~Two days later~

Ananya put on her favourite cherry chapstick and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Letting out a sigh,she reread his message once again.

Exactly one hour ago, Ishaan had messaged her and asked her to meet him at Janet's. At first she was surprised as to when Ishaan had come to Mumbai. When she left Goa two days back, he had told her that he was going to sort out things with his family and if everything turned out well, he would come to meet her. Did that mean that his dad had agreed on this alliance?

Hundred questions lingered in her mind, as she tried to make up her mind about what she was about to do. She couldn't help but feel nervous.

After a half hour intense debate with herself, she reached Janet's. As she entered, she spotted Ishaan sitting in the same booth in which he had first proposed to her. Her heart sank as she saw him waving at her.

'No....you can't fail now, Ananya. You've come a long way now. There's no backing out of this....', she reminded herself.

She straightened her dress and walked up to the booth with a smile on her face. As she sat across Ishaan, she noticed that he was missing his engagement ring.

She gulped.

Ishaan smiled brightly and took her hands in his. His eyes gleamed with happiness.

Ishaan: It's so good to see you again.

Ananya nervously looked at him and said,

Anu: Yeah....um.. but...when did you get here? Why didn't you tell me?

Ishaan: I wanted to give you a surprise, Anu.

Ananya mentally cringed at that but said,

Anu: That's.....sweet.

Ishaan grinned and said,

Ishaan: I know. God, I have a lot to share with you. But first let me order something.

Ananya nodded slightly and looked here and there. She didn't really have an appetite to say the least.

Ishaan called the waiter and placed his order without even bothering to ask if Ananya wanted to have something different. But Ananya kept quiet. She was used to this. Him controlling everything around her like she was his puppet.

After the waiter went away, Ishaan turned to Ananya again and said,

Ishaan: Isn't this crazy? Exactly 6 years back, I proposed to you here, in this booth. And now here we are. Again.

Ananya nodded slightly but did not say a word.

Ishaan: It's destiny, you know. It all works out in the end. If two people truly love each , the would find their way to each other-

Growing impatient , Ananya asked,

Ananya: Ishaan, I think you are drifting away from the point here. We're here to discuss what happened with your dad and Tanya, right?

Ishaan grin lessened as he spoke,

Ishaan: Yeah, of course, that. Um...

Anu: Well? What did your dad say when Tanya told him about us?

Ishaan: Anu.....least to say.....he wasn't very happy about this.

Anu: Oh God...

Ishaan: There's more to the story. I convinced Tanya to not tell Dad about this until the wedding get's over . Especially not on phone. I wanted to talk to him face to face so.... I asked.....well practically begged her to not tell dad about this.

Anu: What happened then?

Ishaan: She kept her promise. She didn't tell my dad. She told hers though.

Ananya let out a frustrated sigh.

Ishaan: Her dad immediately talked to my dad, and everything was out in the open. When we got back home , my family wasn't really in a good mood.

Ananya anxiously waited for him to continue, while anticipating what was about to come next.

Ishaan: A lot of drama happened. God, it was like one of those Indian daily soaps. With women crying and men abusing, everything!

Ananya nodded slightly.

Ishaan: And then my dad asked me to make a choice.....

Ananya dreaded what was about to come next.

Ishaan: He asked me to choose between.....him....his property....and.....and...

Anu: Me?

Ishaan looked at her and nodded slightly.

Anu: Well , whom did you.....choose?

Ishaan looked at her for a long agonizing minute and then said,

Ishaan: You.

Ananya looked at him with surprise. She definitely hadn't expected this answer. Infact she was so sure that he would choose his father that she had already prepared a speech to deliver her coup de grace.

She looked at him with widened eyes as he proceeded,

Ishaan: I left him, Ananya. I left everything behind. For you. I left that house. My family. My friends there. I broke off the engagement with Tanya too.

He gestured towards his bare ring finger.

Ishaan: I figured the best thing I could do was come here. I had to tell you that now we could be together without anyone interfering between us. I'll find a job here so that when you finish your studies we can start a new life.

And that's when it clicked. That was the exact moment that she knew that she didn't want any of that. She did not want a future with this guy. That everything she ever felt for this guy was a complete utopian imagination.

Yes! Yes! She wasn't in love with Ishaan. She was in love with the idea of having the perfect school sweetheart romance. She had her doubts but this conversation did act as an eye opener.

Ishaan's voice snapped her out of her trance and she felt his gaze on him.

Ishaan: I left my whole life, Anu. I know this is going to be hard. But we'll figure this out. Together.

Saying that, he pressed the back of his palm on her hand and smiled.

And....3.....2.....1....here we go,

Ananya slowly slid her hand away from his and said in a honey coated sarcastic tone,

Anu: No, we'll not.

Ishaan looked at her questioningly and asked,

Ishaan: Huh?

Ananya put on a sweet smile and said,

Anu: I said...that we are not getting back together. Not now. Not ever.

Ishaan furrowed his brows and asked,

Ishaan: Anu , what are you saying?

Anu: How dumb are you, Ishaan? Don't you get it? This was all a plan. My plan, to be exact.

Ishaan looked at her with shock evident on his face.

Ishaan: No....

Anu: Yes. Did you really think you were just gonna come and tell me that you still love me......and I'll be all over you, again?

Ishaan gulped but said nothing.

Anu: You may have forgotten the last 3 years, Ishaan. I didn't. I can never forget the hurt and pain that you put me through. The pain and suffering that my family and friends went through to see me like that!

Ishaan glanced at her. Her eyes were burning with fury , like a wildfire that was about to ruin everything in a split second.

Anu: You had the audacity to come and tell me that you still love after leaving me hanging without a reason for 3 fucking years!

The crowd was starting to notice the feud but thought it best to stay out of it.

Ishaan: But I told you.. I had a reason-

Anu: I don't care what reason you have! No reason could be big enough to do something like this to the person who you claim to love!

Ishaan shuddered at her tone of voice. Ananya had never been a loud person. It almost felt like he was watching someone else control her.

Anu: You never loved me, Ishaan. When you saw that I had moved on in my life without you, you just couldn't take it! You had to ruin it for me. And you knew exactly where to strike.

Ananya inhaled deeply and continued,

Anu: When you told me that you loved me, I almost..... almost felt like forgiving you. But then I remembered......the pain...the suffering....the sleepless nights...the agonizing looks of everyone around me....and that's when I decided. I decided that....this time... you weren't going to get past so easily.

Ishaan gulped and stared at her, afraid to say a word.

Anu: The plan was to make you completely and hopelessly fall in love with me....and make you believe that I had forgiven you and was still in love with you. And when you would be at your most vulnerable state, I would turn my back at you. And... needless to say..... I succeeded.

Ishaan's eyes widened with fear as she revealed her sinister plan. He couldn't in a million years beleive that Ananya could do something like this.

Anu: Now you have no one to turn to. Your family hates you. You broke off your engagement. You have zero friends. And you are all alone in Mumbai , with little or probably no cash.

Ishaan looked at her in disbelief and asked in a feeble voice,

Ishaan: How could you do this to me?

Anu: It's a taste of your own medicine. Do you not like it?

Ishaan gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

Anu: Don't even try. This cafe is filled with people whom I know very nicely. One move of yours could land you into serious trouble.

Ishaan let out a frustrated groan and fidgeted with his hands. He shot her a glare. Ananya put on her sachharine sweet smile and said,

Anu: I hope you have a good life, Ishaan Shrivastav.
See you...... never.

Delivering her coup de Grace, she flipped her hair off her shoulder and walked out of that cafe with dignity and her head held high.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Daksh shivered in the chilling cold air outside. Standing in the pavement next to his hostel, he lit a cigarette and inhaled a puff. But no amount of cigarettes could really calm the storm in his head. He felt almost dizzy as he let out the smoke. His mind wandered.

If only he could go back in time and undo everything. He would've stopped himself from coming to Mumbai, from ever meeting Ananya, from ever falling in love with her......

But only he couldn't. He just had to live with this now. There was no other option.

As he let out another puff, his vision focussed on someone who was coming towards him. He blinked twice. His eyes widened as he recognised who it was.

Ananya half ran half walked her way towards him. As she came and stood in front of him, she couldn't help but feel nervous. How was she going to explain everything to him? Would he forgive her ?

Her eyes glistened as she looked into his eyes. Her heart raced. Was she really ready to face the possibility of being in love with him?

He looked at her questioningly, trying to find answers in those ocean eyes. His mind raced through several thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, Ananya finally spoke,

Anu: I know that you probably don't want to see me. I know that you are mad at me. But can you please promise....that you would hear me out? If you choose not to forgive me, I'll respect that decision too.

Daksh studied her face to understand whatever was going on in her head.

Anu: Will you hear me out?

Daksh's eyes softened as he replied,

Daksh: When have I ever said no to you?

Ananya's eyes gleamed with a tinge of happiness as she nodded slightly.

As she proceeded to tell him everything about the plan,his eyes widened at every step. She controlled her tears, afraid to let them out in front of him. She knew he wouldn't judge her for it, but she didn't wanna seem weak.

As she finished, Daksh looked at her with empathy and a glint of pride. He hadn't ever expected her to be so brave. He felt awful for yelling at her even though he had no idea. She had to go through all this alone and on top of that, he had made it even harder for her.

Anu: I'm sorry, Daksh. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. I just had to make him believe that nothing mattered more to me than our relationship. I know.... I know that that doesn't count as an excuse for hurting you but I just..... I.....

Daksh pressed his palm on her cheeks and shushed her. She looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

Daksh: It's okay, alright? I understand.

Ananya smiled through her tears. Daksh breathed a sigh of contentment. All the clouds of doubt that he had in his mind had vanished with that smile.

That damn smile.....

Ananya's eyes suddenly shot up and she said,

Anu: Oh and one more thing.... I needed to tell you something....

Daksh looked at her with heart eyes and said,

Daksh: What?

Ananya looked at her sheepishly and before Daksh could even process, she pressed her lips to his. He didn't jerk away. And that meant only one thing.

He loved her too.....

As their lips parted, she breathed heavily and whispered,

Anu: I love you.

Daksh smiled widely and pressed his lips on to hers. And as they parted again, he breathed,

Daksh: I think you know my answer already.

And they kissed again.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yipeeeeeee Yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!! So so so happy to finally say that these two cuties are finally back together!!!!!! Oh how bad I've waited to write this chapter! And now it's finally happening!

I know that most of you probably didn't see this coming but hey , thoda tarka to banta hai! I thought it was finally time that Ananya stood up for herself and held on to her dignity! Which she did with sass!!

Anyways guys if you liked or loved the chapter, please please please vote and comment down below - If you could be a movie character for a day, who would it be? And why?

Next chapter is going to be on Sahil and Shanu!!!!! So stay the heck tuned!!!

Love you loads,
Bosedisha