Aditi's sadness didn't fade away like the night. She wondered if Karan actually loved Preeti. What if she was never in the picture? She hated the image of Karan and Preeti together. She was jealous and angered by the fact that they'd actually look perfect together. She balled up and dumped the tshirt in her suitcase instead of folding it and putting it in.

She no longer knew what she actually wanted. She definitely wanted some space from Karan. At the same time, she didn't want Preeti to get to him again. What if Preeti managed to brainwash him. What if he suddenly realized that he didn't love Aditi but he loved Preeti? They had been the best of friends from years after all. It messed up big time with her mind.

"Aditi,"

She took a deep breath and turned to him.

"Umm, your clothes that I need to take back home... you can place them in this suitcase," he said pointing to the suitcase he had opened on the carpet.

"Yeah!"

"Or, if it's something you're not likely to wear you could probably leave in the cupboard here."

"Hmm,"

He stared at her. "Do you want a helping hand?"

"No, I can manage."

"Okay," He mumbled. Since the morning Aditi seemed too occupied with her thoughts, keeping to herself, barely talking. Karan hadn't brought up the last night again. This entire long distance had never bothered him so much as in the present moment. He didn't want to part ways, especially when things between them were so messed up. 

"Aditi, about last night."

"I had to give this to Nisha, I will be back!" Saying that Aditi grabbed something from the side table and walked out of the room. Karan sighed. She wasn't ready to talk it out yet. He walked out of the room and reached downstairs. 

He was stumped on seeing Preeti in the drawing room talking to his mother. His gaze swiped up to his wife who stood beside Nisha, her eyes on him. What was Preeti doing here? A loud alarm rang in his head. Preeti's gaze looked up at him. She looked as uncomfortable and shocked as he was in the moment.

"There he is!" His mother said. "Preeti just came.." his mother said with a smile. 

"Hi!" Karan managed a friendly smile.

"Hey, I didn't know you were here." She said softly. A look at her and Karan knew she wasn't lying.

"Yeah, we we're actually here for Aditi's cousin's wedding."

"You all sit, let me get some snacks."

"Aunty, no. I need to get going." Preeti spoke up quickly.

"You just came. I was making samosas give me a few minutes and they'll be ready." His mother said.

"Next time, Aunty. I just came to meet you, since I was around. Anyway, there's a lot of packing I need to do."

"It would be so nice of you stayed longer, beta." Senior Mrs. Shenoy said, wrapping her arms around Preeti with motherly affection.

Aditi had to keep herself from crying. This hurt. The mother son duo seemed to have a lot of space in their heart for Preeti. She could feel Karan's gaze drift towards her time and again. She picked up little Laksh who had crawled upto her. He probably understood that she needed a distraction. 

"Mumma," the little boy cooed, looking around with a curious gaze. Aditi turned, noticing that Nisha wasn't around.

"Mumma isn't around," she said softly, her gaze moving towards the doorway where her mother-in-law had walked Preeti to. 

Karan crossed the room reaching her side. "Aditi, I..."

"Karan," his mom called, interrupting him.

Aditi gave a tight lipped smile. "Come on baby, let's find your Mumma." She spoke to Laksh, walking away. Karan sighed and walked over to his mother reluctantly.

"Walk her to her home, will you?"

Karan looked at his mother ridiculously. Preeti's home was barely five hundred meters down the lane and it was broad daylight.

"Mom, don't be ridiculous. Preeti is a not a little girl. She'sa strong woman."

Preeti smiled, "Exactly what I was saying aunty. See you all soon!" Her eyes drifted to Karan. "Take care!"

He nodded, waving. Once Preeti was out of the door he turned to his mother. "Why was she here?"

"She comes down whenever she's in the city. How come she's moving to Jaipur suddenly?"

Karan didn't know that she was moving to Jaipur. "I think she's setting up a new boutique there." Karan made his calculating guess.

"Oh, she's still single, right?"

"Yes, single." Karan answered, gazing back at his mother. "Why do you ask?"

"Meenu Massi is looking for a suitable bride for Saahil. I was wondering if I should talk to her about it."

"Mom, calm down. Are you running a part time match making service or something?" He mocked as they walked in.

"Karan, don't talk nonsense. You know Preeti's mother is hardly ever there for her. I mean I can't understand how her parents haven't thought about getting her married."

"Mom, listen. You don't have to do this for her. Preeti is independent and knows how to deal with stuff."

"Karan, she's like your only friend other than Rahul who I know very well. She always comes by whenever she's in the city for her work. I think she likes being around family. And anyway my own son doesn't visit me as often as she does. It won't hurt to adopt her will it?"

"You're crazy mom!"

"I am going to miss you Karan!" His mother pulled his cheeks.

"And I will miss you too."

"Okay, now come I am going to teach you how to make samosas."

Karan gave a nervous smile. "I.. need to pack."

"Shut up, I will help with that later. You're learning how to make samosas." She dragged him towards the kitchen.

"Do I really have to? I just ate samosas at the wedding."

"Okay, pakodas then. Let me teach you that."

Karan agreed, knowing he will only waste time trying to avoid the inevitable. His mother was way too excited to teach him cooking in person.

* * *

Aditi felt stupid for locking herself up in the bathroom and crying over it. She felt like a teenager again. She just couldn't wait for the following morning. She wanted some alone time. 

"Adu," she heard as soon as she stepped out. Karan walked over to her from the bed.

"I am going with Nisha to the market. I will be back in some time." She said not meeting his gaze, walking away with her face looking at the floor.

"I didn't know Preeti visits mom whenever she comes down. I didn't even know that she was in the city. Aditi, we need to talk."

"I don't want to." She spoke, grabbing her purse she walked put of the room.

Karan sighed and kicked the bed in frustration only to hurt his feet. 

* * *

It was seven on the clock. Karan was all set to leave for the airport. He was flying back to Pune by the nine'o click flight. Aditi's flight to Bangalore was on the following morning.

Karan shut the door and locked it as soon as he followed Adiit inside.

"Aditi," He called.

When she didn't respond, he walked over to her and turned her around. "Talk to me."

Aditi looked everywhere but at him. She had avoided him as much as she could. She didn't know how to talk out of this unpleasant situation they were in. Her emotions were all over the place and she needed time to sort herself out.

"Adu, I am sorry for all of this."

"Not your fault," she murmured looking away, pushing his hands off her arms.

"Do you hate me?" He asked in a soft whisper.

Aditi's eyes finally settle on his face. He looked sad and she couldn't see him like that. "I need time, Karan.  To just... sink everything."

"You don't need me?" He asked. 

She darted her eyes away, sinking her teeth into her lower lip. There was this thing about him, this odd power of pulling at her heart strings with the simplest words, that rendered her weak every time.

She dropped her gaze from his face. Her eyes catching glimpse of his wrist watch. "You should get going, you'll be late."

"I am not leaving until we are okay."

Aditi swallowed the lump of heavy heartbreaking emotion in her throat and looked over his shoulder. "We are okay."

"Look me in the eye and say it." He whispered, his fingers touching her cheek, his thumb tracing her jawline, making her steadily look up at him.

"We'll be okay." She said, meeting his eyes.

"I don't want this to change anything between us."

Aditi's eyes teared up and she nodded. He inched his face closer to hers. She turned away.

"You're not going to kiss me goodbye?"

"I am still a little mad." Aditi spoke up, her voice sounding a little creaky. 

"Okay, hug?"

"Go hug Preeti," she mumbled with irritation, folding her arms looking at the wall.

"You have a very bad sense of humor!" He muttered, placing his hands on her waist. "I really need a hug. "

"You're not getting it." She mumbled, trying to push his hands away.

"Think again, you're going to regret it the moment I leave." He said softly, a small smile forming on his lips.

Aditi placed her hand on his chest. "I won't."

"Look me in the eye and say that,"

"I am not going to miss you," she muttered looking at his chest.

"God, is it weird that I find this anger of yours cute."

"I want to kill you."

"Too little time for that. Guess you'll have to plan to do that when we meet again." He said, pulling her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her. She showed little opposition but then gave up.

Tears escaped her eyes, streaming down her face. Gosh, she loved him way too much. She clutched onto his shirt tightly. 

"I am going to miss you so much!" He murmured against her neck, punctuating that with a kiss on her neck. "I love you Adu, and trust me, there's nothing that will change that, ever."

"I love you too," she confessed, with her shaking voice. "But, please give me some time. I need to wrap my head around my feelings."

"You have all the time, Adu. Just don't ignore me, it's the worst feeling ever."

"I love riling you up." She smiled a little through her tears.

"Yeah, me too. But not to the extent that it breaks your heart or makes you cry."

Aditi pulled away, wiping her tears. "You will really get late now."

He kissed her forehead. "Gosh, can I not kidnap you?"

Aditi smiled, caressing his cheeks. "No. Not an option."

"Killjoy!" He exclaimed.

She smiled.

"No kiss?" He asked timidly. 

"Nope."

"You'll regret it." He warned.

Aditi smiled. "Remember, I am still mad at you."

"Oh, well, uh, I think I can erase that and replace that with adoration."

"Good luck, Mr. Karan Shenoy!"

"Oui, mon amour!"

Aditi made a face. "Your French doesn't impress me."

"But I do!" He winked, placing a quick kiss on her cheek. "Take care. And please, even if you wnat to ignore me, keep on the line."

"You're crazy!"

"Only for you sweetheart!" As soon as he said that there was a knock on the door.

"Karan, your flight is today right?"

"Yep, bhai! Coming." Karan said moving to the door, he glanced back at her realizing she stood rooted at the spot.

"Drop me till the gate if not till the airport!" Karan complained. 

Aditi rolled her eyes nodding, pointing to her face she rushed to the washroom. 

"All okay?" Arjun asked looking apprehensive.

"Well, it is, I guess. For now at least."

* * *

Karan was right. She regretted not kissing him the moment he was gone. After a zombie sleep session through the night, here she was headed back to her temporary home. A home which didn't have him. 

She looked at the sign for seat belts go on. She took a deep inhale after fastening her seat belt. Her gaze fell on the magazine. The particular words that caught her attention were — long distance relationship, does it work?

She smiled a little. For her and him it probably did. She couldn't wait to get back to normal, get back home. She had never prayed so desperately for a work project to be wrapped up as she did for the current one. 

Once the airplane took off, Aditi grabbed the magazine and opened to the page fifteen where the article was. She smiled through the article. She never saw herself doing a long distance relationship but she was.

Many people believe that long distance relationships don't work out. They are not easy, but when are relationships ever easy? 

Aditi exhaled looking out at the clouds. She could see the sun was shining at the extreme end of the window. A new morning, a new day and a new chapter in their story. 

It was different from the first time. This time around she was madly in love with her husband and yet deeply sad about everything that had happened. However, she knew this was something she could deal with, something she could set right. More than anything, she knew Karan was never away, he was in her heart. She didn't have anything to lose. This was her chance to strengthen her trust on him, and learn to cherish his love. It was time for the version two and hopefully the final version of their long distance relationship.

Okay, so finally we completed this journey. 

I know a lot of you would be like there's so much more to be understood, so much more to explore and so much more to bring to a logical conclusion. But I think I couldn't have a better ending for this book. Many of you wanted their LDR to end with this book, initially that was the plan but then on brainstorming on it, I realized that this end would be best for this book. 

I really hope this was a wonderful reading journey for you. I would love to know your thoughts/feedback on it.