Page 7 of Only With You

Not bothering to say anything further, I disconnect the call.

My heart is screaming at me to go after her. It’s an effort to fight down the sudden irresistible impulse to go in and drag her back over my shoulder. This insane thought clouds my mind, but I know I can’t act on it. I can’t win her over this way. She is upset at the moment. Forcing her back will not solve the issue. And her mom is right about giving her some time, which will aid in winning her back. I need to have her back with me. Forever. Anything else is not an option. Alisha has become my life, and I can’t even think about going on without her.

With a sigh, I pull my car out of the drive. Damn! Leaving her behind and driving away from her is the ultimate torture. But deep down in my heart, I know I will get her back. This is the only option. It is just a matter of figuring out how to make her see through the thick fog of misunderstanding which is so dense at the moment, that she is unable to see anything beyond it at the moment.

Chapter 4

Alisha

I’m in pain. It’s killing me. All I can think of is crying and screaming. A week has passed since I left Ranveer’s house or last spoke to him. Mom did tell me he had come to see me, but I am glad she didn’t let him meet me. I still don’t find it in me to give him a chance to forgive him or even hear him out. It is amazing how just a few words can tear you apart inside. It baffles me that the one I thought would give me joy is the one who is the reason for my sadness. How can I handle this? They say, emotional pain lessens over time and eventually fades away; I say, crap. I don’t think I can ever come to terms with him having a family that has no place for me. He came and filled my life with hopes and dreams, and just when I began flying in the sky, he chopped off my wings with the heart-wrenching truth which he had been hiding all along. Suddenly, I was left with a broken heart and despair. I will forever regret that I loved him blindly and trusted him. God! It makes me feel like a fool that I gave him everything, but in return, he gave me pain, tears, and heartbreak. Giving our marriage a chance was a huge step and I was ready to take this leap of faith only because I thought there was a special bond between us. But his deception was like the knife that cut this connection we shared right in the centre. Apparently, hiding the truth from me was his way of keeping this relationship. After all this, I am feeling so helpless. He is nothing but a fraud, a trust killer! I am the stupid one here who loves him crazily. And unfortunately, I will continue to love him, despite everything.

My mobile buzzes, and I swipe through my screen to see Siddh once again messaging me from an unknown number. His messages along with Ranveer’s flash on my screen. God, why is destiny playing this cruel game with me? Both men who have hurt me are trying their best to make me feel more miserable. I am just not in the mood to suffer the double whammy. Ignoring them forever is not the solution. But right now, I can’t deal with either of them. Feeling deprecation and annoyance in equal measure, I swipe my screen to read the messages.

Ranveer:Sweetheart, I am really sorry. I never meant for you to find out the truth this way, please give me a chance to explain.

Siddh:I was foolish to cheat on you. Please forgive me and give me another chance to express how much you mean to me.

Ranveer:Ask me to do whatever you wish for. I will do anything for you. But please hear me out once.

Siddh:Going behind your back was my biggest mistake. Since the day you left me, regret and sorrow have been eating me from inside. I promise I will not make the same mistake ever again.

Ranveer:Without you, I am nothing. I miss you. I miss our moments. Please come back to me.

Siddh:There is no justification for my mistake, but I still want to let you know; whatever I did was when I wasn’t in my senses. It just… happened. Please forgive me, I love you.

Ranveer:You can’t ignore me forever.

I let out a humourless laugh. Definitely, destiny is playing a cruel trick on me. Throwing my mobile on my desk, I don’t bother to reply to any of their messages. Resting my elbows on the desk, head in my hands, I grip my throbbing head while lost in my thoughts. Damn! Why can’t they just let me be? There is nothing they can say or do that will erase how badly they have fucked up in their own way. To be honest, Siddh is not an issue here; he just doesn’t matter anymore. It’s Ranveer who had the power to break my heart into pieces. I honestly thought that Ranveer and I would grow old together, and share the kind of relationship that would last through all the ups and downs that life would throw at us. But now, the only thing that is growing is bitterness. I still cannot believe he didn’t tell me about his wife and child.

“Alisha?”

My head jerks up and my hands drop on my desk as I sit up straight. I look up to see Rewa, dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans, standing in front of me. My eyes fall on my wristwatch. I see it’s after nine in the night. I did ask her to stay back home today. I even decided to close my boutique for today as I had a few things running in my head regarding it. That’s the reason I decided maybe some quiet moment here would help me think logically. My parents are aware that I am here and I am fine, giving them the peace of mind to not blow up my phone with calls and messages.

“I was not expecting you,” I say, leaning back in the chair. But I am glad she is here. I can run the plan by her, hoping she doesn’t counter my decision.

“I thought you could use some company,” she replies with a shrug and lowers herself on the chair opposite me. She peers at me closely, narrows her eyes, and tilts her head. “Now don’t tell me you want me to leave you alone and you are fine, blah blah… Because regardless of whether you need me or not, I am here.”

Shaking my head, I grin as I lean forward with my hands resting on the desk. “I am glad you are here. But just for your information, I am fine.”

She raises her eyebrows at my words. “You are such a bad liar.”

That’s another thing; she knows me too well. “It sucks to have friends who can read you like a book,” I say with a frown as I roll my eyes.

“I am here for you,” she assures me with a smile. “And before you bicker, you have always been there during my hard times, especially when things went down with Jai. Now it’s my turn to be there for you. Please don’t take that from me. Please let me be your rock. Let me be the person on whom you can lean.”

“Thanks,” I reply softly as tears well up in my eyes. She is not wrong. Right now, I can really use a friend. I know what it’s like to have a friend with whom you can share yoursadness that we can’t shake off.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asks with eyes that match my sadness.

I nod my head. “Not about my marriage, but I do have something I would like to discuss with you.”

“I am listening,” she replies calmly.

I take a deep breath and push away my emotions. “I am planning to sell off my boutique.”

“What?” she gasps and her face registers the shock.

I close my eyes and drop my head back before looking at her again. “I want to clear the loan with Ranveer’s granddad, and this is the only way I can. I want to start my life afresh, and for that, I have to untie myself from all the things that are connected to Ranveer.”

---