❝ You & Me, Me & You, Happy Together is all I wish for us. ❞

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Narrator's POV

" Well, someone broke the promise..." Although it was said only once, the phrase reverberated in Meera's ears.

" Mrs. Kapoor..." She started, trying to regain her lost posture. Calming herself and her mind that all is well she picked up the plate. She took deep slow breaths. All those meditation tips were finding their way back to her.

" Ah-h... I can assure you... "

" It's me, Meera. It's me..." She paused a sad look but rather not of regret but guilt.

" I love my son and apparently he can't stop loving you and I couldn't stop him either..." Meera felt she was dreaming. Perhaps, she was. All she had to do was wake the hell up and be done with this. But, it was real. She tried hard to not let her buried feelings get better of her. She didn't cry. She had learned. Learned how to not give in when her heart went wry.

" You don't deserve this. This is not your life Meera... He needs you back. " Meera scoffed when Kush's mother stopped.

After all that they have been through this is the conjecture where they find themselves. Irony or a tragic comedy, she wasn't able to figure that out.
Whatever it was, it just didn't feel right. She wasn't supposed to be here. Kush needs to be happy and away from her as far as possible.

" Uh-huh... I-I think you got it all wrong Mrs. Kapoor. He's doing so..."

" Well... That's what you think Meera? After all that time..." She stood dead.

He was here. She knew that but she wasn't ready to accept the fact that she was just procrastinating her feelings.

He was here. Right behind her. She didn't dare turn, she couldn't face him. Time was a healer but the guilt didn't lessen. Guilt that was buried so deep in her veins, her legs felt wobbly.

" I'm sorry Meera. But, I definitely am not the villain of the story. Kush knew all this... since it's inception..." She took another dramatic pause. She surely knew how to bring a story to its climax.

" It's your time now. Your time to love." She smiled at her, turned and walked away.

Meera didn't render how many seconds or minutes had passed as she stood still delaying the process of turning to look at that one man who would make her heart melt again. She didn't trust herself that won't lose herself and give in.

Yet, Everything was fine. One question loomed. Why did he return? Perhaps, it was bound to happen.

" Meera..." Tears rolled down her cheeks as Kush's soft calm voice bounced in her ears like an echo, an echo she kept reliving every single day. She loved how soothing he called her.

God! She missed him to her core.

Of course, she loved him. She loves him. She has loved him since she fell hard for him in Ohio.

" Will you not even turn around? Have I screwed up that bad?" She broke down, even more, sniffing and sobbing as covertly as she could yet gather herself. Cleaning her messy face as clean as possible she turned around. Their eyes met. She couldn't see in the dim light that his eyes were as wet as hers.

Right there, standing in the small focus of the lamppost was Kush. In a beige chino with a black collar t-shirt and a blue cap.
He had lost a substantial amount of weight than she remembered. Even she had but the mushy muscular Kush she recalled, always jubilant and many time arrogantly handsome was just replaced by someone more mature beyond his years. That carefree soul didn't exist anymore. A part of her blamed herself for his demeanour.

He was just a few steps away yet the feeling left like infinity. He slowly walked towards her while she couldn't dare move a muscle. She froze in cold blood.

" You look skinny, Meera. Do they not feed you well here?" The tears didn't stop and her vision was getting blurred. She felt her legs would give up and she would fall on her knees any time soon.

She has never felt so weak. If it wasn't her fault she'd be standing up straight with her head high up but somewhere deep down she held herself responsible for breaking them up. His love was more than enough but she wasn't strong enough.

" Mee... It wasn't your fault. You know that, right?" He was just inches away and Meera couldn't even see him. Thanks to her constant flow of salty water. Kush knew she was sobbing and how much he wished to grab her and hold her. How much he desired to kiss her and make her believe that what happened back in Devonport was nothing but an accident. The ardent need to hug her and comfort her was immense. He cursed himself for not being there for her when she needed him but he was back recuperating so that when this day came he would be strong for both of them.
He fought back his tears, tears of joy, love and emotions. He felt so much pleasure just by looking at her. God! He missed her so much. He had spent days, weeks and months just imagining how he would let her in and make her his.

Finally! Once and for all.

He noticed she looked weary and emotionally drained. But then so was he. Nevertheless, she looked beautiful. A pretty maiden who had been so strong to leave everything behind for him, for his good health.

As he closed the gap between them, she fell on her knees, the very thing she feared might happen and cried with her face in her palm. Kush followed the suit and held her tight, as cried herself out. The pain was unbearable. Both their hearts ached in sync.
She was so glad he was alright and in perfect health before her. She couldn't be more grateful for anything else. It was difficult to erase the last memory of Kush she saw in the hospital the day she left. Her nightmares had worsened but now that he was here she felt at home.

He engulfed Meera into his embrace so tightly he feared she might suffocate but he had to do it to make her feel secure and safe.

" Meera... You know I love you. You always have. I've loved you since forever... How can you..." He hugged her so tight, he could even feel heart thumping against him. She was shaking maybe even shivering. Kush's encounter did break her, but it is for good. Kush wanted to believe that looking at him was all that was needed to make her feel better.

" Meera..."

" K-Kush... I-I am so.. so sorry... It's m-my g-god-damn fault... " She cracked in soft tones.

" No! It's not... Look at me... Please..." She didn't. Her face was still buried in her palms.

" K-Kush... You shouldn't be here..."

" I think we had enough Meera. All this catch me if you can, tom & jerry chase, I'm done. I'm tired. Please... Tell me. What do you want me to prove to you? Have I not proven myself worthy of your love?" His hurtful heart pleaded.

She looked into his eyes, hers were swollen and red and puffy. She sniffed again.

" It's me who is not worthy. Look at me, Kush... I just can't let you... " She paused and sniffed twice, clearing her speech. Kush pulled his kerchief to help her nose.

" Why? After all these years, why me? "

He didn't answer for a while. Meera's heart skipped a beat, he doesn't have an answer.
She wanted him to justify why he loved her.
Honesty he didn't have a direct answer to such a direct not so complicated question. Why does on love someone?

" Why not you, Meera? Why not you? You're the most insanely weird yet perfect girl I met, I should say crashed in the corridor. It was definitely not a love at first sight, it couldn't be..." He stopped and both let a laugh, getting nostalgic.

" Then those endless arguments, your crazy theories, my tiresome attitude and then our unexpected friendship. I didn't realize when I started missing you not being there. Missing our fights and lastly not wanting to share you. I don't know what love is or was. All I wanted was for you to be with me. I can't give you a direct answer to why you. Oh God! I wish I had that answer why you. " He chortled.

" But, I guess somethings we can't control or predict. They just happen like a spark. A tingling feeling in the heart which makes it flutter. That is what happens when I'm near you. I'm completely oblivious to the surroundings.
It's just You & Me..."

" Me & You... " She whispered.

" Yes... I can't explain why you but if it's any consolation I know it is you. If all this is what is in love means. I've conceded to being in love with you. " A couple more tears fell down her cheeks.

He sure knew how to make a girl cry.

" Kush... Us... It always doesn't end well with us... " They were still kneeling down.

" I know... I know. Thus, I don't wanna end anything with you. Let's have a beginning... A start we never had. " He held her face in between his palms.

" I'm a mess... "

" Oh! Yes, you're messed up. Definitely. You're scared. You want me happy. And so am I. I'm messed up and scared as well. I want you to be happy and I think to believe that our happiness is intertwined. Let's do this together... Meera..."

" Kush... " She held his face in her palms as tears found their way down her cheeks.

" I'm sorry... I'm j-jinxed... "

" If that's what you think, be it. I don't care. I don't care even if I die after hearing this... "

" Kush... " She stopped him.

" Yes... I don't care. I don't believe it. Tonight, I want just one answer. Look in my eyes..."

She averted his stare but eventually gathered the courage.

" Have you ever, for a moment loved me? Even for a minute... Let's be honest Meera as we've spent years now... Waiting and waiting... I don't want to spend a lifetime now waiting for our time to come. "

She didn't answer.

" We've just one lifetime. I've waited long enough now. I've been punished harder than I deserved. You decide, what's more important to you - My Love or Your Superstitious Assumptions? " She let go of his face in a slow tired gesture.

" Not everything you love vacates you. It does so because you don't dare to cherish it. " It hurt her heart. She kept on cleaning her tears.

Kush stood up.

He limped for a while and cackled.

" Meera... I'm still learning to walk again. Yet, even this reminds me of you every day. Of course in a good way. Wished you didn't run away every single time you did..." He smiled as Meera who was still kneeling with her head down, let her heart out.

" The emotional pain is far worst than the physical one. I love you, always have. Still do and perhaps always will. And since I love you, I'm letting you go..." He didn't want to do this. He never imagined doing anything like this. He mentally slapped himself for thinking that Meera could just agree and all will be well. It was stupid and idiotic but be was after all a hopeless romantic.
He had forgotten how stubborn she can be. He just felt the urge to run back and shout at her, shake her senses back as to why she's doing this to them.
Alas, he didn't do it. One thing he did learn that love as pretty awful it can get, can never ever be forced, but only felt.

He decided to let her be. Once and for all.

" I don't know how much surplus time we've got but I will believe that I gave you all of which I could entrust you... It's quite clear that some questions can't be answered, some fears can't be fought only accepted and some stories of love can end without a happily ever after.
For all of your sakes and only yours, I'll let go of us..."

With a swift gush of aura, she knew he was gone.
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Hey Guys!

I know I haven't been regular enough with the updates but please bear with me! 🥺

Hoping you all had a good start to 2021.

With this one, we have come to an end of our Kush & Meera's story. I hope that you've enjoyed every bit of it.

It's really been a long one though! 😅

I wanna take this moment to thank all you wonderful people for your constant encouragement, support and love and most importantly your patience. 💯

I'll try to update the Epilogue Soon! 😊

Be Safe!

Luv... ❤️
Vruksha.