Ranveer sat frozen in his place staring into Deepika's eyes waiting for her to react. Probably she was doing the same. The knot in his bedsheet had come off entirely, but he wasn't holding it anymore.

Deepika moved. She waded by Ranveer as if ignoring everything, maybe she didn't care –as she had told Ranveer earlier– she didn't care what went between him and Sharin and what the urgency of his inquiries with her was that he chose to walk out draped in nothing but a bedding. She was too tired for all the emotional policing. And who wants to be named 'clingy'? Not her. Not anymore. All she needed now was her black coffee. She picked up her mug and walked away.

But her hand was grabbed from behind.

"You wanna say something?" said Ranveer.

"Nope!" Deepika said chirpily.

"You sure?"

"Pretty."

"But I wanna say something," Ranveer walked up close.

"Not now Ranveer, I'm in an awesome mood. So, don't spoil that," she freed her hand and walked towards the balcony.

But Ranveer couldn't be put off. He pulled the bedsheet over his shoulders and followed her.

The sun had risen, a cool morning mist blew and left Deepika shivering, most inhabitants of the concrete jungle that spread all around were still asleep except for some early risers departing for exercise or to walk their dogs, the birds created a ruckus in the decorative garden of the society that the balcony looked over, in less than an hour their chirping would drown under the cluttering cogwheels of the city.

Deepika stood in her balcony in her panties and a shirt, which was nothing short of a nightmare for Sharin and her team, but Deepika might have walked out on a street in the attire to avoid Ranveer at this moment.

She had no issues with Ranveer for doubting her panic attack story and confirming it with Sharin under her nose. That face of guilt he wore when Sharin disclosed his inquiries would have been enough for the 'Deepika' of the past to lose her shit, but she didn't want to tread the path of unrealistic expectations anymore for it only brought more heartache.

Ranveer stood beside her.

"Let's not talk about it, please, Ranveer," said Deepika, "it's okay, it's fine, I don't need any explanations. It wasn't a big deal."

She began walking away again but Ranveer held her shoulders with both his arms dislodging the bedsheet off of his shoulders. Deepika clasped the sliding sheet just in time around his chest at the right moment to save him from another faux pas.

"Your clothes are behind the couch," she said calmly.

"I won't spoil your mood. I just want to release this burden off my chest," he said slowly taking the bed sheet from her grasp.

She sat on the floor and he followed suit.

"I don't know how to begin," said Ranveer like a man who didn't know what he wanted to speak, "I am a little commitment-phobic, so to speak."

"Look, you really don't have to defend yourself just for the sake of it, it's fine," Deepika said.

Ranveer's throat was dry. He moved to sit more comfortably and gulped hard before speaking, "I don't fit in families..., it's not that I'm scared of them, I love them, but sometimes I feel I don't... belong," he stopped to breathe. "I am more open with my friends but the moment my family meets them, I feel.., I become jittery... I feel like they... switched team or something. You know what I mean?"

Deepika didn't. "Why is that?" she asked, a little interested, but still wondering what the point of all this was.

"I don't feel one with them, I have grown up with them and all, but after point in my life, I realized I am different, something that they might never understand, so much that I am even afraid to explain it to them, I am growing away from them and I can't do anything about it," Ranveer couldn't believe he was saying all this, he had felt this all his life but only now when he was trying to explain himself that he found the words to describe his feelings. His emotions surprised him.

"I think," he continued, "now I have different compartments in my life that I feel shouldn't interact with each other, this is probably the reason why I became an actor, because I couldn't find any way to express myself, I just feel so alone and threatened by everyone, everyone. Every fucking one."

His heart was beating fast. He didn't know what path he had come to and what all this had to do with what he wanted to say to Deepika, the words were just pouring out, and as they did talking became more and more natural and comforting. He wondered why he never did this before. He knew why, because he never had Deepika before.

"It's okay Ranveer, you're not alone," she said and fell silent. Ranveer wanted to hear more, he wanted to hear her say he was not alone and that she was with him, but she didn't say that. He moved closer still.

"This has turned me into an asshole, I desperately want different portions of my life to stay apart and I am tearing myself apart in the process," he didn't believe he had tears, he couldn't even tell if he was making sense and here he was crying. At any other time, he might have laughed out loud at this absurdity, but he couldn't at this moment, this was the moment of truth, the time to accept that he was damaged goods as well, despite all the love and money and luxuries of the world, he was broken from within and broken objects always have sharp edges.

Deepika's eyes had welled as well. It was as if Ranveer was speaking her mind, she wondered why she cried if she was really above all that. Probably they were both, at the end of the day, shell animals hiding under hard exoskeletons. And wasn't she an asshole herself?

"It's all fine when people are not close to me," Ranveer said, "but when they eventually are, I am suddenly out of my waters," he laughed nervously and choked.

A smile broke on Deepika's face as well and a teardrop fell from her eye, they both looked extremely stupid crying with each other.

"It's the opposite with me, I get too clingy," she said. "But I become an asshole nevertheless."

Ranveer grinned awkwardly. He had never opened his heart like this to anyone, he never felt there could be anyone interested enough to entertain his emotions and listen to him. Just listen. Neither did he ever make an effort to find someone he could pour his heart to.

After a long silence, Deepika stood up wiping her face, but Ranveer wasn't done, he didn't know if he could ever muster up enough courage again to speak his mind to her, or anyone for that matter, this was probably the only chance he would ever get. He stood as well.

"It seems we were both damaged and expected a little too much from each other," he said with a sigh. "The tabloids would kill for such a story."

"And the PR would commit mass suicides."

Ranveer laughed heartily, "It's all great, but don't make it too obvious, don't be too out there, you know," he imitated Sharin.

"Well you're the one who's naked, here," Deepika said snatching the bed sheet, she ran back towards the hall giggling uninhibitedly.

"HEYYY!!!"

Taken aback by the suddenness of her action Ranveer couldn't decide for a moment what he should do, he looked out of the balcony searching for witnesses of his embarrassment, but instantly gave up the idea and rushed back inside grabbing his crotch chasing behind Deepika.

He reached inside to find Deepika laughing hysterically, her eyes were flowing and her knees were at her chin as she rolled all over the couch.

Ranveer didn't fight her for the bedsheet, he quietly went and sat beside her grinning. When her fit of laughter subsided to little chuckles, Ranveer put a hand on her thigh and said, "I'm not done yet."

She sat straight wiping tears off her face, this time of laughter, while Ranveer descended to the ground. On both his knees, he took Deepika's hand in his, "I'm not done yet as I've got one more thing to say to you," he said. "I've told you things that even I didn't know I had in my heart all these years, and now I've shed everything, all my defenses, I am wearing no shells, no masks, I've no inhibitions, I'm literally naked in front of you, but I don't feel scared. For the first time in a very very long time, I feel it doesn't matter if someone knew all my cards, that I can be free and do not have to care about any judgments..."

Deepika bit her lip and squeezed his hand.

"For the first time in my life," he said. "I feel I could be in love. I...Deepika, I love you. Most ardently."

She struggled to speak as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, "I love... I love you too, honey."

Deepika was on her knees with him, she threw her arms over his shoulders around his neck and gave him a long kiss.

They had kissed a million times, had seen each other as naked as they were on the days they were born and were even sleeping together regularly but still they knew this one kiss was something else, something special, something worth remembering for their entire lives.

They didn't mind if the passionate kiss left them with swollen lips or for the foul breaths that was troubling them both, they simply went on and on. All they cared about was this new life ahead of them and their partner they could pour their heart to, who would understand them even in disagreements, who'd offend them with the worst of their nastiness but would still respect them in their madness.

They were inseparable, each one of them willed to carry other's emotional burdens with trust that the other will carry theirs. They were soulmates.

The lips parted, the eyes stared into each other, the naked bodies pressing on one another, the silent conversation through eyes and touch went on for a few moments before they were eating each other's mouths again.

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Author's Note: This is the last but one chapter of this story. So, I wish to thank all the readers who patiently waited for the slow updates. Thank you all. You were the inspiration as well as the driving force behind the story.💖💖💖😘😘

AN2: The last chapter turned out to be the chapter with highest completed reads for me.(20% in the first chapter to 80% in 21st) So this story has immensely helped me improve as a writer as well.

AN3: Another important thing that I wished to ask you all was if I should turn the Mature rating ON for this story as there is slight nudity in a few chapters. Do tell me in the comments.

AN4: The last chapter will be up soon.