The art of letting go

Imagine you're trying to fit all your old clothes into a tiny closet. No matter how hard you cram them in, there's just not enough space, and it's starting to feel cluttered and chaotic. Now, letting go is like decluttering that closet. It's about sorting through those clothes and deciding which ones you still love and wear, and which ones are just taking up space. By letting go of the ones you no longer need, you create space for new clothes that fit you better and make you feel good. Similarly, letting go in life means clearing out the mental and emotional clutter, making room for new experiences, growth, and joy.

Was thinking of adding this in the story but then thought upar likhungi to aesthetic feels aayegi yk.

Ik it's dumb but whatever.

Now chapter time

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Is the chapter visible now?

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"Nothing, I just thought maybe there are chances I might be wrong. Turns out I wasn't. He will always be an asshole." Ishan muttered standing up.

"Do you think you are in some kind of film and can walk away in style? I am not letting you go just like that Ishan. Tell me what do you mean?"

"You don't know what I mean? Why don't you go and ask that to your brother? I am done here."

"You said you wanted to talk, it goes both ways. So tell me what do you mean? Why have you made my brother's life so difficult?"

"I did?! It was your brother who made my life a living hell. The trauma he had given me, do you think he could ever undo it? Because of him I don't even have a future! And here he is enjoying his life like he didn't just destroyed mine."

"What he did to you was totally wrong and I can understand that but he had already suffered enough for i-"

"You think he has? Because for me he didn't. He didn't go through even one percent of misery which I went through all these years. If he had done all these things to you then would you let go of him so easily?" Ishan scoffed.

"I would," Shahneel muttered, staring at him.

"What?"

"I would, In fact I already did. I let go of all those people who had destroyed my childhood." Shahneel shrugged.

"I-I am sorry. I didn't mean to... I-I forgot...I am really sorry,"

"It's okay, I don't care about it. The past doesn't even hurt anymore." Shahneel muttered looking at her hand.

"It doesn't? Don't you feel like if your parents were still alive you could ha-"

"No, I would have never thought about anything."

"You didn't even let me complete."

"Because I know what you wanted to say and I would have let go of it all then also. You know what? Your culprit was Shubman, mine were not only my parents but all those people who paid my parents to rape me, if I want to I can still ask Shubman to get those people here and can have my revenge." She chuckled looking at Ishan.

"And you don't want to?"

"What would I get from seeing them suffer anyway? This is not who I am, this was not who I was. Why should I change myself because of them? Seeing them again would just open all those wounds again and I have already moved on. I left all those things behind. Seeing them suffer won't give me a sense of satisfaction at all. When you did all those things to Shubman in the room, did you feel satisfied? Tell me the truth, did you feel good?" She said, staring at Ishan who averted his gaze.

"I will feel good someday...maybe when he will also feel what I have gone through all these years."

"So you think he deserves to go through all of that? All the trauma which you have gone through. You want others to feel that?"

"I mean...I just- I just want..."

"You want what? Revenge or your mental peace back? And if it's revenge then do you think it's okay to give Shubman the same trauma? If you hate him for doing that to you then how can you justify doing the same thing you are doing to him?"

"B-but I also went through all of that."

"Exactly Ishan, you already went through all of that then how come you want others to go through all of that as well? What you did to Shubman inside the room is the same thing Shubman did to you so doesn't it make you a hypocrite for hating him when you are doing the same damn thing?"

"It's not same...it's different,"

"Really?"

"Yeah...I-I mean I have gone through so much trauma," Ishan could feel his throat clogging up.

"Exactly Ishan! You have gone through that trauma, you know how much you suffered then how can you wish for someone else to go through that?!"

"I don't know, I just want to feel the old me again. To get my inner peace back, what should I even do?! I don't know, I fucking don't know what else to do. It's just so difficult, everything is so difficult."

"Shh," Shahneel pulled Ishan into her side when he started hyperventilating. She rubbed his bicep when Ishan bursted into tears and pushed his face into her lap.

"It's okay, it's okay." She muttered petting him. Ishan sniffled shaking his head.

"It's not okay, nothing is okay. Everything is a mess and I don't even know what to do anymore." Ishan sobbed.

"Don't worry, I can understand you. Just let it all go and everything will be fine."

"H-how? It's not even that easy to let it all go." Ishan sniffled his body shaking in Shahneel's hold.

"Ishan look at me," She said, taking Ishan's face in her hand. Ishan sobbed looking at her with tearful eyes.

"It is a lot easier than you think. Trust me, the only way you will feel better is when you let it all out. Forgive them, not for them but for yourself. Set yourself free from this constant cycle of hatred and revenge, it will just give you pain and nothing else."

"It's too late for that," Ishan shook his head while tears just continued to stream down his face.

"No bacha, it's never too late y-"

A sudden knock interrupted them. Shubman entered the room right after knocking.

"Dii you messaged that Ishan woke up-" Shubman muttered but stopped in his tracks seeing Ishan crying on Shahneel's lap.

"Shub, can you come later?" Shahneel said and Shubman stared at Ishan for a second before nodding his head. Without saying a word he went out.

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It was evening time when Ishan was finally going back. They stood in the living room.

"Can I get your number?" Ishan asked, fiddling with his fingers.

"Ofcourse, give me your phone. I will feed my number in it." Shahneel hummed.

"I don't know where my phone is. Your brother had me kidnapped so his men had confiscated it." Ishan replied and Shahneel glared at her brother.

"I had to! I thought I was kidnapping him so my men can't just let him have a phone. He could have called the police." Shubman said.

"Give him his phone back,"

"I dunno where it is now," Shubman shrugged but gulped seeing those dead eyes of her sister.

"Wait wait! I will buy him a new phone with your number inside it before he gets inside the aeroplane." Shubman quickly added.

"You better and also transfer some money to his bank account. He had been here for so long, his previous job owner must have fired him by now. The money should be enough till he finds another job." Shahneel said, crossing her arms.

"Already transferred him 10 lakhs," Shubman said and Shahneel nodded her head. She turned back to the couch before taking a small bag and gave it to Ishan.

"Open it only after you reach home." She said and Ishan nodded his head.

"What is this?" Shubman asked, eyeing the bag.

"Nothing, just go now." She said doing a shoo gesture.

"Sorry," Ishan said holding the bag and Shahneel shrugged.

"You don't have to say sorry to me."

"Still...I am sorry," Shubman looked away, seeing how Ishan hugged her. He felt a pang on his chest.

"Since when did you become his friend?" Shubman asked when they were not pulling away. Shahneel chuckled, pulling away and walked towards Shubman, petting his back.

"It's okay, everything will be fine. You will forget about him soon enough, again." She murmured and Shubman just nodded his head.

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"Mayank?" Ishan furrowed his eyebrows seeing Mayank and another man knocking at the door of his house.

Shubman had a cab prepared for him when he landed.

Just when the cab dropped him to his house, he got out only to see his best friend after so long.

"Ish," Mayank ran towards Ishan pulling him into a bone crushing hug. Ishan chuckled, hugging him back.

The man also turned around to look at them and that's when their eyes met. Ishan gasped seeing his face.

"Abhi, look he is my best friend. Ishan," Mayank squealed, looking at Abhishek as well.

"Abhishek Sharma?" Ishan pulled away from Mayank and walked towards him.

"Yeah? Do you know me?" Abhishek averted his gaze as Mayank looked at them in confusion.

"Acting innocent huh? Do you think if you never came to see me directly I wouldn't know who the fuck you are huh?" Ishan sneered.

"Ish what happened?" Mayank said and Ishan turned to Mayank.

"Mayank what is he doing with you?" Ishan asked.

"Look Isha-"

"Shut up Abhishek, I am not asking you."

"But-"

"Shut the fuck up. Will you?"

"Ish what happened? Do you know him?"

"How would I not know him? After all he is the greatest buddy of Shubman." Ishan scoffed.

"Listen Ishan-"

"I am talking with my best friend here so keep your mouth shut." Ishan said glaring at him.

"Ish, what are you saying?" Mayank looked at Ishan, not understanding a bit what was happening.

"Mayu you need to know..."

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A/N

6-8 chapters left.

Should I just give a sad ending 👀