Originally posted by: LadyMeringue
Ah, my gals are back together! 🤗🤗 Khushi ke aansu... 😭😭😭 Fire away bacchoon, mera full aashirwaad hai. 😉😉
Originally posted by: dvprt418.py
LM when one of your ff finish it always makes me and DV cry a river😭😭 It is like NC all over again😭😭😭
here the only difference being we cried buckets in many updates also and then in the farewell also
Yaar LM.. I almost got scared to see so many pages suddenly thinking that you posted the last chapter!! :))
I can't believe we are at the end and I so don't look forward to the pm.. It's breaking my heart really.. Even when NC was ending I was quite distraught.. And this one toh has made me really addicted..
Last chapter was so heart wrenching.. They know what both are going through perfectly well. And the whole Deja vu thing was just too much.. Ishani is such a bundle of nerves really, plus rightfully so.. You blended the KC fast very well btw. That was one hell of an episode..
And what are you planning.. Please don't leave us in a limbo.. I can't imagine how much you are going to drop on us in the last chapter.. *howls howls*
I am going to so miss this.. Beyond words.. Really a sadness fills my heart when I think of this ff ending.. :((((
A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D
The fourteen month journey draws to an end at long last with this update, the epilogue soon to follow. It's been an extraordinary journey where I've had the good fortune of knowing several of you, first as readers and soon becoming friends. It's been a rewarding experience with all the love, adulation, support and encouragement that you have constantly being showering upon me right from the start to the end.
And
now that the journey does draw to a close, these are all bundles of
memories I'm going to cherish for a long, long time along with the
several dear friends I've made along the way as well. And even though
there's still the epilogue to go (and there's more of my sentimental ANs
to come there), I would still like to thank each and every one of you -
reader, reviews and viewer, for being a part of the journey and for
being a constant source of motivation to help me give my best through
all the ups and downs I've been in these fourteen months. The magic of
this journey wouldn't have been possible without any of you.
Now before we head forward, I'd like to give a fair warning that there's still the epilogue to come so no running behind me after this update. *puts on Harry's Invisibility Cloak* Not keeping y'all any longer,
Happy Reading! :D :D
Ishaani sat in front of the mirror, smiling ironically.
What had life brought her to, really?
The room still remained in the glow of the fireflies as Ishaani continued to stare at her reflection, her mind wandering upon abstract paths. She'd donned a fiery red saree with its fall trailing on the floor while she put on jhumkas and bangles that went along. It was the saree her mother had gifted her on the day of her marriage. It was the only remainder she had about a past with Chirag Mehta for she couldn't burn away what once belonged to her mother.
And yet there was something about the way the saree sat upon her that captivated her attention. All her life, she'd wanted to eliminate the black from her ledger with red. And the saree tonight symbolized the red she'd been in wait of for all these years. It was not going to be the red of blood, but the red of love that would eliminate black when she broke her fast at moon rise.
A fast she'd kept in Ranveer's name.
Why she chose to wear a saree tonight, she did not know. Perhaps it was the fact that Ranveer's expression was now permanently burned in her mind from when he'd seen her in the saree back in Sydne. It'd been a look of complete awe and reverence, the love in his eyes twinkling not unlike the brightest of stars. Or perhaps is was the fact that she craved for her mother's essence today, realizing the value of the woman and her brutal yet wise words even more so than ever.
But maybe it was the fact that she wanted to feel what it was like to truly be a wife to the man you love so unconditionally - a man who completes you and you, him.
It was ironic, life's ways to bring you to a stop. As a child, the idea of love had been so fascinating when her father would narrate the most poignant and heartfelt of sentences, always parting with inspirational words of wisdom to remember.
And so had the fantasy-filled concept of love taken birth in her life, the romance of it alluring.
She'd always wanted to marry because she was madly and irrevocably in love with her one, love binding them in a beautiful world of their own as they had a happily ever after. But it was only when life happened that she realized love was no beauty. It was a terrible privilege to behold; an emotion that delved much deeper than words and hollow promises. All words. All beautiful on paper. All perfect to dream about.
And yet, all it ever was? An illusion.
Love, trust, promises of life and death together... how fascinating they were in fiction! As a child, she'd fabricate situations and think about how she'd give up everything in a blink of an eye for the one she loved if worst came to worst, with a brave heart and a broad smile. But it was only when she gave away everything in a blink of an eye today that she realized what it truly meant. The thorns that pierced her soul from all ends only made her bleed more, her heart growing numb in the never-ending ache of her unquenched thirst of love.
But she did not cry anymore.
Gone were the days of tears, and gone was the Ishaani who'd begun to find a reason to live again in the only man she'd ever known love with. Life was going to be barren once again without his smile, her world lifeless without his essence. Thirty days of not seeing him was not supposed to be a big deal, but who trusted tomorrow when it came to life?
Her mother had been wise after all, mused Ishaani. She'd shut her heart to love after her heartbreak, never letting herself fall dependent upon anybody ever again. Harshad's Parekh love had been her security, never her vulnerability.
And that's why the world couldn't know that Ishaani Parekh was still vulnerable.
Standing up from her seat, Ishaani adjusted the fall around her adeptly, smiling at the coldness she could see in the reflection of her eyes as she looked at the clock beside. 7:35PM. It had been a tough call, something that she'd actually let her mind contemplate when it came to the danger overhead. She knew where he was staying anyway. What wouldn't she have given to actually walk through his doors and kill him right in front of her eyes? To watch him bleed in front of her the same way her heart bled in that minute? A slow, painful death as he remained fallen in the excruciating agony that he'd given them in so many years... Maybe the scalpel still had a job to be achieved, she pondered as her urge to use it passed away.
A death was written in its fate tonight.
But not hers.
His.
It was an inviting thought that she found herself get more and more warmed up to it by the time it struck six in the evening. Although there was no point thinking about it now. He was supposedly in police custody once again and the sub-inspector assured her that he'd let her know when they reached the station because the journey to Pune was going to take a few hours with the traffic. Ishaani had only expressed her gratitude, asking the officer to keep her updated about the situation. The extreme measure wouldn't be required, then.
Her mind had dwindled upon the situation throughout her time in the office even though she remained active enough in the discussions to know what was happening without arousing any suspicion. The thought had first latched itself onto her mind in her sleep the previous night, waking up only to find herself asleep on the bed. She was certain that Ranveer had been involved somewhere even though her memory was foggy and her head, heavy. A bedside note in his handwriting had curbed her paranoia.
He'd gone to a humble abode from where nobody returned empty-handed and she understood the rest.
The second time the thought had returned was when she'd seen the bloodcurdling note in Chirag's handwriting, her silence throughout the journey only raging with a sole thought.
What if she did away with him once and for all?
The thought was enticing, even more so underneath the unbridled guilt and rage she felt. But it was only when she stood with Ranveer in front of the mirror that she gave the thing serious thought. Murder was no joke.
But was it really even murder?
She was simply ridding the world of a psychopath, a person who deserved even worse ways than death to suffer for everything he'd done and everything he was doing. And if this was what it took to exterminate his essence from their lives forever, she was willing to do it.
Ranveer had control over all her business assets. And now that she was pushing him away, it wouldn't matter anymore. Perhaps this was the best way. Ranveer had warned her that her revenge was something that would consume her eventually when she took down Chirag. Maybe he was right. She would have to go down in fire if she wanted to give him a better life. But would Ranveer really find happiness without her? Life without her?
She'd done that once and had seen what it did to him.
And yet the thought remained firm in her mind while adrenaline coursed through her veins, but whether with fear or purpose, she did not know. She did not care about the consequences anymore. Chirag Mehta had to be eliminated if they truly wanted a shot at a normal life, a future with each other. And it wouldn't take long, the deed. He wasn't too far away and there was ample time on her hand till Ranveer left for the airport. Yes, she was going to do it.
And just like that, her feet had swung off the bed, impulsion working faster than instinct as her eyes darted around the room, trying to frame out a quick plan of action. But through the darkness of her mind, the house was suddenly thrown into pitch black. She'd cursed above her voice at the absence of electricity, darkness always being her fear. The sudden darkness was enough to snap her out of the maddening impulse, her train of thoughts too dark for her to bear as everything began closing in on her.
And then, Ranveer had walked in with light.
A light that symbolized his presence in her darkness-filled life, a light that symbolized hope. The lethal thought had fled her mind when Ranveer met gaze with her, the strength of his love far stronger than the scorching heat of her hate.
And so as Ishaani made her way upon the terrace with the thaali in hand, she knew that she wouldn't have to walk down that path. Destiny would decide what happened next, not she. In all these years, she'd lived with the hope that Chirag Mehta would pay for his sins, and he did in the worst way possible. She trusted God to show his justice just like the way he had from the past four years.
Life had been despondent, bitter and shrouded with misery, but justice had found its way into her life eventually. Beauty had found its way into her life eventually. Hope had found its way into her life eventually. Love had found its way into her life eventually. Life had found its way into her barren and despondent existence eventually. And it all started from the moment Ranveer stepped into her life again. From the moment he entered her cabin twenty-four days back.
And justice had been given manifold.
Setting the thaali upon the railing, Ishaani stared at the sky and sighed. The moon still made no appearance even though the stars twinkled kindly at her. On several nights she'd try to find her father amidst the brightest stars upon the naked sky, knowing that his presence would always be felt wherever he was. But she didn't search for him tonight because his presence was alive in her heart, his memories and his words of wisdom warped around her protectively.
Instead, she tried to read the star-studded words of her untold story with Ranveer across the sky that had remained unsaid between them.
She had been walking Ranveer to the car when he promised that he'd call her the moment he checked in, Mala's husband to be the one driving him to the airport. He'd changed into a plain pink shirt and a white suit, leaving out his vest and tie for once under the sweltering heat of Mumbai. He'd then kissed her goodbye, asking her to take care of herself and to not do anything stupid. She doubted whether he knew what she actually had in mind till a few minutes ago, but then again he was a hawk by instinct.
She wouldn't be surprised if he did know the extent to which her thoughts had gone up to.
But then again, who did know her better than Ranveer? He knew her like one knew every single breath they took, no thought ever concealed from him. He could read her like an open book even through the complicated mind she had, her soul being the key he now held.
And as Ishaani shut her eyes, she couldn't help but let her mind go back to all the times they'd kissed, an unconscious smile making its way upon her lips. She sighed at the thought of the moments where he'd taken her to a paradise-filled world.
This was definitely some tough love.
Wondering how to while away her time till the moon finally made its dire presence welcome, Ishaani decided to read the letter that Ranveer had left her. She'd decided to read the letter after she broke her fast, but the temptation only grew intense until she could no longer resist. Sighing, she pulled the letter from the envelope and straightened the sheet, her eyes instantly dewing at the sight of his neat handwriting across the slightly yellowed piece of paper. But the tears wouldn't leave anymore. How would they, when all emotions had fled under the numbing effect of pain?
"Ishaani!"
The voice alone was enough to cut through the pain with a zap and make her heart beat irregularly. She turned around and her eyes met the most unexpected sight - Ranveer stood by the terrace door with his his pale, his shoulders hunched and his eyes slightly red. And then Ishaani noticed the letter in his hands; she hadn't got to reading beyond her name. The letter now dangled uselessly from her hand as her eyes locked gaze with Ranveer's, her breathing now erratic.
But surely she was dreaming!
He was on the way to the airport right now, wasn't he? Then how could he be over here? It was her mind playing tricks on her for certain! But then why did her heart beat so incessantly when he closed the distance between them? Every step he took only made her conscious of how violently her heart throbbed against her chest until he stood right in front of her. And just like a child, Ishaani let her hand touch his face, gasping at the feeling of his warm skin graze underneath her fingertips.
He was here for real.
In flesh and blood.
"You're supposed to be at the airport right now," whispered Ishaani, wondering why her voice abandoned her all of a sudden. Blinking her eyes was no longer an option either, afraid that if she even shut them for a fraction of a second, he'd disappear. And yet, he was right there.
"I couldn't go," replied Ranveer in an identical whisper, a small smile upon his face.
"Why?" asked Ishaani stupidly, her lips trembling until Ranveer pulled her into a soft kiss. A kiss that drove everything else away from her mind except for one thought - he'd come back for her.
"Because I left behind the most important thing," he replied the moment they parted, his eyes now moist. Tears still left neither of their eyes as they continued to stare at each other, the moment's hypnotic tranquility warping itself around them.
"What is that?"
"My happiness. You."
Ishaani gasped, her lips parting even though she found it difficult to voice the countless strands of emotions and thoughts running through her mind in that moment. What kind of fairy tale was this? She found no answer to her question as a gush of wind blew across, making her realize that something was still in her grasp. His letter.
"Ranveer, your letter-" began Ishaani but Ranveer shook his head, pinning his finger upon her lips.
"You don't need to read it anymore," interrupted Ranveer, pulling the letter out from her grasp. Staring at it once, he smiled to himself and set both the letters a side, taking Ishaani's hand in his own before sitting upon his knees. Ishaani gasped.
"What're you-"
"Meri aashiqui tum se hi. Meri saansein tum se hi. Meri dhadkanein tum se hi. Meri zindagi tum se hi. Meri aashiqui sirf tum se hi," whispered Ranveer, letting the first tear fall from his eye while Ishaani stared at him, dumbfounded.
"For every single days in these past three weeks you've asked me whether I trust you enough to give you a second chance. On that night in London when I was drunk on your hand-made kadha, you asked me whether I trusted you enough to help me become whole and to let go again. How could you even think that I wouldn't trust you, Ishaani? I trust you because I love you!"
Ishaani let out a half-choked sob in stunned disbelief of what was happening, the magic cast by the three words encasing them in an invisible bubble of love. All her life, she'd wanted to hear those words from the one who truly loved her. All her life, she'd wanted this moment to be the most special one of her life. And yet her entire life's unquenched thirst for love was summed into one moment as Ranveer smiled through his tears, kissing her hand softly.
This was the moment she'd waited for all her life. This was the man she'd waited for all her life. This was her dream all along; a dream that she was now beginning to live.
Meeting eyes with him, Ishaani couldn't help but fall in love all over again with his soul that was now naked through the depth of his chocolate gaze as he continued, his voice never once wavering in its loving whisper.
"I love you, Ishaani. I cannot tell you how much I love you though because I can never measure the love I hold for you. But I know that my love makes me who I am. It completes my existence in this world. It makes my soul burn alive with the passion of living. But above all, it makes me realize that there's something worth fighting for. There's someone worth living for. And that's you."
Ishaani felt something crack within, the surge not unlike a bolt of lightening. The next moment, she understood - his words had broken through the prison of her heart. They'd broken through her emotional bondage and had setting her free of everything. Tears now openly cascaded down her cheeks as Ranveer continued, the smile upon his face never once faltering even though regret suddenly flashed upon his face.
"I cannot survive without you, Ishaani. I was a fool once to believe that I could see this through without you. I was a fool once to believe that I could create a world of our own by abandoning my universe! I was a fool to leave you when you needed me the most. But not this time."
Ishaani let her lips twitch as Ranveer now smiled at her gently, a newfound radiance on his face. She knew that Ranveer didn't need her to read the letter anymore because it was a confession that needed to be made face-to-face. A long overdue confession that involved only the two of them; not even a piece of paper in between. Paper couldn't withhold the love that his voice did nor could it capture the essence that his eyes did. What he felt no written confession could express and neither did he need to read through anything to know what was to be spoken.
It was their moment - stolen away from the happiest two people in the world from the happiest fairy tale. Nobody could take that away from them right now and that's all that mattered. There had been a lot of life-atering events in her life, but it was only when Ranveer spoke next that Ishaani knew that her life had truly changed forever.
"They say that a person's life begins when he's born into this world. But mine truly began when I first saw you, Ishaani. I was nine when I saw you for the first time. Running down the steps in that pink dress of yours and posing by the piano for pictures while all I did was stare at you from behind a pillar. And all I could think about was how... angelic, you looked. You were a brightness I'd never witnessed before. A phenomenon I'd never felt before. You felt so... pure. Clean. And all I could think was how filthy I was in front of you, really... And then, you finally spotted me staring at you. And do you know what the first thing was that you did?"
"You flicked your finger across your nose like you always do when trying to wave me off. It was so silly how I tried to imitate you because I thought that there was actually something upon my nose. And then just like Love, you came nearly floating towards me and blitzed right past me without giving me another look. The world came back to normal for me the moment you'd left the room, and yet I couldn't breathe. My breath still remained hitched in my chest as though you'd stolen it right away. And since that moment, my life begun. Truly."
Ishaani listened to him, entranced by the power of his words. Ranveer continued, his feelings dripping through the tears falling from his eyes alongside.
"Since then, nothing's ever been the same anymore. Since then, I've had no recollection of my life before I met you because my life truly began from the moment I saw you. Every minute, every second of it from that moment forth has been something I've only cherished with you. Ups and downs, happiness and sorrow, misunderstandings and confessions, hope and despair, life and death... It's all begun and ended with you. And that's why, I finally dare to tell you today what I've longed to tell you for nearly twenty years of my life. I love you. More than anything else in this world and more than even the good Almighty himself, I think. There hasn't been a single night where I haven't pictured what it would be like to confess my love to you finally after all these of years of wait. A wait that was worth it in the end."
Ishaani gave him a watery chuckle and Ranveer smiled sheepishly, both of them letting their tears flow in silence. The latter took a deep breath before speaking again.
"Our life has been idiotic right from the start, Ishaani... I wonder how we even survived the madhouse where everyone either only made you cry or kept abusing me for the fact that I was a driver's son. Accusations, whips, taunts, deceptions, injustice is all the two of us have ever known... and yet those eleven years of my life were the most beautiful ones. Extraordinarily magical. It was worth it all just because of I had you by my side. It was something I believed I'd lost forever in these eight years until you entered my life again three weeks ago. And what you've given me in these three weeks are nothing short of magic, Ishaani."
Ranveer kissed Ishaani's fingers as she continued to stare at him, too awestruck and overwhelmed to say anything. Words had fled her in wake of the confession, every word etching itself in her memory and her soul while redefining her existence. Ranveer continued once again, his voice suddenly somber as his eyes bore into her own in beseech.
"I've seen you fight through battles every single day since I've known you, Ishaani. I've seen you be harsh with yourself and punish yourself in ways that were perhaps too much for a young heart to bear. It didn't take me long to figure out how alone and broken you were when we would stargaze in the quiet of the night during the initial days of our friendship. It was then that I knew I had to protect you from yourself because nobody can destroy you the way you are capable of doing so yourself. And that's true even today." Ishaani gave him a rueful smile. He knew her too well.
And Ranveer didn't shy away from admitting what he did next.
"But you forget that the red of love outdoes the black of pain and insecurities that you've been harbouring in your mind for so long. I've seen you take on challenges like no other, Ishaani. I've seen you fight battles that you could have so easily abandoned because they weren't yours to fight. They were mine. And yet you fought them for me not just with sheer chivalry, but also saved me from my own demons more often than not. All this time, I've been your shield. But you've been the ultimate driving force that's kept me going so strong. You're my shield from myself."
Ishaani felt a deep gush of respect rise into her throat for the man in front of her as they continued to stare at each other without breaking eye contact even once. How could he love her so much and so unconditionally after all the pain she'd given him? And yet the overwhelming gratitude, love and admiration she felt for him felt less compared to the light he'd been bringing into her life since she was eight. How was she ever going to repay him?
Ranveer took in a deep sigh as Ishaani cupped his cheek tenderly, letting his hands fall upon his lap.
"How could I not love you, Ishaani? You're the most remarkable, challenging, frustrating yet amazing woman I've ever come across. How could I not love you for that soul of yours that's only ever known kindness and humility? How could I not love you for that heart of yours that's only ever known love and gentility in spite of being bruised by the world so mercilessly? How could I not love you for the person that you are? How could I not love you for you?"
Ishaani tried to speak and yet she couldn't find her voice still. What had he done to her?
"Mota Babuji always says that whatever happens, happens for the best. Maybe this is the best for us. The most precious diamonds have to go through the hardest of trials in the deadliest of fires to become what they ultimately become. Maybe this was us in the making, our story in the making. Our untold story. But know this that I'll always love you, Ishaani. No matter what life throws in my face or what destiny has in store for us or even what the world conspires against us. I'll always love you and nothing is ever going to change that."
"I'll always be ready to walk the brutal fire for you. I'll always be ready to sacrifice my happiness as long as you're happy. I'll always be ready to walk through the night just to meet you at the horizon. I've never dared to picture you beside me because my love has never been about acquiring you. Like Mota Babuji says, 'Love is the name of losing yourself to someone, not winning someone over'. And as long as it means your happiness, I'm always willing to remain in the shadow by being one to you."
Ishaani felt her smile grow broader and broader with every word Ranveer spoke, suddenly finding a freedom that she didn't even know existed. Nothing mattered to her anymore except Ranveer. And in that moment, she knew that she was ready to do anything to make this work. She couldn't live without him and that was the simple truth, her heart yearning to feel the warmth of his smile that brought her nothing but happiness.
Happiness that made her complete. Whole. Alive.
"We will see this through and that's a promise. Even though one-sided, my love for you has always been enough to sustain us both for a lifetime. You once said that you trusted me with your heart. Failing though your strength was, you trusted me enough to know that your trust in me was not misplaced because I'd return one day soon to break your fall. Because you meant to me what I meant to you. And so I'm here, Ishaani. I'm always going be there for you as a world that's now evolving into a universe in itself. You taught me that change is a part of life. But love doesn't. Faith doesn't. Hope doesn't."
"Are you willing to let go?" asked Ishaani at long last, finding her voice even though her whisper remained hesitant.
It was a question that frightened her now; whose answer she still didn't know when she asked herself this question. But there was an ease upon Ranveer's face as he replied, the certainty upon his face knocking the breath out of her when he nodded his head.
"There is no life without you, Ishaani. If letting go is what it takes to find life again, then yes, I am willing to let go. And right here, right now, I vow to spend the rest of my life sharing all my happiness and sorrows with you, trying to find a happy ending every single day with you by my side, no matter what the time or circumstances. I'm not going to spend another day looking behind or forward anymore - just beside, to see you. I want you to be the first person I wake up to and the last person when I fall asleep."
"Ranveer, what are you-" began Ishaani, her jaw agog as Ranveer gave her a heartwarming smile, more tears pooling out from his eyes.
"All this time, I thought that it mattered what I said or where I said it when I told you about my feelings. I wanted it to be perfect. But tonight, I realize that the only thing that matters is that you. You make me happier than I ever thought I could be, and these three weeks have been proof. And if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way, making every single day for the rest of your life nothing short of a dream. Will you marry me?"
A long silence followed through the night as Ishaani stared at Ranveer, astonished. The confession was one thing, but the proposal was another. And yet there was a burning flame in Ishaani's heart upon the question, something she was sure she wouldn't have felt even hours before his departure. Perhaps it was him walking away from her had pushed her to the edge where nothing mattered anymore. Just him and his love that she was willing to drown into. And the honour of being his wife was something she wasn't going to let go of this time. All their lives, they'd hidden under the skirts of their merciless past and had held on to it too tightly. It was about time that they let go.
"Yes! Yes, I will!" exclaimed Ishaani through the relentless tears leaving her eyes. She pulled Ranveer upon his feet at long last, letting him take her into an embrace that took her feet off the ground, neither of them letting go as they continued to sob unabashedly into the other's arms. Was this a dream they were living or a reality from another's life, they did not know.
But they cherished every single moment of it.
Ranveer relinquished his hold upon Ishaani, who in turn held him with the same strength. This was the solace she wanted to spend the rest of her life in, the solace in whose arms she wanted to die in.
"This is it, Ishaani. This is what you wanted all along. This is it. This is us now."
Separating from their hug after an indefinite amount of time, both of them wiped away each other's tears before grinning from ear to ear coyly. Unhooking the chain from around Ishaani's neck, he freed the ring from its holder and pulled Ishaani's hand out, slipping it upon her ring finger. Ishaani chuckled softly and watched the platinum band twinkle in the night light.
"This band upon your finger will now remind you of what you won back," whispered Ranveer as he kissed her forehead softly, Ishaani nodding her head alongside.
"The moon is out as well," she remarked suddenly when her eyes looked at the sky, Ranveer quickly looking up to see that the moon had made its presence known at long last.
Quickly picking up the thaali from the railing, Ishaani pulled the pallu on her head and took his aarti before Ranveer picked up the vessel of water and made her drink the welcome liquid, giving her a bit of sweet to have alongside. Doing the same thing with Ranveer, Ishaani gave him a soft smile before setting the thaali aside and circling her arms around his neck, nudging her nose against his own. Ranveer smiled against her lips before claiming them with his own in an exquisite capture, his arms around her waist in a protective hold while neither of them willed to part anytime soon.
Why would they, when happiness had knocked upon the door at long last?
"You do realize that we've kissed in three countries so far, right?" asked Ishaani rather breathlessly once they separated, Ranveer still dazed by the intensity of the kiss they'd just shared.
"Who's even keeping count?" he asked as he pulled her into a series of gentle pecks, hitting decrescendo after a couple of minutes. Their arms still remained around each other though.
"You know, while standing here in wait for the moon to rise, I was thinking about all the times we'd kissed," confessed Ishaani with bravado and Ranveer cocked a surprised eyebrow at her. The things she could come up with surprised her as well. And yet the amused look upon Ranveer's face put her at ease.
"And?" he asked, Ishaani instantly sensing the genuine curiosity hidden in his question. She smiled at him rather shyly.
"I think we're just getting started," she replied, pulling Ranveer into another long kiss, her fingers now trailing along his hair as though walking down a path frequently travelled. There was a strange intoxication about tonight as they continued to kiss each other, feeling a strong gush of love within their hearts while their souls fell at peace as they continued to drink in the other's essence.
Pulling themselves apart from each other when air made its presence needed, Ranveer smiled against her lips and let their foreheads kiss instead.
"Hungry?"
"Starving," replied Ishaani with a casual shrug and Ranveer chuckled at what was apparently a bizarrely cute expression. The innocence that sparkled in his eyes filled her with a newfound zeal of living, silently thanking the Almighty for giving her everything she'd asked for tonight. Slipping his fingers between her own, Ranveer led her towards the door with a coy look upon his face, stopping to just ask one question.
"Why don't we try out that place in Vile Parle that you were talking about then?"
"Well, worth the hype," exclaimed Ishaani as they sat opposite each other in the restaurant, a content smile on both of their faces.
Perhaps the memory of the 26 July floods could be replaced with a better and more positive memory after all, accentuated with mouthwatering Indian Chinese that both of them had been craving for since ages. It was a dinner well appreciated with good food and an elegant ambience, and so expressed Ranveer without any hesitation.
"Completely. So cheers to our first date together."
"First? Shouldn't this be the second one?" asked Ishaani, suddenly bemused.
"Second one?" repeated Ranveer, the look of bewilderment on his face making Ishaani chuckle. He was never going to change in things like these.
"Valentine's Day, 2007? Or do you still refuse to consider that as a date?"
"Ah, well..." flushed Ranveer, too lost for words after being caught so off-guard. Even though they were now technically engaged, it all felt too surreal to believe. This was definitely going to take some time to get used to, they knew as they flashed a knowing smile to each other. They didn't get much time to lapse into silence as the maitre d' appeared beside their table.
"Would you like to have some desserts, sir? Ma'am?"
"I think I'm good for tonight, thanks," replied Ishaani politely while Ranveer expressed the time, signaling him to get the bill instead. When the matre d' left them to their privacy again, Ranveer had an amused look on his face.
"I've never seen you say no for desserts," he remarked, knowing how much she loved desserts. There were surely a lot of surprises awaiting him today, Ishaani noted with glee.
"Well, who said no to them? I just have different plans for dessert tonight, that's all," remarked Ishaani a little too casually. Ranveer nearly choked upon his glass of water when he understood what she meant, looking flabbergasted at being caught so offguard.
When he finally sobered down, he looked up to see a cheeky grin on Ishaani's face.
"Oh really? And may I know what they are?" asked Ranveer, his voice caught in his throat. This was an entirely different side he got to see of her today, a side he was certainly eager to explore.
"I don't know. Maybe we could read..." suggested Ishaani, feigning an innocence that only made Ranveer laugh.
"Or eat-" added Ranveer and Ishaani gave him a pensive look.
"Or watch some TV-" she added from her end while Ranveer leaned back into his chair, not unlike RV when deep in thought.
"Or we could have a little pillow fight. We haven't had that in ages," he suggested and Ishaani chuckled upon the suggestion. When Ishaani didn't look close to sobering any time soon, Ranveer added rather slyly.
"Or else I could show you a few tricks with some ice cubes."
The comment was enough to cut Ishaani's laughter short as she stared at him rather stupidly. This was certainly new, coming from Ranveer. And yet the husky tone he used only made her smile in anticipation even more, the happiness in her heart growing as wild as she could see it through Ranveer's eyes.
"That would be welcome with all the heat," reasoned Ishaani and they both smiled, feeling the love between them give their tormented souls a newfound solace. When was the last time they'd been so careless with each other? Without a single worry about the world? Without any fear about tomorrow?
Their thoughts were brought to an end when the waiter brought the bill. Ranveer quickly paid it and stood up, putting his hand out for Ishaani.
"Shall we?" he asked and Ishaani accepted, letting him help her out from the booth while making sure that her saree didn't come underneath her feet. It was difficult to handle, but she was beginning to like the attire.
Exiting the restaurant, both of them walked hand in hand towards their car parked a little distance away, still engrossed in light conversation.
"I'll take you along for a long drive as well. We'll have some samosas and tea. Midnight snacks," promised Ranveer and Ishaani gave him an excited look. The adrenaline rush was beginning to make her feel euphoric.
"And what about your work?" she asked, the thought crossing her mind when she looked at the time - 11PM. He should have been boarding his flight by now. Ranveer gave her a reassuring smile.
"We are going to be leaving for Sydney once we're done with the initial set ups for the construction project by the end of November. In the meanwhile, David is going to personally oversee the intra-trading like he always does, sending me daily reports while I keep a live feed of the markets. And then again, Jameson will be giving me all the extra inputs on what's happening on the whole, so I'm not missing out on anything. I'm travelling round the clock all through the year anyway. This is standard procedure now."
"So what's the purpose of this trip, Mr. RV? Business or pleasure?" asked Ishaani as they took their respective seats in the car, giving him an intrigued look. Ranveer chuckled.
"A little of both."
"Mixing your personal and professional strands, eh? Papa would be devastated to see his most loyal disciple break the first code rule of business," she added in a sing-song while pulling her belt secure around her. Ranveer looked amused.
"Well, Mota Babuji would be even happier to see where we are now. Besides, the trip was made so that the strands don't mix because staying apart would definitely interfere with our productivity levels. RV doesn't do anything without assessing the odds, which are definitely better with me than without me. No chance of distraction where work is concerned."
"That's what you believe?" asked Ishaani, suddenly interested by the turn their conversation had taken.
"Belief is such a relative concept. I'd prefer calling it critical risk assessment in our situation. Especially in the light of what you looked capable enough of doing," he added suddenly, his eyes boring into her own with a seriousness that wiped away her smile. So he did know what was going on in her mind, afterall. It was why he agreed to walk away from her in the first place.
He meant to push her to the extreme, knowing that the farewell would crack her restraint.
"Miss Parekh is impressed. You've made a rock steady case," she said at length, hoping that he'd let her get away with the evasive retreat. To her relief, he did.
"Well, that's RV for you - always rocking," he boasted and Ishaani laughed. She crossed her arms upon her chest and gave him a skeptical look.
"Confident, eh?"
"You've seen it for yourself," he replied in the same jocular tone and Ishaani slapped his shoulder.
"Expectations are never good in life," she warned, the seriousness of her statement blown away with the wink she gave him. He tapped his fingers upon the wheel, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.
"Expectations are natural, and so are disappointments. It's inevitable."
"But you can fend yourself from it as much as you can," countered Ishaani, giving him a keen look. Ranveer caught on to what she was trying to say.
"True. But expectations are a funny thing. Who'd have ever thought that the epi-pen you once laughed upon would be thing saving your life at one point of time?" he put forth as an example, the hospital in front of him reminding him of the instance.
Ishaani was surprised by the out of the blue reference until her eyes found what he was looking at. She retracted her gaze away quickly, the memory of the 26 July floods enough to make her blood go cold. She didn't want anything hampering their spirit tonight when they'd just warmed up to the concept of happiness at long last.
"Fair enough. And who'd have ever thought that the person who could never be cold, shrewd or manipulative would end up becoming exactly that? I'm afraid that I could even become a Hansaben Parekh soon enough, comparing our life stories," mused Ishaani, remembering how she'd shown empathy to the old woman's life at one point of time. She'd always silently commended her for her fighter's spirit even though she strongly believed that the old woman had cracked underneath all the pressure.
The ironies of life, she wondered.
"Don't use a whip though. Your Sunny Deol-like hands are enough," joked Ranveer rather cockily, smirking at her without the slightest trace of shame. He earned a whack on his head in response.
"Idiot," muttered Ishaani while Ranveer brought the car to life before suddenly turning it off again. She shot him a puzzled look when she noticed that he'd suddenly turned pale.
"I forgot my, uh, phone at the restaurant. You, uh, sit in the car, I-I'll be right back," he added and quickly got down from the car even before she could say anything. Ishaani watched him make his way towards the restaurant from the rear-view mirror and sighed to herself before gasping suddenly. Tiny droplets of water had begun to fall upon the car in a gentle descend, the unexpected rain catching her fancy.
Ishaani wondered what God was crying upon tonight when her phone suddenly buzzed.
"Ishaani Parekh here. Yes, inspector? What? What do you mean not in your custody?! But you just said- I- But- Alright, let me know when you find him."
Ishaani looked in the direction of the restaurant, her heart beating in her mouth now. Chirag Mehta had made a run for it, informed the police. His constables were found unconscious near the gates of his current lodging where the police car stood, no one having seen him since then. His picture had been circulated all over the place along with a search team, but there had been no success so far. The police had phoned to warn her about the imminent danger.
And so grew the panic.
Ishaani quickly picked up her phone and dialled through a number, this time Ranveer's. To her utter frustration, the phone came out of network coverage and Ishaani had half a mind to throw the phone away in anger. This couldn't be happening! Not when things were finally straightening themselves out!
No, she was overreacting, perhaps. Ranveer would be back soon.
Ishaani sat in slow, excruciating wait as time passed on, five minutes passing at the pace of twenty. She felt close to collapsing when Ranveer didn't return after ten whole minutes, the wait now feeling like an eternity. Deciding that it too much time for retrieving a phone, Ishaani finally stepped down from the car and walked over to the restaurant, asking where Ranveer had headed when she didn't find him there. She was redirected towards the dark alleyway on the opposite side instead, her steps picking up pace as she didn't bother to walk anymore. She ran.
Plunk. Plunk. Plunk.
Her mind was thrown into a mist when she reached the alleyway with not a single soul in sight. The rain now fell harder and was beginning to drench her, but she didn't care. Eleven in the night may have been late enough for shops to shut down but the unnatural quiet nagged her, her premonition growing with every passing second. She came to a halt at the end of the alley that now opened to a cross road, trying to decide upon what path to choose for both remained doused in impenetrable darkness.
Her question was answered the next moment when a gunshot rented the air.
Ishaani felt her blood go cold with the abrupt silence that fell seconds later. It was as though everything had been struck dumb, the silence unbearable. And then her immobile self felt the prickles of movement reappear in her limbs along with a suffocation that her heart couldn't stop feeling.
She took step after step in the direction of the sound with her heart beating into her mouth, the aura of danger leaving a bitter taste on her lips. And through trembling lips left only one name, whether in prayer or plea, she didn't know.
"Ranveer..."
Walking through the empty alleyway with her steps growing stronger, she was halfway through when she felt someone grasp her from behind and push her against the wall, pinning a hand on her mouth even before she could scream. She writhed and shrieked against the powerful grip even though her voice was cut out, her eyes trying to look at her assailant when the streetlights went on suddenly.
Her cry of terror never left her lips.
The first thing her eyes found were his black ones, the hatred in them making her fall limp. Chirag stood in front of her with a savage smile that made Ishaani's heart pace in alarm, her mind seeking for Ranveer's presence now more so than ever.
Her eyes darted all over the place until they fell back on Chirag.
"Gotcha! I told you that you won't see me coming," he breathed out menacingly and Ishaani's eyes bulged with fear, now feeling sick against his alcohol-stained breath. She struggled against his form harder and harder until she managed to pushed him away in a moment where his grip slackened upon her, taking him by surprise.
"Wh- where's Ra- Ranveer?" she heaved in question, her breathing suddenly erratic. She could feel the fear choking her as Chirag laughed rather mirthlessly.
"Oh, I've sent him to a better place. I'm sure you heard the call," he added, the smile on his face growing broader in evil delight. Ishaani gulped, mentally assuring herself that if her heart was still beating, Ranveer was alive. But the ominous danger it felt didn't give her any solace either.
"You're lying..." she whispered boldly even though she was beginning to perspire. There was nowhere to run or hide anymore.
"Really?" asked Chirag as he pulled out the revolver from behind his back, Ishaani feeling close to faint at the mere sight of it. He laughed in derision before continuing. "I told you to send him away if you wanted him alive. You didn't listen. Pity."
"I'm not afraid of you!" exclaimed Ishaani in a low growl, her eyes not darting this time. And neither did her voice shake in spite of the relentless rains. She'd meant every word of what she'd just exclaimed, and she knew what her choice was between doing what was right and what was easy.
Some battles were meant to be fought alone, even if it was the last one.
"Oh, you should be, darling. Who's going to save you now that the servant is not around?" questioned Chirag in a mock sing-song that made Ishaani's blood freeze and froth simultaneously. Her restraint snapped at the word 'servant'. One word that had cost her her entire life.
Not again, and the least of all, not from him again.
"Stay away!" roared Ishaani with her hand flying across his face the moment his lips inched offensively close to hers. When Chirag looked up, he no longer looked human.
"You shouldn't have done that."
Even before Ishaani could grasp what was happening, Chirag pushed her against the wall harshly and pulled her arms in a lock, slamming his lips upon her own the moment she tried to shriek. Ishaani struggled against his grip and felt herself go breathless as he continued to kiss her roughly, his tongue choking her of all breath.
And suddenly Ishaani found access to bite his lip, and forced him away from her own bleeding one even though he found the crook of her neck and nipped her while she shrieked at the top of her voice. She shut her eyes as she felt his hands run over her modesty, mustering all her strength to push him away when he tried to yank away the fall of her saree.
Pushing him off in a miraculous attempt as she aimed a kick upon his shin, Ishaani managed to slap him once again before he could recover, pulling his hand into a back lock. He managed to break out of her grip with ease and both of them got into a hand-to-hand combat, neither of them backing down. Ishaani didn't shy away from using her hands to hit him wherever it made contact with flesh, fighting tooth and nail not unlike a tigress.
Ishaani overpowered him soon with her handiwork evident on his face with the bruises beginning to bloom, her saree no longer a hindrance to the rage that had obliterated everything else from her mind.
She'd had enough. She was not going to leave him alive.
At one point of time, Chirag raised his hand to hit her when Ishaani twisted it behind his back, pulling him into a hammerlock against the wall with a sickening crunch.
"If this is what you've learnt in the name of revenge, you sadden me," spat out Ishaani, heaving for breath while wiping away the blood on her bruised lip. Chirag snarled in response as he tried to break free, but in vain.
"If you think that I was not going to fight back and you'd get away with whatever you wanted, you're direly mistaken. If you thought I was weak, then look again. I was. Not anymore. Touch me again, and I'll break your limbs and give them to you back, but not without cracking your skull open as well," she threatened but Chirag only laughed at her immoderately.
"That's where you're wrong. All you've ever been was a puppet in my hand," he hissed in response and laughed once again, spitting blood from his mouth while jerking his head towards behind the dumpster.
His face looked like a bloodied mess and she was sure that he had a few broken ribs too. And yet his laughter drained all colour from her face as she saw what he was pointing to. She could see two limp feet protruding from the side with white fabric as legs.
No...
Even before Ishaani could react, Chirag freed himself from her hammerlock and pushed her away, resulting in her falling on the ground rather rudely. He flashed her a cruel smile when she got on her feet unsteadily, and continued his monologue.
"A puppet I don't need any longer because my revenge is done. At first, I wanted to punish you by making the servant suffer. But like always, your servant turned out to be one step further. First in school, then with the consignment and now he's even got a non-bailable offense petition approved against me so that I'll be rotting in jail until the final hearing isn't out! Do you even know how many years' worth of jail that is?! The servant has to pay, Ishaani. I never meant to kill you, but the servant has to pay! And the only way I can make him pay is by letting him watch you die. So this is it, Ishaani. We've had a good run, but it's time to say goodbye."
Ishaani stared at him, paralyzed. This was it. This was the moment she'd seen for years on end in her dreams every single night. This was the closing call.
The world and her demons she'd managed to defeat, but who could escape destiny?
Chirag was going to be her dying sight, she knew as he pulled the trigger, the explosion of the gunshot cutting through the sharp silence of the night. The next few seconds remained a blur as she suddenly found herself being tackled to the ground, something falling on her face incessantly. And yet there was no pain as seconds grew. Just the feeling of someone hovering above her.
Ishaani opened her eyes to a sight that was capable enough of killing her even if the bullet hadn't, forgetting to breathe. Ranveer remained a top of her like a protective bubble while Ishaani watched the red expand its growth on the white of his coat from where the bullet had struck him on his chest, a deranged shriek escaping her lips. Her fingers trailed over her face in dread, pulling them away a second later only to find crimson on them. Blood.
The sight broke something within her.
Ranveer continued to look at her hazily as he flashed her a pain-driven smile.
"I got you..." he whispered rather stupidly as his body finally collapsed against her own, Ishaani feeling the wetness of his blood across her neck through the fabric of his coat.
The sensation was enough to ring an alarm in her mind. Ishaani pushed Ranveer from upon her gently, noticing in an instant that he was still conscious and alive, albeit in terrible pain. And suddenly, her eyes grew alert as she sat up unsteadily, pulling Ranveer up alongside. She propped him against the wall and freed him off his coat gingerly before dabbing his wound while Ranveer hissed in pain.
And then, she noticed.
The bullet had struck him quite above where it had struck him in her dream. And with it came another realization - the bullet had neither ripped through his body nor had it lodged itself into her shoulder like it would in every single dream she had. It was a different course of events tonight. Her observation was proved correct when Ranveer struggled to get on his feet the next moment, even though he looked close to falling unconscious any minute.
The bullet must have been a muscle wound, was all Ishaani could think as she finally stood up, looking at what had caught Ranveer's attention.
Chirag still stood there, but with a black look on his face as though he couldn't believe his eyes. How could he, when his biggest manipulation had foiled so magnificently? When the two people he detested the most in the world were in the safety of each others' arms? Everything he'd done to do them apart had come crumbling down in that moment as love stood victorious against a hate that had no chance.
But if hate had no chance, then love wouldn't either.
The brutally murdered ego would be avenged.
Chirag raised his gun with a murderous look in his eyes and he took aim at Ishaani once again. But even before he could pull the trigger, Ishaani pushed Ranveer to safety and unsteadily lunged at Chirag, both of them now involved in a scuffle over the gun while trying to pry it out from the other's grasp. She could deftly make out Chirag's finger upon the trigger as she tried to hold the barrel away, neither of them giving up with punches and kicks that were thrown in alongside, the scene blurry.
And yet as she struggled, it was with unknown instinct that she knew what was going to happen next. The alteration in the course of events had been the first hint that all was not as met the eye. How she was so certain though, she couldn't say. But life had taught her enough by now to know one thing - never listen to your heart for it could be blinded; never listen to your mind for it could be manipulated.
But always listen to your instinct because it's correct.
Her dream had been prophetic, she realized now. It was never really about what was going to happen, but about what she had to prevent from happening. What she had to save. This was never about Ranveer. It had always been about her. All her life, Ranveer had fought all her battles for her and had stood between herself and her destiny time and again. But not tonight.
Perhaps it was time to say farewell from this world of absurdities, after all.
She still remembered the first time she'd looked out of the window in her room at the Parekh Mansion and had seen a world of the rich and the upscale. Her first diary entry had been about the same, her first true confidant in this strange world. It had felt so funny to sit there and be known as the daughter of Harshad Parekh when all she was up until then was Ishaani. Just Ishaani.
She was still not ashamed of the fact that she'd come from humble beginnings.
Her mother had promised her that life would be better now that she had the hand of a father over her head along with a huge family who would love her like its own. And as Ishaani saw her entire life reflect through her eyes in those few seconds, she laughed at the irony of the statement.
Her mother had been right, but not in this respect.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remain the person who she was. She had to blend herself into a world where society scrutinized and accepted one on the basis of how they looked and how they carried themselves. She had to leave behind the simple Ishaani and become a shrewd, calculative one even though detested it.
She had to do it for survival.
She'd lost the shield of oblivion the moment she gained sense and ever since then, she'd learnt to hear the cruel, ringing words of the society with dignity - be it about her illegitimacy or her being the black sheep of the Parekh family, for being a heart breaker or for being an abandoned, lonely divorcee.
Or for simply being a cold, manipulative bitch.
On the exterior, people always thought of her as a kind, gentle girl as a child - happy going, joyful, vibrant. Somewhere between mastering the art of how to cover her own apprehensions to people being rude to her for the harsh realities of her life, she'd harboured within herself a darkness that was untrusting, alone.
And only one person could penetrate through that darkness, seeing her and accepting her for who she truly was. He'd not just taken away her coldness and her aloofness but had entered her life like the warmest ray of sunlight upon a barren, lifeless land. Through the blinding seconds, she lived through every moment she'd spent with Ranveer in no particular order, her last thought being the two of them meeting at the horizon.
Oh yes, they'd met at the horizon.
Years ago, she'd trusted fate to give her someone to hold on to one fine day. Someone who could take away her darkness and give her his happiness in exchange. Someone who could love her for who she truly was. Someone who could make her whole. And her trust had not been in vain. Where life was going to take her from this point forth, she did not know. But for now, she'd made peace with herself.
It had been worth the wait. He had been worth the wait.
A smile cracked across her face the moment four gunshots rented the air, the night sent into a paralytic shock as it fell deathly quiet moments later. A triumphant look perched itself upon Ishaani's face as the scuffle finally drew to a close, Chirag collapsing upon the ground almost immediately.
Ego had killed ego.
And yet the shaky gasp that escaped her lips was proof that the inevitable had happened after all. Just like her instinct had warned her. But there were no regrets.
All fairy tales didn't have a happy ending. Maybe hers didn't too.
And even though just once, but she'd stood her ground as his shield tonight instead of otherwise, embracing what was rightfully in her destiny. Just like she'd promised.
The pain that hit her was proof.
Ranveer saw Chirag's grip upon the gun slacken and his eyes roll back into his head, his blue shirt now freshly singed with two bullet holes that stained with blood within moments around the right of his torso. And when he fell on the ground with a heavy thud, Ranveer knew that Chirag Mehta's life had come to an end. Unmoving, with his mouth agape while blood trickled in a thin track from it.
The trigger had been in Chirag's own hand; death had been on his own account.
And even through death he'd witnessed the most excruciating sight - his ego being shot first and then made to bleed to death with what he was forced to witness.
Ranveer could feel his shoulder grow numb as his senses began to cloud, the loss of blood now taking its toll upon him. But everything was forgotten when Ishaani turned around slowly. She had a loving smile upon her face as she made her way towards him, her eyes teary. The world seemed to be a beautiful place as he began to cover the distance between them until he noticed Ishaani's shoulders sag, a soft gasp escaping her lips.
The descend of unconsciousness was cut through ruthlessly when Ranveer saw Ishaani's hand gingerly press upon the left of her stomach, his eyes instantly drawn to the hole in her saree. Victory no longer remained a victory as Ishaani took away her hand from the spot, the blood visible on her fingers that she stared at blankly. Her hands fell to her side limply as she looked towards him, their eyes meeting for the tiniest fraction of a minute before she smiled faintly.
Seconds later, her feet buckled beneath her and she fell on the ground in a tired heap, her eyes rolling back into her head. Her fall was broken at the last minute by Ranveer, who'd managed to catch hold of her even though his own body protested violently, feeling his chest tear into half. But what was physical pain compared to the sight before his eyes? The phoenix dying in his arms... The fiery phoenix coated in blood, her blood making the white of his feathers grow red while the snake remained beheaded.
No, it couldn't be! He wouldn't let it be!
"I got you..." whispered Ishaani as her blood-stained fingers weakly trailed along his cheek, her breath coming in sharp rasps. Ranveer stroked her hair gently, his entire frame shaking with the effort of remaining conscious.
"I got you first..." shot back Ranveer weakly, letting his left arm fall to his side in a limp. He could feel his senses get blown out of proportion, partly with his own pain and partly with hers.
"Ranveer..."
"Shh... Ishaani, please... Stay with me, Ishaani. Don't leave me, please. Stay with me, okay? Ishaani..." he whispered, the beseech in his voice even more agonizing than the pain he felt. He cried openly, his tears mingling with the rain that fell on her face. The water made their bands glow dimly.
"I love you..."
"No, no! No goodbye speeches! No!" he shrieked, whether out of pain or moral aversion, he did not know. The plea in his voice was desperate, panic-stricken. He would certainly not have her talking things like that! They had an entire life to live together! He was not going to let go of her anytime soon, and certainly not tonight!
"Ranveer..." she moaned once again, her voice now inaudible in spite of her lips being parted.
"I love you too, Ishaani... Stay with me, please... Keep your eyes open, I'm getting us help... No... No... Please! Stay with me! Ishaani!" he continued to call out to her even though his will crumbled, feeling his own breath come in uneven gasps.
Ishaani's eyes remained open in slits as Ranveer patted her cheek violently, hoping that it would keep her awake for long enough even though he didn't know how to get themselves help now that his own vision had begin to darken. And with a sharp intake of breath Ishaani's eyes opened once again, tears leaving her eyes out of sheer agony.
He could sense that she wanted the pain to end.
"Ranveer... Save yourself, please..." she whispered hoarsely, the desperation in her voice stabbing his heart violently. He nearly choked, the pain in his chest only intensifying with the power of scalding knives being turned over and over again in his wound.
"How?" he whispered, his eyes opening and shutting as darkness kept descending upon him time and again. There was a distant feeling that he'd lived through this moment in his life before, but his mind felt too dead to think about it. Nothing mattered anymore.
"You must let the pain ebb away..." whispered Ishaani, her eyes shutting as her hand fell to her side in a dull thud.
Through the darkness, Ranveer suddenly found himself in a world with the bloodiest dusk by the mountain side as he stood tightly chained to the invisible bonds of excruciating pain with Love dying on his lap as she bled on, her clothes tattered and torn from several ends. All she'd lacked back then was a face; she had it now.
And wasn't that what life had made her soul in all these years as well - tattered and torn?
There was something about the terrifying image that snapped Ranveer out of his semi-conscious stupor, a strong gush of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he shook her limp form violently. If it took him what little strength he had to revive her back, he was going to use it all.
He was either going to bring her back to life or die trying.
All those years ago on that night, he'd let Love die in front of him so that he could be emancipated from all his ceaseless pain. But not tonight.
"No... Get up, get up! I'm not going to let you die on me! Breathe Ishaani, please! Don't do this to me! Ishaani!"
Ranveer let his eyes dart around clumsily until he found his coat strewn beside. He needed to stem her bleeding if he had to stop her from bleeding out, cut instinct through the bouts of darkness. Picking up his coat, he'd barely tied it around Ishaani's stomach to curb the bleeding when he saw both his hands stained with her blood. It made the scene only more gruesome for him to live through when the white of his coat grew red faster than he could fathom, making him nauseous.
His chest felt like it would explode with pain as darkness gathered around his senses with more frequency, his breath now coming in short rasps. Bringing himself up on his feet after several failed attempts and yells of anguish, he pulled Ishaani's arm around his uninjured shoulder and half-walked and half-dragged themselves along the path.
And suddenly, Ranveer felt the adrenaline begin to fade away with rapidity. Through the blank stretches of a journey where he only knew blurry silhouettes and darkness in consecutive cycles, he knew not where he was walking or how he was even managing to put foot after foot ahead. Only one thought rang in his mind like an alarm sequence.
Hospital - Ishaani - Alive.
Her limp form against his own drove his fear to a world where he felt immersed in ice-cold water, the fear cutting through his skin like hot and cold knifes stabbing him simultaneously. It was not unlike the world where Love would let him fall into a depthless mass of water and force him to let go of whatever was holding him back as he broke surface rudely.
Was life trying to test him the same way tonight?
There was a world of pain he'd lived through one night after the end of three months. And tonight, he felt the same pain tear him into half, his strength beginning to fail him terribly. He only prayed to the Almighty to help him pull through this, still feeling the rain fall upon them relentlessly.
The darkness suddenly dazzled with the antiseptic welcome of brightness as he heard random voices and several gasps around, his eyes taking in what he could barely make out was the hospital atmosphere. He noticed a few ward boys bring a stretcher and he lay the almost-unconscious Ishaani with their help upon it, her hand firmly secured within his uninjured one as they now trailed towards the emergency room.
At some point of time, Ranveer could feel the ward boys try to pry his hand away from her own. But neither did he let go nor did Ishaani allow his hand to be let gone even though her eyes remained barely open. The wardboys pushed the stretcher down another long hallway until they were finally met by a doctor on the way.
"Get her some treatment!" yelled Ranveer even though his voice grew no louder than an audible whisper. The doctor grew pensive.
"Sir, this is a police case. We cannot get you treatment unless they're present here. Hospital procedure-" he began, but wasn't allowed to complete his sentence when Ranveer gave him the deadliest look he could muster. The doctor flinched underneath his gaze as Ranveer's voice now grew venomous.
"You listen to me, you son of a bitch! I don't give a damn about your hospital procedure because if anything happens to her, I will get this godforsaken hospital SHUT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
"Sir-"
"NO! DONT TOUCH ME! GET OUT OF MY WAY AND GET HER A REAL DOCTOR!" roared Ranveer as his feet buckled unsteadily, the wardboys breaking his fall. The darkness was beginning to descend faster than he could digest it. He had to get Ishaani treatment first!
He had to see her alive before he could succumb to the pain and the darkness!
"What's going on here?" cut through a distantly familiar voice and Ranveer looked at the direction from where it originated. The silhouettes of the people around were blurry even though Ranveer was sure that the commotion he'd created had drawn in a lot of attention. From somewhere nearby, he could hear conversation being made.
"Dr. Parekh, he-"
"Ishaani! Ranveer, what-"
"Devarsh..." whispered Ranveer in anguish as his vision grew clear for barely a few seconds, the pain beginning to suffocate him. But it was him - Devarsh. That he knew for certain. His features hadn't changed a bit in all these years.
But he couldn't let go, he still couldn't! Not until she was in safe hands!
"Get her help, please..." begged Ranveer blindly as his eyes shut, his world spiralling in shades of red and green. He felt someone hold him up and gasp.
"Ranveer, you're hit too!"
"God... Get her help first... I- I'm alright..." he moaned futilely as he heard some more conversation in the distance. Through the confusion, Devarsh's voice boom suddenly.
"I need you to let go of her hand and-"
"NO!" shrieked Ranveer at the top of his voice, relinquishing his hold upon Ishaani's hand. His vision suddenly grew again clear although the lights were beginning to blare. Devarsh gave Ranveer a quick glance before sighing, signalling the boys to continue taking the stretcher forward without pushing Ranveer away.
There was no need to because he was going to collapse soon enough anyway.
Ranveer could Ishaani's grasp grew harder as the stretcher entered the room, his own pain driven to a new level. He could feel his knees grow into lead as he continued to hold on to her hand, it being the only thing giving him strength for the effort it took to remain conscious. More doctors were there to meet them in the emergency room and conversations flew in quick flow.
"28 year-old female, GSW to the left abdominal section, initially unresponsive, lost vitals right in front of us, crashed on the way in," remarked Devarsh to one of the fellow doctors but Ranveer could barely keep up with them.
"Her breathing is shallow. Let's get her to the table. One, two, three..." counted the other doctor before hoisting her upon the table. And even though Ranveer could hear conversations going on, nothing mattered to him anymore. Not even Devarsh's confession.
Just Ishaani and her life at stake.
"Who is she?"
"She's my sister. Page Dr. Sehgal to get here right now!" ordered Devarsh, giving a couple of instructions to the nurses on-duty.
The nurses connected her to several instruments and eased her of her saree before undoing the coat from around her wound and compressing it. Bagging her to an oxygen mask, Devarsh quickly asked one of the nurses to inform Dr. Sehgal of the double case on hand. He would handle the male, heard Ranveer distantly, the voices no longer too clear. Ranveer found his knees give way just as the paged doctor entered the room, and the nurse walked up to him and updated him with the situation.
"Stop compressions."
"We have a rhythm. Let's check for breathing." The nurse pulled off mask from her face at the same time Ishaani took a sharp breath, her body falling limp.
Her eyes remained slightly open yet unseeing as her head fell to her side, the doctor replacing the mask with a blank look on his face. The flat beep of the machine caught Ranveer's attention and he felt his breath cease the next moment.
Ishaani's cold hand fell out from his own as he stared at her, horror-struck and disbelieving of what he was being made to witness. No, it couldn't be! Life couldn't to this to him again!
And just like that, Ranveer found his will collapse. He watched Ishaani being worked upon by the doctors as they took a lead, bringing forth the paddles from the defibrillator.
"Charge to a 150! Clear!"
"Nothing!"
"Charge to 170J!"
"It's a flat-line!"
"I've got the bullet! The celiac branch of the right vagus is ruptured. No organ damage diagnosed so far."
Ranveer saw a tear drop escape her eye, her lips parted through the mask on her face. And in that moment, a pain capable to make him explode into smithereens resurfaced into his heart. His heart was dying with pain, and so was his love. Ishaani had asked him to let his pain ebb away, but the more he tried, the more her lifeless form swam in front of his eyes being put through goodness knew what pain even though she no longer squirmed or writhed in it.
And just like that, Ranveer felt his eyes close and his head hit something cold. If saving Ishaani meant trying to bear all the pain that the realm could offer, he was ready to do that. He was ready to accept his fate. If the option was between Ishaani and himself, he preferred to be the one to die. And he would do so happily. He would not stand and watch her breathe her last in front of his eyes. He would never let that happen.
"Put him on the table beside and get him connected, now!"
What happened to him the next moment was something he couldn't describe for there was no way to describe the agony. He felt as though someone had thrown him into an endless abyss of pain where there was no beginning nor end. Just him; just pain. He didn't know whether they were infused together or were meant to survive as separate strands, but never in his life have had he ever felt this way, he could have sworn. Not even at the factory. Every nano-second meant an infusion of excruciating pain that was seamless to measure until death felt ultimate easier. Yes, it was easier.
And through the darkness, he felt someone hoist him somewhere even though he didn't care where.
"29 year-old male, two GSWs to the chest. Crashing stats."
"Set up for a chest tube, trauma one!"
"We have a suspected rupture of the brachial artery!"
"BP is 86 over 60!"
Life was strange, he wondered as the table lights shone into his eyes, pulling him out of the darkness forcefully. Life was a chase where you got ahead of it at times and it got ahead of you the rest of times, not knowing what hit you where. Maybe this was his destiny after all - always meant to yearn but never to yield. Maybe life played games like this so that you could learn something out from it or perhaps to let go of it after all, he conceded as he felt someone open his eyes to check for responsiveness.
"Significant bleeding in the left chest."
"Stats are 88."
"Tension pneumo's relieved, but he's still decreased."
He didn't know how to end this.
He felt lost. Dazed. He couldn't understand what was happening to him. Just like the first time he'd written to his first true confidante while on the way to Mumbai to change his destiny. So much had changed and yet he found himself standing where he'd started from twenty years ago.
A month ago, he was dead. He had a grand house, an empire and the world's fame upon his feet. He had his parents and his friends who loved his so much even though he was no longer capable of reciprocating anymore. Life was luxurious, yet aloof. But difficult times never lasted, and he learnt what it felt like to feel life again in the most unexpected way.
He didn't know how the next month flew by, or why it flew as fast as it did. The angel had entered his life again, the same angel who'd stolen his breath when he'd seen her for the first time when he was nine. And through all the memories of his life with her that flashed across his mind, he marveled at the extremities of the ups and downs they'd been through before meeting at the horizon.
Oh yes, they did meet at the horizon.
"Where's that chest tube, damn it?!"
"Behind you."
"Come on, Ranveer! Stay with me! I got you."
"His stats are still falling! Insert the tube in his chest!"
Three days later saw farewells being made, goodbyes being told, and promises vowed. But somehow, it only reminded him of another farewell. The farewell from his mother when he'd first set out to Mumbai to conquer his dreams. His mother's parting words were still stuck in his mind and he could still remember the look in her eyes when she'd held him in her embrace and had whispered into his ears.
"Son, whatever happens, remember one thing. When people show loyalty to you, you take care of those who are with you. It's how it goes with everything. Do you understand?"
He'd nodded his head in quick comprehension and she'd continued:
"Remember to stay loyal to the people you love, no matter what, alright? Value loyalty above everything else."
He'd quickly moved towards the harsh realities of the city in the hope of finding a new life, and in the hope of returning home someday. But he was still as petrified, terrified, and frightened as he felt up until that point of his life, if not more. He'd stood up to everything his parents, his mentors and his friends had expected of him. To everything Ishaani had expected of him. He had achieve everything he had wanted to from that point forth.
But he was mortified.
He didn't know how to live in a world where Ishaani was no longer alive in, where all he could do was only breathe to survive. But even drawing in breath was getting harder with every passing minute.
"Okay, we can't wait. Set him up on intubation and keep the oxygen going. Get me two bags of AB+ve and get me some atropine on stand by. Defibrillator as well."
"BP's 80 over 60."
And as he remained to the mercy of life in that moment, he wondered where life was going to take him from that point forth. Maybe he would make it, maybe he wouldn't. Maybe even life didn't know what was in store for him just like the beats of his hearts that he could feel ceasing under all the pain. And yet there was no pain anymore. Just oblivion. Just bliss. Just growing numbness. Just the ache to fall asleep without having to ponder anymore upon the past, present or future.
"78 over 56."
"There's too much blood. Where the hell are you bleeding from?"
"Pulmonary vein! Left inferior! Clamp."
"Blood pressure's still dropping!"
"Suction. His stats are dangerously low!"
The past didn't matter as he felt himself beginning to let go of the pain, the burdens on his shoulders and those weighing on his heart easing away gradually. The scars of a lifetime didn't matter anymore for they were shone out of focus with the blaring light, the only thing keeping him alive being the oxygen pushed into his lungs against his will as his head fell to his side. If she didn't exist, he didn't exist. It was as simple as that until he heard a disconnected phrase in the distance.
"We've found a rhythm on her! Page Dr. Mathur here from Splenectomy instantly and take her to OT 7 right now!"
Ranveer felt a small smile cross his lips as Ishaani's unfocused eyes glazed with life again, her body shuddering for breath. Their eyes met for the minutest of seconds where both of them were aware about the world slipping from their grasp, knowing that it was perhaps for the last time that they were ever going to see each other.
What lay ahead, they didn't know.
And in that moment, Ranveer felt a gasp escape his lips - the same gasp he'd first taken when he was nine. When he'd seen her for the first time.
"BP's dropping! Stats are still low."
"He must be bleeding somewhere else."
"Where? There's no blood."
That was when his life had truly begun and this would be when his life ended now, perhaps. And even through pain and death looming around, his heart felt tranquil in satisfaction. He'd won. He'd kept themselves alive long enough to buy her another breath against his own. He'd taken away the death that awaited her and had embraced it as his own. And even though he could sense the beats of his heart drawing to a close, he knew that his heart had only ever beat for one person - Ishaani.
"Vitals are still falling. Pulse ox is dropping critical."
"His pericardium is distended. He's bleeding into it. That's why there's no blood. It's compressing his heart. Scissors!"
"BP's dropping. 65 over 45. He's hypotensive!"
"Got the bullet!"
She was always going to be the reason for his heart to beat and his breath to cease. And no universe could alter that fact. Not even Death, who grew restless above him now. The abyss of darkness claimed him in its entirety this time as his world spiralled out of grasp, no longer knowing heads and tails. This was it. This was the closing call.
All fairy tales didn't have a happy ending. Maybe his didn't too.
"Ishaani..."
If anyone were to ask him in that moment whether it had been worth it, he had no regrets. Through all the ups and downs of his life, through all the joys and griefs of his life, through all the togetherness and estrangements of his life, through all the love and pain in his life, through all the lives and deaths in his life, he knew one thing for certain.
"He's going into V-Fib. Paddles!"
"Charge to 10J!"
"Clear."
"Unresponsive. Still fibrillating. Charge to twenty."
"Clear!"
It had been worth it. Every single bit of it had been worth it. At the end of the day, Ishaani had been worth it. And if he was given the chance to live a thousand lifetimes, he would always choose to fall in love with her. Every single time. Because for her, a thousand times over.
"Once more!"
"Clear!"
Through the never-ending abyss of pain found Ranveer peace at long last. His hand fell off the table with a limp thud while his lips remained parted even though no breath escaped it anymore. The machine drew a long flat-line in a morbid monotone as his features now relaxed, knowing no more.
Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D
Next chapter:
Epilogue
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