I know. I know. Long time no see... I had some shit going on. Thank you for waiting lovies.
🌼

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'We love like fireflies,
how we gravitate to each
other's glow'

-butterfly rising
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Rudra’s POV

We were packing our belongings. The next morning was due our departure.

Looking back at the time, once again I am leaving with memories. This time with a certainty to stay together. No leaving, no running. I am never repeating that again, I am capable for her now.

I was certain now I have everything which she will need. Anything she wants I am capable of.

The last time I was here, I left with a regret of not taking a step. This time I am leaving once again but with a hand in my hand.

We took the step.

Heard about the line, we will meet again once the time is right, never knew this would happen. The words would come true. I don’t think I will demand for anything anymore.

If earlier I left with something to dream about, now I am leaving with something to live upon.

Nobody to blame.

Because this is us, this is how we both have been. One with no patience and the other with lots of patience. We were meant to fit together.

Looking at her, it feels like gazing up in sky – looking for a shooting star. The star which will make my wish come true. The star which brightens my night, the hope to my dark.

She was the light to my soul. Hers were the steps needed in my home. The home I was building inside secretly for us.

“Rudra, you coming?

“Hold on a sec. I just—need these shoes inside—here done! Coming.”
I called out loud when I heard Veer’s retreating steps asking me to follow behind. I rushed out to match his pace.

“When is the bus coming next morning, again?”

“7 a.m. Why?”

“Nothing, just wanted to make sure.”

“Make sure what?”

“The timings, man…” I said bumping his arm with my fist,
“What’s up with you being all CBI over me?”

“Nothing. It’s just you are behaving quite unusual since you came back from your little, ‘lost in the forest with my still not over yet ex’ adventure”
he air quoted

“The fuck man!”
I glared

“Just saying—no offense. Both of you are being all secretive”

“How?”
I said halting in my steps only for him to join me face to face

“You are… see not really angry. There is this creepy smile on your face. What happened in the woods, Rudra?”

I was smiling?

I was making sure my face was marrying a scowl. How did the smile slipped?

I wasn't taking anything to heart since Manzar is back into my life. There was no reason to.

“I will take that as betrayal?”

“Excuse me?”

“Yes! Betrayal! You didn’t even tell me about you guys now back together!”

“shush..”
I said cupping his mouth
“Are you insane! Nobody knows about this.”
I said horrified looking every corner for spectators

He mumbled something.

“What?”

He mumbled something again.

“What?”

He deadpanned looking at me, pointing at my hand covering his big mouth.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Idiot!”
he cursed wiping his mouth with the back of his palm

I was still looking everywhere for the possible audience. Found no one.

“Are you planning to hide this?”
he asked crossing his hands

“Who told you?”

He rolled his eye mumbling,
'Ofcourse, you would answer my question with your questions first'
“Nobody. I just made a guess.”

I gave him a look.

“I swear nobody. Who know about this other than me?”

Maybe my sister and your girlfriend?

“No one, I was just making sure about the number of suspicious people.”

“Well, I don’t know about Urvi, she is a good secret keeper if she knows.”
He said looking as if detective rubbing his chin

I nodded.
“You are not telling anybody.”

And turned to walk ahead

“Always commanding, dude it is you secret not mine.”

“Same thing”

He huffed.

“Fucker”

“Whatever”

“Rudra, Veer, coming you guys? I don’t want to waste any minute of this last day here.”
called Vansh’s excited voice from near bonfire, his voice emitting nothing but excitement.

“Let’s go before he chugs all our beer down.”
I laughed following a hurried Veer, behind.
.
.
.

Manzar’s POV

Last night.

It was always about last night.

What we did. What we shared. What all happened.
What chaos you created. What catastrophe you build. It happed last night.

The night was the last I spend being like this. Being this way.

I will never be this again. I was certain.

As I had announced earlier, I am changed. A good change though.

Looking out of the window of this recliner seats AC Volvo, I was gazing the retreating trees.

The trees hiding my treasure, the memories that are still holding me giddy.

I was smiling like a maniac behind the closed eyes and pursed lips. I was pretending asleep.

My mind was flooded with the story. Story of me. I never felt this blessed before.

I have the best sister, the best brother in law, the best family and the best man.

People have got be jealous.

But I needed more. I was greedy.
I was a fool who had accused a sister for thinking the best for her younger sister, I was always her first child, of course she would want the best for me.
I was more than a dumb-head when I blamed a brother being the shield he is for his younger sister. The man who share a precious bond with me, his more than real blood.
We are all he got of course he would do anything to see me smiling.

There was this one thing I was absolute about though. I was right when I was angry. I had the right to. He was a coward, everybody knows.
He needed a lesson to be learned. Now that he does I will make sure for him to never repeat the mistake again.

He feels like rain drops.

Married to cool breeze, breeze that could bring your soul at peace, the alone you feel when you walk down the street in the pouring rain. Only to feel the drops falling, falling upon you, falling on you, for you.
The way they wet your eyes, just to make you smile. The way they drench your soul just to own you for a while. The way they soak your clothes to have your heart filled with life.
People take rain as an example for many reasons, might it be sad or gay. But I was far from thinking of pain, it was colours now I wanted.

Eyes closed, ears plugged with music and face stoic I was imagining a face, face that belongs to him.

In that very moment I wanted to live in his memories forever. I wanted to call myself crazy. I wanted to shout it out loud.

“Manzar”
Urvi’s voice beside me came and her hand shaking me gently

Pretending like I was, I made up my waking process,
“Yes?”

“You slept enough?”

“Yes, why?”

“Because we need to eat something for breakfast.”

“Oh haan. Lets go.”

She nodded picking her hand bag

I too picked up my sling bag, keeping my ear plugs- the partner of my life inside my bag, I kept the phone in my back pocket and walked out of the bus.

The first thing that caught my eyes was the muddy green colour of his bullet and the leather clad back of his.

He was sitting with half men of our group who were already all set with their breakfast. And the rest gone to collect theirs.

He was already eating his food and checking his phone time to time. It had been 5 minutes of my arrivals there and I saw him almost 3 times peeking.

I walked with the group of girls I was a part of to the front desk to place my order.

Once in front of the order desk, Urvi handed me the menu card and asked to look for what I desire to eat.

I was in the mid process of looking for my choice when subconsciously nibbling on my lip I turned to look his way. His eyes.

Those eyes.

They were looking right at me.

His gaze penetrating yet relieved. The face screamed the wait he was enduring since my arrival.
.
.
.

His name was always enough to make me anxious. His presence had my stomach with butterflies. And boy when he is touching me, the cardiac arrest I have is before age.

He has become something too precious for me to share, I want to keep him hidden—I want to keep him protected from every evil eye.
Every topic nowadays leads me to him, roaming around streets and workplace my eyes involuntarily look for him.

We were making our way back to the bus, the seats where our backsides very well belong.

Urvi, walking in front of me was talking about, how she just dodged one of Anchal’s question about her amazing nights spent with Vansh, here in Kasol.

“I really can’t believe her, how can someone be this obsessed with the idea of me having my  nights all hot with my boyfriend?”

I laughed sipping my ice-tea.

“I mean this is the fourth time she has asked me, how many times we did it last night?”

I laughed even louder, fishing my phone out to check the time.

“You are laughing! That girl even had the audacity to ask- How long does Vansh last?”

“Oh my god! Gross!”

She slapped her forehead.

“Why don’t you just walk out on her?”

“You think I haven’t tried that?”

“Then just tell her off on her face.”

She groaned louder.

“The real pain is, that I didn’t even got a single thing these 6 days.”
She whined badly but in a low voice

I laughed patting her back,
“Now that’s the real pain.”

“I’ll make sure once I am back, I will……”

It was too late for me to hear her nasty-dirty plan because I was being dragged out of the scene with a hand on my mouth and an arm on my stomach lifting me up.

Behind me I heard an unbelievable,
“Really!?”

Rudra laughed. “Really”

Soon I was backed against a bus in the far corner

“Someone can’t stay away I see.”
I commented

“Can you blame me”
he retorted back, snaking his warm palm under my sweater, now touching the skin of my stomach.

I felt the hitch of my breathing and he did too, which isn’t good. He was already aware of my being near him and this only escalated his turgid ego.

“Now give me a kiss before going back to your house.”

“Are you planning to ditch me again, Rudra?”

“What do you think, Manzar?”

He leaned dangerously closer to my lips, stroking them with a single brush.
“Do you think I can ever leave you again?”

He wasn’t really waiting for an answer, there was a soft peck on my nose, lingering sending me to the world of warmth.
The peck followed both my cheeks and a small crown I own. He pulled back looking at me with a longing and loving smile.

“For me this much is enough, I will come and get more soon.”

But that wasn’t enough for me.

When my eyes saw him pulling himself off me, all the sanity and patience I had gained, I lost them all.

I pulled him back to me, standing on my tip-toes, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a real kiss this time.

When the common rhythm ended, I couldn’t stop myself from confessing,
“That wasn’t enough for me. It can never be.”

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I hope you liked it.
-Ankita🦋

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