Our Hill of Stars

RAJ X MANMEET

✨ Once Again ✨

Prompt : Based on the current track. Manmeet gets bail and she returns home.

Twisting and turning on her bed, Manmeet was trying hard to sleep but couldn't. Sleep was far away from her eyes, despite of being extremely exhausted and worked up after two stressful, nerve racking days of her work life and no sleep.
Last night also, she wasn't able to sleep for she couldn't actually recover from what happened between Mr Bhairav and her. An utterly ugly verbal spat that may have turned physical from his side if Raj wouldn't have walked inside the office. Manmeet shuddered at the thought of it only. Someone getting so enraged that he was ready to hit her just because she didn't encourage the unhealthy practices in her office, she had given so many years of her life, building, working and making it a success. It is frightening and sick. Totally sick!

Manmeet covered herself with duvet again, as it slipped down her shoulders. Though Mumbai's temperature remains oddly hot, yet she was shivering. She was satisfied that Anmol has been sleeping with her mom and dad otherwise her little child would have been tensed and irritated, on seeing her like this. His mother has just returned from jail for a crime she did not commit. In fact to ensure that something like this never happens with her dream project, she had denied the advances of Mr Bhairav so fiercely and adamantly. But her efforts reaped her nothing in return. What she earned out of her courage and honesty are tears, that don't dare to come out of her dry, tired eyes, a dying reputation, shattered dream of Sky City, death of three innocent workers, a day in jail and fear in her parents' eyes.

Manmeet was struggling in her bed, to sleep, to not think about her last two days, she spent only in stress. She has been trying hard to not get bothered about anything right now but everything is eating her up. She feels as if things have not only gone out of her hands but have suffered damage beyond repair. Nothing can be ever the same. Be it her respect for Mr Bhairav, her equation with Raj, her situation in office, her dream project, her dedication for it, not even her. Nothing can be the same anymore.

"Manmeet! Manmeet!" There was a light tap on her shoulder as she was drowned in her over whelming thoughts. She recognised the voice and lowered her duvet that was covering her face previously.

Raj was lying on the other half of her double bed, right in front of her. He was wearing a navy blue coloured branded sweat shirt and black jogger style pants. She led out a defeated sigh as her lips quivered at his touch. Raj softly ran his fingers on the side of her face, tucking loose strands of her hairs behind her ears. He was gentle.
"Itna khoi hui thi ke mai darwaza khol ke andar aa gaya, tumhare paas aakar let gaya or tumhe pata bhi nhi chala. Haan?" He breathed seeing her.
Manmeet stared at him. The man, she loves the most. Raj. Is she dreaming? Has she fallen asleep finally or else? He is in real, present in her room?

Raj held her hand, she had put under her head and caressed it. His heartbeat relaxed on seeing Manmeet after the chaos that happened today, though he could clearly hear her racing ones in the cold silence of night. He hadn't seen her the entire day. When she was in imprisoned for the mishap that occurred at Sky City for two hours, when she was fighting a battle alone in the police station, he wasn't there. He couldn't meet her personally because he was trying his best to settle the matter without hurting his father and the woman he has fallen for - Manmeet Shergill.
Surprisingly he has fallen for a girl who is superior to him in every damn walk of life. She fights for her dreams, unlike him who has given up his desire to be a stand up comedian just because now his dad knows about it. She is brutally honest with her work, unlike him who started his job at the foundation of a lie and now a long lost revenge. She is the best. Strongest. Admirable. But today as he looks at her, she looks nothing but tired.