Could This Be Love

Chapter 40❤

"I.. I am fine.." Hritika said with a small smile. "Thanks for asking....what about you? How are you?"

"I'm great!" He lied.

"And your girlfriend?" Hritika asked, her throat got heavy at the end.

Aarav was gobsmacked. His girlfriend? What?

"What?" He questioned.

"That girl.. she's your girlfriend.. isn't she? It looked like..that.. " she stated.

Aarav was hurt, she questioned his commitment towards her.

He painfully chuckled "that's what you think? She was a mere intern..." He looked away, disappointed.

"I uh- am sorry.. I thought-"

"That I've moved on?" He laughed painfully.

Hritika looked down.

"By the way, congratulations on the new achievement! The media is all over you.." Aarav genuinely smiled.

"Thanks... sometimes they interfere too much.. earning money by writing their own stories on my life" Hritika shortly said.

"I understand.. I was shocked too, when they wrote about about you being in a relationship with Sean Reed." Aarav said looking away.

"It's not like that."

"I know." Aarav smiled.

"You know? I thought you'd-"

"I'd trust news channels over you? Nah.. somethings changed.. you too should change your opinion about how I didn't trust you...and I... I regret that..too much.. I am sorry.." Aarav said, swallowing his tears back, not wanting to show his emotions.

"We can't change it.. I guess.." Hritika said.

"I understand...I really do..but I hope you'd too understand my state back then and forgive my mistake.." Aarav looked down.

Hritika walked to sit near him "I forgave you long back Aarav, but the I couldn't digest the fact you accused me of killing dad!" She laughed painfully.

Aarav ran his hands through his hair to calm the storm going on in his insides. He took her hands in his and looked at her "I am genuinely sorry Hritika! I really am! And to be honest, no I'm not fine! I feel so empty, so dead.. without you..your leaving me made me realise quite a few things and one of them was I can't live without you.."

Hritika looked at his eyes but she couldn't find any hint of lies. All she saw was genuine feelings. Her own eyes filled with treacherous tears.

"It wasn't easy for me either, Aarav. I had a hard time..but.. I think what we went through had a bright side.. and we both have move past that-"

"Talk for yourself..not me.. you've no idea about me.. what I've been through..what I've felt like..you didn't give two fucks.." Aarav took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. "Hritika, I understand if you're really really angry or disappointed with me.. I understand it.. but don't judge me so quickly.. I might be not as expressive as I should be, I fail to express my grief publically, but I'm only human, how long I'm gonna hold it in?"

She has never thought of it this way. Was she really that selfish? But she has struggled too, after all he really crossed his limits by accusing her of things she couldn't even think of. But has he not been punished enough? Has he not gone through a lot of pain? Well, so has she. But does that justify her leaving him abruptly? Leaving a settled little shelter for a mistake which she knew he didn't mean.

Did spoken words weigh more than the feelings he had for her? The feelings which never let him hate her, the feelings which never let him move on, the feelings that provided him hope.

Hritika, too, struggled in her thoughts justifying and maybe defending her actions but her mind was a chaotic shelter by now. She felt suffocated at the realisation that she too has made a mistake.

"I... I should go now....." She breathed.

Both of their love was yet go through more. Will they stand strong? Will they still love each other?

Or

Was this ever love? Could this ever be love?

_______________________________________

Penning down this story made me realise a few things.. I never knew the characters will take this kinda turn or they'll grow to be this.. it was my own heart drafting the #Aarika story.

Well, I never wanted perfect characters. Aarav and Hritika both are characters with imperfections painting their own kind of story.

Sometimes people were rude and said this story is similar to some other ones but what they don't realise is that there are thousands of arranged marriage stories and the basics are kind of similar for their concept is sorta the same because it's all about arranged marriages!

This story has been an amazing journey for me and especially because of the readers! They commented such sweet and funny things!