(Somewhere in New York City...)
"Congratulations Mr. Shrivastav!" he said with a booming slurred voice.
I saw Chris in the crowd of people, with his wife Melanie on his arm trying to calm him down.
I smiled and I gave him a hug.
"How is the guy that got me the biggest case of the year enjoying his party!" he said with a little slur in his speech.
I smiled.
"He is doing great." I said.
A waiter passed and was carrying a platter of wine and I took one.
I brought the glass close to my lips before I heard Melanie calling my name.
I lifted my eyebrow towards her direction.
"Kunal?" she said.
I smiled.
"I'm sorry I didn't hear...what did you say?" I said.
"I said what happened to Priya...I thought you guys were coming together?" she said.
Priya...
"It's a party...are you interested in coming?" I said.
She was busy trying to adjust her makeup, adding fake eyelashes and putting on lipstick when she turned to me.
"Sorry Kunal, I cannot Sonia invited me to a party and you know I haven't seen her and the girls in a looonnnggg. I promise next time I will come with you." She said.
I sighed and she rushed up against me, pressing her breast against my chest.
"Priya..."
She pouted.
"I'm sorry Kunal. I will make it up to you." She said staring at my lips with hunger.
Her nails crept along the front of my dress jacket.
I looked at Melanie who was able to calm down her husband from riling himself up again and she looked at me.
"So did you guys set the date yet? I know your mother was insistent in getting you guys together?" she said.
My smiled died.
Mom was insistent she liked Priya and she was complaining that we have been together for three years and haven't popped the question.
But truth be told I wasn't interested.
"Kunal!"
Her face popped into my head, her voice...
I shook my head and I gripped the base of my glass tightly recalling her image.
"Kunal!"
I became tensed as I started to remember her smile, her eyes, and the way she would always squeeze my nose.
"Sorry Kunal...I'm not interested in you...lets break up." she said.
No remorse, no emotions she just stated it and she walked away, bags in hand and she walked out the door.
I was going to respond until my phone started vibrating.
I dug in my pocket and retrieved my phone.
"Sorry Melanie excuse me?" I said.
"Oh sure." She said smiling.
I was walking away and that seemed to rile Chris from his drunken stupor when he started yelling.
"Kunal where you going? I need to honor my best man...my best partner...my friend that always have my back." Chris said in his slurred speech.
I didn't recognize the number but I answered it anyway.
"Hello?" I said.
No answer.
"Hello?" I repeated.
No answer again and I was about to hang up until I heard a soft voice said..
"Gummy bear." The voice said.
I paused in disbelief.
There was no way.
"You didn't hear me? I said gummy bear. Don't you remember you would say chocolate." The voice said.
It was such a light voice, very soft and spoke of softness and gentleness but the woman behind the voice wasn't the same.
"Kunal...why are you silent?"
I tried releasing the breath I was holding on to dear life every since I heard her voice.
"What do you want?" I said in a calm and emotionless voice.
She paused and then she chuckled.
"Isn't it obvious Kunal...I want you." She said.
"I don't want you." I said.
I was going to cut the call until she said her next statement.
"It's our anniversary Kunal. It's been 10 years. Aren't you going to come here to celebrate?" she said.
"Here? Where" I said.
"Our old apartment. Meet me there." She said.
"I will not come there you can stay there all day and all night. I don't want to ever see your face again Shraddha!" I said loudly.
I was oblivious of the people that were starting to stare at me at my raised voice.
"Kunal...I will be waiting." She said and she cut the call before I could respond.
I drew the phone away from my ear and wanted to toss it onto the floor but I regained control.
"Kunal...I will be waiting..."
She will continue to wait I wasn't going to come.
"Its been 10 years...our old apartment..."she said.
I wanted to forget it and let it go I wanted to forget and just dismiss her and forget her.
I love you Kunal..."
I remember her words and I wanted to smile but the another memory popped up but I also remember her coldness.
"I hate you...this is the end of us."
*********************
I opened the door to the apartment and found that it was opened.
I opened the door and was inside a room that was covered in darkness except for the bright lights that were streaming through from the large panel window.
Everywhere was covered in plastic and pushed to the side of the room.
The only thing uncovered was a large bed smack in the middle of the room.
I looked up and noticed the figure close to the window and I wanted to shut the door and walk away.
What was I doing here...there was no point...
I wanted to go back.
I should walk away.
I wanted to but the figure by the window turned around and I was struck in my spot.
I wish I could find one flaw that was wrong with her that somehow she somehow aged during her years or life wasn't kind to her but she seemed to look even better than she did 10 years ago.
The moon was shining on her face, showing her brown eyes, nose, lips and her body that was covered in a beautiful black saree.
She was like a scary living portrait.
This wasn't good. I was getting drawn in once again. I should have never have come.
I was about to turn and walk out the door.
"Wait." She said.
I looked at her and she had a smile on her face.
Don't fall for it.
"Why did you call me here?" I said.
"I missed you Kunal." She said.
"Isn't it too late. Last time I heard you and your husband was happily off vacationing in Macau." I said with scorn.
"My husband? I heard you and your future wife are getting married soon. How is Priya by the way?" she said.
"I'm not interested in Priya and you know it." I said by mistake.
Why did I tell her that?
She smiled.
"Of course you aren't it's all your mom's direction isn't it. The same with you deciding to leave me and deciding to start going out with Priya..."
"What are you talking about you were the one that broke up with me first." I said agitated.
She smiled.
"Your mother was insistent for us breaking up and weren't you about to do that?"
I didn't say anything and she smiled.
"Plus you were doing big things with your life and I was still holding you back. I guess your mother didn't like that did she?" She said.
"You are looking for excuses. I was never going to break up with you. You using that as your excuse for leaving me and marrying someone else." I said.
She didn't say anything and instead she lifted her hand close to my face.
"I missed you Kunal. It's been too long." She said.
I pulled her hand from my face.
"You don't have the right to do that Shraddha. You left me for him and you don't have the right to enter it and leave whenever you so please."
She smiled.
She came closer to me and she placed her hand on my heart and she smiled.
"But your heart is beating...really fast. Is it because of me?" she said smiling.
I looked away.
"Why are you doing this?" I said in a tortured agonized voice.
"Because I love you Kunal." She said.
"You don't love me." I said.
"I do. I loved you before I even knew what the words meant. Of course I do."
Her hands trailed to my lips and before I knew it she leaned up and was trying to kiss me and I froze.
"Plus you were my first. I was your first how I can not love you." She said.
She pressed her lips against mine, applying more pressure and pushing her body against mine. She wrapped her hands around my waist and I wanted to push her away from me for all her lies, all her betrayal all of our frustration...
She released her lips against mine and she stared at me.
"Don't fight this Kunal. This is where you belong, you belong with me." She said.
I wanted to push her away but her words, her voice, having her here with me...where we both started everything together where we shared everything together.
Instead I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer into my arms.
*********************
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