That day, when Ruhana reaches home, she freshens up and at the same time, her phone rings. It's a video call from Vineet. She attends the call and then looks at him.

"Vineet, tum thik ho na? Wahan pe sab kaisa hai? Meeting ho gayi?" she asks everything in one go.

"Relax Ruhana. It's morning here. Abhi ek ghante mein meri Meeting hai. Maine socha tumse baat karlun." He says with a smile.

Ruhana smiles at  his image in the phone while he tells her that he just freshened up and has called her. She also fills him up about the project. He seems assured of her strategy. Talking for a little while, they disconnect the call. He promises her to be in touch through messages.  She agrees and then moves out of her room as her mother calls her for dinner. She is feeling happy after talking to Vineet. Her mother looks at her.

"Vineet se baat hui? How is he?" she asks.

"He is fine, Maa. Unki meeting hai abhi thodi derr mein. He said he will be in touch through messages." Ruhana says while serving food for herself.

"Tabhi meri beti khush lag rahi hai." Sanjeev says.

Ruhana smiles. Certainly, she felt better after she read Vineet's message in the morning. Now, after talking to him, she is feeling much relaxed. It seems like he is her stress buster. She isn't feeling the heaviness that she was feeling yesterday. She is feeling better with a little talk. She finishes her dinner and after having a little talk with her parents, they retire to their rooms.

Ruhana works on her laptop for sometime, and after that, she lies on the bed. The sleep is away from her eyes. She's thinking something and looks at her side calling his name. She then realised that he is not sleeping by her side. He is not here. She sighs deeply. She is missing him and there is still time until he comes back. But her questions remains same.

She has developed feelings for him. They started with a friendship, but they have made special places in  each other's life. Is vineet feeling the same way?  Is this really love?  Is this unwanted relationship moving to the destination of love?

She gets out of the bed and stands in front of the mirror. She seems to ask the same questions to herself.

" You care for him, you are missing him. Tumne uske sapnon ko apna bana liya hai. Tum usey bahut yaad karti ho. Ye pyar hi toh hai, jo tumhe uski kami ka ehsas karvata hai."  she hears a conscience say.

Ruhana breaks out of her thoughts and with the mixed feelings, she falls asleep.

*
*

Vineet finishes his meeting and returns back to his hotel. He moves to his room and moves to freshen up after ordering the coffee. As he took a shower, when the doorbell rings he peep through the washroom door.

"Ruhana please order lelo." he says.

As soon as the words slip out of his mouth, he realises that she is not here with him. She is back in India and he is here for some work. He dressed up quickly and took the order. The waiter leaves and Vineet lies on the bed. He sighs as his eyes fall on a picture on his phone. It was his and Ruhana's picture which he set as his wallpaper before leaving for the USA.

" Oh god, Ruhana.. Mujhe sach mein tumhari aadat ho gayi hai. Main toh ye tak bhul gaya ki tum mere sath nahi ho."

"Tumne mujhe bigaad diya hai, Ruhana. Mujhe nahi pata ye kaisi feeling hai, lekin ab mujhe apna kaam jaldi khatam karna hai. Taki main tumhare pas wapas aa sakun aur…" he pauses.

"Par agar tumhari soch alag hui toh? Agar tum waise na socho jaise main sochta hoon, toh? Nai! Pehle mujhe jaanna hai, tum kya sochti ho. I will come soon, Ruhana." he whispers to himself and gets busy with a call.

*
*

Ruhana and Vineet are going through different feelings. They are in touch regularly and they miss each other as well. One fine day, they are chatting and Ruhana looks at him.

" Vineet, papa ke birthday se pehle aa jana. Unhe acha lagega.". She says.

"Main koshish kar raha hoon Ruhana. Ab bas almost kaam khtm hone wala hai.. Main papa ke birthday tak aa jaunga, i I promise." he says.

"Great! Maine bhi sab planning kar li hai. Papa se kaha hai, tumhare parents ko invite karne ke liye. Wo log aayenge na?" she asks him.

"Pata nahi, Ruhana. I hope tumhare efforts rang laye." he says and then after a few more chats, they disconnect the call.

Ruhana silently prays that things fall in space. She wants his mother to accept her, for she has realised her feelings for Vineet. But will they be able to confess them?

To Be Continued.