🍁"And just like moon, we must go through phases of emptiness to feel full again"🍁
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No one's P.O.V.
Kabir glanced at the platinum ring in his ring finger. He left a deep sigh whilst laying on my bed. No matter whatever he feels or wants, he got engaged to Naina. They're bound to each other by this bond. They'rere fiance now. The weight of the ring was quite heavy. It was a burden on his heart. His mind wanders to the girls he met today. Her name was Aashi. What are the odds? He laughed to himself. He was wrong. She has all the rights to lie to him. She's a stranger. He had no right to be mad at her. He himself clung on to her. He must apologise to her. He turned around in his bed and opened his mobile screen.
"I'll delete your picture", he said as he glanced at his and Aashi's only picture he had in his mobile since past many years.
"I need closure from your memories and everything related to you. Else, I'll never move on", he said looking at the picture. He even took out the star pendant in his neck and placed it in front of him.
"I'll remember you from the stars in the sky", he smiled. Placing his mobile next to the pendant, he got up from his bed and walked to the window. He opened the window and let the smooth wind enter inside the room. The atmosphere outside was calm and soothing.
Kabir heard a knock on his door. The knock was so soft that he doubted whether someone knocked or was it just his hallucination. He glanced at the wall clock. It was fifteen minutes past midnight. When he again heard a knock, it was confirmed that there is someone for sure. He walked to open the door and his jaw touched the floor to see someone unexpected standing outside his room.
"Hey", Veronica greeted him. She had two coffee cups in her hands. She was in her PJ's. Kabir couldn't believe his eyes. He can at least tell the difference between Veronica and Aashi, all thanks to the numbers of tattoo Veronica has.
"What are you doing here?", Kabir asked. The slap Veronica gifted him early in the day flashed across his mind and ruined his mind.
"I am here to apologise to you for my behaviour today. I've bought coffee for you as a token of my apology", she said. Kabir raised his eyebrows. What's wrong with her? Why is she so sweet?
"You brought coffee at this time! How can I believe that this coffee is not poisoned?", Kabir asked and Veronica rolled her eyes. This guy is seriously unbearable.
"I can try both cups if you want. Can you please give me your ten minutes?", She asked as politely as she could. She reminded herself that she's doing all this for Aashi.
"Fine. Come inside", Kabir said as he steps aside.
"Thank you", Veronica said as she walked inside. She did a quick inspection of the room. Her eyes landed on the mobile screen which was still on and the pendant placed next to the mobile. Her steps made her to the mobile. Her eyes widened to see the girl like Aashi standing next to Kabir.
Kabir quickly ran and picked up his mobile. He closed the screen and gave Veronica a dirty look. "Don't you have manners?", He asked and she pouted.
"And you're the one to talk about manners who hug random girls", she pointed out and he shook his head.
"I guess you're not here to argue", he reminded her and she bites back her tongue.
Right.
"Can you take the coffee cup, please? It's not poisoned or spiked. Do you want me to try it before?", She asked and Kabir glanced at her.
He took the cup from her and looked at the clock. Sitting on the bed, he motioned her to sit on the couch in the front and said, "You ten minutes starts now". He took a sip of the coffee and Veronica saw the ring in his hand.
She nodded and after taking a sip of her coffee, she decided to ask him about his past. "Who was the girl with you in that picture?", She asked pointing to his mobile.
"That's my ex-girlfriend", he said.
"She looked like us", she said. Kabir gave a good glance at her.
"She doesn't look like you at all. Your sister sure has a lot of resemblances", he said.
She's your ex-girlfriend after all, She thought.
"What was the name of your ex-girlfriend?", She asked.
"Aashi Sharma", Kabir said and sealed his lips with the cup. A heaviness surfaced Veronica's heart.
"I'm sorry that I'm asking you a lot of questions but I'm just a bit curious. Why did you hug me that day? Where is your ex girlfriend?", She asked.
It has been so many years since someone has asked about Aashi. Kabir didn't want to tell Veronica anything but her face melted his determination. She might not look exactly like Aashi but she looked a lot like her. He was vulnerable today so he let his emotions overflow.
"Aashi and I were college friends. She died seven years ago. When I saw you, I couldn't think clearly and ran to catch you. I realised my mistake later. People who are gone never came back", he said. Veronica could easily sense the bitterness in his voice. The despair reflecting in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by her.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that", she said.
"Do you love her? I mean she meant something to you if after so many years you still keep her picture in your mobile", She said and Kabir just gave a bitter laugh.
"I never realised how much I love her until I lost her. She loved me more than I loved her. She's my star", he said and then he picked up the pendant from the bed. He showed it to Veronica.
"This is the last memory of her which I've with me. I gave her a moon and star pendant. But I only have a star with me. She was, she is and she always will be my star", he said and Veronica couldn't blink her eyes. Her vision blurred.
How can someone love anyone this much?, She thought.
"Wow. You're something. I mean your love is beyond words", she said as she took a deep breath and Kabir smiled.
"I know right. I'm proud of myself that I loved someone as special as her. I also want to apologise to you and your sister. I couldn't help but feel selfish. Your sister is so like my Aashi that I could not control myself and crossed the lines. I shouldn't have met her but I still did. I was desperate to find someone I love in your sister but I couldn't. I screwed up. I hope she can find the heart to forgive me. I didn't know she was waiting for my call", Kabir confronted.
She's your lover. How can her heart not like you?, Veronica thought.
"It's ok. I'll talk to her. But you're engaged now. Congratulations on your new life", Veronica said.
"Thanks", he said.
"Do you love your fiance?", She asked.
"I like her enough", he said as he sipped the coffee again.
"Can you love her?", She asked.
Kabir just smiled. "You don't find love. Love finds you. It found me years ago. It's all about faith, destiny and what's written in stars. Half of my heart will always yearn for my star. I don't think loving someone half-heartedly is right".
I wish I could protect yours and Aashi's heart, she thought.
"Aashi was all praise for your band. It has a quite catchy name. AAHIR. I like this name as well", Veronica said. She was trying to get as much information as she could get from him.
"Thanks. This name is special to me as well. Aashi, my star gave this name to herself and me. It's a combination of our name. Kabir + Aashi = AAHIR", he said and her heart broke into millions of pieces. A silent tear rolled down her cheek.
How can destiny be so cruel to you? She thought.
"What happened? Why are you crying?", Kabir asked with concern. She shook her head vehemently.
"It's nothing. I'm just feeling sorry for you two. I have never seen someone so in love. I wish she was with you", Veronica sobbed.
Damn you girl. Stop crying, she gave herself a check.
"She's with me. Come, I'll show you", Kabir said as he got up from the bed. He walked to the balcony and Veronica followed him holding her coffee mug. Her tears were just not stopping. When heart cry then eyes don't co-operate.
Taking a deep sigh, she stood next to Kabir. He looked up in the sky and she looked up as well. A smile was on his lips. She could appreciate that this smile of his was genuine. But why was he smiling?
"What did you see up?", He asked.
What a weird question? Has he lost his mind?
"Darkness", she said and he nodded.
"And?", He asked. She again looked up.
"A half-moon hidden behind clouds", she said.
What is he trying to say?, She thought.
"You saw the moon but you couldn't see the stars", he said and she looked up again. After so much concentration, she could finally spot one or two-star.
"Yeah, I see them now. So what?", She asked.
"Aashi used to call me the moon. I used to call her my star", he said.
"But there are so many stars in the sky. Which one is your girl?", Veronica was intrigued.
"That one shining brightly than others. She is that polar star which always shines even when other stars didn't appear", he said with so much enthusiasm that for once Veronica wanted to believe his words. For once, she wanted to trust that the Aashi she knows is not Kabir's love interest.
I feel so sorry for you, her heart whispered.
She looked away from him and walked inside. She picked up the coffee mugs and took a deep breath. Holding her tears from flowing out of her eyes, she said, "I have taken a lot of your time. I should be going now".
"Thanks for coming. I'm glad we could sort our differences. Please convey my apology to Aashi as well. I don't want anyone to have hard feelings for me", Kabir said.
"Yeah. All differences resolved. I'll ask her to do the same. No one can hate a guy like you. You're really a nice person. I'm sorry for judging you", she said. Kabir smiled. Her words melted his anger and complaints.
"Can I ask you something?", He asked.
"Sure", she said.
"Why did you come to India?", He asked.
"My sister wanted to live here. I came to settle her here", She said.
"Why?", Kabir asked with concern.
"Because this is her home", She said and Kabir was stunned. He couldn't ask her anything. He has so many questions all of a sudden but he lacks right.
"Good night Kabir. Take care", She said.
"Good night Veronica", Kabir said and she left his room.
Veronica walked to her room with a heavy heart and teary eyes. Varun lied to her again. He lied that Kabir and Aashi weren't that serious. She felt bad for Kabir. She couldn't handle that two people so in love and still not together. Life can be unfair to people. Throwing the disposable cups in the dustbin, she wiped her tears and entered her room.
Aashi, who was reading magazine looked up at her and smiled. "How was your walk?", She asked.
Veronica faked a smile and walked to her. She sat next to Aashi and said, "It was good".
"What did you see in this dark night? I don't understand why did you go out in the first place?", Aashi complained.
"I saw something very precious", she said.
"What was that?", Aashi asked.
"Moon and stars", She replied as she left a deep sigh.
AAHIR, her heart whispered.
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