Here's the second and the last chapter. Hope you like it. Leave a comment of your thoughts. ❤

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 2

#Next day, wedding day#

He looked at the mangalsutra in his hands. It reminded him of the day he was to wed Naira five months ago.

After all, it was impossible to erase someone whose name you had carved in your heart.

'Why? Why Naira? Why did you do this to me? Why did you betray me? What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong!?' he screamed to himself in his mind.

Karthik could still remember the day he was supposed to marry Naira five months ago. He could clearly remember how happy he was.

However, just when he sat down at the mandap, Naira's best friend, Vedika, came to tell him that Naira had ran away with Nakul. Karthik refused to believe it and decided to wait for her.

He waited for her for hours.

He waited for days.

Yet, Naira never showed up.

Only thing he got was a picture sent to him from Naira's number two days later. It displayed a picture of Naira hugging Nakul. Written below was...

Happily married. I'm happy with Nakul, Kittu. He can provide me more luxury. Don't try to find me, okay? Move on in life. Goodbye dear! - Naira

Karthik would never forget the pain that he felt at that moment. It was so intense that he felt like dying.

And he would have probably died, if it wasn't for the support of his family and Vedika.

Vedika, although she was Naira's best friend, didn't support Naira's decision. She stood by Karthik. She had been a gem to him and his family.

Which is why Karthik's parents decided that Vedika would be the best wife for him and a good daughter-in-law. That was why now he was sitting at the mandap about to marry Vedika.

"Karthik beta? Where are you lost? Put the mangalsutra on Vedika's neck." advised Karthik's mother, Suvarna, breaking him of his thoughts.

"Um I...I was..." Karthik tried to think of an excuse.

Even if he agreed tomarry Vedika, his heart still belonged to Naira. He didn't know if he was doingthe right thing by marrying Vedika as he knew he could never give his heart toanother. "I was waiting for Naksh to arrive." he lied.

Karthik's father, Manish, rolled his eyesin exasperation. "That boy is far too detached from our family matters. Not to mention so irresponsible that he isn't present at this crucial moment. Forget about him. You carry on with the rituals."

"Bu-"

"Just go on with the rituals beta."

Karthik could do nothing but nod helplessly. He opened the hook and extended the mangalsutra towards Vedika who was smiling from ear to ear.

However, before he could put it on her, it was snatched away from his hands. Both Karthik and Vedika looked up in shock at Naksh who stood there, fuming.

Vedika at once got up and tried to snatch it back. "Let go of it! If you do-" however, her words were interrupted by a slap to the cheek. She looked back towards her assailant to see Keerthi standing​ there.

"Your game is over Vedika!" shouted Keerthi in rage.

Karthik and his parents looked at his brother and his girlfriend, Keerthi, in surprise.

Suvarna turned Keerthi towards herself. "What is this nonsense? What are you talking about?"

"She's a liar aunty. Believe me!" Keerthi took out the diary. "This is the proof!"

"That's...that's..." Karthik stuttered in shock and nostalgia. "How did you get it? Who's is it?"

"You already recognize it, don't you?" Keerthi asked rhetorically with a sad smile. "Yes, this is Naira's diary."

At Naira's name, Karthik's heart skipped a beat. "Na-Naira? My Naira?"

Naksh placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes bhai. Your Naira. She never betrayed you bhai. It was this Vedika's treachery all along! She was the one who separated you both, so that she gets to marry you. She was the one who kidnapped Naira five months ago so that she can't come to the mandap."

Karthik and his parents looked at Vedika in shock.

"No! That's not true. I didn't do any such thing! Believe me Karthik!" Vedika shouted in panic.

"Really now? Wasn't it you who kidnapped her? Wasn't it you who sent the fake text? Wasn't it you who lied to Karthik? Face it Vedika. It was you! It was you and only you!"

"It wasn't me!"

"Yes it was!" Keerthi stressed.

"No! You're trying to frame me!"

"It was you! Admit it was you! Admit!"

"It wasn't! It was all Nakul who did it. I'm innocent!" Vedika blurted out in panic.

"You knew about it. Which means you were involved in the entire thing." Naksh smiled in victory. "You exposed yourself Vedika. There's no escape now."

Karthik gripped his heart in anguish. "All...all this time I...I was under a fake belief? All this time I mistrusted Naira for nothing?! No! No no no! What have I done!?"

Keerthi had tears in her eyes looking at Karthik's state. "It's not too late Karthik. She's still waiting for you. She still loves you." Karthik looked up at her with blood shot eyes in disbelief. "I'm not lying Karthik. She still loves you. She told me herself."

Karthik held Keerthi's hands in desperation. "Take me to her. Please, take me to her."

Keerthi smiled at him in relief. Finally things were in place. "With pleasure."

#Park#

Keerthi got out of the car along with Naksh and Karthik. She looked up at the sky which was raining heavily. 'It wasn't raining some time ago. Should have brought an umbrella.' As she looked ahead of her, the park seemed to be empty as everyone must have left because of the rain.

"Where isshe?" Karthik asked in impatience.

"It's raining Karthik. I don't think she will be here today. It will be best if we come tomorrow." Naksh suggested, with Keerthi nodding in agreement. Thunder cracked in the sky as the rain started pelting more heavily.

Nevertheless, Karthik didn't listen. He ran inside the park ignoring their calls to come back.

He looked around the park in desperation. However, he could not locate Naira anywhere. "Naira! Naira?! Where are you?! Naira, I'm here! Naira, your Karthik is here! Naira!" Karthik shouted as loud as he could. "Naira please! Answer me Naira, answer me!" he cried out, falling to his knees.

There was no response. Only silence and his echo were his companions.

Just when he was about to give up his hope, he heard a soft voice.

"🎶 Little do you know
I need a little more time
Underneath it all I'm held captive by the hole inside... 🎶 "

Even in the heavy rain and with thunder cracking in the sky, he could clearly recognize that voice.

After all, they were connected by heart. They were two bodies, but one soul. At once he got up and looked around to locate the source of the voice.

"🎶 I've been holding back
For the fear that you might change your mind... 🎶 "

Karthik walked briskly towards the center of the park. As he squinted his eyes, he could make out a figure in a red dress at a distance.

"🎶 I'm ready to forgive you,
But forgetting is a harder fight...
Little do you know
I need a little more time... 🎶 "

Karthik felt a bliss like no other as he realized it was his Naira. It was like someone breathed in a new life into him. "Na-Naira." as he walked closer, he could feel tears cloud his vision. He watched mesmerized as the figure extended a hand forward in his direction.

"🎶 I'll wait, I'll wait
I love you like you've never felt the pain, I'll wait
I promise, you don't have to be afraid, I'll wait... 🎶 "

"No! It's not my illusion. You're...you're really here. And I...I'm here. I'm here Naira!" He quickened his steps to get to her.

"🎶 Little do you know
How I'm breaking while you fall asleep
Little do you know
I'm still haunted by the memories... 🎶 "

Overcome by emotions, he started running towards her. "I'm here Naira! I'm here!"

"🎶 Underneath it all I'm held captive by the hole inside
I've been holding back
For the fear that you might change your mind... 🎶 "

The moment Karthik reached her, he pulled her into a tight hug. He let out his sobs as he held her in his arms, months of sorrow flowing freely in the form of tears. "I missed you. I love you. I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I...I..."

"Shh Karthik. Shh... Calm down. I understand." Naira consoled in a soft voice, returning the hug. Her voice seemed calm and peaceful. Her voice was like a feather in the wind. Vulnerable and delicate...yet, able to clam the tornado in his heart.

Her voice sounded like it was devoid of any sorrow or hatred. It was like she had finally got rid of a huge burden. "I've missed you too, Kittu."

Karthik broke the hug and held her face in his hands. "Your and Nakul's picture seemed so genuine. You looked so happy in his arms that I tho-"

"I was happy Karthik. But for a very different reason. That picture was taken on the day before our marriage. Nakul told me that he thought of me as a sister he never had and wanted to give me one last hug before I married you. I was happy that he had changed his ways and became good."

"So you mean..."

Naira nodded with a sad smile. "Someone framed me. They took the picture and created misunderstandings for you."

Karthik looked devastated. "I'm so sorry sorry Naira. I should have believed you. I should have trusted you more! Why didn't I try to go after you!? Why didn't I trust you more!? But instead I...I trusted that wretched Vedika!" he shouted, his tears mixing with the rain droplets.

Naira rubbed away his tears with her delicate hands. "It's okay. You know the truth now, don't you?"

Karthik nodded andkissed her forehead lovingly. He joined their foreheads together and closed hiseyes. "I've missed this. I've missed you."

Naira chuckled. "You're still cliché as ever, aren't you? Saying sappy romantic lines."

Karthik let out a teary laugh. "It's my sappy lines that made you fall for me. Don't forget that." he joked.

Naira giggled. "True. Besides, only I can handle your sappy, cliché lines."

Karthik opened his eyes and looked at her. He tried to take in her appearance, as if willing to memorize each minute detail. The curve of her lips as she smiles, the way the crinkles form around her eyes when she's smiling, her long eyelashes, her blinking eyes...everything.

Her heart-shaped face was soft as velvet, her beautiful brown eyes reflected his image in them. Her cheeks had a natural blush to them. But what caught his eye was the pure happiness and serenity that was visible in her face. "I said it before many a times and will never get tired of saying this to you Naira." he smiled a genuine smile at her. "Naira Singhania, you're beautiful. You're beautiful Naira."

Naira smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Aww... Just on the cheek?" Karthik joked.

Suddenly, he noticed something unusual. Naira's hand, which was on his arm seemed to flicker. Call him crazy, but he thought he saw his own palm through Naira's hand. 'Must be the rain drops that's interrupting my vision.' he squeezed his eyes closed and looked again.

This time he gasped as he saw her arm become transparent once more. He was sure of it.

Karthik looked up in horror at Naira.

However, she simply smiled a knowing smile at him. "You're not imagining things, Karthik."

"Na-Naira, what...what is this!?"

Naira sighed. "The day Nakul kidnapped me, we...we met in an accident."

Karthik gasped as the truth of things was setting in. He knew what she meant even without her saying more. "No... No no no."

Naira gave him a wry smile. "I'm sorry Kittu. But this is the truth. I...Im dead."

Karthik's vision blurred as tears gathered in his eyes. "No Naira! How can I accept this!? I just got you and now...now you say that I lost you forever?! Naira, no!"

Naira held his face in her hands. "I'm sorry. But I can't change my fate. This is the way it is."

"B-But Naira, you deserve to live. You deserve to get a happy life!"

"I do. And I am happy today. I'm happy for the first time in five months." she said with a genuine smile. "Finally, my truth has been revealed to you and I got your love back. Nothing could give me more happiness than that."

Karthik teared up in her words. "B-But Naira I did injustice to you. If I had believed you, maybe you wouldn't have to suffer. I ca-" the thunder rumbled loudly, as if feeling the turmoil in his heart. The heavy rain reflected his sorrow.

"Shh... Like I said, I'm happy now. You brought me this happiness and I can't thank you enough for it. Today, I'm free. I'm free from my sorrow." she rubbed away his tears lovingly.

Slowly, she moved backfrom him. "And now...now I must leave Karthik."

Karthik abruptly lunged forward and tried to grab her wrist. However, his hand went through her arm. "Naira please! Don't go! Don't go Naira! I can't live without you!"

"You can Karthik. I'm sorry I have to leave you behind. But that's the way it shall be." Naira spoke, tears gathering in her eyes as well. "But I'll wait for you. Live your life. Enjoy the wonders of the world, live with the sweet memories we share."

"It's not easy Naira. How am I supposed to live without you?"

"Please Karthik. Don't waste your life. Live it. Live with the little joys that life has to offer. I don't want you to waste your life. I want to see you succeed. Promise me you'll live. If not for yourself, for me."

Karthik desperately wanted her to be with him. But he knew he lost his chance. He knew that he lost her...forever.

Only thing he could do was agree to her wishes. He failed to give her happiness while she was alive. Now, Karthik could think of only one way to make Naira happy. "Alright. I promise you. I will try to enjoy every little thing in life, live to its fullest. I...I'm sorry but I won't ever be able to love another because the only one I ever truly loved was you. But I promise I will find happiness in other things." Karthik rubbed away his tears and smiled at her. "And knowing that I am doing what you asked and fulfilling my promise to you, I'll be happy."

Both of them didn't realize it, but the weather had cleared by then and rays of sunlight floated through the clouds.

Naira smiled back. "I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you. Forever and always."

"Always and forever." Karthik responded as he watched her move back. "Good bye Naira. Until we meet again."

"Good bye Karthik."

Naira kept moving away from him, until she finally became invisible to the naked eye.

At the same time, Naksh and Keerthi came running towards Karthik, now that the rain had subsided. "There you are! So? Did you meet her?" asked Keerthi, looking around for Naira.

Naksh looked at his brother's smiling face. "I think everything went well, judging by the look on his face."

"True. I wa-" from the corner of her eyes, Keerthi saw a passing flower cart carrying daisies. "Naksh, come on! You're buying me one of those." saying so, she pulled him away along with her.

"🎶 I'll wait, I'll wait
I love you like you've never felt the pain, I'll wait
I promise, you don't have to be afraid, I'll wait
Love is here, and here to stay
So lay your head on me... 🎶 "

As the voice finally faded into nothingness, Karthik looked up at the sky. "Wait for me Naira. Wait for me."

************THE END*************

Hope you liked. Over and out!

~ Mona