SS: Tu rooh ka humnava hai. Yeh jismon ka rishta nahin. Update Page 67 - Page 48

Hey Roohians,

Yes yes you aren't dreaming. The update is finally here. Sorry for taking a whole month to update but I am currently quite busy and also don't get the inspiration to write. As I am on my way to my next trip, I wanted to give an update so that you don't forget that this story ever existed.

I kind of like this chapter. Was waiting for a long to write the paintings part.
It was more or less the way I wanted to write.

I also loved writing on Neil and Naira's conversation.
Naira explained how action speaks louder than words. The trio don't need to tell each other what they mean or how much they love one another.

Naira almost guessed that both her friends have realized their love for each other.

Anyway, no more spoiler. I hope you will love the chapter as much I loved writing it even though it took me forever to finish. And as usual don't mind the typos and the gibberish sentences as I couldn't concentrate during the proofread. 🤣

Neil invited his two best friends for dinner to catch up after their weeks of misunderstandings and anger towards each other. Saira arrived the first while he was still cooking. She wanted to give him a helping hand but he refused. She watched him cook for some time during which they had a short conversation but he felt she was still too reserved. Something was dead inside her. He couldn’t figure out if it was due to the events she went through or if she was still upset with them.

« Can I go to your atelier ? », she asked bored.
« Yes but don’t mind the mess inside. », he replied.

She smiled and walked to the atelier. This was probably the third time she was entering the room but each time she could feel the positive energy. The atelier was a reflection of the man he was. She noticed her shawl on the table which he had refused to return. She shook her head. How can a shawl be his inspiration ? She contemplated one by one all the paintings. Her eyes fell on the cupboard, the one she always found closed. She was always intrigued by it even more because Neil always refused to show her what was inside. She tried her luck and it miraculously opened. The inside looked like his entire creativity was in there. Some colors and brushes, some canvases and many paintings. She checked one by one all of them. The first painting was of a beautiful view with three people’s shadow, easily guessable that it was the trio. She smiled. The next painting was of her where her watch was highlighted, the one that almost blinded him when both were invited at Naira’s Eid party around three years ago.The day he saw her in a saree for the first time and the day she met Samir for the first time. She smiled again surprised to see her painting. He is usually more into painting sceneries than portraits.The third painting was again of her. She was looking up at the polar lights from their Norway trip. This time her eyes were highlighted.They were filled with dreams like a child in a wonderland. She moved to the fourth painting, an abstract mess of colors which had no significance. The fifth painting was of a snowfall wintery scenery and she was relieved that she wasn’t in those canvases.

After taking a break from her emotions, she went back to see the remaining paintings. The sixth one was of her from their first trip. She was holding that lemonade bottle she savagely dropped to make fun of Naira and her bangles were highlighted. She reminisced that moment and clearly remembered that he didn’t like the jingling sound of them then why did he paint them with such great passion ? Her head started spinning. She moved to the next painting. She was on the back of Blanchette in her wedding dress. She looked into space remembering about the nightmare they went through that day. She checked the next one. It was a painting of Naira. « Finally ! », she sighed. She looked at the next four paintings and she found herself in all of them. In one of them she was with Neil’s little niece Rebekkah with same biker look. She smiled unconsciously as it was a cute moment. That little girl was her mini version. In another one she was with him inside a yellow Lisbon tram, a similar painting to the picture taken by the lady who thought they were lovers. She went nostalgic that the moment was so beautiful but back then she wasn’t aware of her feelings. The next one was a random portrait of her with one of her best smiles. The last one was from the party organized by his friend during which he had thrown her in the pool. She looked extremely sensuous in her blue saree. Her hair, her saree and her entire body were wet.

She was stunned in front of so many paintings of her. It was quite strange that he had painted her so many times despite of not being comfortable with portraits. She wanted to know why he had eight paintings of her against only one of Naira. Neil who realized that she was away since quite a long time, joined her in the atelier and found her completely shaken up. He cursed himself for forgetting to close the cupboard. He looked at her worriedly till she broke her silence.

« Why do you have so many paintings of me ? », she asked.
« You are… my muse. », he lied.

« Your muse. », she repeated in her head with a pinching pain in her heart. The doorbell rang and he disappeared to let Naira in. Saira closed her eyes and let her tears roll down her cheeks. For a millisecond she thought maybe he had the same feelings as her but it turned out that she was just a muse to his passion. She looked one last time at the paintings and then walked out of the room.

« So the trio is finally reunited. », Naira said as soon as she saw Saira.
« I am hungry so let's eat first ? », Neil suggested.

The dinner went in silence for Saira while the other two were blabbering. Soon after, she pretented that she needed to give a phone call to her cousin and went away. Some time later she came back and informed that she needed to leave urgently.

« It's late. I will drop you in a while. », Naira said.
« It's only ten o'clock. I will take the bus. », Saira replied.

She thanked Neil for the invitation and said bye to both her friends before leaving. Naira and Neil were quite taken aback by her sudden decision to leave. They didn't say it out loud but they knew she was just looking for excuses to leave. When they thought that things were going back to normal, they realized it wasn't actually the case. Upset by their failed dinner night Neil brought the Tiramisu he made earlier. They shared it in silence.

« You know with all the things that happened, I want to tell you something. When I thought I was about to die I realized that there are a few people I never said how much I love them. So Naira, I love you. You are that friend everyone needs in their lives. », Neil said.
« I know you do and you don't have to tell me. Actions speak louder than words. Planning a whole freaking trip to celebrate my birthday means more than a I love you. Handling me during my weakest moment means more than a I love you. Leaving your food in the middle of a dinner to get me extra sauce so that I can eat peacefully means more than a I love you. Saira, you and I know how much we love each other. We don't have to say I love you and thank you. But there is a relationship that needs the words to be spoken because both of you are unaware of those feelings. This I love you, you should say it to Saira and not just as a friend but as the man who loves her crazily. », she said.

Neil smiled and hugged her. In the last four years she has been continuously teasing him. Never did he think that it will turn into reality. What he failed to understand, she had understood it long ago.

« We are just friends and nothing else... not even that nowadays. », he said breaking the hug.
« Some people love to complicate things. », she rolled her eyes.
« Yes like you and Yohann. », he stuck his tongue out at her. « So did something happen after that day ? », he added.
« Yes we have spent the night together... », she started.
« Spare me the details. », he covered his ears.
« Idiot ! », she slapped his shoulder, « Not that way. He stayed to make sure that I was fine. We just stayed into each other's arms. », she explained.
« But let me guess. You didn't talk. », he predicted.
« Not much. », she said making a sad face.
« Don't let him go away if you still love him. », he said.
« Wait Neil Nazareth is telling me not to let him go ? Are you sick ? Do you have fever ? », she made fun of him by checking his temperature.
« Yohann and I don't like each other much but I know that he loves you and you also love him so I don't actually have a choice. », he replied.
« Wooow this new bromance is a treat to watch. Even he was defending you and was worried for you. », she said with a chuckle.

Holding a coffee mug in her hands Saira looked up at the moon. His words that she was just a muse were hauntingly repeating in her head. A few days ago she had made up her mind that she would rather spend the rest of her life alone than be with someone else. She promised herself that she won't expect anything from Neil but now it was getting so hard to keep the promise. Neil not reciprocating the love was hurting her.

« In a sense it's a good thing if he doesn't love you Saira. You can't be with him. Your parents will never accept this relationship. It's better to suffer from one sided love than suffer from separation despite being in love with each other. », she said to herself. « Why are you even thinking about it when there is no chance of him falling for you ? », she asked to herself.

She wiped away her tears and drank the coffee before going to bed.

Naira also left around midnight. After saying goodbye to her Neil went to his atelier. He sat down near the paintings. « Muse », he cursed himself for finding such a lame excuse to hide his feelings but smiled seeing the paintings.

« In this last four years you have been painting her but still you couldn't figure out why ? How couldn't you see it that you were in love with her from the starting ? », he asked to himself.

He got up and put the paintings back inside the cupboard and went to sleep.


Worried with Saira's current behavior and mood, Neil and Naira decided to remind her how happy they were before. Naira took her at Neil's favorite place. The place were he had taken both the girls in the past to contemplate the stars and the moon. The place where he had his breakdown after realizing his feelings for Saira. Both the best friends have decorated that place with flowers, lightning and their pictures. Saira was surprised. It wasn't her birthday then what was the surprise for ?

« What are we celebrating ? », she asked her friends.
« Friendship. », Naira answered quickly.
« Look at these pictures. We were so happy. You were so happy and lively. We miss the old days and the old you. », Neil said hugging her from the back and pointing his finger at the pictures. « You haven't forgiven us yet. That's why we wanted to remind you all our moments spent together. », he added breaking the hug.

Saira looked at their picnic arrangement and sat down. The other two followed her.

« I wouldn't have accepted your apologies if I didn't wanted to forgiveyou. », she started.
« Then why are you avoiding us ? », Naira asked. « We feel like this friendship is falling apart. », she added.
« You have forgiven us but you are unable to forget. », Neil remarked.
« It's not that. », she said then after a long pause she added, « At some point in our lives despite being surrounded by the loved ones we feel that we are lonely because there are things that we can't share. ».
« Then share it with us. What's bothering you and that too since your bachelorette party ? », Neil asked.

Both the girls stared at him. Saira was surprised that he noticed something was wrong from the moment she realized her feelings. Naira was now pretty sure that Saira must have realized her feelings but she was too scared to share it.

« I was happy being engaged to the perfect match but deep down I wasn't happy with the wedding. I didn't want to get married. And then there is also that lost memory that I am unable to get back. My heart is telling me that that short part of my life is very important. I am angry and frustrated that I can't remember anything about that moment. », she confessed.
« Don't put too much pressure on your brain it can be harmful. », Neil said feeling uneasy.
« That's all ? No because till now it was so difficult for you to share it and suddenly you are sharing it so easily. », Naira remarked.

Neil looked at her questioningly. What was she trying to do ? Make her run away again

Saira chuckled, « Do you want more problems in my life ? »
« Obviously not. », Naira replied.
« Good that you brought the food because my stomach is ready to growl in a moment. », Saira brushed off her friend's remark.

During the time they were together she tried to show that the old Saira was slowly coming back. She wanted to be happy like before forgetting everything. To save their friendship she was ready to keep aside her changed feelings for him and she was ready to forget that he distanced himself from her when she needed him the most.
When the time came to leave, they put all the things inside Naira's car. At last she handed the pictures to Saira.

« Keep them. You need the most so that they remind you we are the S2N trio. », Naira said to her friend.
« Shut up ! », Saira rolled her eyes.

Naira let Neil drop Saira so that they can spend some time together. Saira put her belongings on the backseat and saw two religious books on the seat. One was on Christianity and the other one on Islam. She closed the door and took place on the passenger seat. Stunned she was glancing at him while he was driving.

« Why are you staring at me like this ? », he asked.
« I am not. », she replied moving her head.
« Kuch bhi. », he shook his head.

Saira couldn't stop from smiling. This was the second time in four years he uttered some Hindi words in front of her.

« What ? », he asked.
« That was cute. », she said.
« You know what's actually cute ? », he asked squeezing her cheek.
« Ouuuuchhhh !! », she rubbed her cheek looking daggers at him while he was smiling.