THERE FOR EACH OTHER

8. THEORIES OF LOVE

~ there is always a secret to everyone! No matter it's the girl who laughs less or its the guy who laughs out loud at his own jokes. Everyone have their own battle to fight.~

Yudhisthir and Kashish sat on the couch as Yudhisthir brought back his copy of 'until you'.

Kashish noticed him running a soft hand on its cover and instantly her smile widened.

" So I fathom that even you are bitten by its charm now?", She asked giggling at his dreamy-schoolboy face and he gave out an embarrassed laugh. It was so good to see her laugh, causally. She was too up front and formal most of the time otherwise.

" Yeah, totally smitten by its charm, just like by yours", he said with a smile, biting in the last few words, and Kashish couldn't understand his hidden meaning, since she couldn't hear him completely. Also, she missed to look in his eyes that were shining with deep adoration for her.

"So, tell me about it. How did you find it? And the ending?", She asked, beginning the conversation and he looked up at her, sighing.

" The ending was rather dramatic but I am happy it was a happy one. And the plot is actually intriguing. But then Stephen is a hidden romantic if we look off the fact of him being a womanizer. And Sherry is just so shy and actually cute. And their past stories are also so linked and it's just an awesome read", Yudhisthir exclaimed and Kashish couldn't help at his overexcited demeanor, but shake her head, like she wad dealing with a kid.

" Yeah, I agree. But you know why this is my favorite? Because it shows that there is always a reason behind everything. Stephen was womanizer because his heart was already broken. Sherry's past and her parents etc made her the way she was. Their lack of mutual trust and finally overcoming all disasters, it was like a hope to be hopeful about hope....", She trailed off and he looked at her in awe. No doubt she was so good at her work. She always tried looking beyond the superficial facade that people usually put on.

What confused him was if she was so mature about others, why did she herself always stayed up tight, not talking a lot to anyone?

" You are an amazing person, you know that?", Yudhisthir said suddenly and she gasped, unable to comprehend the reaction. She had always been awkward with compliments.

"Umm...", She was stuttering, looking down, unable to decide what to say, when she heard him laughing.

"And you suck at taking compliments", he laughed harder and she eventually followed him, laughing with him.

Kashish Mathur was not even realizing, but she was starting to grow more and more comfortable with this man, who made her laugh much more than she had laughed in years.

"Come, I will show you around", Yudhisthir dragged her with him, showing around the whole mansion, the rooms, the pool all the time blabbering about his parents and his brother. Kashish listened patiently without complaining but as usual kept mum. After half of an hour of the tour, both were sitting in the drawing room having juice when something striked Yudhisthir.

"Kashish, if you don't mind can I ask you something?", He asked hesitantly and she nodded.

"Have you ever been in love?", Yudhisthir asked, his heart pounding inside his chest, afraid to know her answer.

" In romantic love, never, though I do love my family", Kashish answered with a straight face, trying to hide her smile.

It took a minute for Yudhisthir to comprehend her answer and when he did, relief washed through him. Seeing the change in his expressions, Kashish could not help but giggle and Yudhisthir looked amused. That means she was not that dumb, she was understanding his hints!

"Won't you ask me back the question?", He asked dazed.

She shook her head. He raised an eyebrow at her and she kept the glass of juice down.

"I know you haven't. For the kind of person you are, If you would have then she would have been here, as your wife", she answered and Yudhisthir was shocked as how well she read him.

" In three meetings you know the kind of person I am?", He quizzed and she smiled.

"Well if you have forgotten so soon, let me remind you, you have spent literally the last half an hour talking about your family and your home. So its not difficult to know you", she shrugged and he sighed.

" Yeah, but it's too difficult even trying to know you", he stated and she gave him a small smile.

"That's because there is nothing to know about me", she replied and he frowned at her.

" That you let me decide", he retorted and she smiled at his faking-angry-glare.

After spending the entire day, Yudhisthir decided to drop her to the library, finally and as a record, for the first time in her job of one year, Kashish entered the library at sharp 5 pm. But instead of leaving, Yudhisthir chose to stay with her, discussing other books and authors they have both read, but making sure not to disturb her. After her shift, as he walked to the metro, he decided to ask her one more question.

"Kashish, you are so passionate about love stories, how do you want your own story to unfold?", He asked tongue in check.

Kashish looked at him amused before bursting out laughing.

"Yes I love LOVE STORIES, Yudhisthir but I also realize that they are stories only. And real life is not a fairy tale ever. Finding such pure love in real life is really difficult. I have no such dream until. I don't keep false hopes. And I have never till date witnessed a real life happy ending kind of love. So I never give it a thought", she replied and he could feel his world falling apart. The girl he is hopelessly in love with, is actually so hopeless about love.

" So, marriage?", He asked again and she sighed.

" I don't really know. I don't want to marry if it's up to me", she answered and he nodded.

Yudhisthir said nothing and they kept walking in silence. On reaching the metro station, as Kashish was about to board the next train, Yudhisthir held her hand.

"Kashish, if life gives you an opportunity, give love a chance. I promise I won't disappoint you", he said softly but before she could reply, the next train came and she had to leave him standing there, alone.

" I will make you believe in love, Kashish. I won't back out. One day you will surely fall in love, the fairy tale kind of cliche love, I will make sure of that", he promised himself before leaving for home. Almighty smiled at the two different sides of the same coin!