Choose who you prioritise wisely. Some people could leave you hurt and pretend they did nothing wrong.
Veronica
I stood there feeling like a princess. I was on top of the world. Never had I felt such emotions in a day. I wanted to let those emotions out. Tell Ayan what I felt for him but sadly it just wouldn't come out.
"You have nothing to worry about. I can wait for a long time." He said as if he was reading my mind.
His grip on me got tighter and I settled comfortably in his arms. We were still in the hot air balloon and he held me from behind while we looked at the beautiful scenery.
It was so beautiful out there like it was the brightest day of the year. The sun was shining pleasantly, when we looked down there was a beautiful waterfall flowing, the hills looked delightful.
But.
Nothing was as beautiful as this moment I had right now.
"I don't want to move. I can stay here forever." He said and I was surprised at how he uses the word forever so casually.
"Ayan can I ask you for something?"
"You can ask me for anything. I can work my ass off if it means it makes you happy." He said and he snuggled more. I didn't want to leave too. The closer we got the the more difficult it became to move apart.
"Promise me that you will love me only till the time you can." I said and even though he was hugging me from the back, I knew his face had a confused reaction. His grip on me loosened and he turned me around to face him.
"What do you mean?" He asked with a puzzled look on his face. We were so close to each other that for a moment I felt stupid that I ruined the moment.
"I mean to say that I want you to only love me till you can. The day you decide that you don't feel for me anymore, you just have to come and tell me. It would hurt a lot but it would hurt me more if you keep faking emotions."
I know how it feels when someone stops feeling for you and all you have to do this figure out if they ever felt for you at all. If you ever reach a stage where you are falling out of love, the only thing to do this, tell the person.
"Cookie, I am never going to stop loving you. I promise." He said and looked straight into my eyes. His eyes spoke for him, like they were telling me that he was speaking the truth.
There was so much love for me inside them and it scared me that I couldn't even tell him that I felt the same way.
"I really hope that you don't. I don't think I will be able to handle a day where you're not in my life. You have to understand that you are very important to me. Very very very very important and I trust you."
"What is the problem then?"
"I don't trust time or situations. I have lost people who have meant the world to me. I have seen people leave because they didn't think I was worth staying or even worth them telling me that they are leaving. They just left and I sat there thinking of all the possible things I did wrong. I don't want to go through that ever again Ayan." I said and he was still looking at me.
It's amazing how he is such a good listener. In the past few days, all I have done is complain and cry but not once did I see him complain about it.
"God! That Lucas guy really messed you up." He said and I put my face down. I am still not comfortable talking about Lucas.
"Don't worry. I am here to save you from anything that messes you up anymore. You're my mess now." He said and all I wanted to do was kiss him. God! It looked so tempting right now, just to grab him and keep kissing him.
But I didn't. I wanted him to do it. I was so not initiating the first kiss. My first kiss.
"Promise me Ayan." I said like a stubborn old lady. I wasn't going to let this go.
"Okay. Okay. I promise you Cookie that I will only love you till I can. If I ever stop feeling for you which for the record is never happening, trust me, then I will be open and honest about it to you." He said and gently leaned forward.
This is it. He was going to kiss me. Finally it's happening. All the butterflies in my stomach built a round circle in my stomach together. They all jumped as Ayan got closer. My heart started beating so rapidly and all the fireworks in my body had started. This was just before the kiss.
I closed my eyes and waited. In a few minutes he gently placed a kiss on my forehead and this time I groaned. I groaned loudly for him to hear. He heard my groan but didn't react at all to it. That's strange, he reacts to every tiny bit of my things.
We kept looking at the clear skies till the balloon came down. As days go by I can't believe each of my wishes are getting over. Generally people would be happy about it but I am a little upset.
Once all these wishes get over we have to return back. I love everyone at college and I miss them but I also want to spend more alone time with Ayan. It's been ten days since we are alone but I still can't get enough of him.
"You hungry?"
"Wait! You are always hungry. I just have to ask you what you want to eat." He said and I scrunched my nose. Does he think I am always hungry?
"I am not always hungry." I said as I folded my arms.
"You look so cute when your mad." He said and pinched my nose.
"I am not mad."
"What about being hungry?" He said and I hated to admit that he was right. I am not always hungry but majority of the times, yeah.
"Maybe a little.."
Before I could complete he started laughing and it pissed me off more. I started walking ahead and I could hear him running behind me.
"Cookie, stop!"
"What?"
"I love making you eat all kinds of tasty food and you can eat how much you want." He said and I tried so hard not to smile.
"What if I become fat?"
"Who said you're thin?" He said and started laughing. This guy really knows how to ruin the mood. Ignoring him I went further ahead.
"Okay Cookie stop stop. I am sorry. If you become fat it is really benefical you know."
"How is that?"
"Cuddling you would be like cuddling a teddy bear." He said and I laughed at his cliche lines.
"Can we just stop this and go for dinner? I am starving." I said and he held my hand. It was such a soothing feeling when he held my hand. I stopped for a second and looked at him. I can't believe the amount of things this guy makes me feel.
"What?" He said when he saw me staring at him.
"Nothing." I said as I continued staring at him. I just couldn't get enough. It made me so happy to just look at him. The way he held my hand, the way he looked at me. This shouldn't ever go. Ever.
"Nothing?" He asked with a confused expression as I was still staring at him.
"Nothing." I said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I was falling short of words to express all that was going on in my head.
"Let's go." I said and started walking ahead.
"Cookie, I love you." He said and it was the best thing I hear. I can never stop feeling it like it was the first time he said it. I wanted to make him happy too. I wanted to say it back but I don't know what was holding me back.
When he saw me silent he didn't say anything and continued holding my hand. I could see the disappointment in his eyes but he didn't say a word. We drove back to the hotel and decided to go to the restaurant there.
Ayan was supposed to behave like a gentleman. You know, open doors for me and things like that but him being him, he just parked the car and walked ahead.
I didn't mind though, he was my best friend first and I don't think you require these things when you're with your best friend.
Luckily, he pulled the chair for me as we sat down.
"So, what do you want to have?"
Before I could answer the question, two large hands covered my face.
"Surprise! Surprise!" I heard a familar voice and he would think that I wouldn't recognise him.
"Sam!" I said and got up to hug him. It was so good to see someone from home after so long. Home. I didn't know I would call New York City home.
"What are you doing here? Oh My God I am so happy to see you. How are you?" I asked and I was so excited to see him there.
"I was missing you guys so much ans how could I stay there when my best friends are in love. They are finally together." He said and I was shocked he knew about it. I wanted to tell him, Nicole and everyone else together.
"Knew about it? I helped this idiot plan the whole asking you out thing. I knew you were going to say a yes. You have a little crush on him since the day you two met." He said and I blushed so hard.
"Hey man, you can meet me too." Ayan said and I had totally forgotten that he was there. Mean. I know. Sam went over to him and they did that awkward hug thing which I don't know why guys do that. Just give a hug.
"I missed you Sammy." I said and I saw the annoyed look on his face when I called him that.
"Don't call me Sammy but I missed you too." He said and came to give me one more tight hug.
"Hey! Too much touching my girl." Ayan said and Sam hugged me tighter just to irritate him. I giggled looking at Ayan's annoyed look.
"Why don't the both of you go and spend sometime. I don't feel like eating too much so I'll just go to the gaming zone and play some games." I said. I wanted the two of them to have some fun. I had already met Dylan and Ayan gave me my time with him.
"Gaming zone? Isn't that for kids?" Sam asked.
"Yeah. So?"
What's his problem? Can't a girl go to the gaming zone and play some video games for herself?
"God! I love her." Ayan said as he kissed my forehead. I blushed so hard, I am never going to get used to his kisses.
"Can you both stop? Let's go Ayan." Sam said as he dragged him out of the place.
"Cookie, I will be back as soon as possible. Take care. Please don't stay up too late alone. Okay?"
I nodded my head in approval and he kissed my head as he left. I went upstairs to the gaming zone and this was my time. I loved playing video games. It relaxes my head so much.
I went inside and the first game I saw was Ms Pac-man. All the childhood memories came running back. I decided to play that first. Two hours had passed but I still couldn't stop playing the game.
"Give others a chance to play too." I heard a voice and I saw a boy in denims and white T shirt walking towards me.
"Lucas? What are you doing here?"
"My flight is not until late tonight so I thought I would come down here and play. Remember how we kept playing video games at my place all the time." He said and I felt really awkward discussing our history together.
"Yeah. I rather not talk about it Lucas."
"Are you still mad at me? I thought we were good."
"We are. I just don't want to talk about the times we were together." I said and went back to playing my video game. I wasn't interested in having any conversation with him.
"I am a changed person now."
"I am sure you are."
"Why are you giving me the cold shoulder? I thought we were good." He said and now I was annoyed. I had made it clear that I didn't want to speak about it.
"I don't want to talk about it Lucas. I have nothing to do with you."
"Did you ever love me?" He asked and that boiled me up.
"Are you crazy? I loved you more than I loved anybody else at that time. The moment you left everything else felt blank. I didn't know how to handle all the pain. After all the crap you put me through I still wished for your well being. I prayed to God to clear you for your college entrance that you had been trying so hard. I promised to give up chocolate so that you would clear your college entrance that you had been trying since so long. I never accused you or yelled at you or said you ruined my life. You said all those things and I listened. I didn't get into my dream college at the first attempt because I couldn't concentrate on studying. I had to wait for a whole year. So, don't you dare ask me that question. I have loved you with everything I have and you destroyed me."
"I'm sorry. I really am." He said and this time he did look guilty. I didn't know I had everything inside me since such a long time. It felt so good that it was out.
"It's alright."
"This Ayan guy really loves you."He said and I was shocked at his statement.
"I know."
"Do you?"
"Yes a lot." This was first time I said it out loud and it felt good.
"What's different this time Veronica?"
"Seriously? He loves me, he cares about me and most importantly he respects me. There was no respect from your side in our relationship Lucas. Ayan does things that make me happy, he thinks hundred times before speaking something because he would think it would upset me. The difference is that he knows how to love." I said and his face looked very sad.
I think all this hurt him but he had to hear the truth. He couldn't do what he did to me to any other girl.
"What's holding you back?" He asked and it was strange that he thought somethins is.
"Nothing. You know when you left I was so scared. I never thought I could fall for someone else again because I couldn't take the pain of being attatched to someone and then them leaving me. With Ayan, I am not saying its forever. If we want forever we will have to make it work but I know for a matter of fact that he wouldn't hurt me intentionally. He is worth the risk of getting my heart broken."
"Oh My God. I love him so much. I was such a fool. I have to tell him how much he means to me. I do."
Before I could say anything my phons started ringing. It was Ayan.
"Hello Ayan I have to tell you something." I said as soon as I picked up the phone.
"Veronica this is Sam. Ayan met with an accident. We are in the hospital." He said and my phone fell crashing down. So did my world.
A/N-Hey guys. I love your comments and all your love towards the book. Thank you so much. Keep voting and commenting.