With you Forever

CHAPTER:- 17

Ishita could not get a peaceful sleep at that night. Although sleepless nights were not new for her, but restlessness was high that night. She was troubled. What should she do to get some peace for her mind?

She couldn't forget the image of Aahan's teary face. As if it was imprinted in her memory. Yes, she was a good scholar and had high memory power. She tends to remember anything at one glance. But this time that particular memory was clenching her heart. She didn't want to forget it either. She just wanted to wipe it out. She wanted to erase the tears from Aahan's life. Even she was unaware, why she wanted to.

She woke up from the bed in the middle of the night and moved out to her kitchen. Switching on the light, she opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

The water swiftly moved inside her throat, calming her thirst. But the restlessness was still there, troubling her heart.

"Why am I recalling that event again and again? Aah... Please, stop it." She shouted in frustration, holding her hairs in a fist.

"Maybe you have started to feel something for Aahan." Her subconscious reminded her.

Ishita's face paled. "No, No. This can't be possible. I am just worried for him." She justified her reason of restlessness.

"And why are you worried for him?" She felt as if her subconscious was smirking at her.

"Because... He is... He is my friend. Yes, Yes, he is my friend." She clarified to herself and shut her subconscious off.

But her restlessness only increased. She knew the truth. It was not only a mere friendship.

She was always an introvert and didn't like to mingle with people. But with Aahan everything was different. They clicked off instantly. Though their first interaction was full of taunts and mockery, yet both of them seemed to understand each other's point of view in a short span of time.

She talked about her day to day activity and he listened them carefully. And in front of others, Ishita was always the silent one, while Aahan was a carefree guy. As if they became completely different personality with each other. That particular fact was exciting for her.

There was someone, in front of whom she could be a different person and also that person reserved a different personality of his for her... Only for her.

His care, his teasings, everything had become beautiful for her. She tolerated his non sense talks, and listened his baseless thoughts, because she loved to do so.

Was she really liking Aahan in that way?

Maybe, it was a yes. She couldn't deny more that day by day she was involving too much into him. The first thing she waited at the office was for Aahan to greet her with a 'Good morning'. And sometimes Aahan came late. Those days, other team members greeted her first, and for whole long day, her mood remained off. But even during those mood off days, Aahan had the capability to make her smile with his stupid antics.

Yes, those stupid antics of Aahan was no more stupid for her. Because she had started to like him. She started to like his presence around him. She liked him too much to remember her theory about forever love. She just liked him a lot.

But, what about Aahan? Does he have same feelings for her?

The question troubled her. The possibilities of answers made her impatient. For the first time, she felt something and was accepting it. Aahan had really become an important part of her life. No. Even the thought of loosing him was too hard to imagine.

She needed some clarity. And when Ishita Verma decided to know something, she started her quest at that moment only.

She picked her phone from the table and dialled his number immediately. Just then her eyes travelled to the wall clock. It was showing 2 PM.

"He must be sleeping." She thought with sadness and cut the call at the first ring only and walked out of the kitchen to the drawing room.

Just then her phone rang. Seeing the colour ID, her face lightened up.

"Hello, Aahan! Anything urgent?" She asked, with a smile playing in between her lips.

"No." He replied in a confused tone. "You have called!"

And she bit her lip. So, he noticed her call. Was he sitting by the phone all night?

"It was by mistake. I was trying someone else." She tried to cover up.

"Exactly why would you call me at this late? By the way whom were you dialing? Anyone special?" He playfully asked.

"Yes." She almost wishpered. Indeed she was trying to call him only - the special one of her.

"Sorry, what? You said yes? Then there is someone. Come on, I need details." Aahan sqealed like a teenage girl.

A red hue encrypted on her milky white cheeks. She bit her lips to control herself from blushing. Holding the phone on her hand she walked up to the window. She wanted to tell him that her special someone was no others but he himself, but she couldn't. She sat near the window, pushing the phone more into her cheeks, as if feeling his presence from the other side.

This conversation supposed to be happen in a better moment. They should remain face to face, not over the phone.

Moreover she could sense how Aahan was hiding his worries behind his playfulness. She felt bad for him. He was already worried about the office fiasco. Instead of supporting him, here she was troubling him for her feelings.

Her feelings are important, but not more than Aahan. So she switched them to be a topic for next day. She changed the topic.

"Aahan! At least don't pretend in front of me." She said and the other side went silent.

After a minute, Aahan spoke, "I have to pretend that I am fine and my new job is exciting because if I won't pretend, then my friends will come to know about the happenings. They will be sad. I can bear the pain of loosing my career, but not the sadness in their face."

"But they will know some day." Ishita whispered. She was not sure whether she should intervene in his matter. It was completely personal, between him and his friends. But, her practical self was not okay with Aahan's plan of hiding this important thing from his friends. Still she didn't argue much, because she didn't want to trouble him more.

"They won't know ever." Aahan too whispered in the same way.

"But they deserved to know. You just can't pretend that you are happy, when you clearly are not. You don't need to show off in front of your friends. Friendship is noble, made up of trust. Don't hide an important matter of your life from them." Ishita said. Her voice held a little harshness. She could not accept Aahan like this. How could he pretend like this? She had always admired his honest nature. Then what was stopping him from accepting the truth? Was it his ego? She was confused, but Aahan's next words left her shocked.

"We are not like the modern friends, our bond is made from heart, Ishita. Kamal and Ritik are my life and so am I to them. If I will tell how I was fired due to office politics, Kamal would use his power to such an extent that the company will face a huge loss. And Ritik was a mature guy, but when it comes to me, he is the most protective one. They have a life too. Before a month, they were always worried about me getting a job, and now when finally they are completely focused in their life, I don't want to trouble them. Because for me, they will declare a war against Vermas'. And I certainly don't want that. Because a war harms both the sides." Aahan clarified his intention. For some reason, he couldn't afford Ishita misunderstanding him.

While Ishita felt guilty. She got the hint that Aahan explained himself because of her. She only blamed him. How could she judge him without knowing his side of story? She felt ashamed. Not everyone was practical like her. Sometimes, some lies were sweet, when they were said for your loved one's happiness, without harming anyone.

"I... I..." She could not frame a word more. Guilt was eating her at that moment.

Aahan chuckled. "You are just too cute you know. Arrogance has always been a stereotypical character, attached to male, while look at you. You can't even say a sorry." He again laughed, much to her embarrassment.

"Alright. Now don't tease me more." Ishita complained. A moment of silence prevailed, before Ishita asked, "Aahan! What are you planning to do? Are you going to sit here and wait for them to defame you by these false allegations?"

"You don't know how lucky I am! God's favorite child I am! Huh. He always helps me, only to land me in next trouble. First he saved me from a fatal accident, killing my parents. And now this job, with a cunning senior like Mr. Basu. It's by one and get one free." Aahan sarcastically said.

"Yes. They says he is everywhere to justice. But he isn't. He never helps the needy, he never does justice. I never believe in him. I am glad that you too are like me." Ishita unknowningly said.

"Don't mind me Ishita. But I never said that I don't believe in God. I do. In fact you do too." Aahan added more. "Look. You are just angry on him, so am I. And why are we angry on him, if we don't believe in his existence? Will you be angry on a imaginary character for your sufferings? No, right?"

Ishita was speechless. He was right. From her childhood, she had always blamed God for taking her mother away, separating her family. But never did she think so deeply. She thought she was blaming him because she didn't believe in him. But the way she complained for every little thing to God first, now it felt as if he was her best friend, on whom she was angry for stealing her last bite of pizza.

"I know. Maybe you are right." Ishita fumbled while accepting Aahan's view point.

"Yeah. You will see one day. God is not that cruel. If he had taken my parents away, he only sent Kamal and Ritik into my life too. He made me an orphan, at the same time gave me strength to tackle the problems. And now the false allegations, that were put on me, they are false, Ishita. I have nothing to do with it." Aahan replied.

"But how is it justice? You are blamed, when you clearly didn't it? Don't you feel anger?" Ishita asked.

"Anger on whom? And why should I feel anger? You know in life, along with ups, sometime we need to face the downfalls to. Because it will let you see, who is truly with you. It was only one month and I had made the whole office as my friend. But see, today it was only you who trusted me." Aahan tiredly added.

"Exactly... Those selfish people..." Ishita's words are cut by Aahan.

"Don't. They are not at fault. They do have families and problems. They can't behave as my guardians, can they?" Aahan told. Ishita was surprised. How could this man be so good! Then his next words did something to her heart, twisting her stomach at the same time. "But I am glad that, I got you. You are here with me in my downfall. It's a sign that you will be stay by my side forever."

The word forever stole her heart again. She had always dreamt if getting her forever, was it really destined with the man on the other side of the call?

No, Ishita! What are you doing? He is already in so much mess.

"Aahan! You sleep now. I have an important work to do." Ishita said, remembering about what she had to do now.

"What kind of important work you have at this moment of night? Calling your someone special?" Aahan again teased her, making her go red.

"Don't worry. I will personally arrange your meet with my someone special. Just let me confess first. Now go and sleep. I have so much work left." Ishita scolded him, while cutting the call from the other side.

Biting her inner cheeks, she tried to control herself from blushing.

No, now she had to focus on something else.

She had only some hours left to prove Aahan's innocence and she will definitely.