Till infinity and beyond..

Standing outside these large wall it just feels like reliving a certain moment yet again. A moment Ruhaan Rizwan can never really forget, a moment he can never get enough of.

Perhaps over the decade the only difference is the closed window, which had always been open for him, always. Not today, and he can no to blame for, other than himself.

Never in his life he thought that there would be a day when he have to think so much before crossing these gates, or climbing to that certain window.

Hell he did messed up, and it took him a decade to realize that, a decade to accept that, a decade to come back.

And now that he is here, the question lies, is there anyone even waiting for him, or not.

Perhaps just like the way certain someone found his coffee too bitter, his love for coffee too toxic, now finds him too bitter too, him too toxic too.

Maybe his mother was right, if someday anyone have to choose, they will never choose him. As she said, "It's not about choosing him or not, it's about choosing her, always been."

And Ruhaan knows it well, he can never change that, never will.

The sudden flash of past plays in front of his right, it all happened at this very place.

●●●●

" Pari I know what I said that day, and I am still not ready for it. But if they want, I ready for the engagement. I ..."

"Leave.."

"Pari.."

"It's Parizad Amir for you Ruhaan Rizwan. You lost the right to call me Pari two days ago when you crushed my heart under your feet. You lost it, the moment I lost myself."

" I will fulfill his last wish no matter what."

" That's the point Ruhaan, it's because of his last wish, not your wish. Leave now and come back when you want it too, when you are ready for it, when it's your wish too."

"But the family.."

"It's not something you have to think about right, you never did that. I told them I need time."

"And they agreed. Nothing new Parizad. It's never been you or me, it's always been you."

All his life he had been aware of this fact, and today is nothing new. If the choice is between Ruhaan and Parizad, it will Parizad in a heartbeat.

So now is his time to stand here, in a hope that maybe the window will open soon enough, a little hope maybe that too a fading one.

◆●◆●◆

Staring at the closed window, her mind is blank now. So many thought at once, so many moments playing in front of her, yet a blank space, a void he left behind.

Her travel bag lies there next to her, she is ready to go back, ready to leave him this time. His is too bitter like his coffee. But she love him in spite of her hatred for coffee, in spite of his love for coffee.

So what now, a decade of pain, a broken heart, a lost home, all gone only in moment of his sorry, only in one glimpse of his sorrow. All forgiven without letting him know how painful it was, all because she knows, a little push and the window opens, and this time he is standing there where he had always been.

She waited for five years, she kept it open for six winters, and when she closed it and wanted to keep it closed forever, he is here.

And with that she is losing it again, anytime soon, and the window opens, opens all pain too, apparently opens all ways to cure it too.

◆●◆●◆

Taking her car out it's final decision for her now, she is leaving. She can't just forgive him in a heartbeat.

Let the window be closed off for a while more, let him suffer now. Let him know her anger is real, just like her hate for his bitter coffee, his bitter self.

Looking at her through the car window, he knows she needs time, time to processed all the things now. He left her for a decade alone, so she needs him to suffer too now.

But before he let her leave there are things he have to say, and he exactly knows where the car will stop next.

◆●◆●◆

A home is where your heart is, and this is where she left her heart, their apartment. She now knows why he never bothered to go back to Rizwan Mansion, why it never mattered to him that they never asked him to come back.

He had this place, he had his peace, her heart, their home. And to her surprise nothing is moved even an inch, it's just like the way she left it five years ago, when he was not even here. But now he is.

A familiar smell of coffee fills her nostrils, familiar tears make their presence known.

"Your coffee with extra cream."

Turning towards the voice there stands the reason for all her pain, cure for all her pain, with a cup of coffee for her.

"Take this you have a long way to travel now, you need this. And listen to me just listen, okay"

Taking the cup with trembling hands, hers touch his for a second and in that moment they knew infinities do exits, they are infinity.

Sipping it she let her taste buds feels the familiar taste.

It was missed.

It wasn't forgotten though.

She hates black coffee but this coffee is not bitter one, it's sweet like she loves, it feels good, real good.

A

nd just like that, she can't hate something completely, with little change, she can fall of it too, just like for his love for coffee.

"It's ..."

She doesn't know what to say next.

"It's the same. I know, I remember." So he said.

He knows, he remembered, and that's the problem.

Even after knowing, he left, he broke his promise.

"I know you can't just forgive me right now, I know you want me to suffer, but haven't I suffered enough Pari."

"Ruh.."

"Let me complete first Pari. I left, that was cowardice. You lost so many things I know, but I lost my everything Pari. My best friend, my family, my home, my love and somewhere in between my happiness too. All because I was just not ready.

But now I am. I know I'm late, many late by many years yet I'm here. I want you, I want us.

I promised you happiness Pari, I promised him your share of happiness. And this time I want it."

"Do you really want it?"

"I do, I want my Pari back, and I will get it, anyhow."

And that's it. Here it is. He is here, for her this time, for them this time. Now is what matters.

She can't change the past. But now he wants to be here and she, well she is still there. Now is what that matters, past doesn't.

Standing right there even after leaving everything, right there, for him to come back, for her share of happiness. She looked into his eyes.

Black against hazel.

Love against love.

"Get it then."

"What..."

"Get it now. Hold it Ruh. Because if I leave ..."

"You will not, I won't let you. You waited for long and now there's no way back. I'm here."

And he hugged her, hold her like she asked him to, she is here, he is not letting her go now.

They are home now, finally. And home finds it's way, always does.