Lahat ng Kabanata ng Always is not Forever: Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

Reviving out of that horrible night, I steered into the kitchen to get a glass of water and clear the confusion in my mind. Two more weeks and his birthday would be there and my nightmares were nowhere on stop. Two weeks more and I would tie myself in a relationship that wouldn't matter if I couldn't be truthful to him.Taking a seat in the kitchen, I clutched my head in my hands, cursing at the past for taking me out of one person who loved me too much and would despise me if it ever got out.Dragging a shaky breath, I went to my room and stared at the pink teddy bear of my height and smiled at the memory stored in it."Can I untie it now?" I whined at my stupid boyfriend. The black cloth tied around my eyes was irritating me, the smell of Mehandi in my hands was sickening me.Even after a week, the smell hadn't faded nor it was ready to be gone."Hush, baby!" He dragged me by the shoulders. "I have a birthday surprise for you.""You already gave me a birthday gift.""That black jacke

Parting the lid of my laptop, I entered the password and met the screen before clicking on the facetime and talk to her. Tomorrow was the day when I would reveal everything to Kabir and then hear the proposal he had for me, hear if he even wanted to go through it anymore.Crossing my legs on the bed, I connected to her, and within minutes, Dr. Sha's face became visible to me."How's everything, Alina?" She asked."Confused." I twisted my lips to her answer. "Tomorrow is Kabir's birthday." She nodded. "He's going to propose me on his birthday."The calm look on her face slipped for a second before she maintained it again. "That's fast," She answered, a bit of frown visible on her forehead as I toyed with the edge of my top. "Marriage means—""I know," I cut her off. "But he's ready to wait.""Did you talk to him?" She asked."Talk what? Tell him he's my nightmare? That how his girlfriend is scared of him? Then no, I haven't told my boyfriend that I imagine him as Rishi now and that I'm

"Kabir, what are you doing?" I stared at the polythene in his hand. "And what is that?""You stop cooking." He placed the polythene in the slab, strolled forward to stand next to the stove and turned it off. "We have a chef now." Peering at him with a sheepish smile, I placed the knife out of my sight and paid my attention to his whining face. "Come with me.""But I need to cook. It's a stress reliever. I just completed a hectic project and assignment, and laptop screen is making me sick," I tried to argue but one look from him shushed all my protests. "I will still cook. Get out of the kitchen."He regarded me for a couple of seconds before placing his hand on the knife. "You want to be a housewife?""No. Why?""Cooking." He nodded at the fried potatoes. "I don't mind but—""Shut up. Cooking is a necessity." Scoffing at his confused face, I took the knife from his hands and started cutting the tomatoes. "If I love cooking, it makes me a housewife?" He twisted his lips at the corner,

"Alina, are you okay?" My therapist snapped her fingers in front of me. Reviving out of that day, I nodded and clutched my knees to the chest, rocking back and forth. "You dozed off there.""Why she did it?" I asked, staring into the distance. "She said she was like my mother. Which mother does that? Plan their own child rape?"It had been a week since I saw the blocked memories of mine, realized she knew it all the way and had helped him because of some money. It was always about money. Wasn't it? So my innocence was traded for money. My whole life was traded for money.It felt like I had been involved in prostitution.Which human do that to another? How could she see me like this every single day? She was worse than any person I had ever met. She was worse than him. At least, he showed his true colors. She stayed behind and let him do anything."Still traumatic?" She asked, and for the first time, I sensed pity in her voice."More than traumatic." I leaned my head on the back, stari

I woke up with a startle, panting stared around the room."Alina." Someone settled next to me. Settling my gaze, I saw Dhruv, frown on his face."Water." Nodding, he passed me the glass of water and I gulped it in one go and gave it back to him. "Where am I?""Your room," He answered. "You fainted in the burial ground. Are you okay?" His urgent voice was avoided by me as I recalled what I had seen in my sleep.Was it truth or a lie of my own imagination? Had I started imagining Meena Aunty too as I had imagined Kabir? Why was my mind too fucked up?Wait a second.I prefer you don't give her. Leave us alone, will you? Please, think about what I said.Just something. You're very strong, Alina. Sometimes I'm scared I won't be able to protect you.Do you feel safe in this house?When our college ends, you'll be back here with your mom, sister and—Like you said, there are too many demons here.He knew. Kabir knew. That was why he had been too rude to her. It wasn't a fragment of my imagin