**Dedicated to @Starchild76 for her one hundred plus fun in-line comments on LoF!**

I clutched Sid's hands in mine, loving the securing warmth. The topic was later successfully diverted to their daughter and a younger son who were shifted to California for MS. As the dessert was served. Pooja leaned in and asked in inconspicuous tone, "Dear, do you talk to your parents now?"

I shrugged and looked sideways at Sid, who caught my anxious looks.

"That's unfortunate, dear. I hope they realize that they are missing out on you. Such a sweet girl!" she sighed heavily and looked blankly at the fire. Then suddenly turned towards Sid and said, "You must miss your parents."

Sid acknowledged her question with a nod. "They are good people."

"I am sure they are. So doctors, huh?" she said, smiling. "It must have been a long time since you met them."

"We skype often. And maybe I will leave India sooner than I expected," he muttered to himself. His touch turned a little cold.

"Oh. Is that it? Then how will it work between you two?" she asked and turned towards me. "Are you shifting to DC then?"

"No," I spoke out instantaneously. Then noticed Sid's serious face and added, "We didn't think it through yet. We will work it out."

"Yes. I won't be gone for long," he confirmed and stroked my hair, almost lovingly.

I looked for a longing in his grey eyes, wanting desperately to mirror mine. And perhaps I saw something wavering in his eyes. Was it ache?

Before I could ponder on the issue, the sky started to cover with dark clouds, hiding the pleasant moonlight and twinkling stars. We gathered the dishes and carried it inside the house. Till then the fire burnt the last remains of wood, ceasing to glow.

"Come on, Siddharth, I will show you my medals," Rajdeep spoke, and lead him with a hand on his back.

Wordlessly, I followed Pooja to help her in the kitchen. After all, I owed her for her finest cooking. Even with my troubled mind, I ate generously.

"Let me help you washing those," I offered, moving near her.

"Oh no, darling. Go with Siddharth and Rajdeep. I will finish up here in another ten minutes and join you upstairs." She took the plates from my hand and dismissed me. I turned, reluctantly, admiring her expert hands moving over the utensils.

The wooden floor under my bare feet felt colder, as I made my away upstairs. Admiring the pictures framed on the side wall. Viraj looked different in those pictures. Somebody I used to know, from my earlier days of dating him. An absolute charmer, with passion and talent for his profession. Those days, he knew me so well. He spoke my mind, just looking at my expressions. I adored his quality especially when I felt ill. He had taken care of me, so well. I wondered if that phase of our relationship stayed that way. We would have definitely ended up getting married, at least till this time! I shuddered inside with the possibilities. He was never the guy for me.

As I reached the landing I saw at the left side, Viraj hunched on the railing of the balcony, looking down. He turned and caught me looking at him. He smiled forcefully, his eyes glistening with tears?

My feet followed him automatically. I entered the foyer of the balcony, which was circular with style garden, with plants of wild roses, marigold and Jasmine climbers covering the sides of it.

"What happened?" I asked him, cursing myself to have asked. I sensed it wouldn't do any good.

"Noth...Nothing," he sobbed, looking away. In the background, the clouds collided in the sky, sparking a faint lightening.

"Tell me!" I sighed, looking earnestly at him. And then put my hand on his.

"Sara, I am lost. I really am," he breathed. "I don't know what I want in my life."

"You have everything, Viraj! Count your blessings!" I said. The damned man had a loving family, a blossoming career, and a beautiful fiancé. I had only one of those things.

"You don't understand," he murmured, looking up.

"No, I don't. Frankly, I think you are ungrateful. You are running away from all these wonderful things of life." I moved to the other side, gazing down the dark valley. There was chirping of the night insects down in the grass.

"Nothing is," he mumbled and got behind me. There was only an inch of distance between us. I could feel his breathe on my neck.

"What?" I asked, turning around to face him, my waist touched the cool metal of the railing.

"Nothing is as wonderful as you."

A troubled silence was suspended with clouds moving above and some droplets reaching the earth and falling on me. I saw old Viraj in front of me. Sensitive, warm and loving. His eyes oozed with longing, a deep longing. He held himself close to me, yet not touching. He tied me in his sorrowful gaze.

"Why did Cara go back to Dublin?" I whispered.

"You can guess the answer, Sara. You can see through me, don't you?" he mumbled, leaning in. His face now merely inches away from mine.

"You broke up with her?" I asked.

"See. You already know. And you know the reason," he said and slowly touched my hair. His eyes roamed my face, while his hand went from my hair to my hand and clutched it.

"You made a mistake, Viraj!" I moved away from his manipulations and went to the other side.

"Now you won't call me Viru," he sighed.

"We have nothing now," I answered his probing.

"You are lying," he said and strode towards me. "You forget, Sara! I can also look through you. Don't think that I don't know about you and Sid. I am not a fool."

I stood frozen on the spot. He again entered into my personal space.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I mumbled, looking away.

"You never dated Sid. And you are now with Kush because you are taking a pity on him. The poor guy loved you from forever. I remember, how he looked at you. I was surprised how you never noticed. It could be because we had something special between us," he said, leaning his head.

"You knew about Kush?" I asked.

"Yes. I also know that Sid invented the lie about the both of you, to make me jealous. Isn't that right?" he probed.

"No." I denied. "You are wrong!"

"Look, Sara. I don't want to dwell on the past. I made a mistake. I accept. And I think I have suffered from the consequences. I never forgot you. Cara was a rebound love. I was trying to search you in her. And initially, I thought that I have found your replacement. But I was wrong. And I was not being fair to Cara. She deserved a man who liked her for herself. And not somebody like me who was hung upon his ex-girlfriend. It broke her heart when I told her that I didn't love her. That I didn't stop loving you."

I gulped. Shit! Here came another complication in my chaotic life. What was I going to do? One thing was clear in my mind, though. I didn't love Viraj. Yes. Whatever he confessed or would try to project, I was not going to fall for it. Damn it. I loved Sid. Yes, I loved Sid and I desperately needed to tell him. I wanted him. Yes. I wanted him to stay here in India with me, and not to go back to that damn DC.

"Don't you have anything to say?" he accused, now teary eyed. The drizzle continued, with us standing there, haunted by the questions.

Finally, gathering myself I answered him. "No, Viraj. I don't have anything to say to you! I don't love you. I got over you the day you left India. I don't deny that we had something in the past. But, I am now somebody else's."

"Who, Kushal?" he questioned with the lines on his face deepening.

"No," I answered.

"You don't know what you want Sara. I ask only your time. I know you are not with Siddharth. Now you have cleared that you don't love Kushal. Just think about me, one last time. Give me a fair chance. I am begging you," he mumbled and broke into sobs. "Oh Mini, Don't let me live without you. I will rather die."

Before I could give him any reaction, he pulled me into a hug. He kept mumbling that he loved me. And he couldn't live without me. He pressed me hard against him, conveying his urgency and broken state.

He then suddenly broke the hug, looked intently at me. "I am going to try something, Sara. Please don't be frightened." His gaze fleeted to something behind me. And then, as if time got slower, I sensed his lips over me, in a slow motion. And I went back to the time when we were together. But there was no magic. Even with this beautiful place, a light romantic drizzle and calming silence, I couldn't feel anything.

And I felt like it was a final closure of whatever that remained between us. So I pushed him away only to answer him, one last time that he was never going to see me again, that I only loved Sid and that I could not think anybody except him. But to my horror, I finally saw who was standing behind us.

Sid stood in the balcony with his hand running through his wet hair and exasperated expressions.

eC&k 

**So guys.. are you ready for the next drama? It's going to be memorable. The journey back is going to be full of action.**