Finding Her....Last Love 2

Best friends

Yash

I woke up with a smile on my face, last night confirmed Resh had feelings for me. She responded in my arms like they were familiar to her and for her. She never protested when I kissed her the second time. My fingers brushed my lips, her sweetness still lingers there. My smile grew wide, I had finally confessed my heart and she didn't blow up. I wanted to dance in happiness , I had taken another step to her heart. Spreading my arms wide on the bed , I stared at the ceiling grinning like a fool ; ''What the hell did you do to her that she refuses to leave the room?'' Shikha stood at the door with her arms crossed over her chest. Lifting my torso up , I greeted her with a smile; ''Good morning to you too'' She huffed and marched into the room ''Yash I am serious. She is looking like a ghost. WHat happened?''

''I proposed and kissed'' Shikha's lips made a perfect O with her lips in realization. She nodded once and then went into the sea of thoughts. ''Did she confess?'' I shook my head in response, she slapped her forehead ; ''Then what's the use? Its you who came in open with the feelings. You still don't know what's in her heart''

I don't know what Shikha feared so much. The way Resh kissed me and stayed comfortable in my arms is enough to know her heart. I don't need her confession out loud. I know her heart, our hearts. Yesterday night they there was a perfect synchrony  in their beats. One understood the other and that led to complete surrender. But Shikha thought otherwise; ''Yash, she didn't protest but she didn't accept either. She is wired since morning. Talk to her , please'' . The request and worry in her voice made me think, may be I should speak to Resh about the night. Nodding to Shikha , I left my room to walk into hers.

***

''I don't wnat to talk. Nothing happened. Just forget it'' That made me frown. She stood facing the window , with her back to me. I stood there waiting for her to turn and look at me , but she didn't. She kept asking me to leave her alone as she needed some time. I knew if I left her alone now, I will lose her. So I made a decision. Its now or never , moving to the door I latched it and that got me her attention; ''Yash please understand'' she pleaded

''I will, if you come out clean. What's bothering you? Speak Resh, I am your friend'' She stared at  me with emotional eyes before turning away. My heart constricted, she needed me . Taking steps to her I hugged her from behind. She let out a breath. ''Speak Resh'' She broke the rope of my arms and moved away; ''Yash, we come from different backgrounds . Its best it should stop here'' I am verge of losing my mind, this is the most stupid excuse I have ever heard. ''Reject me if you want to , just don't give me lame excuses. You kissed me Resh, wasn't that enough to accept your feelings''

She slumped against the wall pulling her knees to chest. She looked vulnerable broken, lifting her eyes up she looked into mine; ''I was engaged before, but it ended in a worst way'' I felt lighting struck with with full force, she was engaged. She had committed herself to someone. Her heart had sung songs for someone else. 'She ins't now and does it matter? she is already free'  Questioned my mind. My eyes went to her curled figure, taking a place next to her I sat there silently for a minute. right now he pain and worry matter the most in the world and I will do all to get her rid of it; ''Want to talk''

She huffed; ''After a year of my job, I got engaged to a guy of my parents choice. He was working in US. I tried contacting you to know about him , but ..'' She left the sentence incomplete. I felt guilty for not being there when she needed me. But a part of me celebrated , I was happy she couldn't reach me. Had I given her the good about the guy , I would have lost her. ''Then'' I broke the silence

''We had a age gap of 10 yrs. I wasn't comfortable. But my family loved him. For them I agreed. Gradually we started interacting and I started liking him. He was polite warm and funny. he could make me smile . I enjoyed being around him. Our day of engagement was fixed, mom was excited. She went over board and planned a lavish engagement ceremony for us . She made all things perfect in her hands. I waited with a beating heart for him to come and bind us with a ring. '' She turned quite for a moment. Leaving her place she stood by the window ''you must be thinking they never turned up, on the contrary they did. With an army of guests. We had made good preparations , but the number that turned up was beyond our expectations. Still , my parents tried to manage with what all they had. Slowly the groom side started cribbing, they found faults with every thing. My family and relatives became carpet to satisfy them for my sake, but nothing helped. '' Resh turned silent again, I was shocked to know that still such people existed. How can one parent treat the other with disrespect. Its in human in my terms. My eyes met hers and she swallowed her pain ''then their demands started. They had long list and a reason for it. They had spent bomb for their son's education and now their son was the best catch in the market . Since, I was the one who would reap the benefits of all they had lost in his education, it should be my parents who should pay for it'' She sniffed and I gave her a glass of water. She smiled thanking me softly and gulped whole of it in one go. ''You know, they never seemed so greedy during our courtship, when I tried reasoning he said it was for our future.I knew why they chose the day, there were guests and relatives around. More than half of the city knew of my engagement. If its broken now, fingers will be pointed at me. They knew they could pressurise my parents. They succeeded to some extent as Mom was ready , but something clicked in dad and he refused. Asking all of them to leave, he called off the engagement. The groom side was shocked, their egos were bruised. They created a scene , calling me and my parents names. '' She choked and drank some more water ''there were so many of them Yash. My colleagues from work, friends relatives. Extended family. After the drama they looked at me with pity or I should say something else. I could see and read blames in so many eyes. No one cared what effect it had on me and my family. All they had to say was that my parents were fool to let go a guy earning in dollars in their words, we should have compromised. They said it was waste to spend so much on  getting a girl expensive degree, when they could have utilised same for my dowry''.