, a little more closer.

I breathed as I looked at him again.
"Look Arjun, I'm done with all this, seriously,"

"You've said this already,"

"I know," I mumbled as I held my head in my hands.

It's frustrating and exhausting.

"You know what, the lunch was awesome," he said.

Topic change.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"That was my favorite," he smiled devilishly.

"I cracked this years ago. Anything I make becomes your favorite or so you pretend,"

"I don't pretend, Amaya," he felt offended.

Please.

"Hmm...,"

"But honestly, from when did you start cooking and all?" He asked, trying to lighten up my mood.

"After I found out Ahaana that as picky as you when it comes to the kind of food she likes," I answered.

"Really?" he was amazed.

"Mhmm...,"

"So she likes all that I like?" I could tell this by looking into his eyes that this was just so interesting for him.

"No, not really. It's Aryan who likes the same things as you...Ahaana is just picky," I stated.

He smiled and nodded.
We were quiet for sometime. It wasn't awkward but comfortable.

"Getting back to the question part, I swear there was nothing as such more than friendship between us and I really regret even being friends with her," he said, all of a sudden.

"Okay," I nodded, not knowing who am I supposed to believe.

"I know you don't trust-"

"I got my answer," I snapped.

I know that's rude but I feel like doing this to him.

"So next question," I said.

"Shoot,"

"What happened between you and your parents after I left?"

"They were angry as fuck,"

WHAT?

"Angry on?"

"Me obviously. I had thrown you out of our house in the middle of the night. I had to face their wrath," he stated as a matter of fact.

I formed an 'o' with my mouth and internally smiled.

Serves you well.

But I felt bad for his parents.

Stupid Arjun.

"And then they tried to kick you out of the house?" I asked jokingly but this guy wanted to be dead serious.

"No. Full high voltage family drama took place at my house for the next two days until it was clear that you were gone and wasn't coming back," he said.

Oh!

"Then over?"

"Grandma sided me and said she trusted me and my mom sided you," he said.

That is just...

"She said she had pleaded you to marry me because it would have brought shame to our families and now I had let her down by torturing you. She said what you did was right and that you shouldn't come back. I cannot even explain how guilty and depressed I felt for the following year after my parents moved out. That was the time when Disha and my friendship grew and I started learning the truth," he added.

I nodded.

"So, have they forgiven you?" I asked.

He didn't say anything.

Not forgiven.
That's called karma.

I may look like a bitch right now but this is nothing compared to what I went through.

"Will they ever forgive you?" I asked, feeling a little bad for his parents and him.

"I don't know," he replied.

"And you will be able to live with that?" I was shocked with his casual behaviour.

He was again quiet. Seems like he doesn't like talking about it.

I will have to do something.

🔛Superwoman Amaya Vanishree activated.

"Anyway, last and the final question," my favorite.

Shall I ask this question?
Will I look a desperate ex wife?

"Do you still hate dogs?"

He first looked surprised and then slowly started laughing making me laugh too.

"What? This is what you wanted to ask? Last and the final question?"
He asked in between his laughs.

"Umm...," I tried to reason with the actual question that was there in my mind.

Let's ask this question - once and for all.

"Arjun, tell me honestly, did you ever love me?" I asked not knowing what would I say or feel if he answers either in a 'yes' or 'no'. I wasn't prepared in both the cases.

"If you ask me about loving you, that is something I have always done. You are that one person who would always be a part of my life no matter how far you are from me,"

My body stiffened hearing his reply.

I am not prepared for a full fledged confession.

Shit.

"I accept that I hated you for a very long period of time. I have wronged you. I have hurt you but it's like we tend to hate only those people we once loved. When I realised my mistake, it was too late. You were gone and I wasn't even sure if I'll ever see you again...," he continued.
"When I slowly started learning the truth, I couldn't understand how could I do this to someone I had loved so much,"

For me, this side of Arjun was too much to digest.

I nodded.

"When I saw our children, it was my breaking point. I felt I had lost everything that truly meant to me. My parents, our children, my friends and you...," he said.

"It's okay Arjun. It's never too late. You can have all of them back in your life," I said and then suddenly remembered he had mentioned me too in the list of people he had lost. So I corrected my mistake.

"Except me," I added.

He sighed and nodded.

"But I'm not giving up on you," he said. "Maybe one day...you know, things between us might get normal,"

"That's your wish. First try to get to those people who truly mean to you. Forget me for sometime and think about your parents, friends and children. You can get hundreds of women like me but these people have no replacement.  They are permanent,"

Wow, was that my speech?
I'm impressed.

"And so are you," he said.

I smiled but nodded negatively.

He'll never understand.

"So, your list is over Miss Vanishree?" He asked.

"Pretty much, why?"

"Now, it's my turn to ask questions," he announced.

____________________________________

Hey everyone. Phew! Long chapter after a long time.

I know I had promised to update yesterday but I was half way through the chapter and an unexpected guest landed at my place so...Sorry😊

Anyway, how was this chapter?
Did you like it?

What do you think Arjun might ask Amaya?

How was Ask-Arjun session?

Do not forget to vote and comment on the chapter.

Also, thank you so much for always motivating me. You people are the reason I'm back on wattpad and I might go missing again for the entire March - you know boards (2nd March to 2nd April) but until 25th February and after 4th April, there's no looking back. I love you all dearly and I write for you all.