Rang De Basanti Drabbles

Please Give My Regards... (2)

A/N: A continuation of the previous chapter, though it is probably just going to be a short Vikrant POV...

He'd been shocked when he saw the news. He'd just come to Delhi the previous day, in hopes that he'll be able to see Karan, finally. But then the news went viral and shot to the sky and he saw Karan's body being laid outside, ridden with bullets but a smile on his face. 

His heart shattered into bits and pieces as he saw it. What had turned out to be a surprise for Karan had actually turned out to be his nightmare.

He hadn't expected to be called. Rajnath knew about him but wouldn't call him for sure and Karan had said in their last letter that he hadn't told any of his friends about him. SO it was all the more surprising when one of Karan's friends, Sonia? had called him and asked to meet up at a restaurant the following day.

He didn't have high hopes when he first met them but was surprised again when Sonia had handed him a letter and a tied piece of cloth that he could definitely feel inside the letter and paused for a second before opening the letter in his shaky hands, the tiny cloth bundle falling onto his lap as he read the letter.

Dear Vicki,

If you are reading this... maybe I am probably dead and you are getting this from Sonia. I am sorry that I couldn't keep my promise to you about meeting someday soon. I tried, I really did. But sometimes... if you are going to fight for something... it needs a sacrifice. And this time, the sacrifice might've turned out to be a bunch of Air Force pilots and a group of friends.

We are proud of what we did. We will proudly proclaim it out to the world without any shame. But... my only regret is that with this fight, I will be leaving you behind. Leaving our promise behind. Leaving a life that we could've probably built someday. And I hate it. But maybe, it is the sacrifice we need for the greater good.

Vikrant, I am so sorry that things are ending this way but you have to know that I love you. Your K loves you forever, even when I am not there with you. I want you to-

The rest of the letter was smeared, like Karan had been crying while writing this, his handwriting worsening from it's usual chicken scratch with each line and his heart clenched at the thought of it.

He swore he could feel the ghost of a kiss as he immediately folded away the letter, afraid that his own tears will mix up with Karan's dried ones and ruin the only thing he had of his love even more.

The rest of the conversation with the girls had kind of been a blur but he thought that he had made the message clear, to keep their lives separate from here on, no questions asked. And he was glad he said that because he didn't know how he'd have coped with staying around two people with whom Karan had spent their last days with.

Walking away from the restaurant was filled with mixed feelings but he held onto the soft, yet frayed piece of cloth, clutching it tightly in his hands as he suppressed a sob when he felt the braid of whatever was inside the cloth.

"I love you, Karan. Maybe I will meet you soon..."

A/N: So hope you all like it! All comments and criticisms accepted and appreciated! Prompts are welcome!

Thank you all for reading!!!!!!!!!

Rasnak signing off :) ;)

UPDATED ON 5 SEPTEMBER 2021