HAUNTING MEMORIES

Situ's POV:

I was sleeping on my bed clutching my duvet to me tightly hiding under it. I felt dip on bed beside me. I know it's him.

"Am sorry" he whispered trying to remove my duvet. I clutched more tightly moving away from him.

"Am sorry pumpkin, please don't be mad at me" he pleaded hugging me by my waist. I neither removed his hands off me nor hugged him.

"Speak something, Taara. Your silence is killing me" he begged me. Still I remained silent.

"Fine!! Don't talk to me!! I am going" he said and left my waist. I didn't turn to him still.

"Am seriously going away, Taara. Far, very far" he yelled. I ignored him. I heard his fading away footsteps. I removed my blanket off me and ran behind him. He was about open the door and move out, I hugged him from behind.

He held my hands which are around his torso and turned to me without breaking the hug.

"Don't go" I whispered.

"You are marrying someone, I need to go" he whispered as tears were flowing down his eyes.

"No please don't leave me, Raj. Am sorry, I was left with no choice. But am ready to leave everything, let's run away. Take me away" I cried hugging him tightly.

"We are not fated together, Taara. Be happy with your husband. I'll be watching you from heaven. Don't mourn over my death" he cried trying to break the hug.

"What are you speaking, Raj? Heaven? Death? You are scaring me with those words" I shouted at him with fear.

"I love you, Taara. I know you love me too but move on. Marry your fiance. It might be hard for you but accept your fate" he said and kissed my forehead. Tears started flowing down his eyes as his expressions turned into painful.

"It's hurting me, Taara. It's fucking hurting me to give you away to someone and me, watching everything helplessly. I couldn't withstand even if someone look at you but today my fate made me realize that I've to let you go. Am a failure. I couldn't stand for you, for us, for our love" he cried and broke the hug.

"Be happy, Taara. Lead a happy marriage life with your husband, inlaws. I am happy only when you are. So, don't ever cry. Give a chance to your husband and your marriage. I don't want to see tears in your eyes. Never cry, okay!! Every thing happens for our own good. Don't mourn over me, your dead boyfriend, Viraj Sehgal" he said taking back steps as his hands, legs everything are fading away slowly.

"Viraj please don't go away. I love you. I can't give your place to someone. It's only your place. Take away with you, Raj. Please don't leave me. I can't live without you" I screamed crying.

He was smiling with tears. Blood was oozing out his nose, ears, mouth. His forehead was bleeding. His shirt is drenched in blood with many bullet peirced holes.

"Be happy, Taara. Get married. Don't wait or cry for me. I will be watching you from heaven. Never let that beautiful smile drop from your face. Bye, Pumpkin" he said smiling whilst tears flowing down and his body slowly turned into thin air.

"Viraj!!" I screamed running behind his fading body and try to touch him but couldn't.

"Raj!!" I screamed falling on my knees.

Raj!! I yelled opening my eyes. I found myself in pool of his photographs.

"Why did you leave me? I love you. Come back. Please I won't stop talking you if I get angry, I won't throw tantrums to take medicines if I get fever, I won't fight with boys and get you in trouble" I screamed crying slapping the floor with my palms.

"Please, Raj. Come back. I love you" I whispered as energy drained out my body as I wasn't eating anything since two days after engagement.

"Stop this, Raj. Please!! Stop this wedding. Please!!" I cried hugging his photo to my chest.

I leaned back on the wall as tears were flowing from my eyes. I was looking at his pictures where he was feeding me, cuddling with me, I was twisting his ear and him pretending to be scared, he was carrying to my room while am sleeping and many more.

I saw my voice message yelling his name as he wasn't lifting my calls which was probably 3 and half year ago. And he sent me this-

'I never knew a better sound than my name on your lips'

Reading his text it broke me. He used to make me call him again and again just to hear his name from my lips.

"Raj!! Viraj!!" I whispered as tears were streaming down my eyes. Reading our n number of texts I nodded off on floor.

Abhi's POV:

"Abhi" he called as I was working on my laptop. I ignored him.

"Abhi" he called again which I chosed to ignore. Anish, Rishi and Anika were stiffening their laugh.

"Abhimanyu" he yelled in my ears making me jump at my spot.

"What the hell!! Leave me alone you bastard. I don't have time for your stupid talks" I shouted. He pouted his lips like a kid and turned away stomping his foot on floor.

"I know you don't love me. You broke up with me. I should've listened to Ani and Rishi when they warned me about you" he started his drama again and suddenly turned to me excitedly. He hugged my neck from behind.

"But you know what, I still love you. You can't get rid of me for this life" he said giggling like a girl with his drama.

"Anish! Rishi! And Anika! I guess we should find some other friend. He is of no use and gone his nuts" I said elbowing him in his ribs.

"Ouch!!.. idiot!!" he hissed in pain which is obviously fake. I turned to him glaring.

"You know what, if someone listens to you they think both of us as gays" I said with fake anger. He chuckled.

"Come on baby!! Don't sulk and behave like a brat" he said in typical girly voice.

"I really doubt if you are a man" I said rolling my eyes. Others nodded chuckling.

"I will show you that am a man marrying before you and becoming father of 10 kids" he said crossing his hands over his chest.

"10 kids? Seriously?" Asked Anika laughing.

"Yeah, it's a challenge" he said shrugging his shoulders to which I raised my eyebrows smirking.

"But now I think Abhi gonna win the challenge" he whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek. We all looked at him confused as he is taking back steps.

"You are getting married in my absence? I miss your wedding, Abhi. I already missed Anika's, Rishi's and Anish's wedding but I didn't expect to miss even yours" he said whilst his temples bleeding. He was puking blood.

"What happened to you? Anish, let's take him to hospital" I shouted.

"No! I can't live in this world anymore. My life got ruined, Abhi. Be happy and lead a happy married life. Don't let your disorder rule you. I will be watching you from heaven" he whispered and fell down as his right leg broken.

"What's wrong with you? Just now you were happy? And now, you are speaking all rubbish" I cried taking him in my arms as my other friends were crying.

"I don't want to die, Abhi. I want to stay with you people. But I can't. Do me a favour, Abhi. Stay by my parents. I was never a good son. I know my death will push them in pain but tell them that I will be happy looking at you people from heaven. Don't let your past ruin your future, Abhi. Always keep your anger at bay" he said puked a large amount of blood and his right hand broken.

"Get married. Don't mourn over your past and my death. Give a happy life to your wife and to yourself" he said taking harsh breathe.

"You are not dead" I screamed. He chuckled with tears.

"I am. Now, get married and have many kids. Am sorry for not attending your big day. I promise, I'll be watching you from heaven with a huge smile" he said as his body is slowly fading away into thin air.

"Please don't leave us. We 5 promised to be with each other. Please!! You can't do this to your friends" I cried. He looked at Ani, Rishi and Anika.

"Am sorry for accusing you both Ani and Rishi. Anika, am sorry. Because of me you are forced into loveless marriage" he cried.

"Take care of Abhi. He is strong from outside but a broken man from inside. Please, never leave him" he cried and darted his eyes looking back and forth between me and my friends and he continued "thank you for bringing me justice. Am happy to have friends like you people who showered whole love in this world, who filled my whole life with happy memories. I love you guys. Don't be a coward like me!! Stay strong!!" He said and his eyes darted towards me.

"Happy married Life, my friend" he said and his body disappeared into air.

"Samhith" we screamed crying.

"Samhith" I screamed opening my eyes crying. I immediately ran to washroom and stood under shower crying.

"You shouldn't have done this Sam!! You shouldn't have done it!! How can you expect us to live in peace without you, Sam? I, Anish, Rishi and Anika are nothing without you. You broke our promise, Sam!! You broke it!!"I screamed punching the wall as tears were streaming down my eyes.

"Why did you leave us? Did you think that we won't be with you in your tough times? For fucking sake we promised each other to protect each other from pain" I whispered falling on my knees as am drained out of energy as I indulged myself in working since two days without a break.

Just a nap made me remind all my painful memories. I cried and cried untill my tears went dry.

Author's POV:

Sitaara was sitting on balcony floor crying looking at the stars, hugging her knees to her chest. Sid who came inside with plate filled with food, cried looking at his sister's plight. He slowly walked to her and sat beside her on cold floor.

"You failed, Anna. You failed as a brother. You failed to be an influential man in this country. You failed to understand your sister. You failed to understand her pain" she whispered looking at stars.

"Yes, I am failed but that was two years ago. Now, I don't want to fail again. Atleast not as a brother" he whispered. She chuckled humourlessly.

"Leave anna. I don't want to talk to you" she said. He wiped his own tears and hugged her making her break down immediately.

"He left me. He left his pumpkin. He broke our promise. He shattered the dreams which we dreamt for 15 years together. I don't want to give my Raj's place to someone else, anna. No one deserve that place other than my Raj" she cried in his embrace.

"You have to move on, Situ. Even Viraj wants this. His soul can't rest in peace seeing you in pain. Atleast for him you have to move on. Everything happens for a cause!! Even this marriage!!" He consoled his sister.

"It's not easy as you say, anna and even I don't want to move on. Moving on from my Raj is equal to death" she whispered pulling back. He rested his back on wall.

'Abhi will make you move on situ!! He will! Because God want this! Viraj want this! Abhi will bring back colours back in your life. He will become sunshine in your darkness' Thought Sid with a smile.

Forcing his sister he made her eat dinner and tucked her in bed. Kissing her forehead and whispering a sorry for forcing her, he left the room switching off the lights.

*

Abhi was sitting on grass of their hide out gazing at stars. His eyes are filled with tears. He felt other someone's presence on either side of him. It's Rishi and Anish.

"Even we miss him" they whispered as a tear rolled down their cheeks.

"I shouldn't have let that bitch come near him. We both should have considered your words. I shouldn't have left him that day" whispered Abhi wiping his tears. They remained silent.

"Don't mourn over your past, Abhi. Sitaara is a very lively girl, don't break her with your issues" said Rishi.
Only if they knew she is already broken beyond repair!!

"I don't want to marry, Rishi. Neither to her nor to anyone. I don't trust women-"

"She is not how you think, Abhi" said Rishi cutting off him.

"May be!! Still I can't give place in my heart to anyone and I can't lead my marriage life without love" he said.

"You don't regret marrying her, Abhi. Am sure your life gonna changed with this marriage!! Sitaara gonna bring colours in your life and our old Abhimanyu back" said Anish smiling.

"No one could bring old Abhimanyu back. He is dead long back with his best friend" mumbled Abhi. Anish and Rishi smiled at him ignoring his words as they can feel a new happy beginning in their friend's life.

Anish passed beer bottles to them.

"Anika?" Asked Abhi.

"She may not come. Her mil is sick" said Anish. Abhi chuckled humourlessly.

"If only we listened to her in past she would be happy. It's not that she is sad now. But look at her fate, she is punished for our foolishness. Being MIT graduate she should work in international companies or her own husband's company but she became home maker. Yes I agree she should take care of her in-laws but also she should be allowed to live her dreams" said Abhi thinking of his bestfriend, Anika's pain to which he is partially responsible.

"It has to be happened and it's happening, Abhi. She was crying over the phone that she isn't able to conceive" said Rishi.

"God can't be cruel to her anymore, she will become a mother soon. She used to dream about a kids at 18 years itself"said Anish chuckling. Other two too chuckled.

They had their drinks reminiscing their days back in college. At the end three friends broke down.

Anish and Rishi dropped Abhi at his mansion as he passed out due to over drinking.

****************

Precap:- The wedding.

Yours,
Surya.