Complete still empty...

After a long journey of approx thirty hours from Delhi to Shimla finally, she was standing in her home town. Her eyes went through that old station, same old benches and small tea stalls nothing has changed in these three years. She took a deep breath and felt the fragrance of her home town. It doesn't matter where do you live or where do you enjoy at the end your home town will be your favorite place and memory. Unknowingly her lips turned into a curve. Just then her eyes fell over one of an old bench near a pole. Her feet started walking towards the bench on their own. She touched the bench and some memories flashed in front of her eyes.
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"Don't worry... Everything will be fine..." He said while comforting her after looking at her sad face. She nodded in yes but didn't say anything. He could sense her fear but still tried to lighten the moment.

"Are.. Say something... yaar.."

"Yeah I know everything will be fine..." She snapped.

He held her hands sat on his knees and looked deep into her eyes. He could see some tears there clearly.

"We're not getting apart. It's just for some years we'll be together again. And I promise even if I won't get time to talk to you I'll make myself free to talk to you on weekends. And promise me you'll do the same." He said still looking into her eyes. She didn't say anything and just hugged him.

"Pakka na... Hum saath honge..?" she asked while sobbing. His shoulder became soggy with her tears. He caressed her back.

"Haa pakka baba.. And you know what after three years whenever we'll return after completing our studies this bench will be our meeting point... Dekh lena..." His voice gave her a little bit relief but still her fear was getting deeper with every passing moment.
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"Chai garam chai..." This loud voice brought her back into present. She wiped her tears out and left the place while taking her stuffs without giving a second look at the bench.

At Night:

She was walking up the lane beside main road which was already fully covered with snow. She too was feeling cold now but she still had to walk a long distance to reach her destination. Suddenly her foot got hit with a stone and she fell on the road. Resting her back with nearby railing she looked on her palms which had turned red as she fell and may be a little bit because of cold.
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"Don't you know how to walk...? Humesha girte padte chalti ho... Now show me where've you got the injury" He said and sat beside her.

"And don't you know how to talk..? I won't show anything to you...." She said with a pout on her face.

"Ok baba.. Sorry.. Now please show me where've you gone hurt..?" He said while holding his ears. She looked at him and kept her both palms in front of him indicating at them. He looked at them smiled and kissed both on her palms. She giggled like a small child.
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She again giggled and blushed same as that time. Then she realized that those moments are just in her memories she can't live them back. And her eyes got moist. How weird these memories are...? "Sweetest memory hides bitterest pain inside it."

She stood at her own and resumed her walk. Within half hour she reached her destination. She was standing on the part of the hill from where she was able to see through whole Shimla. She was here after four years. Four years ago Aarav had brought her here on their first date anniversary. Aarav this name was special and her heart still used to pound with his name. She kept staring at the city and her tears kept rolling down her cheeks. May be sometimes it's good to shed tears as no words can explain your feelings. And she did the same.
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Three years ago she was happy with him. They used to spend a lot of time together talking to each other, talking about each other's future. Ashmita was a girl who wanted to fly in the open sky with her own wings. She wanted to flourish her career her own identity. But her ambitions never changed her priorities and those were her Aarav and her family. She wanted to fly in this sky, she wanted to earn name and fame for her and for her family and all this while she wanted Aarav to be beside her. And Aarav he never wanted anything more than her. She was his first and last wish... His dream girl.

Life was good with each other. But we all know it was starting not the end of the story. Love is a test in itself. Everything was going smoothly until they both decided to go out of town for their higher studies. They used to think that love is all that is important to live a happy life. But they were wrong with time they realized sometimes time plays a crucial role and unknowingly you fall apart of the person you thought you never would. After leaving shimla life happened and naturally they started growing apart. Although Ashmita tried her best to sum up things together yet.... It's truly said that two people live together only by the efforts they both make to be together. And in their relation she was the one who was trying to make efforts alone, but she could also feel her fear coming true and finally the day came when it became the reality.

"It's not that I didn't love you but...." She heard him saying

"But what...??" She asked with a heavy heart.

"But I think we should now end up here..." He said straightly

She got numb at his sentence. Although she knew this will be his answer yet now her heart wanted to stop beating.

"Look please don't get emotional... I'm sorry... But it's important to focus over our career and we can't do that if we'll be together." He justified himself.

"Did you ever love me...?" He heard her teary voice.

"Hey... I still do.... But I think it's far more better to be apart than to live life in fear of losing each other... Try to be practical and then think about it...." He answered.

"It's only been eight months we'll learn to cope up with it... How can you give up like this...?" She asked

"Look I don't wanna waste more time over this discussion. So please accept it." He cut her in the middle and after a pause he bid her Bye.

They didn't talk to each other after that day. She tried to call him but he never picked her call up and after one year she also blocked his number.
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Life happened again and they became busy with their lives and never tried to contact each other. Today she didn't know why was she here. She shouldn't have been but sometimes our heart proved out to be more stubborn than mind.

If they would have been together this was their fifth date anniversary. After two and a half hour she realized that she had been here for so long and now her cell is full of missed calls from her home. She couldn't hear the ringtone as her phone was on silent mode. She turned to leave when her gaze fell over a familiar figure. Her heart skipped for a moment and naturally she started feeling lack of breath. Her throat was getting shore. She kept staring at the person. He was also staring at her.

"Why did you do that to me Mr. Aarav...? Why..?" Her eyes had so many questions inside them and his eyes had just one word "Sorry.." But maybe it was too late for this.

They kept staring at each other for some moments then Ashmita moved her gaze and looked at her phone which was beeping again. She tried to walk but her body denied to team up with her mind. Her feet were flattering and she was feeling dizzy still, she didn't want him to see that she still cares about his presence. But was it possible...? He could feel her pain but may be it was too late for him to realize about her pain. He wanted to hold her, he wanted to support her, He wanted to hug her tightly and fix every broken pieces inside her. But today he didn't feel that courage in him.

She took a deep breath and walked away slowly. Aarav kept staring at her retreating figure until she vanished. His tears slid down his cheeks.

"Sometimes we don't understand value of the person until we lose them."

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