The last rays of sun disappeared below the horizon, leaving behind a trail of golden light that slowly faded into twilight. The cool evening breeze played with his hair as Armaan glanced at his wristwatch with a sigh. He was on a tight schedule with back to back cases but this was an important meeting that couldn’t be postponed. It was crucial for both his sanity and peace. He adjusted his spectacles again, contemplating on his impending conversation with her.
“Sir, your order please?” A waiter approached Armaan, interrupting his thoughts.
Armaan glanced up, momentarily distracted as he gave the waiter a polite smile, “one black coffee. And a box of blueberry cupcakes for takeaway.”
The waiter nodded and jotted down his order before disappearing into the bustling cafe. Armaan tapped his feet in impatience, checking the time again. Didn’t he tell her not to be late? The waiter brought his beverage and left to attend another customer.
Ruhi took a deep breath in an attempt to control her giddiness as she stepped down from the car. After five months of going in circles and dismissing all her efforts, finally Armaan was ready to talk to her. This was her opportunity to apologise and reunite with him, begin again from where they stopped. She brought a few strands of her hair in front to frame her face and smoothened the creases on her saree before entering the eatery, determined more than before.
“Hi Armaan.”
“You’re late.” He stated, annoyance radiating off his demeanour, dimming the smile on her face as she took her seat opposite to him.
“There was traffic,” she mumbled, fidgeting with the end of her saree. Was he angry with her? “Also, chachi sa assigned me work. I had to finish it before coming here, I’m sorry.”
He hummed, keeping his tone neutral while continuing, “I had certain things to discuss with you, Ruhi. And home wasn’t the correct place for it.”
Ruhi nodded, eager to start their conversation herself, “I have something to discuss too, Armaan. I actually wanted to talk about us–”
“There’s no us,” he interrupted her sternly, narrowing his eyes at her, “and that’s exactly what I want to talk about. There’s no us, Ruhi. Our paths are different and have diverged long ago.”
“What do you mean, Armaan? Our paths haven’t diverged. I..I still love you…” She shook her head in confusion, forwarding her hand to grasp his, which he quickly retracted. “Armaan, main tumhe kaise…kaise samjhau? Jo hua tha woh sab ek galti tha, I’m sorry for not trusting you, for not trusting our love. But please don’t do this, ek mauka aur dedo. We’ll mend our relationship again.”
“There’s nothing to mend, Ruhi. There was no relationship to begin with. Yes we were attracted towards each other, we thought we were perfect for each other. Par…par aisa nahi hai. Jo bhi tha, bas woh kuch palon ke liye tha. Humari kissa wahi khatam ho gaya tha and it’s high time we move forward.” He explained softly, trying to make her understand a future with him was impossible.
Ruhi furrowed her brows in desperation, violently shaking her head, “you can’t do this to me. Maine…maine Rohit se shaadi isliye kiya taki tumhare aas paas reh saku. Aur ab Rohit…”
“Rohit might not be here,” his eyes grew fierce again at the mention of his brother, “but my wife is. I’m married, Ruhi, and I respect the sanctity of my marriage with Abhira. She’s my wife and I’m responsible for her.”
Ruhi stared at him for a moment before breaking into a chuckle, her expressions shifting from desperation to amusement, “Shaadi? Kaisi shaadi, Armaan? The one year contract, jiske baad tumhari biwi tumhe chod kar chali jayegi. Who’ll you turn to then?”
Armaan’s jaw tightened, his knuckles whitening as he struggled to maintain his composure in the face of Ruhi’s mockery. “Whether Abhira and I decide to end our marriage or continue it, is none of your business really. You should concentrate on making your life better rather than involving yourself in your jeth and jethani’s relationship.” He smirked, taking a sip of his coffee, while reminding her of their relationship status.
Ruhi’s eyes reflected a mixture of bitterness and disbelief. She couldn’t believe how easily he dismissed their past, how casually he spoke of his commitment towards Abhira. Her heart ached with the weight of rejection but she refused to let him see her weakness.
“You think you can just brush me aside, Armaan? You think you can erase everything we shared?” Her voice quivered as she struggled to maintain her composure. “I loved you damn it, I still love you. And you…you are behaving like it was a mistake.”
“I never told it was a mistake,” he sighed, rising from his chair, done with his side of conversation, “what we shared was different. But we need to move on from it, Ruhi. I can never be yours, even if my marriage gets annulled. As your well wisher, I don’t want to give you any hopes about a future with me. You deserve someone who can give you the love and happiness you deserve. And that person isn’t me”
“Armaan…” Ruhi whispered, her voice barely audible above the din of the cafe.
A waiter approached their table with a carry bag. “Your blueberry cupcakes, sir. Do you want anything else?”
Armaan shook his head negatively, proceeding to the billing counter. While Ruhi suppressed her tears recalling the morning conversation between Abhira and Armaan, as she passed by their room.
"Khadoosmaan, suno na." Abhira pouted, playfully tousling his hair, attempting to draw his attention from the stack of files he was engrossed in.
"Not my hair, Abhira!" He swatted her hand away, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he adjusted his spectacles. "What do you want?"
"Cupcakes, blueberry cupcakes." Her grin was infectious, brightening the room with her excitement.
"Haven't you had enough sweets already? Eating too many will give you cavities, and then you'll have no teeth left by the time you're a grandmother." He teased her, a twinkle in his eyes.
"Says the dadaji of the house," she retorted, playfully punching his shoulder. "Tell me, will you bring them or not?"
Armaan gathered his files, a smile still playing on his lips as he prepared to leave for his meeting. "Alright, alright, I'll bring the cupcakes. Anything for my sweet tooth wife."
Ruhi watched the cafe door until Armaan vanished from sight, her vision blurred by tears. In that moment, a sudden realisation washed over her; loving him was like chasing the moon. She knew it was impossible, yet drawn to the adventure of it all. Loving him was futile, for he was a distant moon tethered to someone else's world.
-x-o-x-
As always, eager to listen to your feedback 😀
....... HAAYE! (it was a Kartik Goenka moment for me). 
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