IshVeer FF: Of The Soulmates Chapter 53(Page 144) - Page 70

Originally posted by: -.Neha.-

Another fantastic chapter Elvish. I love reading this story!

Glad ishani is back😃continue soon...

Originally posted by: VC288

Hi elvish!!! Sorry as I am not going to be write more this time. Time doesn't allows me😭

Sorry again for such late reply!!!!!!

Chapter was really amazing and what I had been looking forward for. Ishani's return made Ranveer and me happy!!😃😉

Glad chirkut didn't met ishani!!

So finally ishani has told Ranveer that she cares for him!! Waiting for next update the moment I finished it off.

Puneet is of great help!! Let's see how he could help both of them.

With lots of love

VC288❤️

Originally posted by: strings123

When will she say i love you?

Chapter 39

"Because I care for you, dammit!" Ishani shrieked, tears of agony spurting out of her eyes in swiftly, as Ranveer stared at her face, flummoxed, unable to comprehend the most unrealistic blow that he had been presented with suddenly. He stepped back, his gaze still fixed at Ishani's weary face, observing it closely, and his heart pounding hard in his chest.

"You don't mean that," he remonstrated. "You don't mean anything."

"I do," Ishani said, "It would be a lie to say otherwise."

Ranveer shook his head. "I don't trust you."

"You just asked me if I was lost in your thoughts at home. Yes," Ishani admitted honestly, "I was. I missed you there. I missed our old days when no one but us existed, when our life had no meaning beyond our friendship. I missed our days when you lived there and would come to see me when I couldn't show up, all the time. I missed how you loved the ice-cream, but unlike you used to apply it on your bruises. I missed our fights. The lost days I know can never come back. You know what, Ranveer, nothing had changed in that place except it's empty like a cold lifeless shell. I can touch it, feel it but it holds no meaning without you. This is the reason I left home a year ago. Without Papa and you, everything felt useless, meaningless and lifeless. No one understood this, of course, but you do, don't you?" Ishani's voice resonated in Ranveer's head like a melody in the inaudible noise, like a music he had always desired to hear but had found himself too unworthy for the idea. Ishani missed him, she thought of him. No. It could not be so. She was lying. Lying like everytime she did and, when found her love, she had let him go, assaulting his deepest feelings, tossing them worthlessly into the air and never looking back.

"You're lying. You had your family, all the time. Falguni Maa, Devarsh, Prateek, Sharman. Everyone has been by your side, and how can I forget Chirag, your love? Isn't he with you? Are you two not going to marry once your projects here are done?" Ranveer finished his last words in extreme bitterness, while Ishani refused to meet her eyes with his. Ranveer could not trace her thoughts or her feelings as he saw her wiping her tears slowly, though he expected for a single hope to rise, to again have a part of tell him what she always did in her most secret, charming way; but to his disappointment he saw Ishani gradually rising her face towards him, her eyes glistening with fresh tears, and trample away once again. He wanted to shout out to her but it felt useless, for he could see her graceful form disappearing into the dust of terrifying darkness before himself. She didn't care.

"Go," he shouted from behind once she was gone. "Go away and don't ever lie to me like you always did."

Ishani, however, did not look back and nor did any message from her was returned. Ranveer stared towards the passage she left for a long, long time, until the darkness caused his eyes to hurt, but Ishani did not return. Disappointed, he turned back to his last refuge, one that did not abandon him when the world around expected and desired even the last bits of fading life out of him. He poured one glass of wine and with the expectation to have it all in one go he brought it to his dry lips, but before he could taste the tiny bit of it, the glass found itself crashing hard against the rigid wall before him, its lambent shards sprinkled on the white marble floor and the liquor gushed out immediately from the shattered pieces, flowing lightly. He gazed at the proceedings absentmindedly and wondered how charmingly the glass fell beneath, its single bit could cause one pain and even bleed, just like his broken heart did in that moment.

"I told you not to drink too much." The words again echoed in his ears. Unlike usual, he dropped the idea of the preparing another glass and sank himself on the chair placed next to him.

Ranveer stared up towards the roof, sitting motionlessly, as still past memories haunted him, being refreshed by the blows that had suddenly risen up from somewhere without any warnings. On the door, late at night, he heard a soft knock but he did not answer the call. Few moments later Puneet entered with a big smile on his face.

"Sir," he said, as he advanced further, "Mr. Williamson has sent this for you." Puneet produced a packet from his bag. Opening it he handed over to Ranveer a file in a black cover. Ranveer smiled lightly, as he read few lines from the first page.

"Tell him I am very grateful, Puneet," Ranveer said, as he smiled tiredly. "His desire to have a permanent partnership with us will certainly come true. I personally should like to have it."

"Sir, he wants to invite you for one of his professional gatherings, if you are interested, of course."

Ranveer shrugged his shoulders. "Until yesterday I had no reason to deny, but right now I want to be alone. Alone for a considerable time so that I can think few things out."

"He wouldn't mind that, sir," Puneet said. "But in case you wish to change your mind, do let me know."

"Definitely." Ranveer smiled and Puneet left without further questions.

______________

"So, how is everything going?" Ranveer heard his father's voice as he sat in the balcony outside his room, reading a newspaper that he barely did to save his time; but recent news regarding Mr. Zaveri's case often caught his attention and the pages of the papers had some of them having been scratched with pencil or pen, in case something important was there. Having heard the voice he put the paper aside and welcomed his father.

"Come, Baba." He smiled.

"How's it going?" his father said.

"It's fine. Only few more information is to be gathered before Mr. Zaveri's final trial. He's expecting a long term sentence."

"And you really want him to be punished?"

"Doesn't matter. It's the law that needs him, and he as well has to understand where he went wrong."

"Did you talk to Ishani? She must be worried about the whole matter."

The question made Ranveer's heart twist in a familiar way, as he turned his eyes back to the newspaper, hoping his father didn't notice the disappointment he had experienced right now.

"What happened?" his father said, when Ranveer made no answer.

Ranveer shook his head. "Nothing," he whispered.

"I don't believe so. What is it? Speak up!"

"You won't understand it, Baba."

"Lad, I'm your dad. Come on."

"Baba, you think it's funny? It's not," Ranveer answered, trying not to be rude.

"I didn't say that," his father said. "Now it's sure something is wrong. What is it?"

"Baba, she still thinks I'm her servant, her servant who cannot help himself and she has to be his savior even now. Ishani, I mean." The bitterness and pain returned once again, while his father looked at him in surprise.

"What nonsense is this? Did she say that?"

"She's too polite to say anything that."

"How come you think this way?"

Ranveer narrated the incidents that took place in last few days while his father listened to each of his words attentively and after Ranveer finished, his father spoke in a tone Ranveer could not understand for a while.

"Well, you are a fool." The response shocked Ranveer.

"I am a fool, why? It was her fault," he answered immediately, in his defense.

"Her fault? Did you tell her you had a plan when you left for Chicago? How was she supposed to know? Scams in the companies are so common, Ranveer, that sharpest of the brains have been deceived and manipulated and it took her nothing more than a genuine concern for you to take the blame upon herself. Where is her fault?"

"But--" Ranveer was cut short by his father once again.

"But, what, Ranveer? Get out of your miserable life and view it from her perspective. What would you have done if you were at her place?"

"The same," Ranveer answered.

"Why does it surprise you if she did the same?"

"I love her," Ranveer said, without any hesitation.

"And you are her best friend," his father added. "Ishani has never had anyone except you, you know that very well, and the thought of you suffering the consequences of the mistakes you were not responsible for were not any entertainment for her. Just imagine, Ranveer, for how many people can Ishani do that? Sacrifice all she has achieved in her life!"

"You think she genuinely cares for me? She does not think of me as her servant or any of that?" Ranveer asked, feeling the will to hear otherwise vanishing away.

"Of course she does care about you."

Ranveer pondered over his father's words for a few minutes and said, "But what if she really does think me otherwise and not the way you explained me, Baba? I don't know anything about her feelings."

"You don't have to," his father answered. "I have seen Ishani for years and years, even though I don't understand her as much you do, I clearly understand why she would do this all for you. She might not love you, Ranveer, but she is sorry for her mistakes and all you have to do is wait for her to say something. Your answers will come to you one day."

Finishing his last words, the old man stood up, and with a light pat on Ranveer's right shoulder he walked away, leaving him swimming into his own consoling thoughts. Few moments later Ranveer saw his father strolling in the garden, whistling slowly to himself and sifting the plants and flowers carefully, which bloomed gloriously in the daylight heralding the new season of spring. Ranveer could not help but play Ishani's words in his mind again and again, her voice often comforting him and often tormenting him. "I care for you, Ranveer." Her voice echoed in his ears once again as he looked about himself, wondering if Ishani was somewhere close to him. He quickly took his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Puneet," he said, and after the response from the other side he added, "Let me know when Ishani comes to the office, if she does today, or if she's planning to skip her visit do inform me wherever she is right now. It's urgent." Ranveer spoke it all in a genuine professional tone.

"I'm sorry, sir, but she has not come to the office today and Mr. Khanna informed that she has taken her days off for some time now which has caused us postponing some of our meetings already. We can't contact her and no idea where she can be right now. Should I do something, sir?"

"No, I will see it myself. Thank you."

Ranveer's heart sank as he disconnected the call stead. "Where are you, Ishani?" he whispered to himself.

After some time he gathered courage to pick up his phone once again and dialed her number, as his heart beat quickly. She could not pick up said her phone was not reachable. He tried again and again but no development. She had no friends to know her whereabouts and having distanced herself from the public it was harder to trace her. Not wanting to disturb her privacy he decided to find a way to her himself and stood up with a determination in his heart: to make up for the mistakes he had made of misunderstanding her.

______________

In the next few minutes, Ranveer found himself driving across the West Point to Shacklefords next to his house and taking a shortcut to the west he travelled towards East Sussex. Something told him she could be there. The quiet nature of the place must have invited her to find a solace in its sublime tranquility. Ranveer, however, continued look into other directions lest she was present somewhere nearby and any of her sign could be discovered but to his aching disappointments he found none. It took him 3 hours to reach East Essex and then next 15 minutes to the east towards Camber Sands beach. He loitered, wandered further, beyond the sights which allowed themselves to be noticed but there was none. In the meantime he often tried her number as well in case his luck favored him but it didn't. Neither her phone worked and nor was she visible as far his eyes could follow. This place was one of the thousands of the possible ones Ishani could be found in, but the distance from her felt awful although it was temporary.

Not knowing where to see or find her Ranveer headed back, though not disappointed and more determined. By the evening he returned back to London and searched in the next few possible places Ishani had mentioned to him at times and he suspected her to be in but did not find a single clue of hers. The evening grew into night with the moon rising high, illuminating in the absolute darkness and stars gleaming gleefully accompanying it overhead. He sat in the car, tired from the day's developments and the mental weariness added more misery to the existing one.

It was half past 10 by now when a thought struck Ranveer suddenly. How could he be so wrong and ignorant? Yes, this was the place she could be in! He had to be with her, by her side. Ranveer began driving once again and crossing the lanes one by one, forgetting the state of the surroundings his car halted with a sharp jerk at the road beside King's Church. He stared at the tall building, its gentle essence again overcoming him with the feelings of his last two visits. He had come here twice before and those days were registered as the best days of his life in London, and he knew the third visit was no waste. He nervously entered the church as the fear of not finding Ishani at this last destination felt too painful to bear, but this time he saw a hope...few yards away he could see a young woman sitting on the bench in such a position that he could see her hands on the table clasped into each other before her, and in the warm silence of the hall he could hear her light sobs though her face was covered with the hairs that fell on her face, splashing down on her shoulder. It did not take more than a nanosecond for him to realize who this woman was. Ishani.

He called her out but his voice did not reach her: his guilty self spoke too slowly.

"Ishani," he said again, this time louder, as he felt his own voice reflecting back to him. Ishani turned her gaze towards him and he could tell she must have believed him to be an apparition of his for her eyes still sought a hint of reality in him. Ranveer advanced towards her while Ishani too stood up from her seat and walked towards him. Words fell short as they stood together in front of another, and silence seemed to answer all the questions that ensued between them.

Slowly Ranveer came further and gently wiped Ishani's tears as her gaze followed his hands and she closed her eyes as his cold fingers came in touch with her warm skin.

"I'm sorry, Ishani," Ranveer said, as he cupped her cheeks, wiping the drops of the tears that appeared continuously on her face. "I'm really sorry."

"No, I didn't realize what I did to you," she said, shaking her head. "I should have trusted you."

"You look more stupid when defending my stupidity." Ranveer chuckled slowly, as a small smile appeared on Ishani's face as well. "How could you trust me when I shared nothing with you about my plan? I didn't want you to drag into this and never in my wildest dreams could I imagine you to be trapped in this mess." He finished guiltily.

"You were mad because you cared about me, I knew that." Ishani smiled, guiltily.

"But I was such a jerk to you. Never realized how you would have felt after Mr. Zaveri's arrest. It was all my fault, Ishani, trust me."

Ishani shook her head once again and brought her palm to his lips. "Please," she whispered, "can't I even apologize to you? You don't know how terrible I have been feeling after that."

Ranveer felt speechless as Ishani's words melted into his heart like a soft candy and he stared at her for a few moments. "You don't have to," he said, at last.

"Do you forgive me? I can't endure it anymore."

"I do."

As he finished, to Ranveer's utmost surprise Ishani took him in a tight embrace leaning towards him and slithering her arms around his neck slowly, while her head rested on his chest. Ranveer, surprised for a while, reciprocated back as he let his arms circle around her in a protective cradle, tightly. He heard Ishani softly sigh under her breath while few sobs left her lips after a few moments. He did not stop her from crying as he stroked her hair gently, tucking them back as they fell on her face once again, and caressing the back of her head.

For a moment he thought it could indeed be one of those false alluring dreams where he found her too close to himself but the blush of dawn brought another story altogether, intertwined with a feeling of endless heartache. But the thought of present moment being any such thing was forbidden by her arms that so protectively circled around him, her stinging sobs that reminded him of his own terrible mistakes she had been the victim of, and her smell that could not be a false evidence of her existence next to him. He did not know how long the time had passed, or how long he held her in his arms, all he knew he did not want this moment to end ever. Even though for a short while, he had been blessed to have her for a few more moments in his life.