1 month later

'Vishal Kapoor, the business magnet of Kapoor and Co. finally receives a long jail sentence on the charges of harassment' read the day's newspaper headlines.

Everyone had been desperately waiting for this. The media had gone from Mr. Kapoor's scandal to other news very fast, but the tempo of putting him to justice hadn't slacked a bit in his company. Taira had maintained the pressure over the case, which had been famously called the standoff between "father and daughter", but Taira hadn't cared about the gossip at all. She had stayed with me for 2 weeks before giving in to the company's demands, coming out in the public and taking over the position of her father, along with the apartment offered as a token of bargain against her position in the company.

The partners knew that the daughter had left her father's house and would not go back, and the apartment had been the peace offering from them. She was going through a really tough time handling the newfound status and responsibilities that came with the company, along with the heartbreak that she had faced due to her father. I was trying to create normalcy in her life, supporting her as much as I could.

The first thing she did as she took her place in the board was to propose stronger laws against harassment in the company. I had overheard that Abeer had flown back to Delhi, and gone to every court hearing. His mother's case was registered, but since no solid proof had been administered, it had been merged with the other similar cases of harassment against Mr. Kapoor. But I still hadn't contacted him. I had no reason to back why I hadn't, and when I thought of it, there were too many reasons as to why I shouldn't.

At that moment, Taira strode into my cabin.

"Are you fine?" I asked softly, glancing at the headlines of the newspaper on my desk.

"Your half day has been approved Miss Singhania," she said instead, making my brows furrow.

"I haven't applied for a half day and why would you approve it? My immediate boss will," I replied, confusion lacing my voice.

"Don't question me. Don't you know I am on the board of the company you work in now?" She said with a playful smile. I rolled my eyes at her supposed show of power, but my heart swelled when I saw the smile on her lips. I hadn't seen her smiling ever since the Bangalore conference.

"What is going on Taira? Tell me clearly," I stated, my voice stern.

"Abeer is going back to Kolkata today," Taira said, her voice now devoid of the faux attitude it had before. I froze in my seat, a pang sounding in my chest as I heard the news.

"Last time I checked India was a free country and anyone could go anywhere they want. What is it to me?" I said, hoping the nonchalance was on point as I tried to look busy on my desk, ruffling various files to prove my point.

Taira sighed. "We both know what he is to you Aashi, I am not forcing you. But I think you should forgive him. His intention to approach you was wrong but his love for you is pure Aashi. Consider it. And now he doesn't work here so you aren't going against the office rules if you date," she said, her tone resigned and hopeful at the same time.

I glared at her from my seat.

"I am not going," I said with finality.

"Your choice, the flight leaves at 5'o clock so reach before that if you want to meet him," she shrugged, and left the cabin.

I wasn't going anyways. It's useless. My parents aren't going to ever agree for us. And I would hate an estranged life with my parents. But somewhere, deep down, I knew my priorities had changed. They had changed the moment I had opted to go on the so-called date with Abeer.

My priority weren't my parents. It wasn't Abeer too. It was me. I had lived a day of freedom from my priorities, all for myself, and I ached to do it again. For life. And I knew it was only possible if I chose a certain someone.

If I chose my love.

I blinked at the file laid on the desk, astounded by the direction my thoughts were leading to. I was supposed to be reviewing files, NOT my decision to not go after Abeer. I shook my head and focused on the contents of the file.

"On the date of..."

Date. My date with Abeer, where he had made every dream of mine turn into reality. The date where he had promised some words, mere words, but somehow, he had lived upto them.

'We have forever to find a solution to each "but'' that follows you "I like you", Aashi' his voice echoed in my head. He had lived upto the promise. He had risked everything when he strode on the stage in the Banglore conference and declared his love for me. It was an idiotic, hopelessly romantic thing to do, which would have generally made me cringe if I had read it in a book.

But the memory warmed my insides. And so did the other memories that followed it. My lips tingled and a shiver went down my spine as I remembered our kisses, the warmth of his eyes as he looked at me like I had never been looked before.

He had kept his promise of a forever. He had been bold and gutsy enough to break all barriers and try and claim what his heart desired. Whereas I, who was said to be the daring one, had cowered most of her life, and even now I was hesitating to claim what I desired.

I might have won a lot of fights, but I have lost everyone of those I had with my own self.

Sometimes the most prominent battle you have is with yourself. With your own desires. I had quelled my desires from a long time. Fought till death, and I had presumed I had won everyone of them.

But the reality was, I had lost all of them.

After an hour of pretending to work I knew that my mind and heart both wanted one thing and were just as stubborn as me. With renewed vigour, I got up from the chair, collected my bag and strode out of the office in a hurry. I had an hour to reach the airport, and damn it if I was going to miss it. I hailed a cab and went straight to the airport.

I hurried past the people and searched the black TV screens that flashed the airlines and the respective destinations outside the airport when my eyes landed on a brown haired figure. He stood there, in the row outside the departure gate, in all his handsome glory. My heart sped as I made my way towards him, and his profile became clearer as i neared him.

Stubble had formed on his generally clean shaved face and his eyes looked tired. He looked just as he had looked on the night in the Bangalore conference, but more resigned than anxious. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I stood across him, less than a feet away.

"Where are you going Mr.Sen?" I asked in my stern voice. I saw his beautiful brown head jerk from his tickets to me, his warm eyes widening in shock.

"Aashi!" He exclaimed, excitement flooding in his empty eyes, making my heart thump in my chest, before it washed away, a sadness taking over them. He cleared his throat. "Are you going somewhere?" He asked, his voice small.

My temper flared. Was he serious?

"Do you think this is a coincidence Abeer?" My eyes glared at him as I closed the remaining distance between us and held him by the collar of his shirt.

"Aashi," he said looking shocked. It was at this point that I noticed others in the line had started taking notice of us, twisting their heads to see the commotion. I saw the policewoman from the counter desk look at us, but I held my place, my anger taking over my senses.

Apparently Abeer had seen her too, because he gently unhanded himself from my grip and strode out of the line with his luggage, frowning in confusion.

"Were you leaving without saying goodbye?" I asked the moment he stood before me.

"Are you here to say goodbye?" He asked, the sadness clouding over the confusion.

"No."

He frowned. "Then?"

"I am here to remind you of your promise."

"What?"

"Your oh-so cheesy and hopelessly romantic words on the night of the date 'We have forever to find a solution to each "but'' that follows "I like you", Aashi'.Who said that Abeer?" I questioned, my voice wavering as I felt tears forming at the back of my eyes. But I blinked them away, refusing to let myself fall weak at this point.

I saw his eyes take a desperate look. "Aashi, I would have," he said, shaking his head.

"You still can," I muttered softly, which had him jerk his head in surprise.

His eyes lit up at my words, and the warm, fuzzy feeling returned as I gazed into his eyes.

I took his tickets from his hand and tore them, taking his luggage in the other as I strode out of the airport passage, dumping the remains in the dustbin nearby. I heard his footsteps follow me out to the section with the cabs lined up.

"Can you forgive me Aashi?" He asked, taking hold of my bicep and turning me to stop.

"Not yet, you have to make it up to me for a long time," I said haughtily, holding my chin up at him. Before I knew it, he had dropped his backpack, his arms curling around me, holding me tightly against his chest.

"I will make it up to you all my life," he said against my hair, and this time, I let the tears flow out my eyes. I pulled away, only to see his own eyes glittering with unshed tears, his entire face screaming with love and happiness.

There was no need to declare my love for him. Because it was already there, in my eyes, in my actions, and he seemed to understand. Abeer always understood. I grinned through my tears, and we walked out.

"You know there is a very big "but" you have to solve," I told him while threading my small hands in him. I hadn't noticed how small they were in comparison to his.

"Let me guess, your parent's right. Well, who will not want a handsome and smart son-in-law like me? I will convince them," he said, flashing a lopsided smile at me which had my heart racing.

I rolled my eyes in mock annoyance. "Convincing my parents would not be easy at all if you think that. Not only is there wannabe son-in-law from a different caste that challenges their stereotype mindset but he is also an unemployed goody-two-shoes, both of which would not only question but completely ruin your chances with them." I burst out laughing and he tugged at my hand, making me clash against his chest. Excitement surged through me at the contact with his warm body.

"Hey, whose team are you in? I already have a job offer with me in Delhi, which I'm now going to take that I'm not going to Kolkata. And goody-two-shoes, seriously? I thought we had established that the word nice is better for me," I giggled before him and I, both continued to laugh in each other's arms as we made our way to the taxi.

This banter was going to continue for a lifetime and so was our love.

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