36. Harry di baraat 2

That was it for the evening after our senior’s convocation, we returned to the hostel and since it was still too early to sleep I preferred star gazing in the outside balcony. I sat on the parapet where usually keerda used to sit. I was there for about half an hour when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I reached for it well knowing who it was at this time; I was expecting this one like every other evening of the last few months.
"Hey Ashu"
"Hi" her voice was always like magic on my ears, soft and hypnotising. I could feel her moving lips close to my ears and her warm breath filling them.
“I wanted to talk to you about something" she said softly.
“Yes of course, what is it” I asked her but she remained silent for a while after that.
“I wanted to say, that...” she paused and said something that frightened me at once, “...what you're thinking is not possible...”
I was not prepared for this, no never, it was unexpected. I had seen no signs of it ever. I didn't expect this, not even in my wildest dreams and from Ansh, unimaginable. I wished it were a joke, I wanted to believe she was kidding, but she had never made a joke of anything, she had never told me a joke ever and if this was the first one I wished it was so. I hoped I prayed within. I wished the conversation just changed course from the next word we speak. But my heart already began sinking; I guess the body has a better intuition of what is coming while the mind clings onto hope of otherwise.
“Why, what happened” I was just able to say that wishing the response never fell upon my tender ears, they were more sensitive than ever.
“...I can’t think that way about you" she said and it felt as if something within me snapped. Something happens to your heart at this time, like a 'thump', yes 'thump' kind of a feeling, just where the heart is, the chest feels heavy and full. You feel like taking in a big breath and exhaling, shaking your head and then hanging it low, you feel like having a free fall down from the edge of a cliff and wish there is no bottom to it. Abysmal.
"What happened, I thought you loved me..." was my mortal plea and she was quiet.
"...I have someone else in my life” she said and my heart was now in the deepest abyss. I felt as if my body was cut into two, I could feel some part of me being torn apart from me. I didn’t know what to say, there were no words, my grip on my phone loosened, I thought it’ll fall but the hope in my fingers still held on. Maybe something from the other side will be said and it will be alright. But she said nothing more…I was into pieces after she hung up. I thought I'd be carried away by the wind. I needed something to hold on to and only one came to my mind…