|| Ehsaas - SS || (updated pg. 8 - 02/3) - Page 6

Originally posted by: sweta2005

awesomeeeeeee too good very nice part waitingggggg for next asap

Pihu pushed herself away from her monitor with a white face. She had been planning on telling Rudra today about how she couldn't continue the relationship, and her plans to stay here, and finish her studies - stay with Anurag. She planned on going back to India once, to get her things in order, for the next few years. She had ordered her ticket from Anurag's travel agent already. The only thing left to do was deal with Rudra. She felt really guilty doing this so abruptly and crudely, but she had no other option left. She could no longer picture her future, or her life without Anurag. But Rudra had completely caught her off guard, as he had brandished an airline ticket in front of the webcam, to show that he was coming there to see her. Pihu had not known what to say, to stop him. She had sharply asked him exactly why he was coming, since they had barely had 2 conversations in the last 2 months, both filled with them talking about other people. But he had just smiled and said that he had wanted to surprise her. The call had disconnected before Pihu could say anything else, and she had stared at her computer screen in horror, before she heard the outer door slam. She glanced up at the clock and noticed with distraction that she was late. She guessed the door must've been slammed by Anurag, who must've also been late. She got up and went to his room, wondering how to tell Anurag about this Rudra problem. She had already messaged Meher, about Rudra's trip. For some reason, her mind kept flashing back to her conversation with Meher a couple of months ago. For the last few weeks, she knew that both her and Anurag had been feeling the impact of her words. That was why she had finally decided to tell Rudra about Anurag. But, everything seemed to be turning upside down. She looked around Anurag's room, as if hoping to find him. She knew that at this moment, she needed Anurag more than anyone else. Her eyes fell on the old box kept on his desk. She gingerly moved towards it, feeling her heart clench. She reached inside, and saw stacks of pictures, a small snowglobe, and a few birthday cards. She flipped the pictures with trembling hands, and noticed all of them labelled with the same name, 'Taani'. 'Taani and me in Mussoorie trip' 'Taani in her first sari', 'Taani's first award', 'Taani...'. Each time she read her name, it seemed like a separate slap on her face. She sat down on his bed, willing herself to think that Taani was just a dream anyway, that she would not wait for this long, but her eyes fell on Anurag's open laptop which had a number written on the notepad. Taani ' 901238719. Pihu clicked on his open e-mail message only to read his mother gushing about how Taani had been waiting for him all this time, as well. The last two words hit her like a ton of bricks. Without thinking, she grabbed Anurag's old box, and pulled out the keys to her car. She needed to see Anurag at once.

Anurag sank lower in his seat, clutching his throbbing head. There were barely 5 minutes of this class left, but he needed to get out. To breathe. He had left the apartment in a rush, before being stopped by his superintendent, who had an important courier for Miss Pihu, which she needed to get at once. Thinking she was at college, he took it, before stopping short and glancing at what was down in his hand. Unless he was mistaken, the letter was from his travel agent. He couldn't remember ordering any tickets for himself, though. Sure there had been some sort of mistake, he climbed into his car, and slit open the envelope. He opened to see Pihu's e-ticket to India, and felt himself slowly go numb. He forced himself to breathe. She must be going back for some time, to sort out her paperwork. He drove to college in a trance, and didn't even listen to the professor's rebuke for stepping into his class late. Preet looked at his friend's pale face, and knew something was wrong. Before he could ask, however, Meher sent him a message which made his heart drop. 'Anurag,' he whispered hoarsely, 'Rudra's coming here. To get Pihu.' Anurag froze. Pihu had woken up without his help today, saying that she needed to talk to Rudra. Like a fool, he had thought that she was going to tell him about... well he had been wrong, of course. Anurag's head felt like it was going to burst. He was coming. To get Pihu. To get his Pihu. To take her back. Away from him. The sudden burst of chatter indicated the class was over, but Anurag sat in his seat, oblivious to the movement around him. Preet nudged him out of his chair, and he finally got up, not noticing how there was a hush from the crowd near the entrance of the class. He stepped out into the hall, the hall where he had first met Pihu, and he found herself face to face with her again.

Pihu stood in front of Anurag, holding his box, pain etched in every feature of her face. Anurag forgot his own pain for a second, as he looked into Pihu's eyes, but she started talking, 'Why? I thought...' she started off in a hoarse whisper, but her eyes flashed with anger as she saw the look of recognition in Anurag's eyes as he saw the box, 'WHY?' She demanded, the whispering in the gathered crowd came to an abrupt end. 'Why what?' Anurag asked sharply, 'This! Taani!' Anurag was incredulous, 'Taani?! What about Rudra? I'm asking you. Now what?!' Pihu slammed down the box on the table next to them, spilling half its contents, 'You FOUND her!' she shrieked, giving a horribly fake smile, 'Your mother was so happy, she had waited for you, like you waited for her,' her voice almost broke as she said the last line. Anurag had had enough. He was suddenly furious, 'Yes, I found her! Yes, she waited for me. SO WHAT?! Now it's MY turn. Rudra's coming. He's coming here to get you. You're going back together,' Anurag could barely choke out Rudra's name, as he balled up her airline ticket and tossed it away. 'I know he is,' Pihu replied her voice hard, 'But, how does that matter? EVERYDAY, I've seen you keep this... this HOPE alive inside you. That she'll come back. These... these... memories,' She grabbed a handful of photos, and threw them in the air, 'You still KEPT them! Even after I moved in, you still HAD them!' Anurag kicked aside the chair that was kept in between them, almost exploding with rage, 'MEMORIES! That's IT! I didn't throw away the memories of my best friend! That's IT! I watched. I watched and listened to you talk to Rudra, laugh with him, tell him about your life, OUR life. I watched him call you and talk about you going BACK!'Anurag's yelling and behaviour began to get primal, '...and it meant NOTHING! I was talking to him out of respect, or obligation, or just for the sake of our friendship. You just had to deal with a couple of phone calls! I had to watch you THINK about Taani, think about her when WE were having ice-cream together, when WE went to the children's park. I had to make sure that I wouldn't do anything... anything that would possibly bring back her memory. I had to watch you wait, and yearn for her!' spat back Pihu, her voice starting to crack. 'Yearn for her?! Taani was nothing but a shadow of a memory, while Rudra was a living, talking human being! What yearning?! I hadn't even thought about her since I met you! She had become nothing more than a memory of a good friend, who I used to know 8 years ago!' Anurag was stepping closer to her with every word, but Pihu didn't flinch away. 'But you knew... you had to have known that Rudra meant nothing. Didn't you think? The person I had thought I was in love with from childhood seemed to fade, when I met you!' Anurag was now breathing down into Pihu's face. 'Think?! I haven't been thinking since you entered my life. You came and suddenly Taani just became my childhood friend, who I couldn't even remember properly. You came and my life just... changed.' Anurag's eyes became deep pools of pain. 'Why?!' Pihu whispered as Anurag flinched away from her question, 'Why did everything change? Why?!' Pihu grabbed his arm, and stood in front of him again, their bodies almost touching. Her voice became louder with each question, it seemed like she was searching herself for answers, 'Why did you feel like it's okay to forget your childhood love? Why did I think it's okay to forget my relationship, and his love? Why did we do it?! What were we thinking? Why did I think...' 'Because I LOVE you, goddamn it!' Anurag said fiercely, his face now an inch from hers. '... and I love you TOO!' Pihu answered automatically, her eyes reflecting the love she saw in his. She felt her heart stop as he finally said the words she had been hoping to hear for so long. Anurag felt his senses go numb for the second time that day. They had finally found the answer to the insecurities that had been haunting them for months. Somewhere in their hearts, they had already known the answer. The silence that filled the hall was complete. Pihu and Anurag gazed into each other's eyes, their heartbeats thundering. The pain, and the love reflected in their eyes was now visible to everyone, but before Anurag could raise a hand to Pihu's face, the voice of an irritated professor cut through the silence. Pihu and Anurag remained in their own world, knowing that they had to talk to each other. The past few minutes spun in their heads, they couldn't believe what had happened, what they had done. But, Preet and Meher finally stepped forward. Meher grabbed Pihu by her upper arm, and practically dragged her away from the hall, with Pihu's gaze never once leaving Anurag's. Preet attempted to do the same with Anurag, but met with protests, 'Preet... no. We... I... We need to talk. Pihu... I... we said so many things to each other... we...' Preet grabbed Anurag's arm, and said slowly and clearly. 'Anurag, not now. Look around you, you've both said enough already. Later.' Anurag glanced around, at the crowd gathered, comprising of practically half the college. He felt like he was waking up from a nightmare. What had he... what had Pihu... as he finally let himself be lead away by Preet, he realised that reality had finally caught up with his and Pihu's little dream world.

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