~ You're not the only one ~ Ch26Pg142Th3LinkPg151 - Page 54

Mumbai had always calmed her and at the same time filled her with an energy she hadn't found anywhere else in the world.

It was surreal - the dream world for countless. The starry world for millions. And she loved it because it helped her forget things, it caught her in its fast paced life and helped her numb the pain - it always had and this time too she hoped it would not fail her.

So straight off this reminds me of how I feel whenever I'm in NYC. I see so many similarities between the 2 cities and the way you describe the essence of the city is fantastic. 👏

"Jeejaji." Came the subdued greeting and hit Akash like a kick in the gut.

OMG great hook. I can totally see him look at her in shock.

For all the time he had known Khushi, first as an employee, then as an extended member of his family, then as a member of his to be wife's family and finally as a member of his own, her greetings, her demeanour had always been brightening, always bubbling with enthusiasm and energy and never this drab, this routine, this forced and not for the first time, Akash Singh Raizada felt a surge of anger towards his wife, knowing that she had emotionally blackmailed Khushi into coming here in Delhi - the city which in its fast paced, power hungry life had taken everything away from the young naive Lucknow lass.

I love love love Akash in this story. He doesn't blindly love his wife and brother but sees them both as human, having the capability to make mistakes. But he still loves them both a lot and his protective nature with Khushi is very refreshing to see. At least someone is looking out for her.

Arnav Singh Raizada could feel something...different...in the air and all of a sudden too - it was'sweeter, fresher, more hopeful...and it reminded him of a past he repressed everyday, more often than not with a peg of single malt whiskey - a peg or two or four.

Cue magical Arhi wind. I love how even though the sections aren't connected, they are at the same time. Also, Arnav turning to alcohol, sad but expected.😔

The party was shit boring, shit annoying, shit stupid, shit lonely.

Another great hook.

She nursed her glass of red wine against her creased forehead, knowing how completely unlady like it was and not giving a f**k about it because no one else did either - her black strapless bandage dress highlighting her curves were enough to make them forgive her of everything, every rude behavior, every harsh reply, every sarcastic comment.

No one cared to look deeper, she mused, drawing circles on the sleek glass bar top, illuminated with lights flaring up from inside of it - pink, yellow, red, blue.

No one cared to look past the curves, past the skin show, past the beauty and see the ugliness she was'Armaan's words rang in her ears.

So combining the comment for the above three. How sad is it that the ones who saw her for who she was were the ones who disappointed her. (Except for Armaan though, she disappointed him more). The imagery of her sitting there alone and dejected is so haunting.

"No, Nisha...kuch nahin sunna chahta main...3 saal se tera intezaar kar raha hoon yaar'you left without telling me?! Phone ko koi jawab nahin, no emails, no contact?! I got f**king engaged, Nisha, and you, my best friend, wasn't there?! I went through problems too! Meri zindagi mein bhi issues the par tu nahin thi yahan'tu kahin nahin thi. You just left."

Rereading this part makes me so sad! Poor Armaan. Poor Nisha. Poor Anum! *crycrycry*

One of the very few people who had looked past the physical and she had pushed him away, maybe even used and thrown him away?! What kind of a person was she?! So vile, so disgusting, so ungrateful, so terrible, so ugl-

Self-hate. Everyone feels it at their lowest. So sad that the man who put her on a pedestal let her fall.

"So beautiful."

And I almost die at this point because I know it's him. (Ahh!)

Her eyes closed on their own, her every sense heightened at the mere voice of the man who was the other name on that list of very few people.

"What do you-what are you do-I am leaving."

"Don't. Please don't."

"Why?"

"I just...kitna time ho gaya ek doosre se theek se baat kiye hue Nisha...please?"
("I just...its been so long since we have talked properly Nisha...please?")

"I...I am going."

He caught her wrist and she gasped for breath - his touch after so long, so cruelly long.

And yet nothing new, nothing unknown.

So right. Yet so wrong.

1) Super excited that you got them to talk! (I remember asking for that and even though you probably already had your chapters planned out, thanks for giving me this little gift.) 2) SO MUCH LOVE! It's there! They can feel it! I just wish they would get past the hurt and bruised egos and JUST GET TOGETHER! NISH 4EVA! lol ok, I'll calm down now.

"Jaake baat kariye Bhai se, Khushi...aap dono ko baat karne ki bahut zaroorat hai." ("Talk to Bhai, Khushi...its very important that the two of you talk.") Akash entered the kitchen to find Khushi peeling vergetables alone with Payal having gone to a recently become mother neighbor's house - for the first time he found himself alone with Khushi ever since the

"J-ji?"

"Aapne sunna maine kya kaha hai. Baat kariye unse...suniye unki baat, kahiye apne dil ki baat...bahut kuch ankaha hai aap dono ke beech, Khushi. Aap dono ka baat karna, ek doosre ko samajhna aur samjhana bahut zaroori hai."
("You heard me. Talk to him...listen to him, tell him what you feel...there is a lot to talk between you two. Its essential that you two talk, understand and make the other understand...its essential for you two.")

She didn't say anything. She didn't trust herself to voice her opinion, her questions, her doubts, her fears.

But he heard it all anyway - treating her like the sister he had been forced to part with following the circumstances and he held Khushi's small hand in his own reassuring big calloused one and looking deep in the hazel orbs, so uneasily aged,

"Main aapko aur kuch nahin keh sakta iss ke siwa ki aapka aur Bhai ka baat karna bahut zaroori hai, bahut zaroori!"
("I cant tell you anything else but just this that you need to talk to Bhai, its very important that you do so!")

"Hum unse...unse nahin mil sakte..."
("I cant...I cant meet him...")

"Khushi, main aapko force nahin karoonga par aapka bada bhai hone ke naate yeh zaroor kahoonga ki kabhi kabaar jo dikhta hai woh hota nahin hai...baaki aap khud samajhdaar hain."
("Khushi, I will not force you but in the capacity of being you elder brother, I will tell you this much that many a times what we see in front if us is not the truth...")

He left here there slumped against the kitchen counter, confused and terrified all at once.

Akash Raizada for President 2012. Nuff said. I am so team Akash right now. He brought up the thing I've been screaming for since the start of this FF (just realized I haven't actually talked about that in any of my comments but yeah, I was thinking it the whole time). OPEN COMMUNICATION! Also, his brotherly behavior towards her is so aww worthy, I'm kinda jealous that my bro-in-law isn't like that.

"How have you been?"

"Fantastic."

He laughed, a slow melancholic laughter, rumbling out of him in painful spurts. She had always ben sarcastic, ironical and the one time she hadn't been, with him, with their relationship, he had made sure she turned back to her favourite weapons.

"How is...Arnav?"

She forced him to meet her gaze, forced him to look her in the eye as to how dare he ask her this question?! How dare he act as if...as if things weren't what they were?!

Her eyes were like shards of glass but at the same time like molten fire and Sharman Singhania felt the pull to the beauty he had lost his heart too all those years ago once again - so expressive, so beautiful, so stunning, so exquisite. So sad. So asking him to engulf her in his arms and never let go.

His one hand reached to caress the hand which had clenched into a fist at his question on the table she had rested it and he noted with a delirious joy that she didn't pull back.

But she trembled and he looked up just in time to see her eyes fill up as they rested on their interlinked hands and he felt a pain pierce through his heart.

"I am sorry, I am so sorry."

His voice was hoarse, tired yet hopeful. He needed to say those words to her. Tell her how unbelievably sorry he was for what he did to her - show her the promises of a beautiful tomorrow, away from all that she feared and rightly so and then snatch it all away - leave her like before but without the 'Nisha Francia Oberoi' who could handle it all and take it all in her stride. He left her as 'Nisha' and Nisha was alone and lonely and scared and broken and it was all his fault.

"Ab kyon bol rahe ho?"

She was going to fight it, fight it till she could. Fight it to show herself that she could. He had left her, left her after all the promises he had made to her, left her to face the world alone, face her past alone, left her so that her past could catch up with her, taunt her, tell her that she was a fool to let go of her defence mechanisms, to change her ideals because that was what brought her down.

"Main...I just.."

"You just broke my heart, that's what you just did. We are over forever."

There. She had said it. Said what had been eating her up for more than 3 years now. Three years since they had gotten divorced.

"But I love you."

There. He had said it. Said what had been eating him up for more than 3 years now. Three years since they had gotten divorced.

"Par tumne kabhi mere liye ladaai nahin ki, you never fought for us, damn it!"

Finally, the truth. The anger. The rage. The complaint.

"Main nahin kar paaya...par please..."

Finally, the truth. The desperation. The acceptance. The apology.

"Ab main nahin kar paaoongi."

Finally, the truth.

OH MY GOD!! MORE COMMUNICATION!!! FANGIRL STATUS!!!!

Yes it kinda ended on a sad note but I don't even care because at least they talked to each other and got to say their piece that they've been holding back for 3 years. I am in love with this update. It's official.

Nisha was now in her room. Her dress barely hanging on, the zip broken from when she had harshly tried to take it off - taking out her anger, her frustration, her broken heart out on the dress - reveling when she heard the snap of the zipper breaking.

The doorbell rang and without even needing to take a breath, she knew who it was.

But she also knew that her next decision had been made since the time she had felt his touch on her after nearly three months - a touch which made her feel safe, secure, beautiful.

And she opened the door and let his lips fall on hers.

I swear to God I have never rooted for infidelity so much in my life. The second I read that there was a doorbell and she opens it (with ripped dress no less) I swear I was almost screaming with excitement. I'm pretty sure this was me...

Also, this was me the whole time they were talking, no lie...

LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED the update!