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94. The One Where I Return
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Always is not Forever 95. The One Where We Meet Again
[ A L I N A ' S P O V ]"What?" I shouted at the phone, too shocked by the news delivered by Nisha. "How's he? Is he okay? How's Ria?" Ignoring the peering students, I sat on one of the benches rooted in the garden and passed my hand through my throat.Dhruv had a daughter with Isha.Damn fucking great."His dad kicked him out," She filled me in. "He was with us for a week before his brother bought him an apartment but Dhruv has to pay the rent himself. I paid for a month." She paused before continuing, "He's leaving his college. He's going to do private course and work."Dhruv and work? That boy hated work, wouldn't stand up from his bed to keep the plate back in the kitchen. How would he handle it? How would he handle such a big responsibility without any support from anyone?How would he go through it alone? That's why Isha had been calling him too much and disappeared from his college out of nowhere.Was she okay?"I need to come back." I calculated the dates. "Next weekend. Ye
Always is not Forever 96. The One Where She Hates Me
"I'm going back." I pushed my books into the handbag. "I don't feel good.""Should I come?" Kriti asked."No. I will probably sleep." And forget I had even seen him in the first place. I had my own life. He had his own. He was here to complete his studies. He wasn't here for me. "This week. Don't forget.""Pranit is coming?"I nodded with a smile. At least a good news from all the fiasco. "Yes. He got some holidays from work."Leaning down, I slung my handbag across my shoulders and walked out of my class, swishing my pleated floor length skirt across the floor. Why had I thought of wearing this today knowing how much Kabir loved it? Why couldn't I just fucking destroy it?Hanging my hair to one side, I trudged out of the college building and was about to enter my car when I heard him again."Alina, stop!" He caught my hand and turned me around, but I shook it off and glared at the person I loved the most, but all I felt was anger and hatred pulsing through my veins. "Listen to me. Ju
Always is not Forever 97. The One Where I Leave
"Pranit?!" I shouted in the canteen.He was sitting in one of the tables in the canteen along with Kriti. He waved his hand at me and signaled me to come over. What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to come few hours before the meet tomorrow?Biting my lower lip, I weaved through the tables and slid opposite to him and next to Kriti."He's really charming," Kriti smirked. "You never told me he's a teacher.""Trainee," He whispered, smiling. "In a college.""Still. Why you teachers are so head bound on torturing us?""Kriti," Hissing, I slapped her arm to behave herself and put my attention on my fake boyfriend. "What are you doing here?"He swallowed his piece of Manchurian. "Surprising my girlfriend." I gave him a look. "One day or another, you need to give in to my advances. You ruin my confidence." Chuckling, I took a piece of Manchurian from his plate and ate. Noddles. Kabir's favorite. I hadn't seen him for two days. Where was he? "So you're my girlfriend.""Fake-girlfriend,"
Always is not Forever 98. The One Where We Both Talk
***"You're late," I said, leaning back into my red lounge seat.He glanced at the watch tied around his wrist and I tried not to show any emotion on how he was wearing the watch I had gifted. Why he still wore it?"Ten minutes, bookworm. Traffic." He settled opposite to me. "You ordered something?""Kabir, we're here to talk." Get over everything we have ever had. You being here was messing with my mind, you close to me was making my palm sweat.He cocked his head to the side. "We've time. Let's eat. Pancakes and Lime soda?""Who eats them at this hour? Have you gone mad?" I arched my brows, amused by how he had said the same thing when he had gone out for the first time because I had fainted in the school halls.Such a long time had passed.Chuckling, he nodded, "Risotto?""Quesadilla for both of us," I smiled wickedly, remembering his hatred for Mexican food. He peered at me for a couple of seconds, hoping I was joking but I shrugged my shoulders and he ordered the same only. "Kabi
Always is not Forever 99. The One With Second Chances
[ K A B I R ' S P O V ]Dying the ignition, I stared ahead at the bookstore. "Is this the place?"Deb nodded. "Kriti said it was this. Kabir, it'll be boring," He whined again. "Too many books. She'll be busy."Rolling my eyes, I hopped out of the car and waited for his ass to come out. Who knew Alina had a reader's meet in Bangalore and didn't even care to tell me until I checked her Instagram last night. She had blocked me and I had to make a new account to check it out. Good thing her account was public now.Settling my hair in a place, I locked the car and strolled inside the bookstore to find one corner of the store filled with chairs. Some of them were already occupied while the others were waiting for the readers.My eyes searched for my bookworm and found her at another corner of the store, talking with a girl and smiling. Should I go near and surprise her? What if she got angry and it ruined her first meet? What if she was still angry at me and was refusing of ever falling
Always is not Forever 100. The One Where I Receive Too Much
[ A L I N A ' S P O V ]"So this is Ria," I stated, settling on the bed and stared at the sleeping baby girl. "Wow. She's really small." Dhruv and Rahul chuckled. "I feel old.""True that," Rahul volunteered, grazing his knuckles along her small cheek. "I consider myself as a child.""Don't do that," Dhruv whined, slapping Rahul's hand from his daughter's cheeks. "I get I'm too young to be a father."Damn young, but I kept my words to myself and peered at the small fingers curled around my index finger. I had reached Delhi an hour ago, and instead of going home, I had guided the driver to take me to Dhruv's new apartment.Peering around his room, I sighed audibly.Dhruv. All alone here."How was your meet?" Dhruv enquired, shifting in his seat."Good." If kissing your ex-boyfriend in front of others could be considered good. If thinking about giving him another chance could be considered good. If being foolish could be considered good.Rahul arched his brows in suspicion. "How was m
Always is not Forever 101. The One Where I Unravel
Trudging to one of the boxes, I brought the black colored box out from within it and open the lid to find a hardback novel with an author signed plate and personal letter. Rummaging through it, I found little goodies related to the novel.He remembered.He's too stupid. It must have cost him too much.Not bothered with other boxes, I dragged my phone out of my jeans pocket and called him."Alina, is everything okay?" Kabir asked, concerned."Are you stupid?!" I shouted, but at the same time, taking the things out. "You were in New York, not Europe!""Oh," He chuckled. "You got the boxes?""Kabir, seriously?" I sauntered to another box and opened the lid. "Europe, America, Canada. Have you gone fucking mad?!""And yet, you're exploring them." I scowled and was about to deny when he interrupted, "Don't even try lying. I know you. Why is it such a problem if I buy things for you?""Because remotely, they would have cost you around ten thousand." He was about to deny. "Now you don't deny.
Always is not Forever 102. The One Where Things Are Different
[ A L I N A ' S P O V ]Words. Too many words. Too many sentences and yet my eyes couldn't concentrate and grasp any of it.Narrowing my eyes, I made myself comfortable with the book, leaned back and took a deep breath. Start again. Forcing myself, I tried to pay attention to the letters inscribed in the second para of the book and was reading through it when again, my concentration halted and I drifted off to some other part, some other nightmare.Why she did it? If she never loved me, she could've said it. Why couldn't she show her real face like Rishi had done? It would have been such a relief to see the reality than the lie hidden beneath it.Had I done something to offend her? Had I come off as a spoiled girl that she wanted to ruin me? Her words reeled back, her actions ran through. Again and again, she turned the blind eye, and again and again, I acted as if she was my mother.Was my love too false? At the back of my head, I knew the truth. Why couldn't I get a bad feeling f
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Always is not Forever 120. The One Where He Proposes
Rubbing my neck with the hand, I felt his presence on my back. "What is he doing here?"I turned to face him. "Kabir--""Alina, no." He cornered me, caging between his body by placing both of his hands on the counter table. "It's ten at the night.""He came. I couldn't say him to leave.""Or you could have said it's not ideal for him to come," He shot back, straining lines visible on his forehead. "You looked uncomfortable. Did he say something?"Nothing just confessed it to me and I had no idea why he thought he loved me when he knew nothing about me except the things I shared in the support group when he had no idea how needy I was, how I seek for attention."No," I whispered. "You got late.""Work." Pranit voice from the hall echoed in the kitchen and Kabir's eyes darkened. "I hate him. When I see him, I see how you said you loved him." But it was a lie. I was trying to hurt you, make you see how you leaving had impacted me. "I know you both have same past," He dragged a shaky brea
Always is not Forever 119. The One Where I Reject Him
"Come again?" Dr. Sha asked, her hands flying from right to left, hitting the ping pong ball with the red colored bat.Hitting with my bat, I tried to dodge her attempts to make me lose a point. "Why are we playing ping pong?""Don't you get bored staying in a room?""Kind of."But this wasn't what I had expected when she called for an outside meeting instead in her building's cabin. I had thought a café maybe, or someplace quiet but she had surprised by calling me to a club and assured nobody would come in this room."Your dad was ready to allow it.""His friend owns the club," I mumbled dryly, the sound of the hitting echoing in the four walls."And he loves you," She pointed out, smashing the ball and before I could hit, it flew from my side. "And you lost a point.""Funny," Grumbling, I walked to one of the corners, picked the ball and started the game again. The sweat had started forming on the forehead, my grip on the handle of the bat was losing, my wrists were aching. What was
Always is not Forever 118. The One Where I Face It At Last
Yawning, I closed my books and stretched my legs. Getting up from the bed, I walked out of the room to find something to eat. Switching on the lights, I found a note stuck to the refrigerator.Food is in the microwave. You were sleeping. Must be hard practice 😝 Ps. Heat and eat.Chuckling at her handmade emoji, I crumbled the note and threw it in the dustbin before opening the microwave and found the plate in it. She never forgot about me. Twitching my lips, I brought the plate out and grabbed a spoon.Cold food was better than hot food and she wouldn't understand that.She wouldn't understand why I had gone straight to the bed after coming back from college, she wouldn't understand how much it was killing to know that how deep secrets we both were holding.Before I could take a spoon, the kitchen walls were invaded by the screams.Alina.Dropping the spoon, I sprinted to her room, opened the gate and saw her struggling in her bed. She hadn't gotten any dreams since she had started s
Always is not Forever 117. The One Where He Knows
"I still think you shouldn't go," Kabir's voice brought me back to present.Shaking my head, I tried to remove the memory. It was before I had started imagining him as Rishi, it was before when we were happy and there used to nothing other than nightmares to trouble our relationship.Now we had to be careful. This careful was getting on my nerves."It's fine," I stated, changing the song on the stereo of the car."Here." He passed me his phone, connected it to the black aux cable. "Listen any you want."Taking his phone, I went through the songs, ignoring the EDMs he loved to hear and settled on something soft to not make him hyper."Now, Dhruv and you. You're traveling too much.""I'm not. He needs me. He's all alone, handling Ria." I curled on the seat. "She's too small. She needs to see people love her despite her father leaving for jobs. And Dhruv deserves a break.""I get you're worried. We all are." He dabbed his palm on the horn. "But look at yourself. You're squeezing your sch
Always is not Forever 116. The One Where I Miss
[ A L I N A ' S P O V ]Gripping the pen tightly, I wrote down the explanation of the sonnet, completing the work that had been due last night. I blamed it on my over-worrying boyfriend who couldn't keep his mouth shut on why I was traveling this much. From past two months, I had been pacing back and forth between Bangalore and Delhi every weekend.He was getting angry.And I was getting pissed.Sighing, I placed the pen between the pages. Just two more lines, Alina and then you could go and shower to remove the aftermath of mediation and yoga."What you writing?" Hearing him, I levitated my head to stare at his face, but then, my gaze dropped to his chest.Where was his shirt? And why the hell wasn't I changing my gaze?Gulping, I paid attention to the white pages, overwritten by my hands. "Sonnet explanation. College work. You didn't go to GYM?""I'm taking a time off for a while," he answered, moving across the kitchen to grab a bowl for himself and picked the milk carton from m
Always is not Forever 115. The One Where Reality Is Out
***"You!" Shouting, I shut the door of her cabin. Jennifer looked up from the files. "In my cabin now."She raised her eyebrows in amusement and nodded. Who told her to tell lies to Alina? I got her teasing on me, I accepted it but feeding lies to her wasn't acceptable. I was an inch away from losing Alina again. Inch away to destroy all the progress we both had made after getting back together.Taking a deep breath, I entered my office and turned to face her. Yesterday, I had spent all my day to get new clothes before selling my old clothes and helping Alina with the packing.She was moving back with me. Good. I could see clearly how she was scared of me.Jennifer stepped in. "Now that's the Kabir I know. Angry and dominating one."Rolling my eyes, I nodded my head to the money placed on the table. "You're leaving India in next twenty-four hours. This is your pay. You're no longer my assistant.""I answer to your father, not to you." She crossed her arms over her chest. "He sent me.
Always is not Forever 114. The One Where The Past Begins
Staring ahead at the scene, I smiled and tapped my fingers on her arm. She turned with a smile and slipped her hand around my waist."I missed you.""You did?""Yup," She grinned. "Don't go again."Laughing lightly, I was about to reply when her figure disappeared from my arms and all I could see was the face of her house perched in front of me. What was I doing here? I was in our apartment, meeting her after a long time.A hand tugged on my shirt. Peering down, I stared at the girl."Kabir, save me." Confused by her statement, I wondered what she was talking about me. "Save me, Kabir," She cried, thumping her hand on my chest. "You promised you'll save me. Save me now."She took a run inside the house. Frowning a bit, I followed her inside, took the flight of stairs and entered the room I hadn't been into for past three years.Wasn't it burned? Wasn't it locked?My feet thumped on the old familiar room, looking for the small girl but, all I found was Alina standing at the corner, sta
Always is not Forever 113. The One Where We Solve
Presenting a smile, I stood up, took the clothes and strode to her bathroom. Shedding the rest of my clothes, I entered the shower and cleaned the disgusting things sticking to my body. When I checked for a shower gel and shampoo, I found the girly stuff and sighed. Looks like I would be smelling like her until the morning.As I was washing my hair, all the previous month we had spent together started biting my places. She was too distant from me. Her words seemed to be held and assessed carefully. Maybe moving in with me would change everything, maybe we would be different then, maybe we would back to our love life.But what about the insecurities? How would I solve them?"Kabir, are you done?" She knocked the door. "Was I too harsh? Is it not removing? Do you need my help?""Yes, it's not removing!" I shouted back, smirking. "Help me.""Tie a towel."Looking around the shower, I grabbed the towel from the upper shelve and tied it around my waist. "Done." My eyes remained glued to th
Always is not Forever 112. The One Where I Become A Joke
Alina's expression didn't change, her hands remained still at her side, her eyes narrowed at me."You're lying." Again, the same sentence. "She saw you without clothes.""I'm aware," I confessed. "Once she came in my penthouse. I was roaming in my briefs and she saw it." Seeing her expression, I added quickly, "I did yell at her for disturbing my privacy. I changed the code too. I didn't know she knew about it. She purchased the penthouse. I should've been aware.""But you kissed her." She clutched the arms of the chair tightly. And that was the reason I didn't want to tell her. "I can't stop imagining when you kissed her." She dragged a long, shaky breath before facing me, turmoil residing in her black eyes. "You wanted to forget me?" With reluctance, I nodded. "Was I that bad?""No, I just love you too much," I replied honestly. "Wouldn't you have done anything to forget me?""True." Standing on her toes, she trudged to my side, caught my face in her hands and inched it closer to he
