ARNAV

Strange isn't it? Sometimes you feel like your life is falling apart completely but usually all it ever needs is time, just give it time and things eventually start to fall in place.

I mean look at Khushi and I, there was a point where we couldn't even be friends with each other and now here we were, touring around Paris together.

When she said she didn't ever want to see me again, it felt like my whole life fell apart, but slowly I managed to bring it back to track, I went for therapy, I got a job, I even made a new friend even though we hadn't been in contact for a while now, but it was a bit thing because making friends was hard for me, I only ever trusted Khushi, and maybe Tanvi, but we all know how that ended.

In the past few years, we had both grown, we had become better people and I guess anything we were holding against each other was gone, that was why we could hang out together right now without feeling what we felt then.

I don't mean that I still didn't love Khushi, I did, I guess I was always going to be in love with her, but this time I wasn't trying to win her back or anything, I was just happy with the little time we got to spend together and I know once this ended, we would head separate ways, but like she said, it was for the best.

We wouldn't be who we are if the things that happened in the past didn't happen to us, maybe my trust needed breaking for me to manage to get therapy which I needed but never got, maybe Khushi's heart needed the breaking to be able to be as happy as she was now, not that she was less happy before, but at least unlike before, her world dint revolve just around me.

I was glad that she had made friends and she was living the life she had dreamt of, maybe that wouldn't have been possible if we were together.

Maybe sometimes, two people that love each other need to fall apart to be able to discover their true selves, to be able to become who they always wanted to be without holding each other off, so yes, the things we might have done in the past might have been terrible but it brought us here, we were two happy individuals living our lives and that had to mean something right?

"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Khushi asked.

"Nothing... just us."

"What about us?"

"Just... how things ended up working out eventually, the last time we were face to face we were both so heartbroken, and now we're just us... I really can't put it into the right words but it's just a feeling, like whatever happened in the past, happened for good." I sighed.

"Yeah?"

"You don't feel so?"

"I don't know, I mean who would think losing their best friend was for good?"

"If it gave you the opportunity to make new friends, why not?"

"What if I never needed them?"

"Then maybe you wouldn't be travelling around like this... we can't always get everything in life Khushi, I mean you lost me but you got all these new friends, even that has to mean something right?"

"True, they do make me happy."

"And they wouldn't hurt you like I did, so it was for the best, wasn't it?"

"Well, if you put it that way then yeah, but how was it the best for you? I see you all alone here, still no friends?"

"I made one friend back in Hyderabad and maybe someday in the future I'll make more friends, and this is like a dream job for me, besides it helped me deal with the problems I had been hiding since long, I don't think I would have managed to be at peace if Sharmila wasn't in Jail for what she did and if I hadn't gotten help I needed."

"That's true also, so let's say, whatever that happens, happens for the best right?"

"Right." I smiled at her.

*****

Later in the evening, Khushi and her friends decided to head back to their hotel as they were tired from roaming around the whole day and they needed some rest, I went along with them as I had parked my car there which I needed to get back home.

"So... do I get to see you tomorrow?" Khushi asked once we arrived at the hotel.

"Depends, do you want to see me?" I smirked.

"Stop flirting Arnav." She slapped me lightly on the arm and laughed.

"I'm not flirting, I just don't want to be here if it might bother you. Anyway tomorrow I really can't, I have some important meetings to attend, I'm sorry." I apologized.

"No worries, give me a call when you're free, we can hang out together." She smiled as she took my phone and saved her number there.

"Maybe we can hang out right now? That's if you aren't too tired." I suggested.

"Umm... Yeah sure." She agreed, which made me really happy, see, time is what it takes for things to fall in place, Khushi and I couldn't be friends then, but maybe we could be now, right?

"Hey, Ved. I'm going with Arnav, I'll be back later."

"Without me?" He pouted as he walked towards us, Ved was always so dramatic.

"Yes without you, just some old friends catching up."

"Okay, no problem, be back on time okay? Who will I irritate without you?" He pouted as he walked away to join the rest as they were heading inside the hotel.

"Not to be too intrusive but is there something going on between you two?" I asked, I don't know why but it just seemed like there was something, they way he acted towards her.

"Yeah, we're trying this whole dating thing, see how it goes." She smiled nervously.

"Hopefully. Anyway, shall we?" I smiled as I led the way to the parking lot trying to remember where exactly I had parked, once I spotted the car, I unlocked it and led Khushi towards it.

All the while, as we walked towards the car and then got inside and I drove off, she kept on staring at me and I tried so much not to ask but she wouldn't stop so I had to ask.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It's making me awkward." I laughed.

"Just... I thought you'll get all jealous type after knowing that Ved and I are dating." She shrugged.

"Do you want me to be jealous?" I smirked at her.

"Stop asking me questions." She rolled her eyes and looked outside the window, I just smiled at how cute she looked while making those angry faces.

Of course I was jealous, but not in a bad way, it just hurt, knowing I could have been with her, but maybe destiny never had it so... anyway it was good that she was dating that Ved guy, he looked like a great person and I hoped he was going to make her happy.

"Are you dating anyone?" She looked at me curiously.

"No... not really. Who will date me when I have to travel around for work, no one likes long distance relationship." I joked. Honestly I hadn't thought of dating anyone, I remember there was a time when I tried to go on one date hoping it would make me miss Khushi less, but it just reminded me so much more of her.

Sometimes the heart wants what it wants right?

"Anyway I lied, Ved and I aren't dating." She confessed, I looked at her in confusion.

"Why would you lie?"

"I just dint want you to think that..."

"That I could have a chance with you now? Don't worry Khushi, I promise I won't try to get back with you. If the past four years have taught me anything is to let things be, not to force things... all I'm trying to win here honestly is just your friendship, nothing more."

"What makes you think we could be friends now?"

"Why not? We've healed, we're happy in our lives, what wrong could friendship do to us? Though it was just a suggestion, I won't force it if you don't want it. This can end once you go back, we don't have to keep in touch or anything."

"You sound so different, so mature." She giggled.

"Life makes us all mature at one point. Anyway, here we are." I smiled as I stopped the car hoping she was going to like this place, I would come here anytime I was free and just needed some air, it was such a great place to be.