"Ira, you are creating a scene" Ehan hissed, pulling Ira away from the iron pole she was hugging, in the middle of a street. The whole week passed nicely, since Ira and Ehan were having a great time practising for her basketball team selection. By the entire week, Ira remained calm and co-operating, until.... she asked Ehan to let her have her favourite chips and he refused instantly. The thing was, it was Ira's final selection for basketball team, the next day and he didn't want her to fall sick at the main time by eating unhealthy.

But she being her adamant self, tried to buy one from Lily, whom Ehan had already informed about the ban. Frustrated, she hugged a pole beside a store on the street, demanding her favourite potato chips from Ehan, when they were on the way to her apartment.

"I need it now. I won't move unless you get it for me" she yelled, grabbing attention from the people passing by. Ehan gave everyone an apologetical smile and tried to pull Ira.

She jerked his hand away and screamed even louder, "I want chips, I want potato chips, I want chips right now, I want my favourite potato chips right away...."

"Ira, shhhh...."

"I need it now, NOW..."

"Fine, I'll get it. Stop screaming" only then she peeked through the gaps between her hand and pole and gave him an excited grin.

Defeated, he let her buy whatever she wants and they both walked together, munching on it all the way.

"Be early, tomorrow. Selection is at 3.30" Ehan spoke, wiping the corners of his lips to remove the flakes of chips sticking there.

"Are we going to practise one last time in the morning?" Ira asked, licking her fingers where the spices remained sticking.

"No. You need to be on energy saving mode to give your best. Don't strain yourself" he replied, taking steps back as she as stood by her building.

"Good night" she smiled, waving her hand at him.

"Good night" he smiled back and turned to leave.

"Ehan" she called, making him turn back and look at her.

"Thank you" her shining eyes seemed even more sparkling.

"I'll accept only when you give your best and get selected"

"Definitely. Only if you'll be there to cheer me up" she demanded, shrugging her shoulders.

"You don't need to ask, I'll be there for sure" his wide smile gave her the satisfaction she needed. And the believe that he'll not break his promise, was even more satisfying.

---

After a quick warm shower, Ehan felt fresh. He dabbed his wet hair and dropped the towel in the laundry basket. Opening the drawer, he took a medicine box.

"I need it the most tonight. So I can sleep well and be fresh for the whole day to support and cheer Ira" he mumbled, taking his sleeping pills. He gulped it down with a glass of water and kept the box back on its place. He set the alarm in his mobile and placed it on the nightstand.

Turning off the lights, he laid on bed and covered himself partially with the duvet. It didn't took him any longer than 5 minutes to fall asleep, peacefully.

It felt like merely a few minutes passed, and Ehan could hear distant sound of his alarm buzzing. He twisted, burying his head more into the pillow. The strong effect of sleeping pills still remained, making him to sleepy to even open his eyes. Unknowing, he snoozed the alarm and sleep took over him again. The same thing happened few more times, until he realised that it was an important day. He somehow opened his eyes, sitting up straight and checked the time. He was atleast 40 minutes late.

He rushed to washroom, cleaned himself after getting rid of the remaining sleep and slipped into a fresh set of uniform.

He came out in hurry and set his hair, and rushed downstairs. Grabbing some bread, he spread butter over it and muched on it in hurry. Next, he gulped a glass of juice of whatever Lily had already made and kept in refrigerator. He tied the tie around his neck and came to the main hall. Realising he forgot his bag in the room, he ran back upstairs and stuffed it with the things according to the schedule of the day ahead. He hanged the bag on his right shoulder and ran downstairs.

Walking through the huge hall, he crossed the living area and went towards the main door. He grabbed the knob and was about to twist it open, when his eyes landed on his hand, which was turning pink. He brought his hands closer and examined carefully. Both his hands were turning pink. He pulled up the sleeve of his coat and looked again, hoping it's not what he was thinking. Just then he realised, his body was turning warm, itching, and the burning sensation was slowly rising.

He dropped his bag on the floor, taking in a shaky breathe. His throat tightened, making it difficult for him to breath. He touched his lips, which were swelling painfully.

Falling on his knees, he kept both his hands on the floor, preventing himself from collapsing. Tears made their way from his eyes and dropped on the floor. He was hurt, not because his allergy was back, but because he couldn't face Ira now, who was eagerly waiting for him at the campus.

---

"Lily, have you seen Ehan?" Ira asked impatiently tapping on the glass counter of the cafeteria.

"No, dear. Why?" Lily asked, passing a tray of breakfast to one of the students.

"He's not here yet" Ira informed, turning back to check if he was coming.

"Strange!" Lily and Ira mumbled at the same time.

"I'll call him" Ira said, taking out her mobile. She turned to leave when Lily said, "Good luck for the match. Hope you'll be selected"

"Thank you" Ira gave her a sweet smile, walking out.

Lily's mobile beeped with a message. She pulled it out from the pocket of her apron and read the message.

I'm going out of town for a couple of days. Don't bother cleaning the house.
- Ehan.

Lily pitifully looked up at Ira's retreating figure, who had her mobile pressed against her ear, calling Ehan.

---

Bag resting at the same spot Ehan dropped in, shoes thrown at a distance, the uniform coat laid at the other side of sofa, on which Ehan had his back rest against, sitting in the cold floor still. One leg folded and the other streched, Ehan was glaring at the shiny black marbled floor. His whole face has turned reddish, horrible rashes could be seen, eyes puffy and red, lips swollen and throat dry. Every tissue of his body was burning, itching and screaming for relief, while he sat still without moving an inch.

His mobile went off again, flashing 'Ira calling...' on the screen, causing another fresh tear make its way from the corner of his eye to his nose, traveling along the length of it and drop over his loosened black tie. He shut his eyes tight, letting more tears make their way out and remained as such until the mobile went quiet, flashing 8 missed calls.

He had been sitting still since half an hour and by then, Ira stopped calling. She went to class with a heavy heart, too many thoughts running in her mind. But she was sure of one thing, Ehan will be there for her.

Just the thought of her waiting for him and hoping him to appear made Ehan let out a scream, kicking the coffee table right infornt of his left leg. He hide his face in his right arm, suppressing his cries.

---

Longer he sat at the same spot, more he was feeling the pain; physically and emotionally. His body was on fire, it was literally burning. His hands were itching to scratch every corner of his body, to free himself from what he was feeling.

He stood up finally, wiping his tear stained and rashes filled reddish face. Making his way slowly upstairs, he went inside washroom after dropping his mobile on the couch and set the shower to cold water. Turning it on, he sat under it, letting his burning skin feel the cold water.

As the water trickled down his face, tears mixed with it, descending from his eyes. He rubbed his face, shivering from the icy cold water. His body turned numb and he begun to shook violently.

Gathering all his strength, he stood up and turned off the shower. His teeth begun to chatter as the cold air hit his trembling body. He held the wall for support and slowly walked to the walk in closet. Taking out a pair of dry clothes, he stripped down from the wet ones and changed.

Trembling, he walked to bed and covered himself with the blanket, trying hard to warm himself to stop shivering. He curled into a ball, rubbing his hands together. His insides were burning whilst his skin was trembling and shaking with cold.

He just wanted to get rid of the pain and he know the only thing which could help him the best was his sleeping pills. He streched his hand to the drawer but stopped mid way.

"Ira will call again. I have to let her know that I couldn't be there. Not only that, I have to make sure that gives her best and get selected" he thought and dropping the idea of numbing himself to sleep.

He more tightly curled himself, covering from head to toe. His head was hammering, eyes burning, body trembling and throat felt as dry as a desert.

"Stay awake" he told himself in a shaky whisper, letting more tears descend from his eyes.

---

After the classes were over, Ira directly made her way downstairs to meet Ehan, assuming that by chance he might have been late to school. Her eyes searching him in the crowd. She walked to his block, stood waiting infront. She was very sure, he would appear mumbling a sorry for not attending her calls.

Frustrated, she pulled out her mobile to call him again.

---

Tired of waiting for her call, Ehan called her. She picked up just in a ring and yelled, "I was just about to call you  Where are you, by the way? I have been looking for you since morning"

"I'm... sorry" he tried to sound as normal as he could, still it came out as a mere whisper.

"It's ok. Where are you now? I'm standing infront of your block. Come soon"

"I... I can't come" he said, gulping the lump formed in his dry throat.

"What does that mean? Do you have extra classes? Would that be over by 3.30?" she asked, pacing back and forth, looking at the stairs for him to appear.

"I'm sorry, Ira. I'm... I'm out of station right now"

"You would be back by 3.30, right?" His heart begun to race hearing her hopeful voice.

With a heavy heart, he whispered, "I don't think, I can"

He forehead creased at his reply, "What does that mean?"

"I... I can't be there when you play, I'm sorry, Ira. There was an emergency and I had to..." His dry throat gave up as he tried to speak further, threatening a cough. He hanged up instantly, coughing vigorously.

"Ehan?" She called when he went quiet all of the sudden. She looked at the screen, which showed that the call was disconnected. She felt like she heard something wrong. So she dialled his number again.

Leaving his ringing mobile on bed, Ehan filled a glass with water, which was placed at the stand and gulped it down. It slow down his coughing and he rubbed his throat to get rid of the itchy feeling inside when his mobile went off again.

He gulped and picked up the call, "What were you saying? I didn't got a single thing" he heard Ira say from the other end.

"I'm out of station, Ira. I can't come for your match. I'm sorry" he held himself tight and spoke, keeping his voice straight.

"Ehan, I'm nervous already. Please stop kidding" she pleaded, her cheerful voice nowhere present. She sounded all serious and vulnerable.

"I'm not kidding, Ira. I seriously can't come. There's an emergency and I have to..."

"Please don't go" he could sense by her voice that she was at the verge of breaking down.

Ira, the girl who cheerfully says that she's an orphan, the one who kills thousands of her wishes everyday and still smiles by imaging that she got what she wishes for, the one who takes insults with a sheepish smile, the one who remains unaffected by everything, the very same one, who risked everything to cheer for him at the time of his quiz competition, was at the verge of breaking down. It made Ehan feel pathetic.

"I left already. You please carry on with your..."

"How could you?" Her voice was no more than a whisper. One could easily say how hurt she was just by her voice.

"I'm sorry" he whispered, wiping his eyes with his sleeves.

"I don't want your sorry. I want you to be here, right away" she demanded, her voice shaking with anger.

"I can't. I'm on my way to..."

"I don't care where you are. I want you to be here by 3.30. I'm waiting" she hanged up with that. He dropped the mobile on bed, sitting on the floor. He held his throbbing head with both the hands, crying helplessly.

---

Sitting on a wooden bench, which was facing straight the main gate, Ira kept her eyes fixed at the entrance. Her practice with Ehan, their laughs, his tips, her cheatings, everything playing in her mind. Her heart was experiencing a pain, she had never felt before; the pain of betrayal and disappointment. She never expected anything from anyone. All she had was herself, from whom she expected. But now, there was Ehan on everything.

She don't know why he left all of the sudden, when he was the one much more excited for her. But she was sure, he definitely will come for her.

She skipped lunch, waiting for him. Time passed but there was no sign of him. She stood up to go back to her apartment, when her mobile went off.

She found a ray of hope. Expecting Ehan to say that he was coming back, she swiped the screen and pressed the mobile against her ears.

"Only half an hour to go. Are you ready? Give your best..."

"So your are not coming?" Her disappointed voice hit him as a wave in storm.

"Ira, I told you I'm..."

"I'm going back home" she declared, cutting him off.

He sat up straight, "No, no, no, Ira. No"

"I can't" she grit her teeth, taking a sharp breathe.

"We practised so much. You can't let everything go waste"

"I don't care" she took hasty steps out of the campus, controlling her anger.

"Ira, Ira, stop. I'm coming" she actually stopped in her tracks.

"Don't lie" it was getting difficult for her to believe him again.

"I'm not lying. I will come. I may get late, but I'll be there" he assured her.

"Promise?"

"I promise" he whispered. She let out a sigh of relief, shutting her eyes satisfactorily.

"Now smile" he said, wiping his wet eyes. She forced a smile and said, "Don't break your promise, please"

"I won't. Now go back in and give your best. I'm on my way" his voice shivered at the end and before she could ask him about it, he hanged up.

It was time to show her his real self.

---

Assalamualaikum everyone,

How was the chapter?

Do you think Ehan will keep his promise?

Is Ehan's decision right? Or should he wait for the right time to let Ira know about it?

How do you think Ira will react after witnessing Ehan's vulnerable condition?

*

Kindly hit the star and comments your views :)