Hi Everyone! Long time no see! I sincerely apologize for going away for such a long time. I can't really say I am back. Still thought to start somewhere.

I am so sorry for not replying to anyone's comments and messages, I wasn't active here as I have mentioned in the note. I will try to see if possibly I can reply to those. But thanks to every single person for reading, commenting and voting. Then for sending me messages and asking for updates in comments. I really appreciate all the love you have for my stories. Also thanks to those friends, who tried their best to motivate me to come back in writing again. So without wasting more time, let's start with the update.

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For about two weeks, they didn't contact each other. He was scared that he wouldn't be able to pretend or give her false hopes if they were to discuss over the same topic again. He would only end up disappointing her. She would see right through him and realize that he could never have a change of heart. The truth would break her yet again without any doubt. And most importantly he would never ever do such a thing to his Sherni, make her believe in something that wasn't true because the base of their relationship has always been honesty, mutual respect and understanding.

On the other hand, she didn't have the courage to face him. She clearly knew he would reject her love as he already did that night. Now since he already found out about her feelings, she couldn't pretend in front of him anymore. Neither she had the courage, nor the heart to see him denouncing her love one more time.

It was the longest and painful two weeks of their lives. Kartik's patience gave up on him when he found out that his Sherni has decided to move to Switzerland with her uncle and join their family business there. Her going far away from him, it was something that he could never bear to see. He just couldn't let it happen. To his fortune, Naira decided to visit Goenka Villa one last time before her departure. Their families didn't know exactly what happened between the two, but they had an idea that it was something big!

Keerti assured her that Kartik went out of the town and she need not be worried about his presence. Knowing very well, she wouldn't meet him with her will, he tricked her into meeting him with Keerti's help. The result being, she was locked with him in his room and she knew there was no escape.

They stood, facing each other with pale faces. Those shining faces that always used to spark up seeing each other had no trace of smiles. In those two weeks, their faces lost all the charms. Both of them looked immensely tired due to sleepless nights and being subjected to constant stress. Their swollen eyes were proof enough to express the extent of sufferings that they have gone through in the past few days.

They were lonely, hopeless and shattered! Their present was a mess, and both of them had no idea what their future held for them. He was scared to lose her, where she was even scared to lose the beautiful friendship that they both shared. He was determined to make things right between them, but she didn't know if they can be the same anymore after the beautiful revelation to him, which turned into a nightmare for them.

There was a pin drop silence until it was broken by him. "Sherni I love you, I really do." a frantic Kartik told her, hoping she would understand him and his stance. Then taking a deep breath he added, "BUT...". However only to be followed by a pause, as he was looking for the correct choice of words to put across his feelings in front of her. So, she wouldn't misunderstand him, because he, Kartik Goenka couldn't afford to lose his Sherni.

He felt so vulnerable. Not knowing what to do or say exactly, he shut his eyes to muster up some courage to tell her "But I..."

"BUT You DON"T LOVE ME like I DO!" she bluntly stated by cutting him off in the middle, in order to make his work easier.

"No, you are taking me wrong again! I love you as much. We both love each other, but it's not like what you think!" Kartik told her impatiently to make her see his point.

Naira didn't say anything, instead kept looking him in the eye. Being helpless, he gave her a pleading look and ran his fingers through his hairs in frustration. But he knew he couldn't lose hope and had to convince her at any cost. After all, he was on the verge of losing everything. SHE was his EVERYTHING! Only if he could see that straight. More precisely in what sense!

Keeping his thoughts positive, Kartik continued to prod her further "Come on Sherni! You know I love you too and just how much! You are everything to me. You are my best friend and my life."

His tone changed as he spoke next "But it was never about a romantic relationship. I just don't get how! How love came in between our relationship, our Friendship? We...."

Kartik immediately stopped realizing Naira was giving him an incorrigible look. He averted his gaze, finding her not getting affected by any of his reasoning. He fiddled with words as he tried to express his own feelings "I mean Pyaar, Mohabbat, and all....it's not...not something I. I don't...You know, it's not my thing! I don't believe in love." At least he thought so it to be!

"BUT I value our FRIENDSHIP, Above All!" he confessed directly looking into her eyes this time. "I do CARE for YOU more than anyone, anything or everything. You do know that, right!" he told her with the same intensity while trying to assure himself that she knew how he truly felt for her.

He covered the distance between them and softly held her by the shoulders, as he said desperately "Why are you making it difficult for me, for us by bringing in love between our friendship? Why can't things be the same between us again?"

"It can't!" was her simple reply.

"Please understand, I can't live without you. Will you be able to live without your Mendak?" he asked cupping her face in his palms. "Why?! " she countered back instead.

When she noticed him looking at her being baffled, she repeated, "Why is that you can't live without me?" "I just can't. Can you?" he shot back at her. She gave him a mysterious smile, a smile that he was unfamiliar with. She answered his query with confidence "I can't and I know why exactly! A reason that you might not like to hear. But why can't you?!"

He didn't have another question that he could have asked her after that. Neither he had any justification for his feelings, except for the reason that she was his best friend, his Sherni, his everything. Apart from these facts, even he didn't know why else he would feel the way he felt for her. Nevertheless, he already understood these weren't reasons enough for her. He simply accepted in a defeating tone "I don't know. I can't explain." "All I know, I never could have and would never want to, EVER imagine a life without you!" he kept his heart in front of her.

"Separating from you, I don't know what that would do to me. I seriously don't!" he declared in a broken voice. Naira slightly pushed off his hands that were cupping her face and let out a mocking laugh. She told him, almost on the verge of tears "You can't live without me, yet you don't love me. NO! You can never love me! Isn't it?" His answer was quick "No, I do...."

"You love me, but not the way I want you to! You can never reciprocate the love I have for you! Right!" she said cutting him off and he immediately shut his mouth. A lump formed in her throat, as she spoke "Our relationship is nothing more than friendship to you and can never be. JUST FRIENDS, that's what we are! Correct me if I am wrong?!"

Unsure of what to say, he remained quiet and that broke her heart all the more. She knew there was no point, but she just wanted to tell him. She continued, trying to look for her Mendak, whom probably she has lost already in this battle of love and friendship "You know, you always used to tell me that you can't see me hurt. You will never let anyone hurt me and protect me with your life." "But today! You are hurting me, KARTIK!" she called him by his name, leaving him stunned.

"Sherni!" all he could exclaim in a hurt tone. "No, please don't! You are only thinking about yourself. Don't you see how hurt I am with your indifference, with your I don't know why, with your don't go because you are my friend!" she said in a cracked voice.

Kartik felt a tug in his heart, seeing her so vulnerable and broken in front of him. And the worse part, he was the reason behind her disheveled state. He never felt so helpless in his life. He just wanted to take her in his arms and console her. He wished to take away all her pain. However, he didn't know if he had the right anymore.

"Please, it's a request! Don't try to hold me back, because you could never know how it feels when your love is unrequited. It truly hurts to know that the man you are in love with, he clearly denounces your feelings. He denied your love by walking over it and that man is none other than your best friend, who claims to love you and care for you. BUT only as a FRIEND!" she told him in an equally hurt tone or perhaps even more.

"Then MARRY ME, Naira?!" he proposed her out of the blue. "Marry Me!" he repeated as he saw her looking at him shocked and confused. He noticed the play of emotions on her face and soon her expression changing into an emotionless one. He brought her hands up, one by one and held them in his tightly. His eyes told her that he was serious about the proposal and firm in his decision. Kartik spoke softly this time "Let's get married! That way, you won't be hurt anymore, and I would never have to lose you as well."

Kindly vote and comment, if you want to read further! Thanks everyone!