*A Piece Of My Heart* - PreRish FF (Link to new thread:PG1) - Page 7

Originally posted by: aisha_ranbir8

Hey loved the story .. read all together... Quite interesting the plot is.. it's a little breezey and light hearted... Loved all the characters... Please continue soon.. take care :)

Hi! Thank you 🤗 Yes as of now the story is quite light. I don't intend to make it too dark either.

Originally posted by: Ghosh.M.

Something terribly wrong must have been happened between them... They were so cute in the flashbacks and now so different 😭 Rishabh needs a genuine chance and he should use it wisely to win her back... please update soon, very eager to know what happens next🤔

Hi! Thank you for your comment!🤗

So yeah they have changed quite a bit now. A lot of flashbacks up now so things will get clarified.

Originally posted by: MR21

Hi Manjari🤗

Interesting concept. Businessman and a Doctor love story.

He is alone and lonely. She is finding ways in her work and books to not think about him.

Rishabh & Anurag are childhood friends, this is quite interesting.

First meet with a free upgrade, lucky Prerna, that too beside Rishabh with all those teasing and compliments for her

I loved their first meet.

What happened in the past that he no longer meets her but still wants her in his life.

Rishabh has a different take on the business. Such innovative ideas of doing internships and driving the businessmen to understand the terms of business.

Ok, to be frank, I am not surprised. When I read that Rishabh & Anurag are friends, I expected that Prerna would be in marriage talks with Anurag.

I liked the heated conversation between them at the cafe.

The wedding, he is her first case, where she analyzed his loneliness, said it so bluntly that it hurt him.

Awesome start for the story. Please continue soon.

Hi! What is your name? I am so glad you liked the storyline 🤗

The whole past bit will get clarified in the upcoming chapters. PreRish are incomplete without their nok-jhoks.

Originally posted by: MrsRishabhBajaj

Hi! What is your name? I am so glad you liked the storyline 🤗

The whole past bit will get clarified in the upcoming chapters. PreRish are incomplete without their nok-jhoks.

I am Ramya😳

Originally posted by: MR21

I am Ramya😳

Nice to meet you Ramya 😃

really great update. i like the slow reveal of their past its very interesting. poor Anurag he must be so confused. can't wait to read more. its a very lovely story so far.

Originally posted by: oa2019

really great update. i like the slow reveal of their past its very interesting. poor Anurag he must be so confused. can't wait to read more. its a very lovely story so far.

Thank you 🤗 Im so glad you're enjoying. I will be posting updates quite fast now.

Chapter 5: Hot Coffee at Room Temperature.

*Flashback Continues*

Rishabh lay in bed thinking about their whole conversation again. Playing it on repeat in his head. He had gotten triggered by her words. She is so rude. Who does she think she is? Ek degree kya mil jaati hai log apne aapko zyada hi bada samajh lete hai. But… Usne jo kaha. Was she right? Rishabh was never a rash thinker. He was his biggest critic. Am I really lonely? His thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. He got up and opened the door.

Prerna stood outside his door apologetic. After contemplating whether she should talk to him now or tomorrow she decided not to waste any time. Rishabh looked at her. He wasn’t in the mood to talk. But he didn’t even want her to leave him alone with his thoughts. He would be very hard on himself.

“I am really sorry. It wasn’t my place to—“It’s okay.” He said looking away. She was nervous but she would say what she had come here to.

“You were right.” She said. Rishabh looked at her confused.

“I am a horrible psychologist.” She looked down.

Rishabh didn’t know why but he smirked. Looking at her sorry face he couldn’t resist. “True.” He said folding his arms across his chest. He kept his face straight.

She looked up. “You’re just fine the way you are. It’s probably not loneliness—“And you’re a horrible liar too.” Rishabh said interrupting her again.

Prerna looked surprised. “Rishabh I shouldn’t have.” She said looking down again. She was feeling so guilty.

“Well, you shouldn’t have because I’m not paying you for these sessions.” Rishabh said still with the same face.

Prerna was surprised again. He really was strange. She smiled a little. She wasn’t sure whether this was a joke and all was forgiven or was he still mad. “What?” she asked.

“I’m only saying that maybe you weren’t very far from the truth. Maybe, and I’m saying maybe, I don’t have a lot of people in my life. But I like it that way. People are fake. They always leave. They betray and—“Wow” Prerna interfered. “You have had a lot of bad experiences.” She said.

“Stop!” Rishabh exclaimed, “If you psycho-analyse me again I’m going to slam the door on your face and not open it again.”

Prerna laughed. “Okay okay, I’m not going to. I’ll just listen.”

“Coffee?” Rishabh asked.

“Abhi?” she asked.

“Yes, I was going to make a cup for myself.” He said.

Prerna smiled. “Thik hai. But I’ll make it!”

“Great, come on in!” he said.

Prerna made two cups of steaming coffee in his room and sat down. “Listen, I am sorry. Mujhe—“Bas. You don’t have to be so guilty.” He said with a smile. “Especially when you were kind of right.” Rishabh knew it was a big deal for him to accept this but he also knew that he hadn’t found anyone who he could confide in.

“You said you choose to be alone, but why?”

“I am not going to tell you.” Rishabh said sternly.

“Arre batao na.”

“No, you’ll just psycho-analyse me again.”

“Nahi pakka iss baar kuch nahi karungi.”

“Because I don’t give explanations and people around me always expect them. My parents died when I was 6. I was raised by my Mama. He always expected an explanation if I was late, or if I didn’t do my homework, or I wasn’t in the mood to eat. I didn’t want to give one. So I got hit a lot. I became independent fast so I didn’t have to live with him. Fir in college I made a couple of friends but they had a lot of questions. They wanted explanations for why I did what I did. And I am not answerable to anyone. Ek dost hai mera but he’s in UK. Ek wahi hai jo samajhta hai mujhe. So yeah, that’s my reason.”

Prerna was lost in his words. She wanted to understand more. She was intrigued. She didn’t realise but she was smitten. “But explanation expect karna normal hai!” She said.

“Par log hamesha apne dimag mein decide kar lete hai ki main galat hu. Fir explanation maangte hai. And after being accused I don’t defend myself. I know I have my reasons. Mujhe koi farak nahi padta ki woh kya soche.”

Prerna smiled a little. She suddenly realised that she felt respect for this man. “You need a lot of strength to be this way. It’s not for the faint-hearted.”

Prerna did not agree with his ways but she respected it. Rishabh had one question troubling him. Why did it feel so good telling her all these things? Why do I not want this night to end. I want her to ask more questions. I want to tell her more.

Prerna looked up at a lost Rishabh. She smiled. “Chalo, ab I think mujhe jana chahiye.” She said.

“Coffee toh pi lo,” Rishabh said looking at her, a little disappointed that she would leave so soon. “Tumne coffee toh shuru bhi nahi kari.”

Prerna grinned, “I’ll have it now, mujhe coffee ke baad achi neend aati hai.”

“Oh wow! Insaano ke saath ulta hota hai.” Rishabh smiled. Prerna frowned at him. “ Acha, garam kar lo, poori thandi ho gayi hai coffee.” Rishabh suggested.

“Naa, I like my hot coffee at room temperature.” She said.

“What? This makes no sense. But then again, a psycho has quirky habits.” He laughed.

Prerna’s nostrils flared up. “Stop. Calling. Me. That.” She said. But Rishabh continued laughing looking at her face. And something about his playful laughter made Prerna melt. And she laughed too.

“Thanks Prerna,” Rishabh said as he walked her to the door.

“For what?” She asked confused.

“For being so you.” He said. Looking at her confused look, he explained, “You are very pure hearted. It’s good but aren’t you scared?”

“I am not scared of anything!” She said mimicking the way Rishabh had said the same thing earlier. Rishabh laughed.

“Goodnight!” He said.

“Breakfast at 10?” She asked. Rishabh was surprised at her frankness. She is so cute. “Yeah, sure!” he smiled.

Prerna returned to her room and lied down in bed. She smiled. Bohot acha hai.

And then she sprang up. Why did I ask him for breakfast? Why do I want to know more about him. Is this the therapist in me wanting to cure him?

***

Chapter 6 : The Warmest Hug

Rishabh was very angry with how everything had turned up. He was keeping his distance from Prerna waiting for her to contact him. That was the promise he had made. And now she had tears in her eyes again, because of him. He was going to leave when Anurag caught up. “What was that?” He asked.

Rishabh rolled his eyes now he would have to explain the whole thing. He hated explaining. “I don’t want to talk about it. Long story short, she hates me.” He said.

“But I want to know—“No! I will ask the questions, we were going to say no anyway na, what is with you?” He asked.

“But she was beautiful. I actually liked her. I am thinking of giving her a shot.” Anurag admitted, slightly blushing. Rishabh glared at Anurag. He was already angry and Anurag had just pissed him off even more.

“No you can’t. Stay away from her, get it?” He said rudely.

“What is going on?” Anurag asked confused. “Just tell me how you know her!”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why?”

Rishabh was in no mood to talk. Even to Anurag. What would he tell him? He lost the most precious person in his whole life because of one mistake? That maybe Prerna will never forgive him now. He was in no state to. He needed some peace.

“Anurag I’ll talk to you later.” He said trying to hold back his anger.

“Then I’ll go ask her what happened.” Anurag said playfully, not willing to budge.

Rishabh shot Anurag a glare again. “You will stay away from her. Go home.”

“Why are you so serious suddenly?” Anurag asked pushing for an answer. He didn’t know that Rishabh was really fuming.

“Anurag!” Rishabh screamed. “She hates me! That’s how I know her. We had a past. Why do you have to interfere everywhere?”

Anurag was stunned. He couldn’t believe the way his best friend was reacting. I have never seen Rishabh like this. He is so angry with Prerna? But before he could ask any further questions he saw a tear drop from Rishabh’s eye. Rishabh wiped it off immediately. He stomped off. Anurag considered following his friend but decided against it. Maybe he needs a moment.

Rishabh drove fast. He drove home straight. All those memories flushing in.

*Flashback*

Rishabh couldn’t take his eyes off Prerna in the beautiful saree. He watched her all evening sitting with Tamanna near the mandap, helping Tamanna’s mom with the arrangements & consoling her mother after the bidai. He even saw her sob during the bidai and wondered why brides got so emotional. Finally, when the bride and groom had left, Rishabh walked up to her and offered his handkerchief.

She looked at him and smiled slightly. She took the handkerchief from his hand and wiped her tears. Her kajal spread a little. Rishabh was in such a daze that without even a thought he cupped her face with one hand and slowly wiped off her smudged kajal with his second hand. Prerna’s heart raced as she looked at him standing so close with his hands on her face. She shut her eyes and stood as still as she could. She didn’t understand what she felt. She couldn’t think. She could only feel her heart pounding in her chest, so fast that she thought it was burst.

It took a moment for Rishabh to realise that he was awfully close to her and he suddenly withdrew his hands and stepped back. He did not understand what was happening to him. He couldn’t be this close to her, she wasn’t the type of girl to take all this casually. Why did he feel so lost suddenly?

Prerna was lost in her own thought. Even after he moved back her heart raced on. Why was him being close affecting her so much? Is this normal? This was something she hadn’t read in her psychology books. She knew how to understand feelings of anxiety, panic, stress, pain, sorrow, grief and many more but what was this?

Rishabh pulled himself back together and broke his chain of thoughts and decided to lighten the mood. “So, why did YOU cry?” he asked emphasising on the ‘you’.

Prerna’s thoughts broke too. She looked up at him. His big eyes stared right back and suddenly she could feel heat on her cheeks. “The whole emotion behind a girl leaving her family is so beautiful it always brings tears, but happy tears.”

“Matlab?” Rishabh asked. He wasn’t really interested in the conversation. He just wanted to spend more time in her presence. There was something about her presence and her voice that made him feel calm, like there was nothing wrong anywhere in the world. But he still listened to every word.

“I can’t explain it. It’s something that you can only feel. Imagine growing up in a house with your people, taking care of them, laughing and crying with them, living with them, sharing your life with them and then, puff, one day you leave, you have to start living with new people, do everything you did with a new family. It’s scary and heart-breaking. But at the same time you get to experience new love, a new set of responsibilities. You get to hear new life stories, live a different life and get a ton of love from them as well.” Prerna said tearing up again.

“I never had my people in the first place, so I guess I’ll never know.” Rishabh shrugged. He was casual about it. He never knew what a family was so it didn’t bother him at all.

Prerna’s eyes softened as she looked at him surprised. “No one?” She asked shocked.

Rishabh shook his head. “I just remember my mother a little. She used to sing to me when I was 4. But nothing else.” He said.

Prerna felt an urge to hug him. Her whole body wanted to do that but her brain held back. “What about your mama’s kids?”

“My mamu sent me away to boarding school when I was 12. He & Mami didn’t bother with me too much so I never really came home for vacations. Once a year they called me home so that never gave me any time to bond with them. I was always on my own. After school when I came back the time to bond was over. We had our own lives and no one cared enough, I guess.” Rishabh said. It strangely didn’t bother him. He had never known affection. So he didn’t know what he was missing.

Prerna said nothing. She felt so empathetic towards him. She grew up in a full family. She knew what it was like to fight with siblings, to be pampered by a father, to be loved by a mother and what it was like to be a family. She moved towards Rishabh and hugged him. Putting her arms around him and head on his chest. She thought he needed a hug.

And that’s when Rishabh felt it for the first time. Love. He didn’t hug her back. At first, he felt it was strange that she just hugged him but in the next moment he could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He could feel his body, which was always closed up and uptight, give in to the hug, give in to the love. He felt at peace, true peace. He wanted to stay like this forever. He didn’t want this moment to end but she pulled back. That was the moment that changed something in him.

Prerna looked up with a smile and saw tears in his eyes. Her smile widened. She knew those were happy tears. Rishabh looked at her lovingly. He wondered how someone could be so warm? He couldn’t believe he had only met this girl 3 days back. He felt like he had known her since forever. He felt a sense of comfort in talking to her that he had never felt with anyone else. Not even Anurag.

Prerna offered his handkerchief back to him. Rishabh let out a small laugh and sighed. He took it from her hand and shut his eyes, taking the tears back in, not wanting to cry in front of her.

“Let them flow, its fine. You’ll feel good.” She said softly.

Rishabh opened his eyes. “I feel like something heavy was lifted from my heart.”

Prerna smiled. “Want to walk back to the room together?”

“Sure.” He said. He didn’t want to part so soon. He wanted to spend more time with her.

They walked together silently. No one said anything. Rishabh was lost in his own world. He was at peace, without a hair of tension on his body. He looked at her. The moonlight bounced on her face and made her look almost like an angel sent from above just for him. Her presence made him feel so calm and happy. She didn’t need to say anything. It was just her being there that made all the difference. Is this what it feels like to have family? He wondered. I guess I would never know, he thought. But thinking about the fact that tomorrow they would go their separate ways made him feel sad. In that moment he realised that maybe this is what Prerna was talking about, the pain of separation from family.

Prerna didn’t want to say too much. Sometimes it’s best to keep quiet and be there for someone. She was glad she could be there for him. Rishabh is genuinely a nice person. He might seem insensitive and insincere on the outside but he has a clean heart. There is something about this man, she thought.

In no time they had reached the rooms and both realised that it was time to say good bye. “What time is your flight tomorrow?” Prerna asked.

“8 am,” Rishabh said sadly. He didn’t want to leave.

“Oh! Mera 2pm hai.” She said sadly too. She was hoping they could be on the same flight back as well.

“So I guess this is goodbye?” Rishabh said trying to sound normal.

Prerna nodded. “But we will stay in touch right?” she asked.

A smile crept up on Rishabh’s face as he looked at her big brown eyes. She felt the connection too! He thought. He was glad.

“Ofcourse we will!” he said. They exchanged their contacts.

“Goodnight” she said.

*

Double update guys! I was done with both the chapters so thought, why not? 😆

Do share your comments! 😳

Spot taken😎

My spot.

Unressing...

I am loving the way you are portraying the characters here.❤️

The Bidaai part is the part which I loved the most...❤️

I am not able to understand Anurag a bit.

They exchanged contacts... Looks like the misunderstanding between them occurred later on...