Manvi stood unmoved as she kept looking at Virat who was sitting on the floor with a sullen face, there were so many thoughts conquering her mind that she didn't know what she should be doing at that moment, she has already hurt him so much...What if anything she does now results in hurting him more. 'Should she just give some time alone for him and leave... she too would get some time for her to sort out things that way' she wondered, 'Virat was in love with her.... Love...' she repeated inwardly, he was never more or less than a friend for her... he was her best friend... who she thought was easy to share her emotions and feelings with... something she only did with her Nanu before he entered her life, no one around them ever questioned about their friendship... No one saw or looked at them with a different point of view... She knew she cared for him, she knew she wanted him to lead a happy life and she also doesn't want to lose him... But how did she not realize that his happiness depended on her? Leaving all those things aside, what was she going to tell him now? He had after all confessed his feelings towards her... and walking away would hurt him more...
Minutes passed as they thought about the happenings of the past one hour, Virat was just silently blaming himself for messing up everything,
Manvi released a deep breath as she dragged her numb self towards him, she couldn't just possibly leave him alone to suffer,
"Virat," she called out softly to a visibly lost Virat,
"Virat..." she tried to gain his attention by touching his arm,
"Uh... hmm..." Virat broke his trance and looked at her face but moved them away in a jiffy, he was apprehensive about looking into her eyes... clearly displaying the guilt and embarrassment,
Manvi understood his situation and tried to make him comfortable by locking his fingers with her own in a tight grip, touching him was not difficult for her anymore,
Virat's body instantly warmed up by her small yet sweet gesture, a gesture which told him that she was not upset with him,
"Virat... I... I..um.. I'm sorry... I'm really sorry," she paused and gestured him to let her speak, "Nahi... don't stop me please... Let me talk... I'll go crazy if I don't... I really need to say this..." she pleaded and he calmed letting her continue... "I'm really sorry ki, I never understood you... It all might have been unintentional, but galti toh galti hoti hai... toh please uske liye mujhe maaf kar dena... Don't know why... But I never understood or saw through your mind... Anyway I can't change what has already happened but I really don't want to hurt you anymore..."
Manvi pressed his hand as she tried to look into his eyes... he gave into her silent plea by locking his gaze with her.
"Par sabse pehle, promise me that you'll never feel guilty"
"But..." Virat started however she hushed him by shaking her head in denial,
"No Virat, Tumhe guilty feel kar ne ki koi zarurat nahi hai... Pyar kar na koi paap nahi hai... Pyar toh ho jata hai... Haina?" She asked caringly as if she was talking to some kid but not a grown up adult, Virat gazed at her adoringly while she pressed his hand yet again,
"Aur jo tumhare man mein hain... woh bol na bhi buri baat nahi hoti... Suppressing your feelings will only make it worse... I understand it because I have gone through that too... Jab Nanu aur tum dono mere paas nahi thei tho I had no one to talk too... And trust me it hurts a lot... And tumhare liye toh it must have been tougher... You were never a person to keep things inside..." She chuckled softly remembering his impatience when it comes to even a trivial thing during college,
Her laughter died and she fell silent for few minutes, Virat's body tensed up getting the hint,
"I don't know..." She paused and moved her gaze away from him, fearing about hurting him yet again.
"Mere man mein tumhare liye kya hain, yeh mujhe nahi patha..." she stopped and turned to meet his soft yet hurt filled gaze, her heart squirmed and she felt her body shudder...
"I just want you to know that... that I will never even think of leaving your side, I promise to be your companion throughout this life, A promise to be with you forever... Don't think that I'm saying all these to make you feel better... No... I'm saying this because I could never think of a life without you, I have already lost you once, but not again... I... I... just don't mind what relationship I share with you, be it friendship or something more than that... I just..." she paused and sighed, trying hard to express herself, "You're getting what I'm trying to say right?" she asked searching his face for a hint of understanding, and felt her body relax to an extent when a hesitant smile overtook the place of hurt on his face, they locked their gaze for few minutes before Manvi looked away,
"So am I going to get a hug?" Virat tried to make the situation light, and Manvi stared open mouthed,
"What?" He asked trying to give a smile,
"Ho gaya na... Pehle jaise besharam..." She played along with him,
"Am I going to get the same reaction as before... 'Chee... hato battameez...' huh?" he mimicked,
"You know me very well..." she replied snatching her hand away from him, all their tries of making the situation light going waste,
They both stood up as Virat followed Manvi to the room, she clicked the bed side lamp on which instantly brought a faint light to the earlier pitch dark room, Manvi took about two steps forward to leave the room but let the farce she was carrying on break by turning and engulfing him in a tight hug, Virat who was not expecting the sudden blow did not react or hug her back,
"Why are you doing this Virat...? Kyun kar rahe ho yeh sab..." She sobbed into his chest, but Virat didn't let her tears affect him,
"Itna pyar mat karo Virat mujhse... Keh do khi tum sirf meri saath nahi palki mere pyar bhi chahthe ho... Don't be so selfless Virat... Don't give up so quickly... Don't hurt yourself like this... Don't pretend to be happy when you are not..." Virat closed his eyes tightly as he restrained himself from touching her,
Manvi shook him by his shoulder to relax his body which was stiff like an iron rod, "We both know that you're not happy... We both know that you want more... but you're just pretending to be happy because you don't want to hurt me... itna mat socho mere barein mein Virat... Kabhi kabhi selfish hona bhi zaruri hain, mere saath toh tumhe selfish ban neki pura haq hai... don't hesitate to let me know what is in your mind... demand me to love you back Virat... Your silence, the farce you put up hurts me more... I feel guilty... I feel like dying when I see you so hurt..." Virat felt his hand move to her back, giving up on his pretence only to stop hurting her, she had got him right, he wanted nothing but to hold her close to him and demand her to reciprocate his love, his feelings... he have had enough with the pretence.
Virat pulled her closer to him while hiding his face in her hair, the warmth and her intoxicating scent was more than enough for him to lose his sense and whisper the two words he was dying to say since forever, "Love me..." he inhaled deeply to calm his nerves... "Love me..." he repeated, this time a bit persistently...
Manvi closed her eyes while a small smile grazed her lips, peace overtaking her mind, true she thought that sharing their feelings would clear the misunderstanding between them, but she never thought that it would help them understand each other so much, nor did she expect to share such comfort with him, she felt as if this was she wanted for years... like a dream come true... she wanted to say that she in no way would trust anyone else with her heart, that he will be the first and the only one she was going to give the second chance to... but she knew better,
Manvi broke the embrace slowly as Virat loosened his grip, she smiled and cupped his face looking right through his eyes, she knew he needed a promise... a promise for the journey of love, she moved closer to him pressing her lips softly on his forehead and his eyes fluttered shut with the butterfly touch, soft and deep at the same time... a kiss of promise, she moved away after lingering her lips on his warm skin for a while, his eyes still closed,
"Go to sleep..." she whispered making him lay on the bed, he didn't open his eyes to look at her but kept it close to drink in the moment of closeness and slipped into a peaceful slumber in no time... Hoping and dreaming to live a happy life with his love, Manvi...
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