“Ofcourse! I should have known it was you.”

She quipped with a giggle and he chuckled seeing her mood. She saw the seat beside him empty and pointed towards it.

“Mai waha aa jaau?”

(Can I come there?)

“Most welcome.”

She immediately skipped there and buckled herself. She gave him a wide, childlike grin and he chuckled.

“Aap har baar business class travel krte hai?”

(You always travel business call?)

He nodded and she nodded back teasingly.

“Sahi hai. Andha paisa.”

(Nice. Too much money.)

He narrowed his eyes on her but then shook his head with a smile. She busied herself while exploring all the options business class offered.

An hour post take off, Arjun unbuckled his seatbelt and got up.

“I’ll just be back.”

Saanvi nodded but then frowned when she saw his wallet carelessly left there.

“Tsk! Itna bhi kya paisa hai ki cheezein aise chhod jaao.”

(What carelessness of leaving things around like this.)

She picked it to keep it safely because the airhostesses were around but it fell from her hand. She bent down to pick it up and kept it on her lap but then did a double take.

She opened the wallet again and her breath stuck in her throat. She kept staring at it. Trying to make it seem like a hoax. 

Arjun came back and saw Saanvi sitting still in her seat. He took his seat beside her and asked.

“All good? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?

He teased trying to get a reaction but she just turned to face him with a serious look.

“Ek baat ka sach sach jawab dena.”

(Tell me one thing truthfully.)

He frowned and nodded at her to continue.

“Jabse aapko pata chala hai mere divorce ke baare mai…aap mujhe itna close kyu ho rhe hai?”

(Since you’ve got to know about my divorce…why are you getting so close to me?)

His expression fell and his eyes darkened. 

“Don’t make it sound so bad, Saanvi. Mai hamesha se tha. Bas distance maintain krta tha kyunki tum married thi.”

(I was always there. I just maintained distance because you were married.)

“Aur jab nhi rhi toh aapko laga ki chance maar skte hai.”

(And now that I am not you think you have a chance.)

She accused and he clenched his jaw.

“What nonsense! Kisne kaha tumse ye sab? Kuch hua hai kya, Saanvi?”

(Who told you all this? Did something happen, Saanvi?)

He asked softly. She thrusted his wallet into his chest and yelled.

“Toh phir ye kya hai?”

(Then what is this?)

He closed his eyes, realizing what she might be talking about. He took deep breaths. When he turned to look at her, she had tears in her eyes. He turned to face her completely and moved his hands to wipe her tears.

She moved back a little. He stopped. Looked into her eyes and then softly wiped her tears before whispering.

“Mai abhi close nhi aa raha, Saanvi. Mai hamesha se tha. Kyunki mere liye…sirf tum ho. Hamesha thi. Hamesha rahogi.”

(I am not coming close now, Saanvi. I was always there. Because for me…it’s only you. Since always. And you’ll always be.)

Her lips parted in surprise and he continued.

“You were the first and the only person who understood me. Maybe because you could relate. But you were the only one true friend to me. So kind. So real. So pure. Shuru mai toh samajh hi nhi aata tha ki kaise react kru when I realised what I felt for you. 10th mai tha mai.”

(Initially I didn’t know how to react when I realised what I felt for you. I was in 10^th.)

Saanvi’s breath hitched. Was this a confession?

“So, I kept my distance. Life mai kuch karna chahta tha. Tumhare layak banna chahta tha tumhe approach krne se pehle. I don’t know if you realised it or not but we were also in the same college. Different courses and buildings. Bas tumhare paas rehna chahta tha kisi tareeke se. Tumhe dekhna chahta tha.”

(I wanted to do something in life. Become worthy of you before approaching you….I just wanted to stay close to you. To see you.)

She didn’t know he was in the same college as her. She never saw him.

“But then, I got to know ki…Tanmay ne…tumhe propose kia hai and you’ve accepted his proposal. Tab realise hua ki shayad bhut der krdi maine. Par tum khush thi…toh tumhe dekhke mai khush ho jaata tha.”

(But then, I got to know that…Tanmay….proposed you and you’ve accepted his proposal. I realised that I was too late. But you were happy…so I got happy on seeing you.)

Saanvi kept quiet and kept listening to him. His eyes had started tearing up. He quickly looked away and wiped a lone tear that escaped his eye.

“Then I found out that you joined Aangan as a manager and I got trusteeship here. Ki unn Meets ke bahane hi sahi, tumhe dekh paaunga, tumse mil paaunga, baat kr paaunga.”

(So that I could see you, meet you, talk to you in pretext of those Meets.)

She remembered seeing him at the NGO for the first time and getting surprised. He had passed her a wide smile and introduced himself. 

“Phir thode time baad tumne…tumne apni shaadi ka…shaadi ka card deke mujhe invite kia. Mai aaya bhi tha…khudko ye samjhane…dil ko ye batane…ki ab kuch nhi ho skta…ki tum kisi aur ki ho…par mai varmala tak bhi nhi ruk paaya. Himmat nhi hui tumne shaadi ke jode mai kisi aur ke liye saja hua dekhne ki.”

(Then after some time…you gave me your…wedding card and invited me. I came…to make myself believe…to make my heart understand…that nothing could happen now…that you are someone else’s…but I couldn’t even stay till the varmala. I couldn’t get the courage to see you dressed as a bride for someone else.)

He didn’t bother hiding his tears now and she too couldn’t control her tears now. He sniffed and blinked his eyes to let the tears fall off.

“Par mai har baar Quarterly Meets pr aata raha. Bas tumhe dekhne ke liye. Tumse do pal baat krne ke liye. Bas ussi mai khush ho jaata tha….mai tumhare close isliye nhi aa raha tha kyunki mera koi galat intention tha…I knew and understood that you needed someone. And I…I just wanted to be there.”

(But I kept coming to each Quarterly Meet. Just to see you. To talk to you for a few moments. I got happy with that…I was not coming close to you because I have wrong intentions or something…I knew and understood that you needed someone.)

He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. 

“And I am always here, Saanvi. Jaise tum chahogi waise. Tumhe dost chahiye, mai dost ki tarah hu. You want someone to just listen to you, I am here to listen. You want a punching bag, I’ll be your punching bag. Whatever you want me to be, I am always here. Bas tumse dur nhi jaa pata. I’m in love with you, Saanvi. Jabse tumhe jaana hai, tabse.”

(However you want. You want a friend, I am there as a friend….I just cannot go away from you. I’m in love with you, Saanvi. Since the time I have known you.)

She couldn’t control anymore and burst into tears. She hugged him tightly and he sighed as if her touch liberated him. 

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…mai…mai nhi kr paaungi…I can’t…can’t do this again…go through it all again…”

(…I…I won’t be able to do it…)

She pulled back and cupped his cheek.

“You’re an amazing friend, Arjun. And I always want you here as my friend. Par mai aapko…kho nhi skti.”

(But I can’t…lose you.)

He understood what she meant. She had considered Tanmay a friend first and he had betrayed her in the worst way possible because she gave him the power to. And she didn’t want the same to happen with him.

“I’m not him, Saanvi. I will never hurt you. But I understand where you’re coming from. Jaisa tum chahti hai waisa hoga. Now stop crying, hmm?”

(Whatever you want will happen.)

He hugged her again and kissed the top of her head. She melted against him and closed her eyes, letting her tears soak his shirt.