To be specific Love hurts more than the most painful thing in the world when it is from only one side. But Ruhan had no way out of it. Though his every nerve reminded him that he is surrounded by infinite thrones which are pricking him the smile on his face never missed the chance when he thought about her.

Just her thought passed him when he opened his eyes to the morning sunlight. “Ruhan...” her melodious voice widened his smile still more when he opened his twinkling eyes. “I have placed the coffee on the table alright and hurry up” her voice looked growing distant. He pushed aside the quilt and jumped off his bed to walk towards the washroom.

It was 10 in the morning when Ruhan finally reached the office. He bit his tongue looking at the wrist watch finding himself late. He took a deep breath before reaching the cabin where he was supposed to reach half an hour early. Knocking the glass door he peeped inside the room.

Arnav who was sitting on a chair nodded his head guessing what follows next and looked at Ruhan who smiled sheepishly.

“Arnav. Do one more thing. Change the office timing unfixed. So that we can open the gates when Mr. Always late timer gets up” she fumed looking at Ruhan who cocked his brows feeling sorry.

“Sorry” he walked in. “Did I even gave you permission to enter?” she crossed her arms. He scratched the back of his head. “I was on a shoot late night” he reasoned.

“So have I told you to spoil your health working that late?” she asked and Arnav looked at her.

Mishti was seriously glaring at Ruhan. Arnav wondered why is it the way Mishti cares is so unique. Though she is angry; she is angry because Ruhan worked late night and it might spoil his health. Ruhan had still no answer to her question. “I will take a leave” Arnav got up and walked out of the cabin.

“Sorry yaar Mishti” Ruhan walked to her but Mishti rolled her eyes not convinced. “I had placed the hot coffee on the table and also the breakfast. Then what took you so long Ruhan?” she waved her hands in air. “Actually. I was feeling hell sleepy. Just heard your voice and couldn't help waking up but then after freshening up I thought of taking a nap and ended up wasting my time” he explained while Mishti kept staring him narrowing her eyes.

“And who told you to do the late night shoot by the way. You could have refused the offer right?” she walked to him. “It was for a friend Mishti. I promise this is going to be the last one” he bent to her. “If you are late again I promise I wont be opening the door for you. You will stay the whole night out and you will realize” she nodded her head and Ruhan smiled at her cute anger.

“What? Am I cracking any joke?” she asked serious. He nodded his head. “You look so cute when you're angry” he said and pulled her nose.

“Ruhan” she whined and hit him on his shoulder and he tried saving himself from her soft hands which actually did no harm to him.

Arnav who watched them from outside smiled. 'I wish you got what you deserve dude' he spoke in his mind and continued with his work.

When the sun set and all the employees signed off from the work Mishti walked out of her cabin and reached the parking. She found Ruhan leaning to his jipsy. “What are you doing here?” she asked walking to him. “Can't you see? I am playing dandiya” he signed and Mishti couldn't help but laugh. And Ruhan again wished the time stopped. Her melodious voice was like some music which calmed his every anxiety.

“I can't see the dandiyas in your hand though” Mishti reached him. “Oh don't worry I have habit of playing with the invisible dandiyas” he said proudly and Mishti sat inside the jipsy and Ruhan beside her. He ignited the engine and the vehicle pierced through the orange colored city in a direction.

“Hey” Mishti held his hand. The beep of the machine behind he reminded her that he can't respond to her. Every damn time that realization stuck her a tear always fought to escape the bay  of her eyes. But she smiled taking a sharp breath.

“I know you can listen to me Veer” she looked at the immobile body of Veer who was supported with a ventilator. There was this machine which tracked his heart beat and some needles piercing his skin sending him the required little amount of energy. She smiled at him sadly. “You know again Ruhan was late today. Even when I had made the breakfast and coffee. That idiot told me he planned to take a nap after freshening up. Anyone does that? Haa that dumbo does that” she nodded her head and narrated Veer anything in a hope that he will be feeling alive at least by her talks.

It had been six years that fateful day Veer was brought to this hospital with half the life in him. He injured himself badly while saving Ruhan who walked inside the burning mandap to save Veer. But as Mishti was on her way towards it Veer pushed Ruhan out telling him to save her first. And by the time Ruhan stopped Mishti Veer was burnt more that 50 percent and also the rod of the upper portion of the mandap fell over his head complicating things.

Mishti refused to move on in her life. She had a hope that some day Veer will wake up from the death like sleep and she will have her normal life. But even after six years the God was not merciful on her and Veer remained in coma all these years. Ruhan took the whole responsibility of Veer's parent.

Pari banged the glass on the table beside Ruhan glaring him. He jumped in his place and looked at her. “What?” he whispered. She fumed when he forgot what she had told him already.

“Will you tell her or I should do that?” she asked lowly signing at Mishti who was in the kitchen cooking something. “What should I tell her now?” he asked not understanding. Pari slapped her own forehead. “Don't you act like Gajni when you aren't” she warned him.

“What's cooking in between you both haa?” Mishti walked to there with the bowl. She placed it on the dining table arranging it. “Mishti Ruhan wanted to confess you something” she said and Mishti looked at her sister and then at Ruhan. “I did?” Ruhan asked confused.

“He loves you” Pari said in a go and Ruhan's eyes widened and he looked at Mishti who looked disturbed for once then brought that smile on her face. “I know” she said and sat on her chair. Pari and Ruhan did not expect this reaction from Mishti though.

“What?” she asked when she found them staring at her. “I know Ruhan loves me as a friend and what's wrong in it?” she shrugged her shoulders and served herself turning the plate. Pari hit her forehead and was about to speak when Ruhan dragged her aside.

“What the hell are you doing Pari?” he asked her panicking. “I am telling her the truth. The truth which can change her life. She is waiting for a miracle which is never gonna happen Ruhan. It has been six years and there is no more hope that Veer is going to get his senses back. Then why is she wasting her time?” Pari's eyes moistened.

“Why is denying the happiness which she deserves?” she asked helplessly. “And you are letting her do that. Why?” she asked and Ruhan smiled at her.

“Because I love her” he stated which was enough an answer to Pari's question. “I did not expected her to reciprocate my feelings when I fell in love with her. I did not expected her to accept me when she had no option in her life and wanted to move on, because I know Mishti she will not let go of Veer's hand when he needed her the most. She will not” he said and his eyes started to tear remembering the dead state Mishti was when Veer slipped into coma and he had tried all his will to get her out of it.

“But Ruhan. How many days are you gonna stay this way. She is waiting for Veer and he may never wake up and you are not letting her know that there is someone in her life waiting for her also and who loves her to no bound” Pari looked at him emotionally.

“I don't expect her to come to me Pari. She is happy to be my friend. And I am happy being her friend I am able to give her the support she needs right now” he looked at his empty hands. “I am holding her hands and protecting her though she knows nothing about my feelings. I am happy that she is around me. But  it scares me that some day she will go away from me. But I can't be selfish for that. I can't. I am not any great person. I am selfish person. But when it is about Mishti I can't be selfish. All I care about is her feelings and her happiness nothing else” he walked from there and found Mishti washing the plate she was eating the food.

He smiled at her while she walked to her room. He left a breath of sigh and a tear dropped his eye when he tried to control that immense pain twitching his jaws.

The night sky was full of stars and the city lights were in a competition with the stars. Ruhan stood in the balcony staring blankly at the black sky. He felt her presence and a smile crept over his lips. Mishti stood beside him staring the same black sky.

The silence was precious when all their ears could decipher was the heart beats of each other. If you are with the right person even the silence speaks tons. And their silence was doing the same.

“I am sorry Ruhan” finally Mishti spoke turning to him. Ruhan cupped her face and wiped those tears. “I am sorry that I am hurting you from so many years” she said softly. “No” Ruhan nodded his head.

“Trust me I am not least hurt” he smiled at her. She chuckled through her tearful eyes. “You don't even know to tell a lie properly” she looked into his painful eyes. “If I knew my friend is a mind reader” he looked down.

He looked up again. “I am happy to feel this pain” he smiled and Mishti looked at him confused. “Because each second around you just heals my every scar like it was never there. You give me that immense strength which keeps me sane though I don't know which second might pull you away from me. More than the pain of these emotions which have no revert there is this fear which hurts me” he looked deeply inside her eyes and a tear dropped off his eye and Mishti moved her hand to wipe it but stopped in mid way. He let go of her face defeated.

“I know everything is changed now Mishti. I was feared of this same situation where you will restrain yourself from being my friend who had supported me all this time. Who was the reason I survived this pain” he said walking a bit away from her. Mishti closed her fist feeling helpless.

“You know what scares me the most?” he looked at her with teary eyes. Mishti's heart was feeling weird. The revelation did not do any good to her. Though she had slight hints about Ruhan's feelings she blamed herself that she did not understood and made him stand where he is right now.

“That one day I will wake up and you will be gone” he swallowed the sore lump. Mishti's eyes started to prick as she could not see him like this. He was broken. Completely broken and he was this from earlier but she went on breaking him more and more.

She covered the distance between them and embraced him warmly trying to lighten his anxieties. Ruhan was surprised at her sudden behavior. “Mishti.. I...” he struggled to talk.

“Shhh...” she said and he stood rooted and she was trying to comfort him. There was this silence again between them but that conveyed more thoughts than the real words.

“You know why I consider myself lucky?” she asked and he had no answer. “Because” she brought herself out of the embrace and looked at him. “I have you in my life” she smiled and hugged him again. “I don't want it to change Ruhan. Am I selfish when I think it?” she asked him and he placed his chin over her head and nodded his head. “You can be anything but selfish Mishti. I wish I could change everything” he said sadly. “I wish it too” she said and closed her eyes.

***.***

Mishti was giving a presentation to her clients. The last month was not good for her. Every second the thoughts of Ruhan disturbed her and she used to zone out till someone brought her out of it. Pari and Ruhan were out of station from a week on a shoot. Mishti finished her presentation and the clients liked it.

“Mishti” Arnav spoke when he found her still lost while all the clients had already left the conference room. “What happened?” he asked her concerned. She just nodded her head in a no and walked from there.

“I wish you someday listen to your heart Mishti” his words stopped her and she turned to look at him confused. “Sometimes we fall in love and never realize and by the time we do we would have lost it” he said and she still did not understand what he meant.

“All these years you waited for Veer. There is no second thought you fulfilled the responsibilities as a future life partner for him but what about your future?” he walked to her. “I waited for him because I love him Arnav” she said determined. He smiled at her.

“Do you really know what is love?” he asked and she narrowed her eyes to look at him. “When you held his hand did you ever felt even if the death comes to me now I am ready?” he asked her. “Did you feel those weird feelings when he was near you?” he asked and Mishti kept staring him.

“You didn't” he nodded his head. “I will tell you. For whom you felt all this” he stood in front of her. “You felt these and many more emotions for Ruhan. Now also you are thinking why has your relation with him changed. Don't you?” he asked and she had no answer.

“I can't” she said helpless. He cupped her face. “Don't try to be God. You are a human being and you deserve happiness and so do Ruhan. I know you are pained to hurt him. And it is because you love him that his pain feel you more pained than your own pain. You have come far from initially disliking him to considering him your only support system. You share everything with him. Even the things you can't tell your dadi or Pari you tell it to Ruhan like you are talking to yourself. He was there for you when you were in a well of despair and you were there for him when he immersed himself in the sea of regret. If this is not love then what is?” he smiled at her and Mishti hugged him sobbing.

Misht's phone rang and she smiled looking at the name that flashed. “Ruhan” when she said his name this time there was this heavenly smile on her face. “Talk to him” Arnav walked from there.

“Hey” she smiled and Ruhan could guess her emotions even though he wasn't around. “Were you crying Mishti?” he asked and she bit her lips hard to control the pain. “You aren't here. I am happy. Yeah I was overwhelmed with happiness” she breathed sharply. Ruhan's face fell when he realized that she was trying to hide her pain. “How was the shoot?” she asked him not giving a chance to think more. “It was good” he said lost.

“Where are you?” he asked her. “Office as usual” she said walking towards the cabin. “Okay” he said and disconnected the call.

Ruhan walked straight to Mishti's cabin when he entered the office. “Ruhan” she smiled at him. How she wished he could see that her smile had love for him and she was dying to tell him what she was feeling. She wanted to take all his pain at once.

Her thoughts rested when he started to drag her along. She was confused and followed him till the jipsy and he made her sit and then ignited the engine sitting beside. She was not understanding anything. “Ruhan” she called him but he did not seemed to respond.

He brought her front of him. While following Ruhan blindly Mishti hardly noticed where he was taking her. “Mishti” she heard a voice and her heart beat stopped while she was still staring at Ruhan. She turned and found Veer smiling at her. His mother and father were sitting on his either sides crying happy as their son finally woke up. Her popped out eye dropped the tears which were painful than the bleeding wound. Her heart was wounded and that scar was invisible.

She stood in her place rooted for a long time like the pendulum which had no idea where to stop. On either sides of her were two people. One for whom she waited from so long and on the other who waited for her without a bit of expectations of her reciprocating his feelings.

***.***

She was lifelessly sitting this time wearing the same Lehenga. The one she was wearing for the same function years ago. The same place where once her name from Ruhan's mouth made her heart flutter with joy. She remembered his words last time he told her. This time he did not even show her his face from the time the dates of the marriage fixed.

Arnav was sad that Mishti was hiding her feelings and Pari was sad that Ruhan was not even trying to fight for his love.

“Mishti beta” she heard her Dadi's voice and moved a bit. Her eyes darted to look at the image formed on the mirror in front of her. “It is time for the muhurat” her Dadi reached her and assisted her till the mandap.

“I never had a slight hope that I will see this day again” her Dadi spoke emotionally. But nothing was entering her brain other than the thought of seeing Ruhan for the last time. She looked around. “Whom are you searching for?” her Dadi asked and she nodded her head. “Pari is down” she replied thinking it might be Pari whom Mishti was searching. Mishti just smiled at her Dadi and continued to walk.

Her steps were heavy and she felt her heart killing itself with each second.
 
Finally he was standing just in front of her when Dadi walked to get Pari.

Do pal ruka khwabo ka karva aur fir chal diye tum kaha hum kaha....
Do pal ki thi yeh dilo ki dastaan aur fir chal diye tum kaha hum kaha...

The emotions were flooding and there was again this silence. The precious silence between them. If time was not merciful on them then it will be the most cruel thing.

Tum the ya khushboo hawavo me thi....Tum the ya rang sari dishavo me the...
Tum the ya roshni raho me thi....tum the ya geet gunje fizavo me the....
Tum the mile ya mili thi manzile....
Tum the ke jaadu bhara koi sama....

Pari came there and their paths crossed and there was no hope that they will cross again or they will have that lost time again in their life.

“Veer” Mishti finally spoke when she had no courage to further proceed with the wedding rituals. “I have to tell you something” she looked at him as her eyes were filled and she could hardly see anything in front of her.

“All those years when you were in coma... I... I waited for you... with a hope that you might come back someday” she rubbed her nose.

“But I don't know when I realized that I... I never loved you” she looked at him. He was shocked and his emotions started to break the barrier.

“I tried all these days to convince myself that this is the normal life I ever wanted and I should be happy” she said and closed her eyes.

“But I could not” she nodded her head. “Because I started to love my messed up life. And started to believe that change is something right now I don't want. As that incomplete life looked more beautiful than the complete life. And the person who could make me feel this surely deserves to be in my life right?” she asked him.

“I am sorry Veer. I did not mean to hurt you” she apologized. He got up from his place suddenly and held Mishti's hand. He walked out of the mandap. He untied the gatbandhan and smiled at her.

“You are my fiance but before that you are my friend Mish. You know what I want in my life? The happiness in your heart and that smile which reflects it” he smiled through his tears bending his head.

“If I was given a choice to choose a life with you and your happiness. I will always choose your happiness. I'm sorry that I burdened you first with the never ending wait and then returning to your life when you wanted to step towards your happiness and then not understanding what you were feeling” Mishti looked at him surprised.

“I don't give a damn what people say after this but I will be happy that wherever you will be. You will be happy” he smiled at her and walked from there. His mother and relatives followed him. Mishti ran towards the apartment.

“Mishti beta” her Dadi called. “Let her go. She had to reach the person she is destined with” Bua placed a hand on Dadi's shoulder.

Ruhan was a mess when Mishti opened the door to his room. He wiped his face when he heard the creaking of the door. “Dadi... I was just searching some good clothes. I spoiled my sherwani” he said still looking down and stood up to walk towards his ward robe. Mishti without speaking reached him and hugged him from back.

Ruhan realized it was Mishti and held her hand to bring her in front of him. “Hey Mishti why are you crying?” he asked and she chuckled. “Because I could not get married” she said with a sad pout. “Why?” he narrowed his eyes confused.

Mishti hit his forehead nodding her head. She hugged him again. “Because my bride groom is here busy searching a cloth for himself” she said and he still did not understood that finally the love lorn heart of his had got the love of his life.

“Means?” he asked her. “Idiot duffer and what not... I love you idiot and I told this to Veer. And he backed off from this marriage” she said in a go and Ruhan still could not believe his ears for what he heard.

“I told you something. You did not replied to that” she complained. “What?” he asked confused. “She said she loves you Mr. Bhulakkad “ Pari said nodding her head. “I love you too” he pecked her lips.

“Oh god. I'm still here” Pari closed her eyes. Ruhan signed her to join the hug and she hugged him from the other side.

“Thank you” he smiled at her. “What for?” she asked. “For being there for him” Mishti smiled at her sister who patted her cheek in return. “He is my best friend and you are my life. How could I let any of you hurt?” she asked and they hugged her.

In the same mandap Ruhan tied the mangalsutra to Mishti and finally they were together. Forever.

“Nope a little more than forever” Ruhan tickled his little toddler who was in Mishti's hand. “Papa... papa... stop. You know I am ticklish” Rushali fumbled. “So is your papa” Mishti signed her daughter and they both joined to tickle Ruhan...

****.***
Too long I know. Wanted to make it in two parts but thought it took long time already so why to make you people wait. Sorry for the typos.

Anyways hope you have liked this.

Happy Independence Day 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳