Chapter 53

LadyMeringue

@LadyMeringue

A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here is the next update! :D :D

Note: The song used here is The Writings' on the Wall by Sam Smith. :) :) Also, this is the second last chapter of the FF, the next one being the last before the Epilogue arrives to sum this up with a bow. :)

Not keeping y'all for long,

Happy Reading! :D :D

Through the turbulent night, sleep descended upon the two of them temporarily as they remained against the door in the others' embrace. Crying themselves to sleep was not something they'd done for the first time, and yet the insurmountable pain they slept under was enough to make them realize that sleep was but a fading pal who'd soon leave them the first thing dawn broke through.

And yet their minds had shut down involuntarily.

At some odd hour through the slumber, Ranveer felt a harsh grip upon his t-shirt as though the fingers holding it had tightened until the hold fell slack, finger trailing away from upon his chest only to hit the ground limply. But what really cut through his sleep was the burnishing sight of the two phoenixes that flashed across his mind out of nowhere, the dying phoenix stealing away his breath as it remained upon the feet of its white and pink coloured partner.

But even the white had turned red until they both caught fire together, that same feeling of incompleteness there as Ranveer's eyes snapped upon moments later.

Feeling disoriented at the sudden change of environment as his eyes grew blind in the darkness of the room after the burning flames, Ranveer shut his eyes again when the images kept returning back, the clarity getting lesser and lesser until the nightmare faded away. Opening his eyes once his erratic breathing came to a still, Ranveer looked around the room to realize that they'd fallen asleep upon the floor through the tears, the music still floating in the air.

Gently pushing away the air from upon Ishaani's face, Ranveer noted with satisfaction that she'd fallen asleep even though her expression remained disturbed, the dried up tear-tracks upon her face evident. Mentally heaving a shaky sigh of relief that he hadn't screamed at the top of his voice like he usually would at the nightmare, he picked Ishaani up in his arms, feeling his knees almost buckle with the pressure of his muscles strained at falling asleep in such an awkward angle.

Managing to carry Ishaani to her bed nonetheless, Ranveer laid her down gently and tucked her in, watching her sleep for some time. At some point of time, Ranveer heard the clock chime thrice. Looking at the window-side where the wall-clock remained perched, the time now read 3AM. Time did have the knack of flying away when it was the most undesired to do so.

But what were they even trying to contain away in the fourteen hours they had together?

Getting up from the bed after kissing Ishaani's forehead, he let his fingers trail along the length of her hair before shutting his eyes, feeling the exhaustion get to him. But now was not the time to fall weak. He still had to walk the length of today before he could crash. Where life was going to take him after today, he did not know anymore. Nobody knew.

Maybe there was only one person who did, perhaps.

Taking a deep breath, Ranveer pushed up his eyes and picked up the empty bowls of ice-cream and the vodka bottle before making his way out from the room, not forgetting to turn off the music. The candles had burned their way through the night while its remainders still glowed dimly, Ranveer knowing that they'd extinguish on their own when they reached the end of their span. Was that going to be their fate as well - the light and scent leaving them the moment they drew to the end of their three-week long journey together in a couple of hours?

No, he wouldn't let his mind wander down that path.

All his life, he had always left everything in the hands of only one person when the dilemma grew confusing to the point where nothing made sense anymore. Even when hope deserted him he kept his faith in the one person who he knew held the string of his life in his hands, believing that tomorrow would be kinder. And so he knew that one last visit was due before he left for Sydney.

He was done trying to figure out what was in store of him.

Walking back into his room, Ranveer quickly changed into a denim shirt and casual light blue jeans before staring at his reflection in the mirror. He still enjoyed dressing simple at the end of the day, especially because it reminded him of the time when clothes were cycled and recycled for years on end, sometimes even with patched material that his father would extract from his own clothes. His father would tire with the amount of times Ranveer would make him stitch the same shirt or kurta, but there was a bliss even in those days.

The Armanis and the Raymonds had come later with money and stature, but simplicity was where his heart always lay. Quietly heading downstairs, Ranveer carefully retrieved the key to Ishaani's Mercedes from her room, making sure not to disturb her sleep. He found the car standing patiently by the parking and brought it to life in a couple of moments, driving without a single thought in mind.

Driving had always helped him calm his nerves and tonight was no different.

He wondered whether going for a run would have been a better option, but when all his life he'd only run, the option didn't seem too bright anymore. All his life, he'd run behind his dreams without a hesitant thought while life chased him time and again, challenging him of its might that he chose not to acknowledge for his own sanctity. The time had come when he'd touched his dreams of gold and had turned them into reality, but life had gotten ahead in the chase by then.

There had not been a single day where he hadn't run behind life in a circle of karma since then.

After years of solitude, pain and unhappiness, the chase had drawn to an end. He wouldn't run anymore because it was time to stand his ground. What life chose to do was its look out. He wasn't going to run anymore. And as the wind kept hitting across his face with an empowering coolness, Ranveer continued to drive. His thoughts ran back to Ishaani soon, the memories from the last few hours hitting him with razor-sharp clarity. Every time he sought to give her happiness, he became the direct cause of her tears even though all he ever tried to do was protect her.

Maybe that was the irony of life- you always end up hurting the people you love the most.

And this is what he wanted to put a stop to, he knew. He was tired of being the cause of her never-ending misery and pain, no matter how hard he tried to do otherwise. He wanted the moon to always remain in his life but what good was it if the moon always remained in the eclipse of her past? If moving away from her life meant that the eclipse would lift away, he was willing to do that. He was willing to walk away from her.

Perhaps life would give him a hint at what was to be done.

Bringing the car to a stop in front of his destination, Ranveer shut his eyes before letting his head fall upon the wheel tiredly. He wasn't sure whether he cried or simply let his head rest while the darkness of the world and his demons alike were beginning to suffocate him, his knuckles growing white under the strain of his hold. The ring of a bell snapped him out from his stupor, his eyes now falling upon the only place he could turn to in faith that whatever was to happen would be for the best, no matter what the final decision.

Stepping out of the car, Ranveer continued to stare at the embodiment of faith where millions of people came to every single day with their hearts deepest desires, trusting the one within with their eyes closed while pouring their hearts out in the form of plea-filled prayers. And as Ranveer slipped off his shoes outside the holy structure of the Siddhivinayak Temple, his heart spoke what his mind no longer could with only one belief.

No one left the abode of Ganpatiji empty-handed.

Ranveer yawned softly as he made his way in the living room, feeling a little lighter. Tears had helped unburden his anguish a little as he sat upon his knees, lips constantly trembling with soundless words tumbling away in the most heartfelt and reverent of prayers. And what had he even prayed for? Just for Ishaani's smile and for her to get all the share of her happiness; just for her health and well being; just for her success and prosperity.

He'd prayed fervently for all her pains to be made his own; for all her guilt to be taken away while the past was wiped clean from her mind; for the scars to be lessened from her weakened soul; for everything to be given to her that she'd prayed for. And for the Almighty to give him the strength to always stand in between all the troubles headed her way.

That was all he could ask for as his eyes remained firmly shut, Ishaani's face crossing his mind almost instantaneously. A smile made its way upon his lips amidst the tears. 

If bearing the world's most excruciating pain was what he would have to give in exchange of her happiness, he was willing to bear it all. He could not see Ishaani like this anymore. Even death seemed an easier battle to fight than watching her kill herself underneath the burden of her guilt.

He didn't know for how long he remained that way before he felt a soft yet firm pair of hands pull him up. The pair of hands that he realized was of the same pandit who'd picked him up the same way several times before in the past as well. His eyes betrayed no recognition but there was empathy like always as he patted Ranveer's shoulder, speaking sagaciously.

"Sorrow is a virtue seldom appreciated by people even though it is the most essential."

"Why?" asked Ranveer, not entirely aware about why he had been asked the question in the first place. The pandit smiled.

"The constant flow of light makes a person blind to it eventually. They need darkness time and again to make them realize the worth of light, and cherish it. Such is the fate of happiness and sorrow as well."

"How is one supposed to appreciate darkness when you give away all your light to someone and take away all of their darkness in exchange?" asked Ranveer, not bothered about the tears that were still leaving his eyes. There was something about the sage man's words that had caught his attention the same way his Mota Babuji's words would an eternity ago.

"Nobody can ever have complete light or darkness, son. No matter how much you try, light and dark are both accompaniments that cannot be separated. Where there is light, darkness shall follow. Where there is darkness, light shall follow. Nothing you say or do can change the first law of nature."

"Is it easy to sacrifice everything and just walk away for the one you love? Willingly embracing sorrow even though the happiness you truly deserve is right at your doorstep?" questioned Ranveer just as the pandit was about to walk away, his question holding back the man who now gave him a small smile.

"Sacrificing everything and walking away at times is easy. Standing your ground and fighting for what you truly deserve is not. He helps those who have the will and keep the courage to fight, not those who give up halfway. You will get only what's written in your destiny at the end of the day - nothing more, nothing less. But keep your will that strong that even He bows down to it and lets you write your own destiny."

Even before he could absorb the power of the words spoken to him, the pandit had given him his blessings and had walked ahead, leaving Ranveer stupefied. Throughout his journey back home, the words of the sage man had continued to ring in his ears that made Ranveer's paranoia lessen, the emotional upheaval settling down gradually. All his life, he'd achieved everything on the strength of his will as he worked day and night tirelessly to get what he dreamt of. And now that he was so close to the finish mark, he wasn't going to give up. 

No, he wouldn't.

Bringing the car to a halt right outside the Parekh Mansion, Ranveer got down from the car with renowned vigour and let his feet carry him into the house swiftly. He would not stop at this. If happiness had knocked at his door as a new opportunity, he would made sure to embrace it with open arms. If he had to fight tooth and nail for that happiness, he would until life buckled or he did. He was going to be the sun that made the moon glow the way she did. He was done being the eclipse of her life. He was done letting life mock him while he moped at his fate. 

He'd find a way to turn this around. He had to.

His feet came to a half when he realized that someone was in the dining room, wondering who it was at the odd hour as the clock's hands now stood at 4:24AM. Making a detour towards the kitchen, he spotted Ishaani sitting upon the table with Mala, both of them eating in silence even though Ishaani still looked groggy enough. There were several food items on a thaali that Ranveer recognized too well after seeing his mother eat from it for years ago on this particular day. Covering the distance between them, Ranveer cleared his throat quietly.

"What are you doing?" asked Ranveer, his tone slightly sharper than he'd intended it to be. Ishaani's head snapped in his direction, flushing crimson. She now looked flabbergasted.

"I, well... eating," she replied evasively, continuing to eat dry fruits as Ranveer now sat across her, feeling exasperated. How she found ways to drive him over the edge, he couldn't understand. There was no point asking what she was doing and why she was doing it because the answer remained as obvious as always.

"At four thirty in the morning?"

"I was hungry," replied Ishaani nonchalantly, not meeting eyes with him.

"So you're having sargi?" asked Ranveer even though it was more of a statement than a question. When Ishaani chose to remain silent, Ranveer continued. "Maa sent this to you now, didn't she? I remember this chunni beneath the thaali very well. It's hers."

"It arrived when you were at work. I told Mala to wake me up when she gets up for sargi," confessed Ishaani at length as she raised her eyes to meet his own, the defiance in them taking Ranveer off-guard. He folded his arms across his chest, looking just as stubborn.

"You don't have to do any of this."

"Why don't you mind your own business for once, Ranveer? Must you know everything? And please talk a little softer, I have a terrible headache," she added in a much softer tone, rubbing her temples rather irritably.

Ranveer turned to look at Mala, who in turn gave him a helpless look even though she'd pointed towards the almost-empty glass of lemonade. Ranveer mouthed to give her a painkiller alongside to which Mala nodded her head. She'd already done the needful. Giving her an appreciative nod, Ranveer turned his attention towards Ishaani, who still looked dazed enough to not notice the silent conversation that had just taken place.

"What did you expect after downing a bottle of vodka? I'm serious though, Ishaani. I want an answer," insisted Ranveer and Ishaani put her face in her palm, her vexation at being pestered like this not gone amiss by him. 

But he didn't really care.

She was stepping on the threshold of madness by keeping the fast for him even though there was no need to. He would never have asked her to keep one either even if they were married because he knew how terribly difficult it was. It was something he couldn't talk his mother out of, but fasts were something he never put much stock into even when his mother would keep several for him during his paralysis. He'd expected better from Ishaani though. He wondered whose idea it was from between the two women for her to keep the fast.

"Reverting your advice back to you - all questions don't have an answer to it. Drop it," added Ishaani dangerously when Ranveer made to argue, the latter pursing his lips abruptly. He folded his arms across his chest rather crossly, letting his back hit the rest of the chair not unlike a disapproving child. Ishaani rolled her eyes at him.

"Fine. If you want to fast for Karva Chauth, I'm going to let you fast on only one condition," spoke Ranveer after a couple of minutes, knowing that there was only one thing he could do now in front of her obstinacy. He pulled the sargi in between them and picked up a couple of dry fruits himself. Ishaani stared at him rather stupidly until she finally found her voice.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm fasting with you," replied Ranveer, the casualness of his tone almost mocking. Ishaani opened her mouth to protest when Ranveer held his hand up with finality, stopping her barrage of arguments even before they began. Ishaani knew better than to argue with him after all these years, especially with the expression he had upon his face in that moment. And when Ranveer spoke, his tone entertained no arguments either.

Don't even think of pulling an argument on this because I've had enough from you for one night."

The dawn of the thirtieth morning broke out with a gloomy galore that prevailed within the Parekh Mansion as well, both Ranveer and Ishaani now resorting to a frustrating silence.

Neither of them had spoken anything to each other as they silently continued to have the sargi for their fast, both of them too preoccupied and tired to fight upon it anymore. They had made their way to their respective rooms without another word once they were done except for Ranveer asking Ishaani to meet him down at six forty five in the morning. The meeting was to begin at seven sharp.

Ranveer had entered his room, sleep once again a slippery friend that had escaped beneath the weight of a full stomach. Eyes wandering about the room, Ranveer finally decided to begin packing for and began pulling his belonging together when he could think of nothing better to do. Under the work files found Ranveer his diaries stowed away, photos popping up in between pages every now and then. He'd read through his entire life in just a matter of days and yet the journey had contained thirteen years of his life on paper before he had no life left anymore.

It was during replacing the last diary in his hand baggage when an envelope had fallen off, catching Ranveer's attention instantly. Picking it up, he pulled out the letter that sat within, gasping in surprise when he realized that it was the only letter he'd not sent to Ishaani when he was in Sydney. It was his untold story; his untold confession that remained etched on paper in blue ink. He'd so direly wanted to send it to Ishaani and yet he hadn't. 

What good would a confession as pious as that do on paper when there was so much more to be expressed in person?

And so he had waited for tomorrow like a hopeless fool who had not seen life's slashing whips of a reality check until he did. A wise woman had once told him to never wait for tomorrow because there never was one. He had made that mistake once but he wouldn't do it again. It was a letter she deserved to have eight years ago. But better late than never was all Ranveer could console himself with. He kept the envelope aside, quickly packing the rest of his stuff meticulously while making sure that he'd taken everything he'd need for his journey back.

As though within the blink of an eye, Ranveer realized that dawn was soon about to break and he looked at the clock - 6:03AM. With dawn would come yet another important event of their life - the public announcement of their merger as they brought an idol of Ganpatiji to the office after an eternity of eight years. Ranveer knew that he'd have to let RV take over for the rest of the day that they were to spend in the office, secretly glad for the facade of the stony, heartless man whose brains and instinct worked at the same pace.

Freshening up quickly and completing his toiletries, Ranveer stood in front of the mirror after the elapsing of another twenty minutes, buttoning his cornflower blue shirt swiftly before staring at the plain navy blue tie for a couple of minutes. Pulling the pre-made knot open, Ranveer pulled the now-loose tie upon his neck and tried to remember what Ishaani had taught him. Fumbling a little here and there, Ranveer managed to pull his tie into a crisp knot at the end of another five minutes, giving himself a satisfactory look.

About time he learned to tie and untie the knots of his life.

Pulling on the accompaniments of the exquisite grey three-piece suit he'd decided to don today, Ranveer slipped on his Mota Babuji's watch with pride before putting the letter into the inner lining of his blazer. Quickly pulling out a pair of well-polished brown shoes, Ranveer slipped them on adeptly and retied its laces, managing to pull a passable knot.

Two knots solved in a day.

Smiling to himself faintly, Ranveer left the room with ten minutes to spare from the time he'd given Ishaani, deciding to make use of it by watching the dawn. Making his way across the servants' quarter and through the stairs leading to the terrace, Ranveer was surprised to find the terrace door open. But even as he stepped onto the terrace, the sight that met his eye didn't surprise him entirely.

Ishaani stood backing him as she watched the dawn in silence, her long, wavy hair flying softly. She stood in a hater-necked black and peacock shaded anarkali that fell up to her feet, her stilettos giving her an edge over the attire. Ranveer closed the distance between them just as the sun broke through the horizon, neither of them taking their eyes away from the magnificent sight before their eyes.

"It never gets old now, does it? Every morning with a different dawn to a different battle."

"That's the irony of it. No day is ever the same, and neither is the battle of it," replied Ishaani as she finally turned to stare at Ranveer, who continued to marvel at the beauty of nature. He watched the beach at the far end of his view, the sprouts of nature dancing with the winds even though he had eyes only for the pale blue sky that had something new to show him today.

"Wow, you can see the sun and the moon both at opposite ends. That's rare," he exclaimed, finally taking in her sight that remained devoid of any external add-ons like always. She looked ahead at the sky, a pensive smile upon her face as though weighing her words cautiously before speaking them.

"Then I guess we'll have to become stars if we want to be together because our story has always been about the sun and the moon."

"Our untold story," corrected Ranveer promptly, his underlying tone catching Ishaani's attention.

Both of them gave each other a rueful smile before Ranveer let Ishaani walk out first, following her immediately as they made their way towards the car. Ishaani was about to make a dart for the driver's seat when Ranveer held her back, shaking his head wordlessly. After both of them took their respective seats, Ranveer and Ishaani made their way to the office in steadily silence, neither of them yearning to begin a conversation they didn't know the end to.

The only diffusion of tension in the car were the constant round of telephone calls to the shopkeeper asking about the status of the idol, the florist, the pandit, and Rishi and Puneet who were handed over the rest of the responsibilities for the day. Stepping out from the car at exactly three minutes to seven, RV and Miss Parekh quickly made their way up to the conference room in the office where the rest of the board of directors sat in wait for them already. An identical black file sat in front of all the members attending the meeting as RV and Miss Parekh sat at the opposite ends of the long table.

The newest member on board stood up and gave a quick introduction about himself and his company before letting Rishi take over the start of the minutes of meet. He, in turn, discussed a few relative points from the previous meeting before starting on the currently listed agendas on the list. Time grew on like an infant as seven flew into eight and eight flew into nine, the two hours filled with crucial, nerve-wracking talks. The respective CEOs of the two subsidiaries of the Parekh Empire explained the benefits of the merger, both in the diamond as well as the construction markets.

The board of directors proved to be just as much of a challenge to convince upon the merger for their questions were as crisp and to-the-point like RV had anticipated them to be. And yet there was not a single question he didn't have a satisfactory answer to. As the discussion continued, various prospects of the two empires being merged into one came into light, especially in terms of expansion and promotion. The inter-dependency existed from both ends to profitable margins.

By another three quarters of an hour, all had voted in favour of the merger unanimously and the meeting was drawn to an end. Both RV's and Miss Parekh's signatures were taken at the bottom of the record file maintained before a warm round of applause flew around for the new co-owner of the Parekh Empire, Miss Parekh being congratulated alongside for her spectacular achievement of the diamond duopoly in the London markets.

The moment silence reigned once again, all the board members were redirected to the eleventh floor where the pooja was to be held.

RV and Miss Parekh headed down to the ground floor with Rishi, Puneet and Piyush in tow, the truck carrying the idol entering the premises just then. Everybody stepped behind as RV now took the lead, walking around the back of the truck. The workers pulled open the shutter to reveal a bronze-made statue of Lord Ganesha, a strange power exuding from its smile that caught everyone's fancy. RV shut his eyes, bending his head in humility while his hands joined of its own accord, his short conversation with the pandit in the morning still fresh in his mind.

When his eyes opened, RV no longer restrained the warm smile of Ranveer that broke through.

Taking the lead by capturing one side of the generously-built statue, he gestured Puneet, Rishi and Piyush to take the other three corners. Miss Parekh walked into the premises again, the tears of pride in her eyes not gone amiss by any of the four men as she held the vacuous lift open for them to fit the idol into. Reaching the eleventh floor, she took the lead and pulled open the door to the glass room where all the employees sat patiently. RV stepped into the room first.

His eyes instantly found the marble pedestal decked with flowers set up at the far end of the room, his feet now following the path towards it while the other three men followed his lead. Setting the idol down upon the pedestal with utmost care, RV walked to the front of the idol and got upon his knees, striking the wick of the oil lamp afire. He joined hands once again, all the employees falling behind as Miss Parekh walked to the front, doing the same.

Both of their heads remained bowed in gratitude in that moment, the victory of now mattering more than the losses of the past and the uncertainty of the future.

Raising their heads up together, both of them happened to look at each other at the same time, the smiles upon their face identical. And not unlike the sun that cracked through the clouds suddenly, they felt the tension loosen up between them as they stood up, letting the pandit take the lead. The next forty minutes had the pandit complete the rituals while all of them sat around the fire stand placed in the center of the room.

The moment the pandit completed the pooja, he handed out a bunch of nada-chadhis for everyone present. Ranveer and Ishaani suddenly sprung upon their feet excitedly and put forward their hands, exclaiming at the top of their voice for them to be chosen. Realization dawned swiftly and both of them smiled at each other, nostalgia of the good old days making rounds in their minds when they'd fight for who'd be the one tying the nada-chadhi to Harshad Parekh between them.

The pandit smiled and handed them both half a bunch.

They stood up and quickly brought RV and Miss Parekh to the fore, relieved that nobody had noticed the past in the present. Handing one over to each employee until two remained for them to tie on the other's hand, the pandit asked them to follow him to the ground floor where they had to break a coconut by the gate and walk out of it without turning back even once. No one was supposed to return to the office till before noon.

Miss Parekh swiftly completed the last ritual for the day, asking all the employees to disperse for two hours before they all convened back at noon. She handed the coconut over to RV the moment they reached the gate, gesturing him to do the honours. He gave her a gratuitous smile, suddenly unable to take his eyes off hers and it was only when she cleared her throat did he snap back to reality. He heard the pandit's instructions with his fullest attention, albeit with a redder face.

Getting on his knees, he cracked the coconut on the ground in a single go and sprinkled the water around them in a perfect circle before handing it over to the pandit, who gave them his blessings. Heading out of the gates without further ado, neither of them looked behind as they stepped into the car and took their respective seats. They gave each other a relaxed smile, a sign that the counter personalities had bid adieu for now.

Before Ranveer could bring the car up to motion, a knock at the window caught their attention; the watchman had appeared out of nowhere. Ishaani lowered her glass, looking bewildered.

"Somebody left a note for you. He didn't leave a name."

Ranveer looked at Ishaani, who'd turned pale at the sight of the scrawl on the piece of paper that the watchman had handed over to her. She pulled the note open with her hands shivering, his gaze burning at the side of her head to catch what was written.

Ranveer had barely digested it when he saw Ishaani gulp uneasily and look around in fright, as though expecting a bullet to rip through the glass at any moment. What kind of sick, twisted game was this supposed to be now? he wondered, when he saw Ishaani look at his seat in morbid longing.

Was she thinking about taking the driver's seat?

When Ishaani noticed his gaze, she flushed heavily even though she didn't break eye contact. She eyed him pensively, looking as though she wondering what to say. Her hands trembled as she continued to stare at the note stupidly until Ranveer snatched it out from her grasp, crumbling it into a ball and throwing it behind the seat. Ishaani stared at him, flabbergasted, but he shot her a casual look, revving the car up to life.

"Thank God for the bulletproof panes of a Mercedes then," was all Ranveer said before bringing the car upon the road, his eyes firmly placed ahead. Ishaani stared at him, devoid of any word or expression even though Ranveer knew a storm had broken within her calm facade. His singular sentence was enough to say everything even though he hadn't really said anything.

He knew.

Ishaani and Ranveer found themselves seated in the car yet again at five in the evening, heading back home from the office for the second time that day.

Returning back home the first time had been amidst an awkward silence, Ishaani not having the strength to ask Ranveer how he knew about Chirag. There was no disappointment or hurt upon his face at the fact that she'd kept such an important thing away from him and that too so foolishly.

Just cold indifference - the one thing she could never take from him.

The moment they'd headed back home, Ranveer had made his way to his room without another word, not giving her a chance to speak. Knowing that he needed some time even though it was now precious than the most expensive of diamonds, Ishaani headed towards her room dejectedly, not knowing what else was to be done.

It was no hidden fact that it was entirely her fault, like always.

The only thing she could consciously decide upon was to change out of the ethnic wear that was beginning to suffocate her, slipping into an off-white blouse shirt done in an in-tuck upon a black skirt that went a little higher than was appropriate. She pulled on a pair of full-length black stockings and matching stilettos to go with the look before staring at her reflection with satisfaction even though there was something too familiar about it. And yet the more she tried to think about it, the more it kept fleeing her mind until she gave up on it.

Her mind had too many things upon it than to ponder upon her attire.

Wondering how to spend the next thirty minutes, Ishaani had decided to rearrange her cupboard (that she found a little too unorganized for her liking). Segregating books and work files neatly in respective piles, Ishaani was halfway through sorting out her diaries during which she was reminded of asking him yet another question that had surprisingly not been asked in spite of her curiosity expressed in the said entry.

She made a mental note to ask him about it before he left, replacing the diary back in its stack.

She was nearly done with all her arrangements when she spotted something sticking out from the last diary, her mind momentarily blank upon what it could be. What had caught her interest though was the fact that it was her own handwriting and not Ranveer's (like were on several of the letters he'd sent her during the initial months apart).

Pulling out the intriguing piece, she realized that it was an envelope dated exactly eight years ago from today.

Disturbing the contents within, Ishaani's eyes dewed up when she read through the unspoken confession that she'd sworn she would never send Ranveer, suddenly wondering how it was that she could have really been so stupid. It was here all along... every single word bleeding of how much she loved him, and yet she had been blind to it all. This was a confession he should have received eight years ago because he deserved to know the truth.

Her mother had once told her that logic could defy what the brain thought, not what the heart felt. She had tried to read too much into what her brain thought to realize what her heart was trying to tell her all along, drowning away its voice on the only night it had broken free six and a half years ago. But that was the past. She'd tried to find logic in the matters of the heart and saw where it led her in life.

But not anymore.

She would make sure to give this to him before he left tonight, she was certain.

She continued to stare at the letter pensively when a door knock had snapped her back into reality. She was not entirely surprised to find Ranveer at the door with an apologetic look upon his face, gesturing him to enter. Ranveer covered the distance between them until he stood beside her while Ishaani turned to look at the mirror again, straightening her chain .

Both of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder as Ishaani slithered her arm within Ranveer's and interlaced their fingers, secretly admiring how good they looked together. The smiles upon their faces only grew more radiant as the colour crept up their cheeks, their eyes speaking through the mirror.

And then it hit her.

Ishaani jerked her arm out from his grip, her features suddenly haunted. The sudden movement took Ranveer by surprise as he noticed the sharp change in her expression.

"Are you alright?"

"You- you need to change," whispered Ishaani, her voice now frantic.

"What?"

"You need to change out of this," she repeated, the same fear making its way into her eyes again. She she looked away from the mirror, frightened by what it was showing her.

"Why?"

"I can't tell you," replied Ishaani as she tried to walk away, Ranveer catching hold of her wrist. She tried to wrench her hand out from his grip as he turned her around, his eyes now worriedly boring into her own. The look in his eyes made Ishaani let out a soft shriek in soft of herself.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"You won't understand," she whispered, trying to fight against his grip until he pulled her arm in a back lock, his thumb strongly held against her wrist. She continued to wriggle against his grip, but in vain.

"Try me."

"Just change out of the goddamn clothes, please!" begged Ishaani, no longer putting up a fight against him. Ranveer slackened his grip upon her hand when her head fell limply upon his chest.

"Give me one reason to."

"Because it will make me happy," snapped Ishaani, distressed about making him understand about the urgency of the situation. Ranveer let go of her and shook his head, the frustration betraying its way into his voice.

"That's not good enough," was all he said and Ishaani met eyes with him beseechingly, her fingers trailing along his shoulders until they cupped his cheeks on either side. How was she going to make him understand why she was doing what she was when he firmly refused to listen to her? It wasn't his fault, and yet it was crucial that he understood what had frightened her.

It was the curious marvel of deja vu.

Ishaani had opened her mouth to speak but Ranveer shook his head, taking her hands away from his face. Hunger and exhaustion were apparently getting to him together, his strand of patience to figure out what had spooked Ishaani unreasonably drawing to an end as he made his way towards the door, not willing to hear or know anything else. And in that moment, Ishaani knew that she had to come clean about it. It was a nightmare he knew about, so telling him the truth would definitely help him understand her paranoia more.

"We're the exact same today as we are in the nightmare. The exact same attire if you free yourself of the extras and the tie."

"And you think that our destiny will change if I change out of this?" asked Ranveer, his feet brought to a halt upon her words. He'd turned behind, staring at her in stunned belief.

She'd used every bit of courage she could muster to frame her fear in a single sentence, praying to the Almighty that Ranveer got the message loud and clear. He knew about Chirag, she now knew as well. Then why wasn't he taking it seriously was all she could wonder, the slight incredulity in his question evident. There was no derision or ridicule in his voice for her or her fear - it was simply him not taking this seriously enough. Didn't he know how dangerous Chirag Mehta could get?

Why couldn't he just listen to her for once rather than do what he wanted, like always?

"Will you change out of this, please?" she repeated, albeit this time in a low, cold tone. If he wouldn't take this seriously, she had no patience trying to make him understand her point of view anymore.

"No. If you think that Chirag is going to come and kill me tonight, so be it. You're being stupid about this now. He's manipulating you once again and you're letting him get away with it. Again," replied Ranveer, his tone now decisive even though she could sense that he was following his instincts more than the facts of the situation.

And so she decided to follow her instinct, speaking the first thing that crossed her mind without any hesitation.

"Get out, now."

Ranveer looked taken aback by the curt dismissal but didn't argue either as he left the room, shutting the door behind him quietly. She heard him head downstairs, her own feet collapsing as she sat upon the bed, her hands trembling in anger now. After everything she'd tried... They'd gone back to the circle from where they'd started.

Two egomaniacal tyrants who wouldn't back down at anything until they had it their way.

Neither of them had exchanged a word when Ishaani arrived ten minutes later in the same attire, both of them beginning to feel anger cloud their judgment even though years of experience had taught them to shut up rather than talk what first came to their mind. And neither acknowledged the fact that Ranveer knew about Chirag's bail, Ishaani not interested in knowing how he found out or why he withheld this from her.

They both chose to leave the topic untouched, irate at the complications it had brought into their lives.

The rest of the afternoon had passed away without another incident as both of them didn't bother making contact, talking to everyone in the room except each other until the clock struck five. RV excused himself from the group, knowing that it was going to be a long, traffic-filled journey to the airport that was going to take an hour to reach.

Miss Parekh noticed the time and excused herself as well. Rishi, Puneet and Piyush (Sengupta already having left earlier) bid them goodbye for the day, wishing RV a happy journey along with the most heartfelt of gratitude and best wishes, but not before assuring him that they would keep in touch with Jameson about the latest updates on the newly handed over Singhania Financing Solutions. RV had given them a nod as both empire holders now left the office in silence, still not exchanging another word between them.

It was only when they remained stuck in traffic that Ishaani spoke out of the blue.

"I've always been curious about something. Will you give me an honest answer to it?"

"Depends upon what you ask," replied Ranveer, looking intrigued by what had caught her curiosity. She gave him a keen look.

"Your accident. I mean, the one we had on the ghats. Where you pretended to lose your memory."

"How come you remembered that out of nowhere?" asked Ranveer, looking surprised that she was bringing this up at a time when they had so many other things to talk about.

"I don't know. The thought came to my mind first when I re-read my diaries. I've always meant to ask you about it but somehow I never really got the chance to," explained Ishaani, looking flustered. Ranveer had nodded his head in permission.

"Well, what do you want to know about-?"

"Why did you pretend to have the memory loss?" asked Ishaani at once, not even waiting for him to fully complete his question. Ranveer gasped, getting a gist of what she was looking for.

"It was supposed to be a prank," he replied evasively as the signal turned green, their car finally crossing it. Ishaani gave him an uncertain look.

"You expression in the first half of it didn't look too prank-like, to be honest. I've gone over that memory several times. You are an excellent dramatist like that, but I don't know. Your eyes lost its twinkle in those moments and it wasn't common. It was only once I sat you down that you looked more like yourself," confessed Ishaani, voicing her thoughts as clearly as she could. Ranveer remained silent for an indefinite amount of time before he let out an irritable huff of resignation.

"Alright, fine. I admit it - I did have a momentary blank out about everything. So I wasn't entirely lying about the memory loss."

Ishaani gasped in spite of herself at the unexpected confession.

She'd always had her doubts but now that he had confessed about it, she couldn't help but feel stupid about the entire situation. She'd given him such a hard time about the prank, and yet the first thing he'd done after regaining back his memory was to assure her that he'd never forget her. The thought in itself suffocated her, reminding her yet again about why she was pushing him away.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about it?"

"And freak you out more? The moment I did regain my memory, I decided to have a little more fun. Give it a little more edge so that you really wouldn't panic," admitted Ranveer further, shooting her a faint smile. Her lips twitched in spite of herself as she slapped her head.

"You're just a special kind of stupid. I swear, if Papa were here, he would have really lost it with you," she spoke suddenly, shooting him the coldest daggers she could muster. But rather than look frightened, Ranveer looked sheepish. The next moment, she knew why.

"He, uh, did know about it."

"What?"

"Yeah, I, uh, did tell him about it. After that whole allergy incident," admitted Ranveer in a barely audible whisper while Ishaani stared at him dumbfoundedly. And then, she exploded in a fit of tantrums.

"I can't believe the two of you kept this from me! The two of you always did that - all those special conversations and keeping me away from all of it... God, this is unbelievable!"

"We did have a lot of special conversations, yes," teased Ranveer, his features now relaxing into a nostalgic smile.

Ishaani noticed the sudden calm that had befallen them before letting her head fall upon the rest, tuning out of everything else. She was certain that Ranveer must have been thinking about all the life-changing conversations he'd had with her father. She wondered whether she'd had as many with him as Ranveer did.

And somewhere through her abstract thoughts, a confession slipped away along with a tear.

"I always wondered why he loved you so much. Sometimes I definitely believed that he loved you more than me. I don't think I was entirely wrong though. He loved you more than me at the end of the day. You returned all his love by matching your level of loyalty time and again. It's no wonder that he loved you so much. Who wouldn't, really?" she asked, more to herself than to him.

Ranveer looked touched. He remained silent for a few minutes before speaking heavily.

"He left us too early. He didn't deserve to go so early."

"Good hearts die young, he'd always tell me. He tried to be so strong for us after you left. I only agreed to let go of you because he'd convinced me too. But he missed you a lot. Your absence was not something he could cope with entirely. It took its toll on him eventually," she said, her eyes firmly upon Ranveer's face as he drove in silence.

Through the silence she could sense his guilt and pain, the music not doing any good to distract their minds away from their troubles. And then the next song began, catching Ranveer and Ishaani's attention immediately.

"He let go of you because it was for the greater good. He let you go for your happiness and well-being, no matter cost he had to pay for it," spoke Ishaani suddenly, wondering whose guilt it was that she was trying to assuage - hers or his? Apparently, Ranveer wondered the same for it was evident in the rueful smile that crossed his lips, his voice cracking slightly under the never-ending strain of emotions.

"And you want to continue his legacy by letting go of me for my own happiness."

"I don't expect you to understand, really. But yes, if this is what it takes to keep you alive and happy, I'm willing to walk the length," confessed Ishaani as she looked outside the window, the lyrics pricking her heart uncomfortably. She had half a mind to change the channel and yet she was too stunned to actually do it, the song holding her captive in its hypnotic trance.

Ranveer laughed sardonically.

"How do you expect me to remain happy when you're taking away my source of happiness?"

"Maybe that's what fate has in store for us, ironic as it is. I hate myself too much to let you love me that way. You are too afraid to lose me to let me love you that way. We love each other so much that it makes us believe that we don't deserve each other. What option do we have, really?" asked Ishaani, not letting Ranveer see the tear that fell from her eye. She couldn't.

Even though Ranveer didn't let his eyes stray away from the road, she felt the pain that his voice harboured when he spoke next.

"The answer is right in front of us, Ishaani. We just don't want to accept it."

Ranveer pulled the car into the driveway of the Parekh Mansion, the silence of the car now passive. Neither of them showed any sign of wanting to leave, staring away at everything and yet nothing. Their minds wandered too far along the line, lost between the limbo of fetching the past and seeking the future for the present could no longer be withheld.

Taking a long sigh, Ranveer was the first to snap out. The abrupt cut of the song snapped Ishaani out from her stupor moments later and she looked at him, lost. Ranveer continued to stare at her as words failed to make any more sense, Ishaani returning the gesture only too keenly. Their eyes could always speak what words couldn't; their hearts understanding what their minds wouldn't. And through her journey upon a lost path Ranveer squeezed her hand gently, reminding her where they were.

"We're home."

"Damn it, the electricity's gone!" cursed Ishaani under her bed as the lights went off.

The room remained doused in impenetrable darkness while the dusk outside remained bloodied, the rest of the house in a similar state. She had half a mind to yell out to Mala to put the generator on for the darkness seemed to frighten her for some reason. It felt like a darkness she'd known before although she couldn't really put her finger upon it. Her mind remained at unease, the never-ending silhouettes of her internal demons, the external world and her destiny following her in a relentless chase.

A chase that she was growing tired of as her heart yearned the solace of a comfort she didn't know.

Through the dead silence of the house cut through the sharp sound of a door being opened, which Ishaani realized was of her own bedroom. Her eyes shut instinctively and she sat upon the bed with her hands clenching at its sides, hearing the footsteps tread ahead cautiously until they stopped in front of her. Something burned through her eyelids even though she wasn't certain about it.

"Open your eyes," came the soft whisper, the enticing scent of lemon and honey easing away her fear.

The burden was beginning to ease in her heart, the feeling only too welcome as Ishaani pushed open her eyes softly to find Ranveer upon his knees. The sight that met her eyes stole away her breath as she continued to stare at the glowing, effervescent jar in Ranveer's hand, the light making his face glow warmly. He had a radiant smile upon his face as though nothing had happened in the last two days. Perhaps he didn't want to hold on to the setbacks now that farewell was just forty minutes away, pondered Ishaani.

She continued to stare at the jar, her lips parted even though she couldn't find her voice. Anything that she would say was not going to be enough to give justice to what Ranveer had brought her. And even though he explained what the jar contained and why he'd brought it to her, she'd known it in the beat of a second, her heart swelling with even more love for him than she thought was ever possible.

"Fireflies. You asked me to bring you light on the darkest night of your life. So there you go. See? A light that will remain with you every single night, no matter what."

"How do you even come up with things like this?" asked Ishaani in the same dumbfounded stupor as she accepted the jar from Ranveer's hand, staring at its contents with awe. He smiled sheepishly.

"Think of this as a parting gift," replied Ranveer as Ishaani set the jar upon the bedside table, the area around now glowing dimly. Ishaani cupped Ranveer's cheek, her thumb rubbing circles.

"Like the chimes that was supposed to keep your essence alive?" asked Ishaani, letting the smile break upon her face. How could she not when these were her last few moments with him, not knowing when they would meet next?

Worries were always going to be there. These moments, no.

"Well, this time it was more like completing the challenge that Sunny gave me," replied Ranveer cheekily and both of them chuckled. Ishaani didn't bother concealing the insurmountable love she felt for him and words slipped away from her lips in childish reverence.

"What are you really made of, Ranveer? What God has made that heart of yours that knows to give nothing but happiness?"

"Anything that brings happiness upon your face is worth it, and is something I'll never back away from doing either. And I'll continue to keep doing this until my last breath, no matter what."

Ishaani curled her arms around him, letting her head settle upon the crook of his neck while he stroked her hair lovingly. So much was no longer the same in so many years, and yet both of them could only cherish the singular thought that floated across their mind as they thought back to their childish, egotistical behaviour the entire day.

Some things never change.

Reveling in the joy of the hug that it brought them, the two of them parted after some time as Ranveer stood up, pulling Ishaani up alongside.

"Come with me."

"Where?"

Ranveer winked at her as he led her outside the room, their fingers now interlocked. Ishaani remained at a loss when he took her on a stroll around the house before walked towards the servants' quarters. The door to his room remained open and Ranveer brought Ishaani inside. He put on the sky lights of the ceiling, the room suddenly an entire Universe of its own where only happy times existed even through the pain and tears, the chimes singing merrily.

"This is where it all began, Ishaani. Our life, our story, our friendship, everything. This house, this room..." began Ranveer as they walked around the room, Ishaani's eyes drinking in everything with a newfound realization.

Ranveer sighed, now leading the way towards the terrace that had held countless of their guilty secrets, memories and life-changing incidents alike, another one being added to the list tonight. The sun dipped below the horizon while the evening sky blended its way towards the night, the first prickles of twinkling stars making their way upon the multi-hued sky that had a breathtaking beauty like never before.

"...and this terrace. This is where our paths crossed for the first time, where my life truly began. Last night, you asked me to never leave you. But how can I, when you've kept me alive in every single corner, every single memory of this house? I can never leave you, Ishaani. I never will. I promise. As long as you're alive," he added as he kissed Ishaani's forehead lovingly, pushing away the hair falling upon her face in the gentle wind.

Both of them let their foreheads kiss as they stood their ground upon the center of the terrace, suddenly content with the moment they were having between themselves that had only calm and love after all the unease and resentment. The smiles remained plastered upon their face while their hearts not longer held back any bit of happiness they were supposed to feel in the company of each other. They cherished every lasting second that remained between them without a single worry.

This was their time.

"The stars and the moon - it's always been there, no? Witness to everything that's happened in our lives in all these years. Our glorious past, our inglorious farewell," whispered Ishaani once they separated, giving Ranveer a tender kiss upon his lips. When Ranveer continued to drink in her sight greedily, she added as an afterthought.

"Maybe this isn't so bad. Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

"Whoever said that deserves to be slapped because I couldn't have heard a bigger bunch of crap in all my life," shot back Ranveer as he rolled his eyes, both of them chuckling at the true value of the statement. Sobering down first, Ishaani decided that it was about time they brought a little practicality into focus, especially after finding her own flee away in the last twenty-four hours.

"Ranveer, we have a long way to go in our lives. Completing Papa's legacy was not the only thing we had upon our bucket list now, did we? Think of this as Papa's blessings upon us that our first milestone together was completing his legacy. We still have places to go and things to achieve. And if we keep letting our personal lives interfere in our professional lives like this, it's not going to do us any good at all. And you may be willing to hang up your shoes before 30 now that you are raking rich but I still have to go a long, long way. I'm not going to let anything come in between myself and my ambitions, just like the way you did years ago. It's what I set out upon when I wanted to go to the US, but God found me a more fruitful way."

Ranveer heard her in silence as he caressed her cheek. His tone was tender when he spoke next.

"You may have grown and changed as a person a lot, Ishaani. But one thing is still the same - you can't lie to me. I won't push this topic any further. I will be coming to Mumbai next month anyway because I need to get the construction work of the resort kicking."

Ishaani gave him a sheepish look, unable to contain the smile that hit her face like the softest of kisses.

"That sounds good. There's so many things I wanted to revisit still. Play a game of tennis, do some pottery, maybe go on a cycling competition and spend a day upon the fields near the lakeside, make a late night excursion and have samosas and chai in the rains. And I was supposed to take you to that restaurant in Vile Parle right across the lane where we were stuck back during the 26 July floods."

"We should make a new bucket list then, I guess. A stand-by one to go upon after we finish going to the Great Barriers, ofcourse. No one's dying for certain without completing it, that's an established fact," added Ranveer quick-wittedly and Ishaani slapped his head. She wondered from where it was that he came up with things like these even though she knew what her priorities in life were now.

"I want life to be a surprise. I don't want to plan anything. Just take each day as it comes and live it to the fullest. I-"

"-just want to be happy. Be whole. And be around the people you love the most," completed Ranveer, leaving Ishaani surprised. He grinned at her expression unabashedly when she gave him a questioning look.

"I know. That's my new bucket list too," explained Ranveer and Ishaani's features softening instantly. He continued. "Although I wouldn't mind taking you to the Australian Open next year. VVIP passes," added Ranveer, not unlike a desperate salesman trying to reach his monthly target.

They tried holding on to their last moments of laughter before life took them through unexplored arenas yet again, neither of them knowing what lay in store for them. And as though upon instinct, Ishaani chose that precise moment to look at her watch - 6:25PM.

The moments of happiness had drawn to a close.

It was time.

"You need to go," said Ishaani, the halfheartedness in her voice no longer concealed as she gave him a teary smile. How many things were left to be said, and yet her tears said it all. Ranveer didn't let go of his tears even though his voice shook with the effort of keeping it straight.

He was biding time, trying to prolong the farewell.

"What about your fast?"

"I'll break it when the moon rises. There's still some time for it and if you wait till then, you'll miss your flight," added Ishaani in an unnecessary explanation, Ranveer nodding his head vigorously. She wondered what was going on in his mind in that moment. The next moment, she knew.

"Is it really necessary for me to go?"

"Even you know it is. Not just personally, but even professionally," reasoned Ishaani and gave him a push towards the direction of the door, wanting nothing more than to turn her face away from him. She found herself growing numb not unlike from eight years ago when she'd bid him goodbye at the airport. Unlike then, the tears had dried away from her eyes now.

She'd exhausted her capability to cry yet again tonight.

"Video call me when the moon rises. We'll break our fast together," asked Ranveer of her even though he didn't turn his face away from her just yet. So much remained to be said and yet the words looked as though they were choked down his throat, now beginning to suffocate him.

"Take the Mercedes with you to the airport, please."

"Wait, you're not coming?" asked Ranveer, suddenly surprised at the revelation even though Ishaani smiled bitterly. He looked so sure that she'd continue to accompany him everywhere until it wasn't seven in the evening and the head jailer didn't phone to tell her that Chirag Mehta was back in custody. But his thinking wasn't wrong either.

"Bidding you goodbye at the airport once was enough to sap me away of all my will. I don't think I'll be able to put myself through the same thing again," replied Ishaani, thinking about how somebody had once told her that airports saw more sincere farewells than churches did.

It wasn't the place that mattered at the end of the day; it was the feelings, she realized as the two of them continued to stare at each other, a thousand thoughts now standing between them that love tried to cut across desperately. And yet the words wouldn't leave either of their lips, rooted firmly in their throats as they hoped that the other's heart would understand. If not their hearts, then their souls. And suddenly through the crushing weight of the farewell, Ranveer remembered somehing.

Extracting the envelope and handing it over to an astonished Ishaani, he gave her a small smile.

"I want you to have something. It's something you should have had eight years ago, although open this only after I'm gone. Not much has changed since then."

"Or maybe everything has. There's something that you should have had eight years ago as well," added Ishaani as she extracted an envelope of her own from her skirt pocket, Ranveer now looking surprised. Both of them saw the dates upon their respective letters - 30th October , 2007.

The curious marvels of deja vu.

Unable to say anything further as their smiles were beginning to kill them from the inside, Ranveer pulled Ishaani into a long, satiating hug as they held on to each other like there was to be no tomorrow, kissing each other upon their foreheads and cheeks with a gentility that held nothing but the most tender and purest of love. Neither of them dared to pull each other into a kiss for they knew they wouldn't be able to let go once they began, the unrestrained love between them being withheld by the most delicate of strings that was capable to snap any minute.

There were so many ways of expressing love, and yet they remained numb to it. There were so many things to tell each other, and yet they remained oblivious to it. There were so many ways of holding on to each other, and yet they chose the gentlest of it. There were so many ways of loving each other, and yet they chose to not express it. There were so many ways of expressing the pain in their bleeding hearts, and yet they chose to withhold it. There were so many ways to boast of the battles of their tired souls, and yet the chose to hide it. There were so many ways to speak those three words with the most intimate passion, and yet they chose to swallow it. There were so many ways to choose life, and yet they chose death over it.

Separating from each other when standing in the other's company now grew painful, neither of them had the courage to speak what they really wanted to. Instead, Ranveer gave her a faint smile, expressing his respect for Ishaani's sacrifice in the most unexpected statement.

"I'll change out of this attire before heading out for the airport."

Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D

Next chapter:
Chapter 30