He countered and she quickly defended.

“I am not avoiding you. I did smile at you.”

“Smile…right! The smile which seemed more like you were constipated.”

He teased and her face flushed red in embarrassment.

“Shut up!”

She mumbled and looked away. Abhimaan smiled and they fell into silence. 

“I’m sorry Meera.”

She heard his broken whisper cutting through the painful silence. Her eyes met his teary ones and she looked away again, blinking the tears away.

“Wh-what are you sorry for?”

Her own whisper was broken due to the emotions she was experiencing.

“For hurting you. For not standing up for you when you needed me to. For breaking your heart and making a showpiece of it. For everything I’ve done wrong, Meera. I’m sorry.”

Tears fell from his eyes and she looked away sniffing. His words dug up her wounds she thought she had stitched up. Not wanting to show that the incident still affected her, she forced a humourless laugh.

“Tu aaj bhi wahi atka hai Abhimaan? It’s been 10 years. Mai toh bhul bhi gyi thi wo baat.”

(You’re still stuck there Abhimaan?...I have forgotten that thing.)

“Jooth! Tu nhi bhuli…aur na hi mai bhula hu Meera. I still remember the hurt on your face. It is the same one that you have now. I know I’ve let you down terribly. But please…please give me another chance, Meera.”

(Lie! You did not forget…and neither did I.)

He pleaded but she looked away and wiped her tears. She hugged her arms around herself tighter.

“Chance for what, Abhimaan? Chance of hurting me again? Chance for letting me down again? Or a chance for making fun of my feelings again?”

She burst out and he smiled sadly. He took a step closer to her and whispered earnestly.

“A chance to show you how much I love you.”

“Jooth! You don’t love me. Or you wouldn’t have said all those things back then.”

(Lies!)

She accused, letting her tears fall free this time. Her lower lip wobbled and she looked down trying to control her sobs. Abhimaan’s heart ached and he held her chin to make her look into his eyes.

“Trust me, Meera. I love you. I really do. Aur ye baat mujhe tere jaane ke baad samajh aayi. Tere jaate hi meri zindagi bikhar gyi, Meera. Kuch samajh nhi aata tha. Kya kru….kaise kru…kuch nhi. I tried to contact you with every source possible. Pr tu bhut dur chali gyi thi yaar. And I am not talking about physical distance. I am talking about the distance between us. Kitna close the hum. Can we not go back to how we were? Ever?”

(And I understood this after you left. My life shattered after you left. I could not understand anything. What to do…how to do…nothing….But you went too far….We were so close.)

He asked and she shook her head.

“Nhi Abhimaan. We cannot. Because you broke me. Broke my trust. Mujhe iss baat se kabhi farak nhi pada ki mera mazaak ban gya sabke saamne. What broke me was what you did. Tu jaanta tha ki mujhe nhi farak padta kisi se bhi. But when it came to you…I was the most sensitive. Tu meri strength aur weakness dono tha, Abhimaan. But that day…I lost my strength.”

(No Abhimaan…It did not matter to me that I was made fun of in front of everyone….You knew no one else mattered to me….You were both my strength and weakness.)

Abhimaan closed his eyes and bit his lip to prevent himself from crying. He opened his eyes and looked at her pleading eyes and begged.

“Galti ho gyi, Meera. Maaf krde yaar. Please ek mauka dede. Mai ye zindagi tere bina nhi guzarna chahta. Isse jeena chahta hu. Tere saath.”

(I made a mistake. Forgive me. Give me one chance. I don’t want to spend my life without you. I want to live it. With you.)

He then cupped her face and whispered.

“I want to live my life with you besides me in each step of our lives. And not just as my best friend….as my wife.”

Meera felt her breath hitch. Abhimaan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head, muttering apologies repeatedly. She wanted to melt. Right there in his arms. He gave her the same warmth and sense of protection that he gave back then.

But she controlled herself. She knew it was needed. She couldn’t give in. At least not yet. She pushed at his waist to make distance between them but he held tighter.

“Chhod mujhe, Abhimaan.”

(Leave me, Abhimaan.)

“Nhi! Ek baar chhoda tha…10 saal nhi mili tu mujhe. Iss baar nhi chhodunga. I will never let you go away from me. Never again. I love you, Meera. I love you so much. Please forgive me. I’m sorry, Meera. I’m so sorry.”

(No! I did once…you were away for 10 years. I will not leave now.)

He whispered and dug his face in her neck. She could feel his tears soak her neck but she stayed firm. Her fists curled into balls at her side. She closed her eyes tightly and then pushed him with all her might.

“Bas, Abhimaan! Tune maafi maang li…maine sun li. Usse accept krna ya nhi…wo mera decision hai. And I am not forgiving you.”

(Enough, Abhimaan! You apologized…I heard. Accepting it or not…is my decision.)

With that, she left a heartbroken Abhimaan in the yard. Abhimaan knew her. She would take time to forgive him. Make him work for it. And he deserved it. He deserved her anger. But he wasn’t going to give up. Not now. Not ever.

Abhimaan woke up with a newfound determination the next morning. Meera was gathered in the backyard with Sakshi and all her other friends and cousins, laughing and chatting with them over breakfast when Abhimaan sauntered towards them.

“Hello ladies!”

He greeted and grinned when many of them returned his greeting with equal enthusiasm. His gaze flickered to Meera who looked away not wanting to make eye contact. He dropped himself beside her making her look at him in surprise.

“Kya? Shift ho na thoda sa. Saari jagah le rakhi hai.”

(What? Shift a little. You’ve taken up the whole space.)

He said and nudged her side. She shifted a little and he made himself comfortable after passing her a wink. Meera ignored the flutter in her heart and the butterflies in her stomach. 

She got up and left the place making Abhimaan sigh. He too got up and said.

“Excuse me ladies! My lady just went away. I’m going to go behind her. See you later!”

The girls giggled as Abhimaan ran in Meera’s direction but frowned when he couldn’t spot her anywhere. He sighed and dropped his head. She had hidden herself again.

It was time for dinner by the time Abhimaan finally found an opportunity to corner Meera. She was with Sakshi in the backyard. The two girls were catching upon lost time.

“Hey Sakshi!”