🍁"I'll Never Be That Me Again"🍁
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Aashi's P.O.V.
I woke up with a pain in my head. I winced in annoyance. Scrunching my nose, I shut my eyes again. Someone switch off the lights, I mentally prayed.
"Take the medicine", a familiar sound echoed in my ears. I opened my one eye and saw Veronica standing right in front of me. Am I hallucinating?
"Veronica", I said looking at her in awe. I never thought I'd see her again this soon. She's is in India!! She kept a pill in my hand and forwarded a glass of water towards me. I quietly took the medicine and let the pain subside. I lay down again and slept. Maybe I'm dreaming. How can Veronica be here?
I again woke up for the second time. Dhruv was sitting in front of me on the chair. He got up and supported me to sit down. I rested my back on the head side of the bed. Did I imagine Dhruv to be Veronica?
"Hey, aashi. How are you feeling?", He asked. I noticed the side of my bed was wet. Even my top was a bit wet. Did someone throw water on me? Was I in that deep slumber?
"A bit dizzy", I replied and then my mind started working. I was in the cafe with Naina. How did I end up in my bed? What's happening?
"What am I doing here? Where is Naina?", I asked. Dhruv's eyes held pity for me.
"She's in this hotel room but soon, I'll book her a room in hell", a very fuming Veronica walked inside the room. My eyes widened. Is this real? I wasn't hallucinating. Veronica is standing right in front of me. My eyes welled up. The feeling of home, I feel with this beautiful friend of mine, I cannot find anywhere.
I started crying and extended my arms forward. Veronica hugged me and I let my pain fade away in her arms. She's my sister. My soulmate. Yes, friends can be soulmates too. We're not related by blood but this bond is forever and I mean it.
"Don't cry, my baby girl. I'll protect you. I adopted you after all", she mocked and I couldn't help but giggle in between my tears.
When I composed myself back , I saw Dhruv staring at me with amusement. He was looking at me with emotions I couldn't understand. He looked like he was seeing me for the first time. He had a look of pain on his face.
"What's wrong?", I asked.
"Nothing. I just missed you", he said shrugging his shoulder and I raised my eyebrows. Why did he say that? I looked at Veronica. She was nodding to his comment as if she understood him.
Am I missing something?
"Care to enlighten. What am I being unknown to?", I asked.
"A lot of things. Aashi, I need you to listen to me patiently and calmly. Whatever I'm going to tell you will blow your mind and you might start having an identity crisis. But the truth needs to be unfolded", Veronica said. I started at her confused. I spared a glance at Dhruv and he too had a serious expression on his face.
"Okay", I simply replied.
Then for the next two hours, I took in some unexpected information that was hard to digest. Neither I could swallow it nor could I vomit it out. Blankly, I kept looking at both of them without blinking.
"To rest my case, read these. It will prove to you that whatever we told you was all true", saying so, Veronica gave me two diaries and left the room with Dhruv. I let the silence in the room accompany me. I need time to process whatever they told me.
Kabir and I were a couple!
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No One's P.O.V.
Aashi's eyes teared up when she read her diary entries. She felt like she was still in her dreams. She pinched herself. Her tears rolled down at the corner of her lips. The salty taste of those tears was enough for her to understand that this was reality. A very unfathomable one. Taking deep breaths, she allowed her heart to take in all this information.
Her unusual attachment to Kabir, her feelings and affection towards him were all making sense. Her mind forgets him but her heart still whispers his name. Even after forgetting her memory, his name was the one she couldn't forget. Is this what we call true love?
Her heart craved to meet Kabir. Her eyes were desperate for his sight. Her senses were out of control. All she wanted to do was go and melt herself in his arms. She wanted to experience all these feelings she had written in her diary. She wanted Kabir.
She doesn't care anymore if it's ethical or not. Kabir is engaged. He doesn't belong to her anymore but the heart wants what it wants. Aashi's heart was acting like a small child. It wanted immediate gratification. She wanted Kabir right now at this moment by her side. Her intelligent mind shuts off his button and stops sending signals which differentiate right from wrong. Aashi threw the quilt from her body and stood up.
She clenched her fist and walked out of the room. Dhruva and Veronica were standing outside. They were discussing something but paused their conversation when they witnessed Aashi standing in front of them.
"I want to meet him. I want to confess the truth to him, now", she announced with determination in her voice.
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Kabir's P.O.V.
Home is just not made up of bricks. It's made up of heartbeats, skin, bones, and flesh as well. I've read this quote somewhere but today, I could resonate with this.
Whilst hugging Aashi, my mind nudged me with reality. I'm getting married to Naina in the next few hours. I'm engaged to someone and I'm here spending my night with a stranger. This thought shook me to the core and I pulled away. I can't cheat on Naina. I'm not that kind of guy.
"What happened?", Aashi asked.
"This is wrong", I replied.
"But I'm your Aashi", she said.
"What? No, you're not. I don't want to believe it", I denied her vehemently.
"Yes she's ", I heard a loud voice confirming Aashi's comment. Turning around, I witnessed Dhruv and Veronica walking towards me.
"Your fiancee, Naina is a bi**h. Imma prove to you that tonight", Veronica yelled in her British accent. It sounded so fake that I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"What do you mean? What's happening here?", I asked.
"Let me unbosom the truth to you", saying so, Veronica pulled out her mobile and dialled a number. She put the call on speaker and let everyone hear the bell ringing.
"Hello", a male voice echoed from the other side of the call.
"Hey, Varun. We need to talk", she said and I just looked at the three of them amazed.
For the next thirty minutes, I took in the most bizarre and life-turning information from Varun, Veronica, Dhruv, and Aashi. Good thing, I was sitting on a bench. Else, the idiom, ground slipping away from feet would have turned into a literal meaning for me. I could feel my body shaking. My blood pressure is dropping and my breath is becoming shallow.
"Wow. What am I supposed to do with this new found reality now?", I asked. Everyone held a sympathetic gaze for me and I hate that.
"Justice", Veronica said.
"To whom?", I asked looking at her. "To Aashi, to me! Can your justice turn around the clock for us? Can I get back my lost years? Will I be able to overcome this pain?", I yelled at her.
Everything is ruined.
"The damage has been done, Kabir. All we can do now is to rebuild what's left. Give yourself the closure you've never got. This is easy said than done but the ones who did wrong to you and Aashi need to be punished. We can't let go easy on them", Dhruv reasoned.
"This is your life Kabir. You can decide what steps you want to take further. We are no one to comment", He added.
"I'd punish Naina though. She ruined my life. I lost my family, my identity, my friends and my life. Even if you won't do anything, I'll. This is my fight", Aashi said. Her voice was laced with determination.
"I was going to marry Naina tomorrow", I told them.
"Still, she'll be punished", Veronica said.
"I need some alone time. Can we talk tomorrow about this?", I asked. They all agreed and left.
I was sitting alone fighting with my thoughts. Everything till now seemed a bad dream. How fake can a person be? How can Naina do this to me? Those entire eight years were a lie! My remorse for Aashi's death was a waste! My agony for her absence was useless! I was living in some sort of bubble made by Naina for me. How can I be such an idiot?
Not only Aashi, I need justice as well!
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No one's P.O.V.
Standing in front of the mirror, Naina looked at herself. She had worn a beautiful red suit along with a beautiful set of bangles. Her hair was done, and her makeup was on point. She was all dolled up to marry Kabir at the court today. Her win was just one sign away.
Kabir was not present in the room, at the time she woke up. He has left a message for her saying, 'He is going out shopping'. She was ecstatic that Kabir was willingly taking part in marrying her. Once the marriage will be official, no-one can come in between them. She'll never let him go after that. She traced her engagement ring with so much love and admiration. Her hard work of so many years was fruitful.
A knock on her door brought her out of her lala land. She glanced at her appearance for one last time. Hoping to see Kabir at the other side of the door, she opened it with a beautiful smile. It dropped as soon as she witnessed the person standing in front of her.
"Miss. Naina", said the stranger man in an authoritative tone.
"Yes. That's me", she replied. She noticed a lady was accompanied by this guy in uniform.
"You're under arrest. You've to come with us to the police station. Please cooperate", he told her as she handed her an arrest warrant.
Her eyes widened. This was the last thing in her mind that could ever happen to her. This was a nightmare. A nightmare she's seeing with open eyes.
What the hell?
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Finally, after an eternity, I updated. I'm very very very sorry but I have no exact reason to explain my absence.
Well, I hope you guys like the chapter. I love you all and I miss writing as well.
Soon, the story will be finished. I don't know when I'll write the next chapter. Still, enjoy this cupcakes.
Keep reading...
Love you all..
Aana..