Forever Yours, Vrinda

Part 16

PRESENT

"I can't believe that Vivaan dragged Sumit right to the place where the bride sat, waiting for the groom's arrival."

Vrinda stifled her laughter. The visions in her mind made it tougher to maintain a straight face.

"Yeah, I know, it was a dumb thing to do," said Vivaan, rolling his eyes at her reaction to his yesteryear's actions.

"No. It takes to do something like that. Quite admirable to support fearless love to an extent of completely not caring about the consequences," she said, her expressions turning more stoic and serious. While it was true, she did not approve of the method Vivaan had chosen in the past. She could not refute it was indeed noble of him to place the interests of others above him.

It had been a better part of a decade since the events had taken place. Yet, the disappointment and the anguish over the features of those assembled that day remained as fresh as the smell of freshly mowed grass around them.

It had not just turned the lives of the bride and her former lover upside down, but added fuel to the fire of disdain Vrinda's father harbored for Vivaan and had dampened their chances of acceptance.

"That isn't the point, Radha. The point is, Di had chosen the groom for his job security and stability in life. Vivaan was so caught up in the ideals and his idea of idealistic love, he could not bring himself to see the reality. It caused hue and cry and with a result that satisfied none of the parties involved. Everyone would always look at Di with suspicion. It hurt Bhaiyya beyond words. It was once again money that had snatched away his happiness, and Vivaan's mere presence infuriated your father after that."

"But he did not do it to upset anyone," she said, shaking her head. A whimsical smile danced on her lips as she angled her head towards the cooing cuckoo, sitting under the cover of the majestic mango tree to her left.

"His intention was pristine. He wanted to help, and while it did not go as intended, it shows his integrity more than anything else."

She surprised herself with her support of the opinion she had opposed days ago.

Was it Vihaan's rejection that made her side with Vivaan?

Or was it her subconscious which had resonated with her once best-friend and lover?

Vivaan himself stood stupefied by her words and her support for his actions. She had berated him on many occasions in the past. She had labelled his behavior as impulsive and had often used to justify her father's reservations against him.

But the one across from him - a shell of the woman he had known and loved - had voiced her assent in no unclear words.

"You believed love was the lord of sins, but your stand changed now. Are you supporting Vivaan because I did not accept your proposition? To get back at me?" he asked, eying her intently, noticing how her eyes appeared dazed and confused, and her muscles appeared to tense under the burden of her thoughts.

"Maybe, maybe not. Is it working?" she asked, hiding behind the facade of a naughty smirk. She herself had no answers for her own questions and his question had added to the pile of questions with no answer. While she could not provide an answer to the question, it did not stop her from exploiting the situation to see if he had changed his position on her proposition.

Vivaan rolled his eyes at her counter-question. Despite of the myriads of changes in her, her core personality had not changed - her mischievous side only meant for him to see, her teasing and her curiosity - everything that endeared her to him was still intact. How was he supposed to resist the enticement?

"I will not change my stand on that. You are going to wait. If you are still interested in me, till you complete this book, for my answer," he said, trying to keep his expressions in check.

"Is it?" she asked, scooting close to him, enjoying his nervousness. She wondered if he believed his expressions and actions did not betray the truth about his feelings for her. It would be naïve of him to assume the anticipation, the nervousness, the blatant display of affection in his eyes, and his indisputable concern could indicate a rejection to her.

"Yes..." he trailed off, seeing her move closer to him with a naughty glint in her eyes and a wide grin stretching her lips. He had been fortunate enough to recognize the look on her face, after seeing the same several times in the past - sometimes irritating him, sometimes cheering him, sometimes provoking him and sometimes being the best solace he could have.

"Lie all you want, Vihaan, but it will not change the truth, which is so blatant, but..." she said, cupping his face between her slightly clammy and shivering palms, looking straight into his heart through his eyes.

"But.." he prompted, involuntarily, his pupils dilated as a reaction to their proximity as passionate memories flooded his mind.

"I respect your wish to tell me your answer when I complete the book. And you are also wrong about something. You think I am going to lose interest in you by the time we complete the book? Change your appearance, change your demeanor, change your behavior, or change everything about you. My feelings for you won't die. I know it is too early, but there is something about you, something which I cannot comprehend, that ties me down to you. But what I know is that I don't even want to be freed from you," she said, placing a gentle, chaste, and soothing kiss over his lips before letting go of him and walking into the room.

"Tum Rang Badal Lo, Dhang Badal Lo, Nalayak Ban Jao Ya Phir Mahanayak, Mera Pyaar Tumhare Liye Hamesha Barkaarar Rahega. Yeh Jo Khoobsurat Yaadein Ham Roz Ek Saath Banate Hain, Yeh Uss Pyaar Ko Kabhi Kam Hi Nahi Hone Denge. Yeh Yaadein Mujhe Hamesha Tumse Bande Rakhenge... Hamesha!"

He reminisced about the answer given to him by Vrinda of the past. So similar, yet diametrically opposite. Vrinda had been so sure about the memories they had with one another to sustain their love forever, but little would she have known that despite losing her memories to a cruel fiasco, she would continue to love him in the same manner. That it was not the memories that would sustain their love, but her subconsciousness, and her soul.

"You were right, Vrinda, like always. Yeh Pyaar Hamesha Barkaraar Rahega."

TRANSLATION

"Tum Rang Badal Lo, Dhang Badal Lo, Nalayak Ban Jao Ya Phir Mahanayak, Mera Pyaar Tumhare Liye Hamesha Barkaarar Rahega. Yeh Jo Khoobsurat Yaadein Ham Roz Ek Saath Banate Hain, Yeh Uss Pyaar Ko Kabhi Kam Hi Nahi Hone Denge. Yeh Yaadein Mujhe Hamesha Tumse Bande Rakhenge...Hamesha!"

"Change your appearance, change your demeanor, become the good-for-nothing idiot or the greatest leader, my love for you will never die. The beautiful memories we make everyday, they will never let the love die. These memories of yours will tie me to you...forever!"

Yeh Pyaar Hamesha Barkaraar Rahega.

This love will never die..