IshVeer FF : La Douleur Exquise| Important Announcement (Page 51) - Page 32

Hey, friends! Thank you for waiting. :)

Warning: This chapter is slightly dark, so please be careful while reading it. :)

Chapter 24: The Empty Spaces

"Have you too loved someone, sir?"

The question was far too ordinary to be taken seriously. The answer would be either yes or a simple no. But what did his boss do? Gave him the most frightening glare of his life and went back to working. Everyone has loved someone in their lives and RV's speech a few minutes ago was an evidence that he, too, had loved someone. But why wouldn't he admit this? Puneet sighed in exasperation, once again having lost the chance to extract anything out of his boss. In his business the man never took a single decision without Puneet's suggestions, and had some of the projects started on his name, but when it came to trusting him for something more than his professional life, he was just an employee. Nothing more.

Now, as the night fell deeper, and Puneet was given off for the evening did he decide to do something he hadn't thought of before. It hadn't been a success in the previous times, but it wouldn't cost anything to try one more time. Kailash Vaghela's room emanated the light from the curtained windows and there was no harm in trying his luck. Who knew he found something crucial?

"Sir? Sir?" He knocked the door continuously three times. In a few moments he heard the footsteps shuffling towards him.

"Yes?" Mr. Vaghela's head peeked from the ajar door and his tense features relaxed at Puneet's sight. "Oh, you!" He shook his head and opened the door for Puneet to enter. "Apologies, I wasn't expecting you. Come in."

"It's alright, sir," Puneet said and entered the room, much pleased that the atmosphere of the room wasn't as dense as his boss's cabin. Puneet had met Mr. Vaghela a couple of times before but the meetings had wrapped up in quick greetings, and his attempts to dig into RV's past had been futile. But, today they had all the time in the world, or so it seemed to him, for the old man hardly appeared drowsy. "I'm sorry to disturb you but I truly hope you wouldn't mind a company for now."

"Not at all!"

Puneet sat down on a sofa and realized the air in the room, albeit less tense, had an eerie feeling of loneliness; as if the happiness from it had been replaced by the thin particles of pulverized melancholy and sprayed in the entire room. His father only smiled as Puneet sat there silently, and he wondered what it was which made it harder for him to start a conversation. Still the comfort and ease with which he sat there was rather astounding.

Puneet smiled and his mind roved here and there to pick up a topic which wouldn't seem too obviously awkward.

What's wrong with you? You were hired in RV's company for a darned reason! What's this going speechless everytime you need to talk something urgent? Puneet reprimanded himself but no success in starting the conversation in the least.

"I see you are quite silent," Mr. Vaghela said with a smile. "That's why you have survived with my son."

"Oh, no, Sir." Puneet shook his head twice. "You don't know me yet."

"How is your boss?"

"Sorry?"

"How is Ranveer? It's been three days since I came here and I haven't seen him since. I suppose he is busy. How is he doing?"

"Alright, I suppose," Puneet said. "Whoever really knows what's in his mind, isn't it, sir?"

"True." Mr. Vaghela smiled. "And can please stop calling me sir? I'm not your boss."

"What should I address you as?"

"Anything, but not sir. Sounds awful for someone like me. And you're the closest person to Ranveer. You certainly hold special place in my mind for putting up with his tantrums."

Both the men chuckled and Puneet found himself getting easy with Mr. Vaghela, whom he now addressed as Uncle, for he wouldn't allow Puneet to call him sir or anything which elevated him to a higher level than any human being. Not even Mr. Vaghela. The two talked of their lives, especially Puneet, and how he came to meet RV and his most trustworthy employee out of all the people he knew. His life back in the US and his future plans. For more than one and a half years he had handled RV's business in the US before they decided to move to India, heeding the advices and ideas that his boss gave. The man was a prodigy. How in this young age could one hold so much knowledge and passion to becoming one of the topmost businessmen of the world was beyond him. And how he knew every nook and cranny of the Stock Market across half of the world was another mystery which Puneet needed to know. By hook or by crook, he wanted to know everything concerning RV. Everything.

"Well, talking about RV sir's tantrums, I agree, he can be a person hard to deal with," Puneet said. "For example, we're talking about the auction tomorrow. He wants the Parekh Mansion, and we're dying to know why he wants it. What's so precious about it that he's ready to invest extra money in the companies of Mr. Parekh than required? We've been prodding him to tell but he wouldn't say a word. Even if I don't say that, it becomes ridiculously tiring at times."

Mr. Vaghela sighed "He wasn't always like that," he said, leaning back in his chair. His eyes stared at Puneet, and his voice dipped low. "RV isn't what he shows us he is, no. That's not my boy. My son is Ranveer. The boy who died three years ago with his mother."

Puneet shivered at the sadness in his tone. "What had happened?" he asked, all amusement from a few moments ago evaporating.

"An accident." He gulped. "His mother succumbed to the injuries."

"And then?" Puneet asked in a softer tone.

"Ranveer, too, remained in the hospital for a few days until he began to walk on his feet. He was just trying to save us, but..." Mr. Vaghela said, and wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. "And that's why he is so adamant on getting back everything. We didn't have money when his mother passed away. The worst... I did." He finished bitterly.

"Uncle, it was none of your fault. Sir doesn't blame you," Puneet said, noticing the guilt in his voice.

"I know he doesn't, but it doesn't deny the fact that I pushed him away when he needed me the most."

"How?" Puneet asked, wondering if he should continue the conversation anymore or not. Mr. Vaghela poured a glass of whiskey and handed it to Puneet. Next, he did it for himself.

"Long story," he said with a smile as he took a small sip. "And neither Ranveer nor I am ready to discuss any part of this yet. I can tell you, though, that the bossy RV you see today was born one of those days."

Puneet did not push further. The questions only deepened and confusion tightened its grip around him. For a moment he wondered if the Parekh Mansion held any figment of his boss' past that could help him unravel the mystery. But at the moment, there was no time. Not until next two days. RV wanted to shift in the Mansion on the day of the auction itself, for the Shraddh were beginning from the next day afterwards. But could the Parekh Mansion give any answer to his questions?

"Uncle," Puneet asked, and Mr. Vaghela looked up from his glass. "Do you know why he wants to buy the Parekh Mansion at 5% loss from the market value even when he can have it the better way? I mean, I've known him long enough to know that he won't be wasting his time and money on the things which don't matter."

Mr. Vaghela smiled. "But this does. More than you realize right now."

Puneet huffed. Thankfully, he had found a way to get to the Parekh Mansion for taking a look inside out, given he had never had the privilege to do so before. All the matters previously were handled by Rishi, who by no means, explored beyond the passages, stones and pebbles of the mansion. And as the car halted in front of the large iron gates, he knew there was much more to this place than its aesthetic beauty revealed. Two guards rushed to open the gates, and one of them furthered to assist Puneet out of the car.

"No, thanks." He raised his hand with a smile and the guard stared at him, confused, for a few moments before he backed down. "I'll manage." Puneet stepped out of the car, immediately followed by Mr. Sumit Thakur. The man nodded at Puneet and extracted the keys out of his pocket.

"I'm surprised you chose midnight to visit this place," Mr. Sumit said.

Puneet ignored humour in his tone and walked ahead. Either it was the impact of the silence of the late night or the fact that he was walking into a house full of a thousand of secrets that kept his heartbeats irregular and his feet firm on the ground. He couldn't let the man know why he was here and that it was hardly a matter of taking a look into the mansion' before his boss shifted in it. It was not. This small journey was just a preliminary sentinel from his own side. A way to find out what was it that made this rudimentary house so precious for his boss.

The Parekh Mansion was a three storey, large building nestled between two gigantic trees. The bushy branches from either side sheared into the building, however, causing no damage to the house. Four pillars stood proudly, now dulled by the florid layers of the dust as if it was an ancient, abandoned structure that stood, its silhouette casting a large shadow on the ground. The nearby glance revealed two fountains, now dried without any supply of the water; and the plants having met the same fate gave off a putrid smell, making it harder to stand on the path any longer. The gravel path leading inside glistened with the rainwater as it caught faint light from the lamppost far off in the distant corner, and the rest of the exterior of the place failed to shed any impression on him. Puneet sniffed the cold air, suddenly being aware that he was shivering due to the effect of nervousness taking over him. Unsure what was it that affected him intensely in this place, he put aside any emotional strand holding him, and walked ahead with firm steps. The man walking beside him had to quicken his pace to not be left behind.

"This house has been empty since last two years?" Puneet asked as the man unlocked the door.

He nodded. "Yes, about two and a half years. A very rich family used to live here, that of Mr. Harshad Parekh. But somehow times changed and the next thing market knew was that he was crumbling. It had never happened before. No matter what the condition of the Markets, Mr. Parekh always came unscathed out of this."

"Then, what happened?"

"He tried hard to hold on, but things were going against him. And during one of his struggling days..." the man paused. "He was in his office, working late with almost one hundred employees working alongside him. The next thing that happened was that the building had caught fire, killing all the people but him."

Puneet barely concealed a surprised gasp. "And then?"

"He was electrocuted, and suffered no injury on his body from the fire or any other accident. Rumours flew across the town, stating that it was his conspiracy to get rid of the employees demanding their waning salaries. He would get hefty amount of the insurance as well. But the allegations against him gave none of that. There was a lot of commotion post his accident, loans taken by him and his family doing them no good. All came to one thing at last: The banks claiming their rights on his property. The NPAs were not waivered off, no matter how much his family tried. Their house was taken. Once the prosperous family was dissolved into the dust!"

Puneet heard in silence, surprised that someone could have such a painful fate. "Where does the family of Mr. Parekh live now?" he asked, his feet frozen on the main gate.

The man shrugged his shoulders. "They just disappeared..." He appeared thoughtful for a while. "It's hard to find them. Mr. Parekh was in coma last we knew, but it's hard to tell where he is now. Since his family isn't seen anywhere- except his daughter, who never reveals anything about her dad- most people only speculate things aren't improving for them. And now with Mr. RV being the strongest contender to own this house, I doubt there is any hope left for them."

"Oh!" Puneet sighed.

"Fate is awful," the man continued as they walked in. "Things changed only within a matter of few months. It's as if today we knew he'd cracked one of the toughest deals in the market, and the next moment he was nowhere to be seen."

"You know too much about them," Puneet said, as they walked inside of the Parekh Mansion. In a few days the place would be known as RV Mansion, Puneet thought to himself.

"I've followed this case very closely, sir," he answered.

"And still you don't know where his family is?"

"It's all professional, sir. Most people they were in contact with know nothing about them."

"Did you try?"

"Sir, what?"

"To find out about the Parekhs."

"Yes, sir. Initially I did, until some hidden facts about Mr. Parekh were known to me. I gave up."

"Why?"

"He was a good man, sir, or so he seems. Knowing about his past wouldn't have helped after he'd suffered so much humiliation. And he would never kill anyone. There was another rumour about him... or it could be truth as well. One of his servants had tried to rape his younger daughter- a heinous crime to be committed in India, as you might know- and he was arrested. Mr. Parekh got him bailed and made sure no further charges were set against him. He set the servant free when anyone would have got him killed."

"How do you know this?"

"The lawyer in that case was my friend, and since the case was of a high profile family, its details were never made public. Nor did my friend share anything with me, saying he was under the oath of his duty. A nice chap my friend is. But since there were rumours going around I found out."

Puneet nodded, wondering why he hadn't met this man before who seemed to hold encyclopedic information about the Family. Everything about the Parekh family seemed incredibly sad. He couldn't bring himself to trust the story of Mr. Parekh killing hundred people of his own company, a quick judgment. And that made the mystery of RV worse. Did he have any connection with the victims? Was he on revenge with the Parekhs? Or was it all just the stories of his own mind? Puneet shook his head and freed himself from the unwanted thoughts. He stepped inside the house, his heart lurching simultaneously with the robust of an emotion not known to him before. But he let it come anyway. The condition of the mansion inside was no different than outside. The sadness and loneliness of the place glared deeper inside, for there were no lights here except the two bulbs set alight dimly, and the objects in the hall were covered in rusty white sheets, gleaming with the patches of brown and black. The darkness of the place was intensified by the lack of air that suddenly began to smother Puneet, causing him to flinch unconsciously.

"Where's the window? It's suffocating in here," Puneet asked, and the man rushed to open one the nearest.

"No one visits here, so the windows are always locked," he said as he returned, panting slightly due to the quick walk.

Puneet nodded with a small smile, still feeling uncomfortable.

What on earth was wrong with this place?

The size of the mansion revealed that the family that lived here wasn't just ridiculously rich, but a proper and large one with plenty of the members to live with. For the objects placed in it gave off the same idea.

"Seems like they lived a happy life," Puneet murmured as he glanced around one more time.

"Yes, sir," the man answered. "Happy family, joint family. Their fate betrayed them. I just hope RV's brings light to this place."

"I want to have a look around. Can you please wait here?" Puneet asked.

The man nodded. "Sure, sir. I'll go to check outside. Just in case you need something, please call me."

Puneet nodded and watched the man take another route. He himself turned over and decided to walk towards the stairway, leading upwards, towards the rows of three continuous rooms. On the right corner of the first floor was kitchen, now vaguely smelling of the dust and damp rain. And on another side a small temple adorned by a simple idol of Lord Krishna peeked quietly.

Why did his boss not want any repairing for this place?

"It's not mine yet," he'd said.

But wasn't it clear that RV was going to own this house? He wondered how would this news break to the Parekhs and how would they react. However, for now, his concern was this little investigation.

Puneet entered the first room as he reached the second floor of the mansion and felt the gush of the wind on his face. A peeking outside revealed a tributary, separating two fractions of the same locality of Mahabaleshwar. Just like the rest of the house, this room, too, was full of the abandoned items and furniture, left and forgotten covered under the dirty white sheets. He closed the turned to take a look into the room, only to be disappointed in the end. The only objects placed in there incited the idea of non-existence of life. He wondered if the decision to visit the mansion and prying at the property was right at all. For the next rooms revealed no secret to help him. At last he came to a room. Just like the others, its windows were shut and dirty curtains drawn in, furniture covered in brownish sheets. To see things better he drew aside the curtains. Light flooded inside. Puneet observed the place with equal attention as the rest, but found no answer of the questions bubbling in his head. The dust on the floor blew under his shoes, catching his attention, and he realized this was the most lonesome room in the entire house. He walked a few more steps ahead, observing, and felt something scrape under his feet. On looking down he found a whitish piece of plasticized paper. But no, it was no ordinary paper, he realized, as he looked at it carefully, brushing aside the dust. It was a photograph.

"Ishani, you can't sleep?" Gauri asked. And when Ishani made no answer, she sighed. "Ishani, things will not get better by you torturing yourself to sleeplessness."

"You aren't sleeping either," Ishani said, her voice low. "You picked up my call in the first ring. How come?"

Gauri remained silent.

"See? What's wrong, Gauri di?"

"Nothing. I was thinking about you and the auction. There's only a day left. And those allegations on Kaka... Do you have any idea what are we going to do with that?"

Ishani sniffed. "Not yet. Sharman Bhaiya found a tape, but the people said it wasn't a strong enough evidence to prove Papa innocent. We needed more. So, Bhaiya went to the Lonavala building and found the files of our case were all gone."

"And then?"

Ishani shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she whispered. "I'm tired, Gauri di." A drop of tear fell out of her eye. "Papa has done nothing wrong! Don't we know that? He was just a victim like the people in the building."

"Ishani," Gauri said slowly. "We know that. And you know what? Good people may suffer but their sufferings are never in vain. Mota Kaka is another person like that. He's done so much for others, and I'm sure he will be rewarded with what he truly deserves."

"But how, Gauri di? It's been months and..." she sighed, gulping, tears threatening to escape their refuge. "I can't see Papa like this. And most of all I can't see people taunting him every day, wishing he suffered the worst in this lifetime."

"Ishani, no. Nothing like that is going to happen. Do you remember Kaka always told us if things are too bad God sends an angel? Who knows one might come for us! For Kaka. Maybe he's already there?"

Ishani's thoughts returned back to the faceless stranger, her mind oblivious of her racing heartbeats. Could he do anything for her father here, too? She was selfish, asking things from someone she didn't even know and expecting him to do them without being able to return anything. Would she ever be able to return the favor he'd already done? Was it right on her part to expect anything more than that?

"Are you thinking about Ranveer?" Gauri asked, and Ishani jolted out of her reverie.

Her smooth features creased, her jaw tightened and her fingers curled into a fist, all simultaneously. "Why would I think about him?" Ishani asked, gritting her teeth.

"Because he was the only one who could ever solve Mota Kaka's problems just like that, and you always ran to him if you couldn't help yourself with the things. Don't you miss all that today when no one can help you?"

"But it was him, Gauri di, who betrayed Papa," Ishani answered bitterly, holding back her tears. "Thinking of Ranveer when we're in trouble is like sprinkling the chili powder on my wounds."

"Look, Ishani," Gauri said, now more sympathetically. "I do know what happened that day, but you need to give that another thought."

"Why would you want that? Weren't all the accusations that were on him proved right? For the fraud in Papa's company, in Chirag's. He didn't even value our friendship or Chirag's favours on him and his family! But you know what, Gauri di? I might have forgotten the betrayal to my friendship, but can't forget what he did to Papa. Didn't he start the destruction of the world which belongs to us now? How can you even take his side, di?" From her entire family Gauri was the only one who had refused to believe any accusations against Ranveer. The only one who took his side after he was gone. She was the only one to whom it didn't matter that he'd destroyed her father's company for his own ambitions, and nor that he'd betrayed the sacred relation only two friends shared. She never gave any explanation to her reasoning and then came a time they'd stopped talking about him. It was for the first time since her father's accident that Gauri had talked about Ranveer. But again, she hadn't been there on the fateful day either.

"Love, Ishani. Love."

Ishani winced unconsciously. "Gauri di..."

"Only if I had any other reason I would have given you long ago. All I can say is love. Ranveer loved you and that's enough for me to believe he'd never, ever harm anything that belongs to you."

"Just because you and Pranav loved each other enough to sacrifice your love doesn't mean the world is good. Things aren't black or white like you think. You don't know Ranveer. " Ishani closed her eyes, trying to forget the same night which took away everything from her. Her best friend. And she hated him!

Gauri laughed. "Ishani, maybe you knew better your friend. But remember one thing: I've known you both since childhood. I've seen you both go through the things no one in our family did. Ishani, look, I don't know what truth is, but keep in mind: I don't want you to regret in future."

"I'm sure that will never happen!" Ishani said firmly, wondering why their conversation had gone to Ranveer in the first place. Hadn't he admitted in front of the whole family that he had indeed betrayed her? Hadn't he loved her which led to a lifelong shame for her sister? Love seemed such a bizarre thought when Ranveer's face came in her mind. He had loved her, right? If love meant being loved by someone like him, she'd rather never be loved at all. She hated herself for her inability to forget him. Everytime she tried, that night came hurtling back at her, assaulting her with unassailable thoughts which never came to an end. And that made her hate him more.

She didn't know where he was today. Whether he was alive or dead now, she didn't know, and she wished she didn't care either. But the clench of her chest at his thoughts was undeniably real. Far more real than anything she had ever felt. More real than his betrayal. More real than her sleepless nights for the fear of losing her father and their case. More real than her love for her family or Chirag.

And so she hated him more.

His memories seemed to fuel the fire within her which longed to escape, but found no vent.

That made her hate him more.

"Wow!"

RV looked up, amused. The expressionless features speaking nothing except that he was livid. His friend looked at him with new interest and shook his head.

"I was right: What you felt for Ishani was extraordinary. You cannot deny that."

A joyless chuckle left his lips. It took another few seconds to gather himself again, and was thankful that his friend was patient enough to bear the calm on his part. Rarely did he find people so patient. He shivered and to conceal the storm of the reflecting emotions on his face, he stood up. It felt far too strange to recall the same memories once again; to travel in the tunnel which had lost the light found at the end. It was as if reading the book he knew the end of, past too clear in his mind with the razor sharp clarity. Each and every word: promises, lies, truths, accusations, wounds, bruises, hurts. Too vivid to go away in this lifetime.

"Why do you call yourself Ranveer as if you're talking about someone else?" The voice again made him turn his head towards its source.

"Because he's no more," RV answered, his aura a little too calm.

"He is. You can't let that happen, RV. Ranveer can't go away."

RV laughed again and that made the man before him shiver for an inexplicable reason. "He's gone and RV can't do anything about him. Present is RV."

"And future?"

RV shut his eyes and opened them again, sighing deeply. "There's no future. Past is the evidence that you have existed, but future holds no such authenticity. Tomorrow one may not exist. What will you do with their future?"

"But you know better."

"I really don't." RV shrugged his shoulders.

"Just in case Ishani and you do get together, by a miracle, will you still live with this facade of RV? Or there will still be a hope for Ranveer?"

"Ishani and RV are not getting together. Never," he said, stressing at each word of his sentence. "RV doesn't dream for a future like that, and probably that's his flaw, but he's happy with that. Don't make him do that, please. I'm here for a reason and I must focus on that."

"What after your reason is done? What about yourself?"

RV shook his head. "As I said, RV does not dream."

"RV, you're not taking me seriously now, but I am sure that one day will come and you will realize all this. The bottom line is: I don't want you to regret. Ishani made a mistake. Don't punish her for that one decision."

"Do you think all this I'm doing punish Ishani?" RV asked, slightly miffed at the blunt judgment of his friend. "You've known me for 3 years and you think I'm willing to hurt Ishani?" Even if RV never said it, he knew he'd loved Ishani. How could he ever hurt her?

"No." He sighed. "All I'm saying is that, mistakes better be rectified soon or they will kill you in the end." The gleam from his gaze suddenly vanished, eyes paling in dullness.

RV looked away for a few seconds before he shifted his gaze back at his friend, his eyes sympathetic, but he said nothing.

"RV, life is too weird. You never know where this may take you. I'm worried about you and when I say want nothing to go wrong, it's for your sake, alright?"

RV simply gazed at him and then looked sideways.

"Anyway," he said, suddenly changing the subject, "what about Harshad Parekh? Have you thought something for him?"

The colour of RV's eyes changed and he sighed. "All's ready. Now, RV waits for the day." A small smile graced his tired features as he spoke. The night had become slightly cold due to drizzle and much to his comfort, the cacophonous wind fell silent.

"If you need anything, call me. I'll be available anytime."

RV nodded, trying to smile a little, and saw his friend glide out of the room.

"I don't want you to regret anything." His friend's words echoed back to him and RV closed his eyes, desperately trying to erase the images of the night. They were still so clear, so real, as if someone had carved them on a stony surface with sharp knives. Even if he tried, they came back, haunting him.

Amidst this, he couldn't help but wonder where Ranveer was lost. Why he couldn't feel anything Ranveer would have had he been at this stage? But again, he had shed away Ranveer that night, after he was burned to death by the people he loved, giving way for someone he wouldn't recognize himself.

But RV wasn't just made of the ashes of Ranveer or the fragments of the ghostly memories of a long forgotten past. He wasn't formed by love or care from the gentle hands of his mother, her sweet voice lulling him to sleep whenever he felt tired. He was born from the brokenness, the ruthlessness within him peeling off his older skin, giving birth to the man he had become today. He was nurtured by the betrayals, the cruel, harsh claws molding him into hollow, lifeless and infuriating wreckage. Power fed his soul, no more love occupying that space. The blood in his veins rushed like the tidal waves, washing away all the possibilities of experiencing emotions again.

He wasn't Ranveer. Ranveer was dead. He had died all those years ago in hope to survive an endless fall, when all he had hoped was one more day to live. A single hope. A loving glance from the people he loved. Only if the foolish fellow knew that sometimes people die long before they actually do, he wouldn't have tried so hard to hold onto the enervating strands of life. And since he didn't, Ranveer died a hopeless death.

The past still hurt like a knife slicing his heart into two every time his chest tingled with the sensation of the living. He breathed still. But entertained no hope of getting rid of the pain or life any time soon. What he came to feel in last 3 years was an integral part of his being, just like his love had once been. Love. Irony at its best! Why was he here in the first place? The path on which he treaded was lighted only till his revenge lasted. After that all was blank. Cold. Lifeless. The bridges further burning in the vicious fires of nothingness. But most of all, none of it having anything to do with his life anymore.

RV coughed, his senses going hazy, and he barely caught hold of himself before all went dark in front of his eyes. He shook his head in resignation, anger surging within him. As he walked towards the window, the reality became more harrowing, ripping him apart in countless pieces, the belief of what he had become too real, and too painful. Slowly, his fingers again moved to his chest, hoping to ease the pain of an invisible cut underneath his skin, but failing. In the next moment, however, they touched something different, as RV's hand rested on the pocket of his white shirt. He took out his wallet and on opening it the first thing that met his eyes was her photograph.

She appeared unchanged in his memories still, her eyes holding the same warmth for him they did when he'd taken this photograph. The same care he had dared to live so long. The red dress she loved enchanted the smile on her face, and her flowing hair still felt as though they brushed against his face. And suddenly, he was reminded of the question Puneet had asked him.

"Have you too loved someone, sir?"

RV had remained silent at the question, unsure to say anything that wouldn't seem too obvious, he had taken the easiest path, that of offence.

"Yes, for the first and last time," he whispered finally.

And a drop of tear fell on the photograph in his palm.

Another Note: From now on, the conversations between RV and his friend' won't be necessarily shown to give the idea that he's narrating the story to him. So, even if this kind of scene does not appear in future chapters, know that RV is still narrating his past as Ranveer to this particular person. It's happening in the background. :)