Page 24 of Only With You

I go still, feeling stunned and paralysed as Alisha stiffens instinctively.

“Mili…” she whispers, pushing me away with tears pooling in her eyes.

I shake my head and pull out the mobile from my pant pocket as I snooze the recorded voice alarm, which Mili had set on my mobile.

“Mili came up with this idea of recording her voice and setting it as a reminder so that I hear it every night before bed even on days when she is not here with me,” I explain, my tone gentle.

However, she doesn’t say anything. I watch her squeeze her eyes shut. An icy silence fills the room. Her silence is worse than her anger. After ten long seconds, when she opens her eyes, I see tears roll down her cheek.

“Alisha…”

“Ranveer, please let me go. Please…” she cuts me off. In the blink of an eye, she turns around, opens the door, and walks out.

I stay rooted to my spot, my mouth agape, too stunned to see her go. The moment she disappears from my eyesight, my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. I try to figure out what the fuck is troubling her so much, but I would be blind not to be able to see that she worries for Mili and thinks that sacrificing our love is the only option. I want to tell her that she is so wrong. But I am not going to make a case of it, because as of now, it won’t do me any good. I will give her the time and the space that will hopefully help her sort out her feelings and get things straight in her mind. With a heavy heart, I decide not to push this. For now.

Chapter 12

Alisha

What would be worse—finding my way back into Ranveer’s life with his daughter along with his ex-wife in the picture, or simply walking away from him? Well, I am just not able to figure this out. I am questioning whether I am making a huge, gigantic, colossal mistake by running away from Ranveer even though he is the only man on this planet I love and want to be with. But how do I move forward with him? I am pretty sure that the only outcome of my relationship with him will lead to Mili getting hurt in the process. I don’t want her torn and having to choose between her mom and dad. Even if I want to, I can’t be her mom as she already has one, and I don’t have the heart to take her dad from her for my selfish motives. The only way Ranveer and I can move on is to go separate ways.

Sitting at a small table at the back of the coffee shop with an untouched cold coffee on the table in front of me, I cogitate. It’s been thirty minutes since I sat down here, but I still haven’t taken even a sip of my favourite drink. I am beside myself with frustration. All my attention has been focused on what mayhem my life has wrought. It’s been a week since we got carried away with the kiss. My walls of resistance cracked then. Thereafter, my resoluteness seems to weaken further with every passing day.

“Hey, Alisha, I am glad you could make it.”

I look up at Siddh. His face is hopeful, like he’s waiting for me to stand up and greet him with a hug. No chance in hell am I showing any kind of reaction. He can keep dreaming all he wants to about me welcoming his presence, but the truth is, I can barely stand even the sight of him. All I wish is to give him the rough edge of my tongue. My gut screams that sooner or later I will have to get done with this conversation to get closure, which is why I agreed to meeting him in the first place. I sigh as he takes a seat across from me, but a sudden movement catches my attention. That’s when I spot Ajay across the room. I groan. Ranveer really knows how to wind me up. Instead of walking up to Ajay, I narrow my eyes on him when he looks in my direction, and he knits his brows in confusion, making me look like a kid with a tantrum issue. I know it’s pointless to ask him to leave. If Ranveer has asked him to keep a watch on me, then that’s what he will do, regardless of what my say in the matter is. The best I can do is to pretend he is not here, though I don’t know how I’ll manage to fool myself.

“Are you ready to listen to what I have to say?” Siddh asks, pulling my attention back to him.

“I am.” I pick up my coffee and take a big sip.

I am a bundle of nerves. Maybe it’s because I know for a fact that Ajay will inform Ranveer about Siddh being here. And it won’t take long for Ranveer to show up or do something to let me know that I still belong to him.

“Okay.” His arched brows reflect that he is wondering whether I am genuinely inclined to hear him out. “You were looking everywhere but me, so I thought you were still debating on whether you want to have this conversation or not,” he says, leaning back in his chair, acting like a long-lost buddy, with whom I wished to catch up over a cup of coffee.

Ignoring his statement, I shoot my question at him. “Instead of beating around the bush, can you please come straight to the point and tell me why did you ask me to meet you, so that we can get done with it?”

The smugness on his face is wiped out. Serves him well. He lets out a breath and stares at me. “Is there no way for you to give me another chance?”

“Never,” I retort, sounding as annoyed as I am feeling. “Now if this is all that you wish to talk about, can we end this torture?”

“Will you never forgive me?” he asks with a hurt expression on his face.

Closing my eyes, I pull in a deep breath and gather my thoughts. I then open my eyes and meet his gaze. “If it makes you feel any better, I am not holding anything against you even though you hurt me beyond measure. But that is it. I can never trust you again or forgive you.”

“Really, Alisha? I just cheated on you once, just once, and you plan to hold it against me for the rest of your life.”

The bloody nerve of this guy. “It’s brave of you to hurt me so bad and expect me to forget it all. But I am not naïve to trust you again. That one time was enough to make me realise you were nothing but the biggest regret of my life and not worth giving a chance. Even time has done nothing to diminish my dislike for you. Just for you to know, I have moved on.”

“Oh yes, how can I forget? You are married now and have moved on in life. There is someone else who has taken my place in your life.” He points out.

I open my mouth to tell him that it’s none of his business. Rather, I wish to retaliate that I am not like him and won’t even dream of getting into a relationship with anyone, especially him, while I am married. But before I can lash out, a shadow falls over the table and I glance up. For a second, I keep staring but then blink my eyes a couple of times to make sure I’m not hallucinating.

“Soha?” I mumble. God! What’s happening? Why are all the people whom I wish to avoid, gracing me with their presence?

Siddh’s eyes fall on the woman, and I can see admiration leap in them. How much ever I may detest her, I must admit she is looking gorgeous in her red silk shirt and skin-fitting leather pants. Her dark blonde hair is left loose. From her appearance, it seems she has had them blow-dried, making her look more sophisticated and stunning.

“Hey, Alisha,” she greets while moving a chair from another table and placing it such that she is seated between Siddh and me. Without caring two hoots to bother and ask for my consent or paying attention that I am here with someone, she flops down on the chair and makes herself comfortable.

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