Extremely Slow love

26

8 months later.

Meera disappeared as if she vanished into thin air. She started coming home late at night and leaving for the office early in the morning, sometimes not coming home at all. She started spending all her time at the office, ignoring Aahan's attempts to communicate every time.

Naina got busy with her studies; her focus shifted entirely to preparing for her CA exams. She stopped attending college and devoted 18 hours a day to her studies. There were times when she wouldn't even sleep.

Aahan was going through a period of confusion in his life, unsure of what to do next. He missed Naina every day. Aahan started smoking cigarettes. Jay always came to Aahan's class and had lunch with him. Jay plays some songs and ask to Aahan, how he felt about song.

When Lalita returned from her trip, she told Teena the truth. Teena got angry and said, 'You told me you didn't like me and didn't want to date me when I had already moved on so much.'

Teena was so furious that communication between Lalita and Teena ceased.

In college, Jay starts playing the guitar, and there are girls gathered around him.

One girl is sitting next to Aahan.

"Hi, you're Aahan, right?"

"Yeah."

"You're Jay's best friend, you know him well, right? The way he smiles while singing, look at his lips, so beautiful. His tattoos, each one tells a story of pain, yet he keeps smiling. He's so perfect. Will you introduce me to Jay? I've talked to him, but he doesn't respond." (Aahan is looking at the jay in this way for the first time)

Aahan said angrily, "If he doesn't want to meet, why are you following him?"

Jay stopped playing and said to Aahan, "Calm down, I'm so sorry."

The girl left, and everyone else left too.

Jay asked, "What happened? Why so angry?"

"She was saying to set her up with you, as if I'm nothing."

"You? you ..You're just a living corpse dwelling in the memories of Naina. What did Naina leave? You've given up on life. You smoke 3-8 cigarettes a day, being around I will give me cancer, but "Still, I stay with you. One day, the real Aahan will come back, but it's been 7-8 months, and you've become nothing but a living corpse." (Jay's eyes reflected anger as if his hope had faded away. Now, he seemed exhausted.)

Jay starts to leave, and Aahan wants to stop him, but he can't because Jay is speaking the truth. Aahan looks at himself when he gets home, realizing the state he's in, with an unkempt appearance and a face that is almost unrecognizable behind a long beard.

Aahan said to himself, "How to smile? Have you forgotten yourself? you fool, do you think love is everything? Pay some attention to your friends too. What kind of mess have you made of your face?" (He laughs loudly at first, then the laughter turns into intense crying after a few seconds.)

Naina's mom comes in with freshly made pakoras and sees Naina still studying, with the pakoras now cold. She asks, "Naina, what's wrong? What are you running away from?"

"What's the point of studying so much? Do I have to die from studying?"

"Child, are you saying this, you who always talk about studying?"

"Yes, but you haven't slept in three days. Do you even know what you're doing?"

"Naina, don't disturb me," she says and resumes studying.

Meera arrives home, and Naina's mom is also there.

"Hello aunty," Meera greets.

"Meera, you're Naina's friend. I don't know what's going on with Naina; she's always studying. It's her birthday today. Please ask Aahan to organize a party for her too," Naina's mom requests.