2

A/N

Kartik is getting ready to come back to India to win her heart, and here Miss Sharma has no clue about his arrival. Don’t know what will happen in their lives—hope everything will be fine.

Kahani apni zindagi mein khush hai, saari purani yaadein apne dil ke kisi kone mein dafan kiye. Kya kisi ke aane se vo saare zakhm phir se usse dard denge, yaa vo sach mein un sab cheezon se aage badh kar Kartik ko apni zindagi se nikal chuki hai? Vo to aage hi pata chalega.

[Kahani is happy in her life, having buried all old memories in some corner of her heart. Will someone’s return make those wounds ache again, or has she truly moved on beyond all of it and removed Kartik from her life? Only time will tell.]

Right now, Kahani is shooting her video, completely unaware of the storm about to come into her life. She is working when her best friend comes to her.

Kahani POV

I am working on my video when my best friend Yuvika Sharma comes to meet me.

Yuvika: Kahani ki bacchi, teri ek dost bhi hai, bhool gayi hai kya?

[You little rascal, Kahani, you do have a friend too—have you forgotten?]

Kahani: Nahi yaar, bas kuch time se thoda workload badh gaya hai. Tujhe to pata hi hai na jab se bimar hui thi ek bhi video shoot nahi ki thi aur mere fans video ki wait kar rahe hain. Ab aur nahi ruk sakti, to isiliye bas.

[No yaar, just that lately the workload has increased a bit. You know since I was sick I hadn’t shot a single video, and my fans have been waiting for one. I can’t delay any longer, that’s all.]

Yuvika: Haan baby vo to thik hai, par tu abhi bhi achhe se thik nahi hui hai, to thoda apna bhi dhyan rakhiyo.

[Yes baby, that’s fine, but you’re still not fully recovered, so please take care of yourself too.]

Kahani: Haan, tu tension mat le, rakhungi main apna dhyan.

[Yes, don’t worry, I will take care of myself.]

Yuvika: Kahani, ek baat batani thi.

[Kahani, I had to tell you something. ]

Kahani: Haan, bol kya hua?

[Yes, tell me, what happened?]

Yuvika: He-he… he is coming back.

[He-he… he is coming back.]

Kahani: Kaun Yuvi, kaun wapas aa raha hai?

[Who, Yuvi? Who is coming back?]

Yuvika: Anni, don’t pretend. I know tujhe pata hai main kiski baat kar rahi hoon.

[Anni, don’t pretend. I know you know who I’m talking about.]

Kahani: Nahi Yuvi, mujhe nahi pata tu kiski baat…

[No, Yuvi, I don’t know who you’re talking about…]

Yuvika: Kartik.

[Silence. Yuvika takes a deep breath.]

Yuvika: Yes, Anni… Kartik—Kartik wapas India aa raha hai. I saw the news this morning.”“Kartik Raghuvanshi arriving in Mumbai after a month . With his family. The media’s calling it a 'private business tour’—but his company just signed a deal with an Indian label.”

[Yes, Anni… Kartik—Kartik is coming back to India. I saw the news this morning.”“Kartik Raghuvanshi arriving in Mumbai in a month . With his family. The media’s calling it a 'private business tour’—but his company just signed a deal with an Indian label.”]

Kahani: When?

[This was the only word I was able to utter.]

Yuvika: In a month.

Kahani: aa raha hai vo? To aane do… uska bhi sheher hai, apna desh, apna sheher wapas aa raha hai. Achhi baat hai. Hume kya?

[ Let him come… it’s his city too, his country, his town—he’s returning. That’s good. What does it matter to us?]

Yuvika: Tujhe sach mein koi farak nahi padhta ki vo aa raha hai?

[You really don’t care that he’s coming back?]

Kahani: Nahi padhta. Vo mera past hai, jisse main bahut peeche chhod kar bahut aage nikal chuki hoon.

[No, I don’t care. He is my past, which I’ve left far behind and moved way ahead of.]

Yuvika: Yes baby, that’s right, I know. Chal, chhod usse. Aa main teri kuch help karva doon.

[Yes baby, that’s right, I know. Come on, forget about him. Let me help you a bit.]

Kahani: Haan yaar, bahut kaam hai. Tu saath degi to ho jayega. Phir post bhi to karni hai. Haan, chal. Waise kaise aa raha hai vo?

[Yes yaar, there’s a lot of work. If you help, it’ll get done faster. Then I have to post it too. Yes, let’s go. By the way, how is he coming back?]

( Miss Sharma asked).

yuvika: Abhi-abhi jo yahan ek airport bana hai na, vaha uska plane land hoga subah 11 baje.

[At the new airport they’ve just built here—his plane will land there at 11 in the morning.]

Kahani: Ooo, ok.

[Ooo, ok.]

Yuvika: Par tune kyun poocha?

[But why did you ask?]

Kahani: Bas aise hi. Chal jaldi-jaldi kaam kar, bahut zyada hai. Mere saath gappe mat maar chal.

[Just like that. Come on, work quickly, there’s a lot to do. Don’t keep chatting with me.]

Yuvika: Oo haan haan, karti hoon jaldi-jaldi. Phir ghoomne chalein?

[Oo yes yes, I’ll do it quickly. Then shall we go out?]

Kahani: Haan, chaleinge.

[Yes, we’ll go.]

(Kahani said this to distract her best friend.)

A lie. This is what she said—farak nahi padhta. But the truth is, it did matter a lot to Kahani. Just hearing the news of his return did something to her heart—only she knew what.

Chaliye, ab ham Kartik ke paas Australia chalte hain…

[Let’s go to Kartik now, in Australia…]

Kartik POV

I can’t wait to see her in person. I know ki jab main land karunga tab vo waha nahi hogi, but jab hum ek hi sheher mein hain to usse dekhne ka mauka to milega hi. Pata nahi kya hoga… bas vo mile mujhse ek baar. Bas. 8 saal ho gaye… pata nahi kaisi dikhti hogi ab. Pata nahi aaj bhi uski aankhein waise hi mere liye usmein pyaar rakhti hongi ki nahi. Pata nahi aaj bhi vo waise hi meri hogi ki nahi…

[I can’t wait to see her in person. I know when I land she won’t be there, but as long as we’re in the same city, there will be a chance to see her. I don’t know what will happen… just that she should meet me once. Just once. It’s been 8 years… I don’t know how she must look now. I don’t know whether her eyes still hold that same love for me. I don’t know whether she is still mine, in any way…]

(He remembers all the memories they have together.)

Chalo, ab ye wahi jaake pata chalega.

[Well, I’ll find out only once I get there.]

Everyone in the house is so excited to go back. Mom is on the ninth cloud—she is just too excited, God knows why.

Just a month, Kahani. Just a month—after that, by hook or by crook, I will make you mine.

A/N POV

Our Miss Sharma, who said she doesn’t care at all—let’s pay a little attention to her heart too. Does she really not care, or was this all just a drama she did in front of her friend?

Kahani POV

Kyun wapas aa rahe ho tum, Kartik? 8 saal ho gaye tumhe gaye… aur in 8 saalon mein tum ek baar bhi wapas nahi aaye… na hi tumne kabhi mujhe koi call, koi message kiya. Kya itna aasaan tha mujhe bhoola dena tumhare liye? Kya jo bhi waqt humne saath bitaya vo tumhare liye kuch nahi tha? Chalo jo bhi ho… tumhe chahe meri kadar ho na ho… tum aaj bhi mere liye vo hi maayne rakhte ho jo pehle rakhte the. Ab hamari zindagi bhi badal chuki hai… ab pata nahi tum kya kar rahe hoge… aur pata nahi tumhe main yaad houngi bhi ki nahi. Na yaad ho to zyada achha hai… ham dono ke liye.

[Why are you coming back, Kartik? It’s been 8 years since you left… and in all these 8 years, you never came back, never even called or messaged me. Was it so easy for you to forget me? Did all the time we spent together mean nothing to you? Well, whatever it is… even if you don’t value me anymore… you still hold the same place in my heart that you always did. Now our lives have changed too… I don’t know what you’re doing now… and I don’t know if you even remember me. Maybe it’s better if you don’t… for both of us.]

Yuvika: Tujhe sach mein koi farak nahi padhta ki vo aa raha hai?

[You really don’t care that he’s coming back?]

Kahani: Nahi padhta. Vo mera past hai, jisse main bahut peeche chhod kar bahut aage nikal chuki hoon.

[No, I don’t care. He is my past, which I’ve left far behind and moved way ahead of.]

Yuvika: Yes baby, that’s right, I know. Chal, chhod usse. Aa main teri kuch help karva doon.

[Yes baby, that’s right, I know. Come on, forget about him. Let me help you a bit.]

Kahani: Haan yaar, bahut kaam hai. Tu saath degi to ho jayega. Phir post bhi to karni hai. Haan, chal. Waise kaise aa raha hai vo?

[Yes yaar, there’s a lot of work. If you help, it’ll get done faster. Then I have to post it too. Yes, let’s go. By the way, how is he coming back?]

( Miss Sharma asked).

yuvika: Abhi-abhi jo yahan ek airport bana hai na, vaha uska plane land hoga subah 11 baje.

[At the new airport they’ve just built here—his plane will land there at 11 in the morning.]

Kahani: Ooo, ok.

Yuvika: Par tune kyun poocha?

[But why did you ask?]

Kahani: Bas aise hi. Chal jaldi-jaldi kaam kar, bahut zyada hai. Mere saath gappe mat maar chal.

[Just like that. Come on, work quickly, there’s a lot to do. Don’t keep chatting with me.]

Yuvika: Oo haan haan, karti hoon jaldi-jaldi. Phir ghoomne chalein?

[Oo yes yes, I’ll do it quickly. Then shall we go out?]

Kahani: Haan, chaleinge.

[Yes, we’ll go.]

(Kahani said this to distract her best friend.)

Time Skip — The Day Kartik is Coming Back

Kartik POV

We’re about to land at the airport. I don’t know why, but my heart is beating so fast. I don’t know why—but something in me says that maybe today I will get to see her. I don’t know why my heart keeps telling me to be ready—something will happen today. Maybe I will finally see her.And to recognize her, I don’t even need to look carefully—but anyway, I already found out about her. I learned that she has now become a celebrity—whatever dreams she once had, they all came true. But people say she isn’t like she used to be—her behavior isn’t the same. I don’t know… I just can’t wait any longer.

And yes, I know you guys are thinking—how did I find out? Guys, I am Kartik Raghuvanshi. Getting any information is child’s play for me. Leaving jokes aside, I was talking to a friend, and he told me. He didn’t suspect anything because I asked generally about what everyone was doing.

Announcement:

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please? The plane is going to land at Kaithal Airport in 5 minutes, so please sit on your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Thank you.

After this announcement, my heartbeat increased even more.

As the Raghuvanshi family entered the airport, Mr. and Mrs. Raghuvanshi started looking for their dear friends who had come to pick them up. They were the Oberois. As both families met, someone hugged Kartik out of nowhere. That person was the Oberois’ daughter—Vani Oberoi.

Kartik and Vani are childhood friends, but they don’t have that kind of comfort where they hug each other. When she hugged Kartik, he was a little shocked, but by the time reality hit him, it was too late—someone had already seen what she should not have seen.

Kartik POV

Vani hugged me out of nowhere, which made me uncomfortable because we never shared that bond where hugs were normal. But by the time I realized it, I saw those eyes—vo aankhein—the eyes I’d waited so long to see.

My jaan, my Kahani, my Anni… but her eyes were somewhere else. Why is she looking away instead of into my eyes?

Baby, look here… look into my eyes.

Suddenly, her eyes started to tear up. But why? When I followed her gaze, I understood—she saw Vani hugging me.

No… that’s not right. I need to meet her—yes.

Her face was covered with a mask so no one could recognize her—fair enough, she is a celebrity now. It’s not safe for her to be in public places. Her eyes traveled from Vani to me.

We had eye contact. In that eye contact, it felt like she was trying to say something to me. But what?

But then… she suddenly started to run away.

No—she’s going away. She’s running away. I need to run behind her. I need to catch her—we need to have a conversation.

A/N POV

I hope you guys enjoy

d today’s episode. So the question is—will they meet and have a conversation? And if they do, how will it end?