Fiza re-entered the room by herself, her heart heavy with the weight of the unresolved tension between her and Alan. She had poured her heart into creating a meaningful birthday gift for him, hoping to make the day special despite their arguments.

As she stepped inside, she spotted Alan on the bed, hastily ending a phone call upon realizing she was back. Had she taken his advice and kissed Faisal? Why wasn't she meeting his gaze?

"Fiza?" His voice wavered with a blend of caution and longing, his heart yearning for connection.

But Fiza's refusal to look at him only fueled his sense of panic. Could she have already made up her mind so quickly?

While Fiza had been out with Faisal, Alan's internal turmoil had led him to call his mother. He had bared his insecurities about his relationship with Fiza and candidly shared his worries about Faisal. He had even confessed that he had presented Fiza with the choice between them. His mother, though acknowledging his misstep, had offered advice from a place of love, urging him to communicate his feelings genuinely and to not overanalyze things.

Alan's voice softened with weariness. "It's getting late, Fiz. Let's call it a night, come on," he suggested, moving to rise from his bed. However, his surprise was evident as he witnessed Fiza gravitating toward Faisal's side of the room, just beyond the partition. The sudden twist of events struck him with bewildering force, a feeling akin to a physical blow to his gut, leaving him disoriented and lost.

Fiza, weary from the emotional back-and-forth, sought some space to gather her thoughts.

With Faisal away for the night, she only wished to organize her feelings before she returned to Alan's side by midnight. She was determined not to let this situation spoil his birthday.

Alan's resentment towards Fiza being in Faisal's room was overpowering. He regretted the day he had agreed to become roommates with Faisal, seeing it now as a trap designed to provide Faisal access to Fiza - his Fiza. His frustration surged, and his temper flared as he impulsively followed her into Faisal's room. The sight of her lying on his bed ignited a storm of emotions within him.

His eyes glinted with anger as he reached her and forcefully grabbed her arm, his grip tight. "Cut this out, Fiza!" he shouted, his jealousy and possessiveness spiraling out of control.

Images of Faisal touching her, kissing her, surged into his mind - a vision that he couldn't bear.

In his intense moment of anger, he pulled her, not realizing the force would cause her to tumble out of the bed. The sound of her pained cry reverberated in the room as her body collided with the hard floor.

"Aah!" Fiza's voice was laced with pain, her eyes welling up with tears.

Alan hadn't intended for her to fall, his expectations having been for her to resist.

As she struggled to regain her footing, Alan scooped her up in his arms, slinging her over his shoulder. He marched back to his own side of the room, depositing her on his bed with a thud.

Fiza gasped in disbelief, her voice tinged with shock and reproach, "Alan!"

He climbed on her, grabbing both her hands and pinning them down before she could react. Her eyes widened under his menacing gaze. All he saw was red. She needed to learn that she belonged to him.

He kissed her lips and to his surprise, she was kissing him back. Fervently. He pulled back and looked at her confused. Why did it surprise him that she wanted him too? She held his gaze steadily.

His vision cleared and he felt instant regret for his loss of control. She was Fiza. His Fiza. He left her wrist and caressed her face, dipping his body on hers.

"Alaan..." she moaned.

He loved her. They belonged together. There was no one else for either of them.

He slipped his index finger into her mouth as he kissed her neck, slowly making his way down. She was gliding her hands up and his abdomen, having found a way under his shirt.  His lips on hers, he squeezed her breast over her kurti and his other hand found its way into her panties. His tongue invaded her mouth while his finger found it's way inside her. His body crushed hers. He was going to take her again for the second time today.

The sudden ring of Fiza's phone shattered the atmosphere, a jarring interruption to the intense emotions that had filled the room.

Fiza laughed nervously, cutting the heavy tension. Her palms rested on Alan's chest as she gently pushed him away, their connection loosening as she rose from the bed. The phone's ringing ceased as she located the source of the sound, her nimble fingers silencing the alarm. The alarm served as a reminder that midnight had arrived, marking Alan's birthday.

Fiza squatted beside the bed, his gaze settled on the rectangular object she retrieved from beneath it.

Alan observed her every move, his eyes tracing her actions with  curiosity. The sight of her smile, radiant and sincere, caused a flutter of anticipation within him.

She extended the object to him, her voice brushing against his ears, "Happy birthday, Alan."

His fingers closed around the gift, his heart racing as he marvelled at her thoughtfulness. The warmth of her smile, the genuine affection in her eyes, began to mend the fractures that had emerged between them.

He looked at her. She was the one who had always insisted on no gifts between them. He sat on the bed quietly unwrapping his gift. The framed piece contained images that captured moments of their journey, woven into a timeline that promised a shared future.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he gazed at the images, his smile a mixture of happiness and gratitude. The names of their imagined children tugged at his heartstrings. How could he have doubted her for even a moment?

He pulled her close, pressing his face on her abdomen as she stood between his legs. She held him, feeling her kurti become damp from his tears. Her comforting embrace enveloped him, her presence soothing his wounded soul.

"Love you forever, Alan." She whispered. He held her in silence for several minutes until he pulled back.

Alan's gaze held a mixture of awe and adoration as he looked at Fiza, his heart swelling with love for the woman who had stood by him through thick and thin. The intensity of his feelings found expression in his simple declaration, "I love you."

With those words, he made a silent promise to himself and to her, to cherish their love, to safeguard their bond, and to confront his own demons so that they wouldn't jeopardize their future. He stood up and planted a wet kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep?" Fiza's gentle inquiry reached his ears, and he nodded in response.

After a quick visit to the washroom, he returned to find Fiza already changed into her pajamas, nestled cozily in his bed.

His heart warmed at the sight, and a smile played on his lips. As he climbed onto the bed beside her, he drew her close, their bodies fitting together in a comforting embrace.

"You and I are the only thing real in this world. Everything else is just noise."

Her words echoed in his mind, and he realized the profound truth in them. As he held her close, he made a silent vow to protect and nurture their love, to cherish every moment they shared.

With the delta surge's grip on their lives loosening, he was determined to bridge the gap that had kept them physically apart. He needed to be more present in her life, to make an effort to see her more often.

The next morning, Fiza woke up in his arms, feeling a sense of contentment and belonging. She gently brushed his hair back and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, eliciting a warm response from him as he pulled her closer.

As the morning sun cast its gentle glow into the room, Fiza's fingers reached out for her phone. Smiling, she posted the song she had recorded for him the previous day.

It was a perfect day. They went out for breakfast and had Mysore masala dosa. They walked around the campus, picked up Alan's guitar and finally ended up at the basketball court.

As they walked in, a group of girls surrounded them.

"Sir, is this your girlfriend?" One of them asked giggling.

Fiza was amused.

Alan grinned as he wrapped his hand around her shoulder and said, "She's my fiance."

"Oooh!" Said one of the girls nudging the other.
Fiza saw that Aishwarya was part of the group but she hung back. Realization hit that this was probably the girl's basketball team. She smiled at her memories from college of having been in the basketball team herself.

"Does she play?" asked the same girl.

Alan looked at her. "You can ask her. Fiza, this is Neha in final year. Neha, Fiza, my fiance." He introduced with pride.

"Wanna play?" asked Neha.

Fiza was wearing a white dress with yellow flowers on it. It was knee length and flowy. Not exactly a sporty attire, but at-least she had her shoes on. She considered for a moment and then looked at Alan.

He nodded.

He took a seat next to Aishwarya as Fiza joined the team and played with them.

"Sitting out?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she said. "We are exactly ten, so I thought I'd take a break while Fiza played."

Alan watched with pride as Fiza faked and shot a basket. All those drills that he had done with her when they were in college had paid off. It had helped him too, watching the training videos and creating lesson plans for her had improved his game as well.

"So you guys are okay now?" asked Aishwarya.

Alan had a tough time reconciling that this was Aarthy's sister.  "Yeah, we are good. She's the best part of my life." He said, watching Fiza, now steal the ball and do a lay-up shot. Alan intentionally didn't ask about Aarthy, and Aishwarya didn't bring it up.

After about fifteen minutes, they paused the match and Fiza came to him.

"I had forgotten how much of a rush this was," she said, slightly out of breath.

He placed his hands on her hips and drew her close. "You looked so hot out there," he said softly.

Fiza blushed but winked, "must be those core strengthening exercises."

"Are you doing them?" Alan asked delighted.

She nodded.

He grinned, causing her to laugh. He reached out and placed his hand on her abdomen.

"Alan! You are such a weirdo," she chuckled, stepping back. She had worked on losing weight while strengthening her muscles.

"What's the plan?" He asked. "Do you want to play some more ball or..." he pointed to his guitar.

Fiza smiled. "Here?"

"Do you remember the first song we played together?" she asked him as he pulled his guitar.

He started strumming the chords to "More Than Words." Fiza laughed and shook her head. "No, it was 'Happy Together.'"

"Yeah, but we didn't perform that song anywhere. This is the first one we performed," he corrected her.

"Remember how drunk you were? I was so pissed!" She laughed at the memory. He had walked up on stage last minute and played the wrong song.

Alan gazed intensely at her. She had seen through his facade, broken through his walls and had discovered and loved the real him.

"Are you happy, Fiz?" He asked her.

She considered the question. The past couple of years had been hard. There had been highs that were amazing and lows that were devastating. "I think so..." she responded.

"I'll be better, Fiz. I'll do my best," he promised. She made him happy. He made her sad. It was as simple as that. He was the destructive force in her life while she was the light in his. He either had to become better or let her go.

She held his hand in hers. She knew he was trying. But this was the Alan she had fallen in love with. She didn't want someone simple and sweet, she loved that he was complex, deep, and through all of it, loved her just as she loved him.

**********************************************

Author's note

What are your thoughts on this chapter? Do you want more happy pages?

Link to my cover of "Love the way you lie" - Rihanna. This song played in my head while writing this chapter.

Let me know your thoughts! And don't forget to vote.
Thank you for reading

❤️Faiza