Chapter 45 #2
“Did you get my email that quickly?” she said it with a half-joking tone, though she wasn’t entirely sure.
“What email?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.
Manisha stuttered, feeling the weight of her emotions. “I…I just…well, Rohit—”
“Manisha Patel,” he interrupted gently, his tone soft but serious. “It’s time you listened to me. I’m here because I brought what was meant to be our first date to you.”
Overwhelmed, her eyes flooded with tears.
“Well, almost our first date,” he added with a grin, reaching behind his back. He pulled out a small box, offering it to her. Inside was a slice of cheesecake from Henriette’s.
She blinked back the moisture, fighting to see clearly. “You did all of this, for—?”
He nodded, his smile warm and sincere. “—you. All for you. All for us.”
Rohit stepped closer, the air between them charged with something unspoken. “My mom used to say that a sky full of stars always leaves room for a wish.”
Manisha stared into his eyes, and for a moment, the world seemed to disappear around them. She closed her eyes, making a wish in the silence of their connection.
“What did you wish for?” Rohit’s voice broke through the stillness, his gaze tender.
She offered him a coy smile, her voice light yet full of promise. “I can’t tell you if I want it to come true.”
He chuckled, stepping even closer, his presence wrapping around her like a warm embrace as he balanced the box on her chair arm, then slid into the empty seat beside her. “I don’t need to know the wish. I just need to be here.”
Manisha’s heart was racing, her breath shallow as she took in the reality of him sitting before her. “So, you boarded a plane destined to cross the ocean just to give me this?”
“I did.”
Manisha could feel the warmth of his breath on her. Something she had dreamed of.
“But that’s not all I came for,” he said. “I’m here for you. I need to understand why you’re leaving…why you’re running away from us.”
No longer able to meet his eyes, she cast her gaze down. “It felt easier.”
“Manisha Patel, since when do you do easier?” Rohit asked, gently taking her chin in hand, tilting it upward until their eyes met.
“Since the truth became too hard to face. Since I got caught up in my own pretend version of reality. I—” Her voice cracked.
“I’ve been in a relationship devastated by dishonesty before, Rohit.
You know what that’s like. I convinced myself that nothing good could come from a relationship that was built on half-truths. ”
“Manisha, listen to me. Did you hide the fact that you were the admin for Curry and Cupid? Sure. And I was shocked and upset about that at first. But as I reflected on everything we went through—both as Sunil and Isha and Rohit and Manisha—I realized that the truth we shared far outweighed the things we kept hidden.”
She kept quiet, waiting for him to go on.
“Did you lie about what was in your heart when you wrote to Sunil? Did you ever share feelings with me in person that weren’t true?
That night you kissed me, was that kiss fake?
Because it sure felt real to me. Manisha, none of this was a lie.
None of it is a lie. I care for you, and I know you care for me,” Rohit said, his voice steady and filled with conviction.
He cupped her cheek as he leaned in, closing the space between them. The air seemed to hold its breath, and then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he kissed her. His lips were soft but insistent, a kiss that spoke of everything unsaid, everything they had been avoiding.
Manisha felt her heart race, the warmth of his touch spreading through her, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she stopped thinking.
The confusion, the guilt, the doubts—they all dispersed, leaving only the undeniable truth of the moment.
This was real. This kiss, this connection, it was everything she had been afraid to admit, but it was also everything she had wanted.
Pulling away slightly, Rohit looked at her, his gaze unwavering.
“I’m not perfect, Manisha. I know I’ve made mistakes, and I know you have, too.
But we can’t let the walls we’ve built to protect ourselves define us.
We owe it to ourselves to be honest—no more hiding, no more pretending.
Do you want to try, really try, with me? ”
Manisha blinked, the words hanging in the air. She’d been so caught up in her fears, in the shame of her own choices, that she hadn’t allowed herself to see the truth until now. It was never about the half-truths—it was about what they were willing to do next, how they would rebuild from here.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes. I want to try. I’m sorry for everything, Rohit. I was scared…I was scared of what was real.”
He smiled. “I’m here, standing right in front of you. Sunil, Rohit, whatever you want to call me—I am here and not going anywhere except maybe London with you tonight. I will go wherever you want to go. I just want to be with you.”
Manisha felt a surge of heat rush through her body at his words—a euphoria reminiscent of her sultry dream from all those weeks ago. Except this wasn’t a dream; this was all real.
“I want to be with you, too, Rohit,” she finally admitted.
As she leaned into his familiar frame, she knew it had always been him—first in her dreams, then in her inbox, and now in real life.
A sudden bout of turbulence caused them to collide even closer together. As he wrapped his arms around her, everything felt right, and she knew that she was exactly where she was meant to be—with her Prince Charming.
“I still can’t believe you did all this for me,” Manisha said, gazing at the stars above them.
“You know, this is how my parents met—under the stars. I always thought it sounded so romantic.” He turned to her, his voice softer now. “Manisha, I’d do anything for you. For us.”
Manisha wrapped her arms around Rohit. Manisha felt a small protrusion inside his jacket and pulled back. “What’s this?” she asked.
“Busted,” Rohit replied, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. He pulled a small baggie out of his inner pocket. “Meena Auntie. She gave me these little seeds. Don’t judge me, but I took some, hoping for…”
Manisha didn’t even need to hear the rest of his sentence—she knew exactly what he was hoping for because she had been hoping for the same thing.
“Magic,” she said, and kissed him again.
She took Rohit’s hand as they sat side by side on the flight to London—a city she looked forward to seeing again, despite the fact that she knew they would be returning to Baskin very soon. Together.
The flight attendant came by to pour each of them a glass of champagne.
“I love you, Manisha Patel, and as soon as we land, I can’t wait to make love to you.”
As Manisha gazed into Rohit’s eyes, she felt overwhelmed with love, and told him so. She had to share something else with him, too.
“I finally have an idea for my next career,” she said.
Rohit’s curiosity was piqued. “I’m all ears, baby!”
“Let’s just say it’s what brought us together.”