"Mmm, this is so good! You were right. This chef creates magic, like Chris Martin. This is absolutely unreal. I think he is from Hogwarts." Kaashni's eyes closed as she moaned out loud.

Kabir loved watching Kaashni eat. She talked about silly things while she ate; expressed her feelings freely. Somehow, watching her that way, so giddy and ecstatic, made Kabir's day.

"Yeah, he looks like Sirius Black too." Kabir went along with her childish rant, eating the pizza that they had ordered.

"NO WAY!!! Are you serious?" Kaashni exclaimed, attracting the attention of the people sitting around their table. Realising how loud she had been, she gave an apologetic look to them and glared at Kabir who was trying to hold back his laugh.

"No darling, I'm not Sirius, he is." Kabir guffawed at his pathetic attempt at a joke.

Kaashni rolled her eyes.

"You know you shouldn't try, right? Your jokes are lame. Now, watch me try.... If Sirius Black was Chinese, what would his name be?" Kaashni asked, almost ready to jump out of her seat. She seemed too excited.

"Ugh, I don't know, babe. You tell me." Kabir made a face, expecting an equally lame answer from her.

"His name would be Sirius Lee!!! Get it? Seriously-SiriusLee? I am so funny!" She said cheekily, her lips stretching into a Cheshire cat grin.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night, sweetheart."

"Don't make that face, mister" Kaashni wanted to throw something at his charming face, some veggies on the pizza perhaps, but she refrained. She didn't want their neighbour guests to be disturbed again. As much as the new chef was good at his job, she would be responsible for shooing Kabir's customers away.

And then, there would be no wedding.

The couple finally ate in silence. Kaashni hummed along the old song that the live orchestra was playing. Kabir listened to her soft, soothing hum. Why did she have to go to Germany, he wondered. He did understand her reason, her beautiful, beautiful reason, and yet he didn't.

They were two different people, Kabir and Kaashni. Their ambitions were very different, but they wanted to navigate through life together, hand in hand, always. He was a shrewd businessman; he knew how to manipulate people to get what he wanted, like the back of his hand. Kaashni manipulated people for a living too; she resurrected people's faith in humanity, in themselves. She made lives livable for people, for children and for him, making them whole, complete. Kabir could never understand her obsession with all-things-people. She had once said to him, "I love to read people, to get to know them and somehow, make a difference in their lives. I think that's my lifetime goal."

Kabir had fallen in love with her then.

He, however had not realised, how her aims in life would make his, a chimera.

Kabir looked at her. She had been staring at him too, with a look on her face that Kabir knew all too well.

"Come on now, spit it out." Kabir smiled.

Kaashni huffed at how predictable she was to him. She however, was a little antsy about Kabir's reaction to the news she was going to announce.

"Ummm," Kaashni avoided his eyes, looking at his sharp nose. Kabir could tell something was wrong. He could practically imagine her hands wringing together under the table. "Hashim is coming here tomorrow."

"Why is he coming to Delhi?" Kabir asked through gritted teeth almost reflexively, like he knew it was coming. He was not looking at her; he was not taking his eyes off his plate.

"To see me for the last time before I go."

Kabir was calm, too calm. Finishing his bite sophisticatedly, so elegantly that Kaashni could only dream about pulling it off, Kabir drank from his glass of water.

One sip

Two sips

Three

Four

She'd had enough.

"Will you please say something?" Kaashni pleaded, her voice coming out stronger than she expected it to. She felt a little proud of herself, mentally patting herself on the back.

"What exactly do you want me to say, Kaashni?" Kabir snapped, looking into her eyes. He desperately wanted to ignore the adrenaline rush, the anxiety; desperately wanted to keep himself in control, like he always was. Kabir didn't want her to meet that blasted guy. He had never met him, but he knew Hashim was bad news. Kaashni's rants about him and her blasted Kashmir trek had proven that.

"I want you to say that you're happy for me that Hashim is coming to meet me before I leave the country for 2 years and that you'll come with me to meet him." Kaashni spoke in one breath, looking at him with hopeful eyes, hoping to dispel his anger. She really wanted Kabir to meet Hashim. Both of them were among the most important people in her life. She wanted Kabir to see how good an influence Hashim had been on her, she wanted Kabir to realise and accept his own spiritual side, his soul.

"No, absolutely not! I will not meet that guy and neither will you." Kabir almost commanded.

"You do not tell me what to do, Kabir. I will meet whoever I want to meet. How many times do I have to tell you that Hashim is just a friend? He is like a mentor to me, nothing else, nothing more," Kaashni told him sternly, her eyes serious.

She continued softly, "He is not Sarthak, Kabir. I'm yours, only yours."

Kabir looked up at her, meeting the dark abyss her eyes were. She had just hit a point. It was true, he was insecure. He didn't want to lose her to someone else, not Hashim, not Sarthak, no one. She was his, only his. He didn't just fear losing her to someone though, it went deeper than that. He knew she did not have any romantic feelings for Hashim, but Kabir knew that Hashim held the power to change her, to influence her. He did not want that to happen again. He didn't want her to go further away from him than she already was going.

He was afraid that she would change, that she wouldn't be the same Kaashni anymore. He was afraid of time and people changing her without him. He wanted to be there always, but he knew he couldn't. She was going away, without him.

He remembered the exact day when she had told him that she no longer wanted to pursue PhD, no longer dreamt about winning the Nobel Prize. It was a starry night, a rare sight in Delhi and they were walking along the neighbourhood street. He had been left dumbfounded. He could not believe that Kaashni, a girl who had always had such huge ambitions could say something like that.

"What do you want to do, then? Get married?" He had asked cheekily, "I see, you're giving me hints, eh?"

He could remember the way she had stared at him, all serious, without any sign of humour on her face. What she told him then had made him feel a range of emotions all at once; he couldn't decide which one had dominated his senses. He had thought she was joking, but the way she was talking about her renewed dreams, so, so passionately made him think again.

"Do you really think your parents would let you go? Heck, do you really think I would let you go there, all alone?" He had asked her.

"I know they wouldn't. My parents would never let me go, Kabir. You have to help me, please. It-it's really important to me. It just gives me chills, thinking about it. I really want to do this. And we have a lot of time to plan everything! One has to be 25 to go through with the entire process. I am just 21. Please, Kabir. We can't tell anyone, not even Samar." She had sobbed.

At that moment, he hadn't cared, however. He didn't want to help her; he could not help her. He didn't want her to go away. He loved her, yes he did, and she didn't know. Kabir was afraid to tell her about his feelings. He knew Kaashni wasn't ready after her break up with Sarthak, and he was afraid that Kaashni would not feel the same way.

He had been angry. She had changed. Sarthak had made her lose her shine, her individuality. He had emotionally abused her and left her broken pieces to Kabir. The trek she had gone to the previous year had helped her find herself again, for that he was happy. But he was skeptical about the way she had regained it.

The idea of religion and spirituality made absolutely no sense to Kabir. He was a proud atheist and was happy that Kaashni had been one too. Witnessing the change within her, he had been disappointed. He didn't want her to be clawed into the ways of the society. Religion was the root of all evil, he believed. Why did people pray to God? Why did they pray to the same God who inspired killings of innocent people all around the globe? If He existed, why didn't he stop them? Violence and terrorism were products of religion. And Kaashni was being slowly dragged towards the mainstream ideas of the society.

He loathed Hashim for this.

"Don't you even name him here. You know this isn't about him." Lies, it was about Sarthak too, somehow.

Kaashni rolled her eyes. She was fed up of men and their male ego.

"Please, I know you, okay? I know exactly what you're thinking right now. So, don't you dare sprout lies at me." Kaashni proclaimed, irritated.

Kabir huffed.

"Whatever, Kaashni. I have more important things to do than meet the guy my fiancée is obsessed with. I will not meet him and that's final." Kabir said, in an acerbic tone.

Kabir was glaring at her. She wanted to glare back at him and throw back equally harsh things but she decided to be the bigger person.

"Please, Kabir, come meet him once. I can guarantee that you will like him. I'll do anything you tell me to if you go with me. I promise." Bribing him was the only option left with her. They always did this, since childhood. The bribe-game gave them a kick like nothing else did.

Kabir's eyes sparkled for a moment. She knew he was considering it. However, Kaashni was apprehensive about what Kabir will make her do.

"So, you say you'll do anything, eh?" she could practically see the wicked glint in his eyes. The smirk on his face suggested that she was in trouble, a lot of it.

"Umm, yeah, yes. I'll uh do anything," Kaashni stuttered, "but you have to come meet him. Or I'll not marry you." Kaashni gave a smirk of her own.

"Shut up, and get up. We're leaving." Kabir commanded in a husky voice. His tone gave Kaashni goosebumps. A chill ran down her spine.

"O..Okayy" Kabir could not contain his excitement. He knew he was affecting her. It was finally happening.

Kabir and Kaashni got up from their seats and walked hand in hand towards the entry of his lavish restaurant; Kabir, confident as ever, as against Kaashni's clumsy walk. She was very nervous. Kabir was ecstatic, on the other hand.

They got inside his car and Kabir drove the car in the direction opposite to her place.

"Where are you taking me?" Kaashni asked in a feeble voice, her nerves getting to her.

"You ask me as if I am kidnapping you, darling." Kabir laughed, the beautiful shade of brown in his eyes, now darker.

"Shut up and tell me." And Kaashni was back.

"You'll see, babe. You'll see." Kabir just smirked.

Kaashni rolled her eyes and stared off outside the window to keep her nerves under control. The buildings had all gone by. They were surrounded by trees now. The sound of them rustling was music to Kaashni's ears.

It was a windy winter night. The harsh wind pushed the trees against their will. Maybe it was a sign, Kaashni thought. Maybe, the wind was a sign. Something was going to change her life? Germany was going to change her life, just like the stubborn winds were pushing the trees, making their roots loosen out of the earth. She wouldn't let it affect her though. She had to make sure that her roots were strong enough, firm enough. She had to come out victorious.

Kabir had to shake Kaashni a little to make her realise that they had reached their destination. She broke out of her reverie and got out of the car. Kabir had brought her to a plain ground. It was surrounded by lush trees from all over. It was well lit and seemed to be like a playground. Kaashni and Kabir were the only ones in there, all alone.

"Look up..." Kabir whispered in her ear. He was behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin on her shoulder. Kaashni felt safe in his arms. No one could harm her there, no one.

She did as he told her to. Gazing up, she gasped. The sky was clear, total grey. There were no stars visible except one. The North Star.

It shone bright, alone. It wasn't afraid to stand there, on its own, so confident about itself; confident that it was enough to give light to the sky, confident that it could light up the whole world all alone. Kaashni had to be the North Star. She had to be positive, brave to go out there and achieve what she had always wanted to, alone, on her own.

I will do it. I will.

"Isn't it pretty?" Kabir slightly tickled her stomach above her sweatshirt.

Kaashni turned around in his arms and softly smiled up at him. He was beautiful.

"Yeah, you're pretty." Kaashni stood on her heels to kiss his nose. Suddenly, Kabir put his hands on both her cheeks and caressed them softly. Kaashni couldn't help but flutter her eyes close at the light touch. She loved the feeling of his hands on her skin.

"Open your eyes, Kaashni, please." Kabir pleaded as if his life depended on it.

She opened her eyes slowly, her long eyelashes casting a shadow over her cheeks. She was in a trance, looking into his eyes, the brown giving her the solace she could never find anywhere else.

"I love you, Kabir." She said and leaned up to capture his lips with hers.

A/N

Finallllyyyy, I updated. BEFORE THE DEADLINE, YASSSS.

What do you think about this chapter? Honestly, I had the best time writing it. I absolutely love this chapter and I am very proud of myself on how it turned out.

And, Kabir is an athiest. Oops?

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Slackreads sleeplessreminisence

You guys finally got the action you wanted, eh?

(Fighting/argument action ofcourse 😂😂😂)