15. Tears

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~Shreya's POV~

We were about to sleep when we heard a knock and Myra opened the door to find Maheer. "Guys did anyone see Vedant?"

"What? Why? What happened?" I asked in astonishment. "He didn't come to his room after returning from the temple and he is not picking up my calls."

~Author's POV~

Shreya's eyes were filled with tears and fear grasped her hearing Maheer. "Did you look everywhere properly?" she asked panicking.

"I did yaar otherwise why would I disturb you guys at this time? I am actually worried because he never delays his calls for this much time. It's been two hours since I started calling him."

"And you are informing us now?" Shrida asked in worry. "Guys we should again look properly everywhere and listen don't inform the elders now maybe he's just somewhere resting. They would create havoc out of this." She said to everyone and they rushed out of the room.

They looked everywhere in the house, every room, kitchen, basement, verandah, backyard and terrace. As time passed, Shreya got more worried. "Did anyone look in the parking area?" She asked. "Not me. Anyone else?" Maheer replied repeating the question. When no one answered, Shreya and Maheer ran to the parking area. "If not here, then I don't know where to look for you? Please Vedant, be there. Please." She muttered to herself.

And finally her soul found her body again when she saw Vedant sitting in his car resting his head leaning backwards with closed eyes. She slowed down her steps wiping her tears while Maheer left to inform everyone about Vedant's presence.

She went to his car and knocked on the gate. No movement. She knocked thrice again and finally he opened his eyes and looked at Shreya standing outside the car. He stopped the loud music playing in the car and opened the gate. Shreya stood there stern looking at him.

"Why are you here?" He asked stealing his gaze.

"Wow isn't it what I should ask you? What are you doing here? We have been finding you since last one hour. Maheer called you n number of times starting three hours back but you didn't answer. And you are asking about me?" Shreya said in a loud tone trying to control her tears.

"Actually my phone was on silent. Sorry you guys got troubled. Let's go back now. It's quite late."
"No you surely owe an explanation now. Why were you here? I am asking this last time or"

"Or what? Huh? What? I am not your property that you are showing your possession on me. Just leave me alone." He shouted in frustration hitting his fist on the car bonut.
Shreya stepped back a little at his aggressive reaction. "But I am just-" She walked to the other side to face him but stopped in the middle.

The next moment she noticed his red tearful eyes. "Ved-Vedant, what happened?" She pulled him by his arms and took his face in her hands to make him look at her. He closed his eyes and tried to detach himself but she hugged him and gently caressed his back. "Whatever it is you can tell me or just pour yours emotions, if you don't want to tell the matter. But please don't keep it inside. It will hurt only, nothing else." She said trying to calm him.

He finally stopped moving and started weeping soundly. He wrapped his arms around her and kept his head on her shoulder while tears flew down from his eyes and landed on her back. She comforted him by running her fingers through his hair and could not control her tears seeing him in this condition.

He felt peace in her presence and eventually stopped crying but didn't remove his head from her shoulder. "Vedant" she called with trembling lips as on one side she was on the verge of crying because of the scenario while on other side, a burning sensation was running through her body as they were very close to each other.

"Vedant" she said again when he didn't answer. She held his arms and detached him from her. He was about to fall backwards so she pulled him towards her again and realized that he had gone unconscious. He fell on her this time and her back hit the car. She was completely breathless now due to the proximity. She managed to open the car door and made him sit on the driving seat. She held his head carefully and rested it on the headrest. She looked at his pale face. His eyes were swollen, face puffed and lips dried out due to immense crying. She felt like hundred knives stabbed her heart looking at him like this.

Then she took out a bottle from backseat and sprinkled some water on his face. "Vedant" she said tapping his shoulder. "Huh-Uh- yeah" he answered gaining conscience and opened his eyes rubbing them. "Stop!!! Don't rub your eyes, they are already swollen." She immediately removed his hands and started blowing into his eyes softly while he sat receiving her care and warmth.

Soon she realized the closeness and moved away from him and sat outside the car on her knees keeping the car done open. She handed him the bottle. "Drink it quickly. You will feel better. It's okay if you don't want to tell me the reason but please don't feel embarrassed. I am here for you. Okay." He looked at her unable to utter a word. "Vedant" she eyed him to drink the water and he emptied half of the bottle in one breathe while she was sitting there holding his hand trying to comfort him.

He kept the bottle aside and looked at her whose eyes were also filled with tears. She was trying to comfort him while her own hands were shivering with fear thinking of the cause of him crying. She was caressing his hands keeping her gaze downwards to hide the tears. He held her hand firmly and made their eyes meet.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Without a doubt." She answered with a smile hiding her inner turmoil.

"It's nothing related to us. Don't worry and thank you for not forcing me to tell the cause." He tried to reciprocate the smile then came out of the car and washed his face. She also wiped the tears off her face and felt better. He kept the bottle back and came back to her.

"Shreya can you ple-"

"Okay I will not tell anyone about this. Fine? Now cheer up. Whatever it is it will be sorted and if not sorted then it will be healed. Now can I see a smile on your face sir?" She said making a V around her lips indicating him to smile.

He kept eying at her as if trying to capture her inside his eyes. "I don't know what I did to get you in my life. I think nothing. This is the reason all this is happening to us now. I don't know how I will reveal this to you. I wish I could keep you with me forever. But I guess destiny does not want us to be together. It's just the 1% hope for which I didn't tell you anything now." He thought looking at her.

"Hey stop overthinking. I need a smile or else we are not leaving from here." She said and crossed her hands. Inside her heart, she herself was feeling broken as the scene she just saw was coming in her mind again and again. The person she could not resist getting even a single scratch was breaking down with tears before her. But she had to be strong at this moment otherwise it will only worsen his condition. "What? Do it na." She said raising her eyebrows.

"Fiiiiine" He whined faking a frustrated tone finally coming out of his thoughts and smiled at her. "Good boy" She stood on her toes and ran her fingers through his hair patting his head. "Hey wait spare my hair" "Yeah yeah okay now go to your room and sleep. Actually sleep okay. Please." She held his hand and they walked to the boys' room then she again said the same thing and came back to her room.

Everyone interrogated her about his absence at which she had to lie since she promised not to tell the truth. Well, in actual, the truth was unknown for her as well. She told everyone that he forgot to bring his phone, so he went back to the car and while talking to his mother he slept there only.

"This man. I will see him in the morning. We were so worried and he was sleeping there. Wow." Shrida replied on her made up story. Shreya got into bed but was unable to sleep thinking about him. She thought of calling him but it would have disturbed him and even delayed his sleep so she did not. After one hour, she texted Maheer to ask if Vedant slept or not? At which he replied in positive. She took a sigh in relief and went to sleep herself.

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I and Vedant were seated in a bus. It was running on the slant roads of a mountain. Many other passengers were also seated in it. Time and again, we felt jerking movements as the bus took sharp turns on the road which was carved in a round manner around the mountain.

I was leaning forward again and again due to the jerk and my head hit the seat in front of me so Vedant pulled me towards himself and kept my head on his shoulder. I finally sat peacefully while he did not even care about his head hitting the glass window pan time and again. I could not resist further and covered him in my woolen scarf to keep his head safe.

After some time the bus took a halt near a food station and we came out of it to have some snacks. I saw a coffee shop and immediately all the fatigue vanished. I took him near it and we sat on the chairs arranged there. I thought of calling someone so reached for my phone in my handbag but it was not there.

"Vedant, I think I forgot my phone on the seat. I will just bring it." I said and got up but he pulled me by my wrist and made me sit again. "Wait, I will bring it. You order something till then, okay." He passed me a smile which I reciprocated and he left.

I waited for some ten minutes but he didn't come back. I got panicked and ran towards the place where the bus was parked. But as soon as I saw the scenario, my feet trembled and I fell on my knees.

A huge rock was fallen on the bus and it was crushed to the core. A crowd was gathered around it while two people carried a dead body out of the bus. I recognized his face

"Vedaaaaaant"

"Shreya, what happened?" Myra asked and took me in a hug as I woke up in the middle of the night shouting his name. God a trillion times thank you that it was a dream. How would have I survived this reality? And what has happened to my freaking mind? Why am I dreaming all this? But it looked real and I just could not control my tears right now.

"My-Myra woh Ved-Vedant He-e "I said sobbing while she consoled me. "Shreya, baby, don't worry. You just saw a dream. Vedant is all right. Okay"

"Can I-I see him once, please" I asked detaching myself from her. "He must be asleep by now. You also sleep. You can meet him tomorrow, okay." She patted my cheek and made me sleep while caressing my forehead.