Chapter 2 Reunion

Everything happened so quickly, like a scene in a movie. He didn’t see her, at least not immediately, since he was so engrossed in what Myra was saying, and, honestly, Isha would have preferred it that way. She dropped the drinks with shaky hands, her heart pounding, praying to get away from the table unnoticed when he said, 'Thank you.' He was still the sweet guy she remembered, and as he said that, he lifted his gaze to meet hers, and all hell let loose.

She saw his mouth hang; it was so obvious that everyone at the table stared at him, then at her. The bulletproof heart she thought she had grown all these years turned out as vulnerable as she had last remembered.

“Isha?” His voice was low and didn’t sound confident, almost as if he didn’t believe she was standing two feet away from him, across the table.

Forcing a smile, she swallowed, trying to keep herself from running into his hands, and replied in the same voice. “Zayn”

“You know each other?” Myra asked, her smile was still pasted on her face, and she looked the least bothered.

Zayn nodded and covered his mouth with his hand for a brief second before rising from his seat to meet her. Isha stood helplessly, clutching the empty tray, her eyes a bit moist, feeling a mixture of shock and longing. She couldn’t believe this was happening; she just wanted to pass out right there and then and forget the scene before her.

As he approached her, she noticed he was still stunned, his eyes fixed on her with a mixture of disbelief and recognition. Her heartbeat quickened, each step amplifying her longing, and she could still hear his voice, louder than her own, echoing the love that had never truly faded.

Zayn restricted the urge to pull her into his arms. He took her hand, closed his eyes for a brief second, and drew in a long breath. “Thank God you are alive, that’s the only thing that matters.” He quickly dropped her hands, conscious that all eyes on the table were on them and everyone was probably wondering what was going on. He turned to them. “Guys, meet Isha Raghav” They looked at her and gave little smiles and little waves. Zayn continued, “Isha, this is Krishna, Yash, Rahul, Kayla, Ryan, and Myra; my fiancé.”

She felt her heart fall into her stomach, but she managed to keep her cool. She noticed the attention from the other males and even the females at the table; it was as if they were noticing her beauty for the first time. She got that constantly; she was used to it.

“You’ve never told me about her,” Myra said, and she said it with a pure heart. Isha felt it. “How do you two know each other?”

For a moment, silence hung among them, but Isha was quick to reply. “We’re old friends, we lived in the same city.” She said and forced a smile. Then, turning to Zayn, she added. “It’s really good to see you, Zayn. I’m sorry, I have to leave; I have a lot of duties to attend to.”

He nodded, and she knew he saw the hurt in her despite her pretence. He always saw through her, deep into her soul; their connection was out of this world. “I’ll see you before the ceremony is over,” he said, and she gave him an assuring smile before leaving.

It was a forty-minute battle with her tear gland before she let it triumph over her; she felt miserable and thankful at the same time. Thankful that the love of her life was hale and hearty, even though she always knew he was still alive. Seeing him in person after all these years stirred a complex swirl of hope and despair, making her feel invisible to him, as if she never existed, as if she were not worth his recognition.

Suddenly, the room seemed to turn upside down, the music grew a little louder, and she could smell the food right up her nostrils. Whenever she acted up, she felt such feelings and knew she needed to be away from people; however, she could not.

Clinging to her talisman, she struggled to maintain composure till she was out of the main hall and staggered the rest of her way to the bathroom, where she slumped as she got in. She secured the door lock and felt nausea overcome her as she threw up all over the toilet seat, holding onto it for support. She tried to keep her mind clear, but it was too late; she had held it in for too long, trying to deal with the fact that she couldn’t have the life she had always dreamed of, all because of a gift she had never asked for. It was stupid, just plain stupid.

“Ah shit”, she muttered as she saw her vision become blurred and felt him fill her mind, and she didn’t fight him; she let him in. He was there with her upstairs, that was his territory, and she would do anything to keep him there for life. Then the worst part came, the part when she felt out of breath. She knew she needed help, but she didn’t try to scream; no one would hear her, as her voice wouldn’t make it out of her mouth, so she just lay calm and prayed for everything and nothing at all.