So this one is a small gift for Sonal, as a dedication and to one of my twitter friends who is celebrating her birthday today! :D :D

Note: - Since I have my exams rolling from the next week, the next update will be put up after 30th. Apologies in advance! I will try to update one. :/ :/

Happy Reading! :D :D

Ps. I am kinda blank right now so did not get any other lame title for the chapter. :P :P

Chapter-32

Ishani entered the now dim lighted room, the books still scattered as she notice a drooped Ranveer, the sheltered figure's shadow hitting over the other side of the vague coloured wallpaper. She took baby steps as her feet travelled slowly to his wincing facade, her heart thumping at rapidity. She had never wished to see him under depression. The doctor had told her.

The moods can be at any altered range. It may last upto a week, a fortnight, a week, or month. Any range. But usually, it changes. Now since you say that he is behaving like a maniac now, there are high chances of him being depressed.

She now sat in the same cocoon shaped figure as her hands slightly contact Ranveer's shoulders, trying to pull his grasp. As she found his frame shiver, she felt an excruciating pain emanating from her nerves, the warm blood of hers turning cold looking at the fearing mien of the only person she loved after her mother. She tilted her position in such a way that her reddened face is clearly seen for him. She waited along for the next few minutes in anticipation that he would lift his head at least once and ask about her and talk intimately with her. She slightly pulled the food tray towards her and hiccoughed faintly to arrest his attention and finally, it did.

His orbs, seeping with the tears and invisible blood met hers which were alike before he opened his mouth, only to close again. Words did not reach his mouth from his throat; it felt all desiccated. He looked around to see if there was water inside only to get disappointed. He made his lips wet with his half-dried spittle as he spoke with a muffled tone.

"What happened? Why are your eyes so heavy?"

Ishani gave him a concerned look before gently clasping his hands into hers. Her gaze met his and it spoke a lot more than words can ever do. So many untold words and pent up emotions and they knew, if it was not going to be now, then it is going to be never. They had to share and pacify each other's soul just because of one reason: their hearts intertwined with each other with two different thumps managing to tap the rhythm and beat as one.

"Ranveer, I cannot see you like this."

"See? See? I told her, I look bad, right? That's why you are not able to see me. I should better die, right? Yes, I better die, die, and die." Words were spoken dauntingly and Ishani who wasn't able see his pain pushed herself tightly to his frame hugging him closely as her breasts hit right at his knee, him still at the same position, not changing, at all. Ranveer flinched for a second at the sudden development, but tried to let the emotions flow continuously, without any stop.

Not today.

Ishani cried harder than ever mumbling inconceivable words to him but he never spoke. Not even a nod. He just listened to her, trying to listen what she was trying to say. Minutes later, he broke from her hug and looked at her blood seeping eyes which were now leaking with the blood like tears. A solitude silence passed between both of them with only the sniffs and winces hears by each other when Ishani wiped the slime which came from her nose line and said, in a more of a muffled tone, again.

"Stop saying that, Ranveer. Please, for God's sake! I don't want you to be so silent and depressed. Just come out of it and share what is wrong with you. Unless you share, it's going to be difficult for both of us."

Ranveer looked at her for seconds and spoke with a heavy heart, trying to plunge into the reality.

"I don't want this marriage."

Ishani's mouth opened agape, trying to comprehend what was happening around her. Why would he want to break the relationship at this juncture? She immediately spoke with a tired voice.

"Why?"

His eyes quivered before he started to cry harsher, the flow of tears moving faster than the stream in the valley. He wanted to say it to her. He really wanted to.

"I don't want you to waste your life because of me."

"Stop lying, Ranveer," her face grew tense as she snuggled closer to him, trying to make him comfortable. But Ranveer just flinched away from her and gave a scandalized expression, nodding his head to and from in reflex.

After an infinitesimal amount of time, he replied with a muddled tone. "I am afraid."

"And WHY? That's what am I trying to ask you and hear it from you, Ranveer! Please! Tell me!" Ishani shook his shoulders hard, as she felt the swollen shoulders of his.

"Candy, it came back again, yesterday. It came back, the grotesque creature! That, that, that..." Ranveer's puffed up eyes closed in tension as she understood the situation before asking, "What did it say?"

"It was trying to captivate me into its demesne. It tried to kill me and I have no idea from where it had come. It just...just came inside my study and scared me," he sniffed twice before continuing, "it threatened me with a scalpel, see, the cuts are visible too!" he showed the cuts from his lower right arm and winced, "-and I tried to capitulate myself to it because I felt there was nothing more in life. I look ugly, like a chunk and my hair is outgrown just like my beard. It's making me frustrated, candy. I just want to...die."

Realizing the need of going and meeting the doctor for the next appointment, she asked him quickly, "Shall we meet a doc? Maybe you'd feel better."

"Doctor? No! No! I-I am no-not coming anywhere. No, nowhere," he tried to move away from her when she clasped him tightly and spoke, "It's something really needed now, Ranveer. Please, stop being adamant."

"No, no. I am not coming anywhere, please! And stop pressurizing me on this, please. I don't want anything."

"Okay, can you at least have your food? It's cold already," she glanced at the now cold breakfast when he looked back at her, a childlike innocence emanating from his chocolate orbs. Juddering her head in disappointment, she took pieces from the tray and showed it to his mouth, signalling him to eat.

"I don't want to-" he started as she gave him a glare, the puffed up eyes of hers only projecting her anger even more.

"I'd become fatter than this, candy, please!" he joined his hands in prayer as she dumped his mouth with a first piece of sandwich, the cold glare only becoming colder. He ate the rest of it in minutes, looking at the colder sterns which he was getting from his lady. After fifteen minutes, he sat laid back against one of the cupboards as Ishani cleared the entire place in silence, knocking away the darkness and depression. She sat down opposite to him, sitting cross legged and stared at him who, in turn was doing the same, gazing at her quietly thinking of how to initiate a conversation.

"What about the meeting? You said you had to meet a few investor and engineers, right?" Ishani asked slowly, gawking at his chocolate orbs as he looked on startled. He forgot about it, too.

"Oh sh...I forgot about that, at all. Why am I so!" his eyes shrunk in disgust before Ishani stopped him with a momentary hiccup. Fake.

"What's wrong?" he asked at her silently as she spoke with a muted voice.

"Come over; let's get back to your room. You need some real rest now and no arguments." She helped him get up and escorted him to his room silently without making any other comment. She helped him lay down comfortably and sat beside him, stroking his hair gently until sleep claimed him. She shut the curtains and the blinds of his room and locked the door, leaving room for him before she descended to the stairs.

"Spoke with him?"

"Yeah."

"You really need to have some patience, sweetie. You are dealing with a tough guy and you know that, right?"

"Sorry, Nysa. Don't...know what happened with me. I was just...being hyper."

"I know. I am packing off to Venice right now. Okay? I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Sigh. You can just stay here for a few more days, Nysa. You just came and..." Ishani voice fell to the abyss. Even though she was excited after knowing about the fact that her mother was going to make amends with Ranveer's mother, the tinge of pain stung her badly.

Departures always give you that.

"Oh girl, c'mon. I will be back and only with the good news. Trust me. Take care of Ranveer until then. I just hope to see his smile once I come back. I did not see his lips curving happily since eternity. Nor do I have pictures here of him smiling. So...make him smile."

"I promise, Nysa."

It was the time for twilight and the magnificent stars twinkled with a sober yet with a glowing effect. Ishani sat facing the sky in the veranda, the source of light from the moon helping her pen down her thoughts clearly as the silent atmosphere gave rise to the flap sound of the stream, the water now flowing at a mediocre rate. She closed her laptop after a few more minutes, her hands and neck swirling down and stretching involuntarily. Sitting in the same position for four hours is no joke. One week flew away just like the pictures changing in split seconds and she was still fulfilling the promise she had given to Nysa. Making him smile. He never smiled after her departure from his mansion and it wasn't that he did before she had left. Too many futile attempts in making him laugh made her feel clumsy and disoriented. She got up wearily from the veranda and slumped down to the door to receive the bell.

It was Gasper.

"Hey! Come in, Gasp. Come in," Ishani greeted him in the sweetest way possible, feigning a smile as he came in, only with a two large files accompanying him.

"Where's RV sir?"

"Um," she thought for answers before she lied, "-he's not keeping well for the past few days so I asked him not to go anywhere."

"I need to meet him, right now."

"Why?" she looked at him shocked, "Why do you want to? I-I mean for what joy?"

"He needs to sing these files. The investors are already angry at him for not attending the meeting. He needs to sign these official papers so that we can start with the construction."

"No, he cannot do that right now."

"Uh, a sign won't do anything wrong to his health, I guess?" he replied slyly as she shook her head in disappointment. Jogging to the drawer at the other side of the hall, she handed over Gasper with a few stamps and continued.

"These are the stamps with his signature. You can use them for now. I am sorry; I cannot make you meet him." She shook her head in frustration as he tchched' and left the place with the stamps, in pressure. Whatever come may go, she wasn't ready to make anyone meet him.

Not until his self-esteem was back to its momentum.

She lay down on the couch after locking the door and started to yet again think about ways for making him happy until sleep claimed her busy mind, invading her and putting her to a solemnity.

She got up in a sudden haste, her thoughts impounding into her mind in an unceasing limit as she looked at the time. She had slept for forty minutes, she thought. Quickly getting up from the place, she made her hair to a loose bun and rushed to the stairs to check on Ranveer. It was past eight and there was no sign of him since the noon.

She barged into the room with a fright only to see him gazing at the grave coloured wall opposite to him, romancing with the nothingness opposite to him. Ishani stood with her body tilted to the side of the door and folded her hands, trying to gauge his mind. Oh, she knew she sucked at mind reading.

"Ranveer?" she called for him after a break of eight minutes.

He glanced at her with his solemnest eyes, his eyes speaking everything that words can ever do. She leaped forward and took a seat opposite to him, calling him out for some time.

"I am not coming."

"I am sure that you'll love the place."

"No. I am not coming. I am not."

"It's been three days since you came out from your room, Ranveer. You have to come out from this horrible nest of yours. Look at you...you look worn out already and I am just asking you to come out for some time and trust me, we are not going out from this mansion. We'll be staying here."

Ranveer's eyes stopped blinking as he saw her with an uncertainty before she pulled him towards her, dragging him to the terrace of the mansion. The cool steps of the vast terrace which had white blinds roofing up the entire terrace. She took one of the strewn pillows from the other side and placed it near her, signalling him to lie down silently.

"Here?"

"Yeah, here. I want to say a few things." Ishani took a place closer to him and lowdown silently, clogging him closer towards her. Their blows snatched each other's air as their attention got arrested with each other. She signalled him to look over the sky, the stars twinkling at them with its usual shimmer, but only brighter. Ranveer felt an exertion of stress and pain ebb away from him as his eyes closed involuntarily with the breeze. His hands clutched her waist, chugging her closer to him as their frames stroked each other's, the rhythms of their beats beating at equal intervals, in unison.

"Feeling better?" she whispered closely to his ears as he nodded with his orbs still closed, his stubble giving her a ticklish feel to her.

"Hmm," he snuggled slowly as she let her lips gradually button into his, lingering the taste of his withered lips, making it wet. Their heartbeats thumped at a higher rate as the breeze kissed their frames just like the way they did to each other. He felt a plethora of emotions pounding from nowhere to his nerves and muscles as he grabbed her waist even more tight, providing her with the warmest of side hugs he could. Their lips broke apart after minutes of sweetness as they heart each other's huffs and puffs. She gazed at him silently for the next few minutes before asking him about the most important question.

"We should marry, Ranveer..."

"I want, too..." he whispered as her eyes lit up after hearing the words from his mouth as she quickly gave him a peck on his cheek and cried, "Nysa has fixed the second Sunday of September."

"Oh, that's...so soon?"

"I know but my mind was blocked so I did not deny, too."

"Did she talk with the pastor?"

"I guess, no."

"We'll think about the date but before everything, we'll have to give the order of the wedding gown." Ishani felt really happy to see the Ranveer she had been yearning to see since ages. Transformed within seconds. She couldn't be any happier.

"Are you happy?" she asked, just to ensure.

"Very," his lips curved in the most beautiful manner as he whispered with a tension, "I am still afraid, though."

"I'll make sure that the things are back to normal, happier and happiest."

"Let's marry, baby."

Her Ranveer was back.

Done! Constructive Criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for typos :D :D