Love, Unrequited T2 [Ch 93 - Pg 144] T3 link Ch 148 - Page 93

Thankyou so much for reply and confirming yo give good end to the story.

Waiting and hoping

Back To You (II)

‘It's pretty but why would you want to gift it to me?’ Lily asked, truly surprised. ‘There’s no occasion to.’

‘Because I have bought it for you. I want to pamper my friends. And yes Lily, we ARE friends. You ARE one of my bestest friends.’

The warmth in Kirti’s tone set off butterflies in Lily’s stomach.

‘I love the work of sequins over it,’ Kirti continued, picking up the black cocktail dress. ‘The moment I spotted the dress, I just knew it was for you,’ She said, draping the dress over Lily.

‘I can’t take it,’ Lily gently shrugged the dress away. ‘This must have cost you an arm and a leg.’

‘So?’ Kirti was a bit irritated now.

‘I just can’t,’ Lily turned away to look at other home decor accessories that Kirti had bought.

‘Lillllliiii,' Kirti sighed. Moving aside the packages and other items from between them, she slid next to the younger woman, careful to not offend her physical boundaries. With Shruti, Kirti would have slid her arms around her person, engulfing her in a hug.

Kirti was deprived of touch and distinctly felt the lack of warmth in her life. Harlow was truly right in his experiment findings. Food and other things were necessary for survival but it was touch that succored one's life.

‘Don’t be a mood spoiler! I have wanted to do this all my life, Lily. Earn good money and then spend it on friends and family without a world's care. Look at me! Now that I am in the position to splurge, people have abandoned me. Do you see anyone around me? You’re my only friend, Lily.’

Lily fidgeted uncomfortably. Kirti, despite in a better place, did look lonely and a bit off.

‘You’re emotionally blackmailing me,' she grumbled.

‘Get blackmailed then and allow me this little pleasure. Please? Please? Pretty please?’ Kirti batted her lids innocently.

‘Uhm...okay may be I will give it a try,' Lily yielded under the pressure. She was simply at peace in being able to spend time with Kirti. At first when Kirti had called, Lily's immediate response had been to deny the dinner invitation. She had just gotten used to the absence of Kirti and the child. But by some mystic pull, she had found herself at Kirti's door.

'Yayyy!!! You're sweetheart, Lily. Had you rejected it, you would have broken my heart.'

It ushered as an epiphany to Lily while she was squeezing herself into the mini dress that she and her own brother had been wrong in their assessment. That she was not as cold and immune as she had thought herself to be. Especially, when it came to matters of Kirti.

'You dress up,' Kirti called out from outside the washroom's door, 'Meanwhile I will check on the curry.' It was a Friday night and Kirti was overjoyed to have someone over. She had in the recent times begun to dread weekends. Saturday and Sundays had become lonely affairs.

Popping a fat piece of cake into her mouth, she was heating the biryani in the oven when Biplab called her.

She let it ring for long before picking up.

'Now?' Her heart skipped a beat. 'Why would I have a problem? Okay. Will be waiting.' She did not let her excitement leak into her tone. It was proving to be a good evening.

-----

'A friend at office gave me some Kulkuls. They are some really good buttery stuff. Would you like to try some?' Kirti asked Lily as they sat watching a criminal investigation show post dinner.

'Sounds delicious. But no. I am really full,' Lily replied looking ahead at the television screen.

'Oh. Okay.' Kirti murmured brushing grains of invisible dirt off of her night pajamas.

From the corner of her eyes, Lily saw Kirti check her phone the umpteenth time and whatever good feelings she had for Biplab died there itself. The brother was a jerk. Making his sister feel miserable like this, yeah a jerk indeed! She wanted to say, it was quarter to eleven. The guy had said, 8-ish! He wasn't coming.

Looking at the time, also reminded her that she needed to leave as well.

'It's late,' she said after several minutes, 'I will take your leave now.'

'Oh,' Kirti uttered, the disappointment being evident in her tone. 'Yes, it has gotten late. You can't stay the night, can you?'

-----

'Hey,' Debbie called Kirti around midnight, 'We are going on a trip tomorrow,' she informed without any preamble.

'Trip? All of a sudden?' Kirti asked, rubbing her eyes. She had just gone to bed.

'We?'

'Yupp. You, Prats, Ajinkya and me. We are going to - '

'Wanna bring someone along, get them too. The more the merrier.'

-----

'Hey, where's Nishit?' Sana asked as soon as she sighted Buta. 'Still sleeping? Tell him we are here.'

'He's not at home, Didi,' Buta replied, adjusting to the negative energy that had just hijacked his being, 'He left early in the morning itself.'

'Oh. Okay. Never mind. Get me a cup of green tea,' she ordered, turning to Rimjhim who had just walked in. 'Aunty, Nishit isn't at home. Did he not know we were coming?'

'Not sure, beta,' Rimjhim replied, after taking Sana in a hug. 'I had told Buta to inform him. Buta, did you not?'

'I had reminded him more than three times,' Buta couldn't help but rub salt over Sana's disappointment. He wasn't very fond of this air-head miss. 'In fact, I had reminded him today morning as well that you are supposed to come,' he added. 'But Bhaiyya said he had no interest meeting anybody.'

'Buta!' Rimjhim intervened, 'Go get a green tea for Sana and a coffee for me,' she said, dismissing the lad. Then turning her attention to a visibly hurt Sana, she continued, 'Darling. Pay him and his big mouth, no attention. Nishit and Vaibhav have given him too much leeway.'

'But aunty, Nishit is actually avoiding me. This isn't the first time. In fact, he's been very vocal about it and it's humiliating to say the least.'

'Oh dear, don't be disheartened. I apologize on his behalf. He's been acting up lately. It's a phase that he will get over. And it's not just you, he's been acting weird with everybody around him. Where's your Mama? Has she come with you? Haven't seem her in a while?' Rimjhim asked, smoothly changing the topic.

'She's waiting for you. And it better be a phase for Nishit. Or else by the time he gains his senses, he would have lost all his friends. There's only this much disrespect one can swallow.'

'Hush. Hush. Don't curse my boy.'

-----

'I left my morning sleep to be here. I think I deserve to know where we're going.' Nishit asked, dumping the camping luggage in the back of jeep. When he had met Sumit at the Cafe that day, he had been extended an invitation for a weekend trip.

He hadn't taken up the offer until day before yesterday when he got to know Sana was visiting.

'The itinerary is still a work in progress. But we start with Bhandardara.' Sumit replied, ' The rest Pramod said, is a surprise.'

'I don't know why I said yes to your invitation but I am getting a very bad feeling about this surprise. All the more since Pramod is involved.' Nishit having loaded the luggage, moved to the passenger seat.

'Chill bro! This is going to be one memorable experience.' Sumit said, keying the vehicle.

'Hopefully' Nishit sighed as the vehicle came to life. Leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes. Perhaps he needed this.

He had a music exam on Monday and he needed to unwind to perform better.

A new chapter!! Will be back by tomorrow to read it.

Thanks for the update! Beautiful. How I missed these two. And I’m hoping ms keerthi makes it to the trip. It’ll be fun!!🤩🤩

Oh just saw this, will return after reading

Would nishit and kriti meet in trip waiting for their meeting

Good to have you back GN.

So this is like a prelude to why Kirti moved in with her mother.

What does Biplab do staying out so late?

Kirti and Lily's friendship is so unique. Love their interactions.

Enjoyed reading Buta and Sana talking. Call it sadistic pleasure but loved it.

So Kirti and Nishit will meet in this trip?

Glad to have you back and part 2 of "Back to you"! 🤗

So that's how Kirti & Nishit ended up in Goa(?) Nishit with his group and Kirti with hers! Looking forward to their actual meet. I hope there is guitar and songs involved 😍 Kyun na music exam ke pehle thoda abhyaas ho jaaye 😆

Lily and Kirti's conversation was cute. It also highlighted how lonely Kirti is in her personal life inspite of tasting success professionally. Their bond is a lot stronger than it used to be before. I guess Lily was the person who was an anchor in Kirti's life when she was going through her worst. I hope Biplab had a reason for not showing up.

Buta was a rockstar as usual. The Laxman to his Ram, so to speak. He clearly knows who's Sita and who's Shurpanakha 😁

P.S. - It took me a while to figure out who Debbie, Sumit and Pramod are. Had to go back a couple chapters 🙈

Glad to hear back from you GN!

Absolutely loved reading this small chapter, looking forward to read this journey of Kirti and Nishit !