Everyone had left the rehearsal hall accept him. He wanted to rehearse a bit more. So, he stayed back.
"Are you sure Rey? I mean.. It's raining like really bad outside!" Swayam said before leaving.
"Yeah dude! Chill! And go!" Rey said, giving a reassuring smile.
"Cool!" Swayam said and left.
Actually, he didn't want to dance. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to live. Live in their memories. And deep down he knew, he could only live when he was with her. But, she wasn't with him anymore. She was miles away. Little did he know that, she too was there in the college at that time, completing some assignments in the library.
~*~
She was sitting with the laptop in front of her, working. Or no, she wasn't working. She was just staring at the screen of the laptop, her eyes teary. She didn't know why he affected her so much. She didn't know why her heart was not ready to accept that whatever happened was reality. She didn't know why she couldn't stop thinking about him. She didn't know why she couldn't forget him and the times spent with him. This exactly happens when you love someone with all your heart, when you love someone truly, unconditionally and irrevocably. "He's not worth it Taani!" she thought to herself as a lone tear escaped her eye.
A loud thunderclap brought her out of her thoughts. She decided to leave as it was late now. She got up and packed her things, and stopped only when she heard her phone ring.
"Bhai calling.." She saw.
"Hello?" She said, answering the call.
"Taani?! Tum kahan ho?! Ghar kyu nahi aayi abhi tak?! Its too late! Where are you?!" Swayam said, getting all hyper.
"Arre mere pyaare bhaiya! Chill! Mai college mein hu! Assignment complete kar rahi thi! Mai bas nikal hi rahi hu!" Taani said, smiling.
"Taani it's raining real heavily.. should I come to pick you up?"
"Nahi Bhai.. Chill! Mai aa jaungi!" Taani said as she left the library and went in the locker room.
"Are you sure?"
"Haan Bhai!" Taani smiled even more. She kept her laptop and the files in her locker.
"Okay. Jaldi aa jao. I'll be waiting for you for dinner. I've ordered pizza."
"Okay! YaYY! Thanks Bhai!" She said as she left the locker room.
"Chalo now.. Come soon!"
"Yeah!" Taani said and cut the call.
Taani considered herself to be really lucky to have got such a caring and loving brother. "But not lucky enough to have loved a person who will never love you back.." she thought.
She opened her umbrella and left the college.
~*~
He looked at his watch. "9:30.." He sighed and packed his things and left college in his car.
~*~
The road was empty now. He could only see some stray dogs wandering about in search of shelter, to save themselve's from the wildness of the heavy rain.
Suddenly then, he saw a human figure walking down the road. He realized that it was a girl. She was drenched completely. He drove his car closer to her only to realize that it was someone he knew. Someone he loved. Someone he wanted to be with then. His heart skipped a beat. He stopped the car beside where she was walking. She stopped walking too and looked at the car. He lowered the window of the passenger seat. She looked at him, never expecting him to be there at that time. That pain, it overcame her heart again which she had let go for a while just a few minutes back.
~*~
Few Minutes Earlier:
She walked down the road with the umbrella on her head. "I should have called bhai.." she thought. She didn't get an auto. The road was completely empty and all she could hear was the patter of the rain and barking of dogs. Just then, a strong wind came and her umbrella flew away. "Oh No!" she thought. Rains drops, soaked her to the skin. She felt good. After a real long time she felt happy. It was as if the rain was washing away all her pain and miseries. She opened her arms wide and felt the rain drops. "Gosh its cold!" she thought. She hugged herself and started walking again, enjoying the rain.
~*~
"Taani?! What are you doing here?! Come in.. I'll drop you home! You are all wet!" Rey said.
She just kept looking at him. But, she didn't want to go with him. Or maybe she wanted to. To her, in this "Break-up" stage of life, everything regarding Rey was confusing.
She came out of her thoughts and looked away from Rey and started walking again. Rey looked at her in disbelief.
He slowly drove his car again beside her and stopped it.
"Taani? Tumhe sunai nahi diya? Sit in the car!" Rey almost shouted.
Her blood was boiling now. "Why now?" She thought. "Why now, when everything was over between us, he is calling me as if he still has a right on me?" Enough was enough. She couldn't let him play with her feelings this way.
"Can't you just mind your own business? Leave me alone! My home's just ten more minutes from here! I can go by myself! And besides, I don't wanna come with YOU!" She snapped, stressing on the word "you".
"Leave aside your ego for a while and just sit in the car!" Rey said, in a firm tone.
Taani rolled her eyes and started walking again. This was enough for Rey. He got out of the car. It took no time for the rain to soak him wet too. He went to Taani and pulled her arm, pinning her to the door of the car.
"Why can't you listen to me haan?" He said, gripping her arms more tightly with his hand.
"Ouch.." Taani cried out, wincing in the pain that he gave her.
He then realized that his grip was too hard on her. He let go of her arms. Taani took advantage of this, and tried to walk away. But Rey was faster. He caught her arm yet again, softly this time, and kept her pinned to the car.
"Let me go Rey!" Taani shouted.
"Why can't you just come with me?"
"Coz I don't want to come with you!" Taani snapped.
"Get in the car Taani!"
"I won't! I am not a toy alright? Just LEAVE me!"
"Get in the car, RIGHT NOW!"
"Why are you doing this haan?"
"Because I have the right! Coz you are my.." Rey stopped in between. That hard realization hit him. She was his? She was his love. But she didn't know that.
*music*
"I'm your WHAT Rey?" Taani snapped yet again, trying to find answers in his eyes. He kept quite. He wanted to tell her desperately, what she meant to him. But he knew he couldn't. It wasn't the right time yet. Taani smirked as he kept silent. She freed herself from his grip and move forward, to walk away, but Rey was faster again. He clutched her wrist in his hand and stopped her.
(P.S.- Rey isn't singing, the song is playing in the back ground :-P)
Hum tere bin
Ab reh nahi sakte
Tere bina kya wajood mera
He pulled her back, pinning her to the car again. She looked in his eyes. She took no time to get drowned into those chocolaty brown, beautiful eyes of his. She could only feel love around her. She could only see that love, that pain in his eyes which she had seen when he confessed his love for her. Her heart skipped a beat remembering the day.
Hum tere bin
Ab reh nahi sakte
Tere bina kya wajood mera
Tujhse juda agar ho jayenge
Toh khud se hi ho jayenge juda
Unknowingly, Rey took his hands to her face and removed her wet curls from her face. He cupped her face with one hand and caressed her cheek with his thumb. She closed her eyes, feeling his touch.
Kyunki tum hi ho
Ab tum hi ho
Zindagi ab tum hi ho o o..
Chain bhi, mera dard bhi
Meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho
Unknowingly, Taani slid her arms around his waist and hugged him, keeping her head on his shoulder. He hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her and feeling her love.
Tera mera rishta hai kaisa
Ik pal door gawara nahi
Tere liye har roz hain jeete
Tujhko diya mera waqt sabhi
Koi lamha mera na ho tere bina
Har saans pe naam tera..
He broke the hug and took her hands in his. He didn't care about anything else right now. He just wanted to be with her, his love. He gently kissed her hands, pouring out all his love. She kept looking at him. She didn't stop him. She knew she felt complete after what seemed like ages. In fact, she had no idea where she was now. It was just him and her then. Unaware of the surroundings, she just felt his love.
Kyunki tum hi ho
Ab tum hi ho
Zindagi ab tum hi ho o o..
Chain bhi, mera dard bhi
Meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho
They cried silently, together. Although for others, tears and the rain drops wouldn't have been distinguishable, but both Taani and Rey knew that they were crying. After all, Rain can hide your tears, but not your pain, and your pain would be only visible to the one who loves you truly, with all their heart.
Tum hi ho.. Ha
Tum hi ho.. Aa aa
They kept their foreheads against each other's. They stayed that way for a while.
Tere liye hi jiya mein
Khud ko jo yun de diya hai
Teri wafa ne mujhko sambhala
Saare ghamon ko dil se nikala
Tere saath mera hai nasib juda
Tujhe paake adhura na raha
He gently kissed her forehead, making her heart skip a beat.
Kyunki tum hi ho
Ab tum hi ho
Zindagi ab tum hi ho o o..
Chain bhi, mera dard bhi
Meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho
They hugged each other together yet again, much more tightly than before. A shiver ran down Taani's spine, feeling his warm breath near her skin. Rey pulled her more close, feeling her warmth, never wanting to let go.
Kyun ki tum hi ho
Ab tum hi ho
Meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho..
Ho o chain bhi, mera dard bhi
Meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho...
A loud thunderclap brought out Taani out of the trance. It was then, that she got back to reality. Pain overtook her again. She opened her eyes, still in the hug, and realized what had just happened. She jerked Rey away from her and moved back. Rey was dumbstruck. He couldn't find words to apologize for what just happened.
"Not again.." Taani said, looking him straight in the eye. She sobbed and said again, "Not again.."
She covered her mouth with her hands and ran away. His gaze followed her until she disappeared in the darkness.
"Tum hi ho Taani.. Ab bas.. Tum hi ho.." He thought.
CID
Ishaani
55