Recap: Episode-1, Episode-2, Episode-3, Episode – 4, Episode – 5, Episode – 6, Episode - 7, Episode - 8, Episode - 9, Episode - 10, Episode -11, Episode -12 2120 to 2155 Hours: It took us more than forty seconds to realize that the main door was still open. In a liberated democratic country with a pretentious sort of freedom of speech, that was a huge risk to take. Hence, I had to pull myself out of the ferocious hold of hers, to calmly walk back to the main door and close it. Now, that few milliseconds gave me precious time to catch some breath. I turned to find her just inches away from me, which left me with no choice, but wrap my hands over waist and lift her up. Her long legs, the first thing I fell in love with, about her earlier today, wrapped around my thighs. The lifting was great and romantic, but I had no idea what I supposed to do after that. “Do you...” she said kissing me on my lips for the, well, who was counting. I never knew where it started. Was it the elevator? Or was it in the auto? I mean, frankly who cared. Who'd bother with the start when it felt like it would never end? “I’ll just... No problem...” I managed to say somewhere in between the wildest display of affection. And started wading through to the bedroom with all my strength, carrying her. “Hahaha you are hardly moving! Do you want me to get off?” she said looking down at my eyes and pulling my cheeks for some reason “Oh no no! I got this! I think”, I said Before I could surrender to the stress, Geetika saw the better sense and got off me. I promised myself that I'd have to score some really great number of Exp points here before I hit the fifth base. We continued kissing, with our hands going on a full throttle body exploration mode. “Be slow! This isn't a punishment. Go slow! We've still got time ", she said leading me into the bedroom. “Nothing like th... Wait a second that's Punisher right?” I pulled up her t-shirt. Indeed it was Punisher. Years of crappy comic books had made me some sort of an expert in all things superhero. “Who? What?” she said working on my jeans as we crashed on to the bed, with the mattress with had that irritating plastic wrap over it. Come to think of it, the mattress had actually made my day by not letting me sleep soundly. Or was it the horrible tasting coffee that made it. Or that stupid fellow who messed up with Geetika's flight booking. I mentally composed a snooze reminder to personally thank the guy when and if I met him “The superhero on your t-shirt obviously!” I said now removing her t-shirt and inserting my palm in her jeans. “Oh that! I don't know much about superheroes and stuff. Actually Sam was more into this kind of stuff and she gifted me this t-shirt” she said, as she unbuttoned her jeans and eased my hands to their desired destination. “Sam, the Doctor? She's so pretty I tell you!” I said kissing her pagan tattoo and pulling off her jeans in one swift motion. I moved from her neck to further below, as she gripped on to my hair tightly. “Oh yeah? Let's see what you've got to say now” she said and unhooked her bra. I was quick to seize the opportunity and exhibit some ingenious moves. And the moves seemed to be working as her legs again, wrapped over my back, and were forcefully pulling me into her. Her black nail polished fingers got inside my trousers, as I was showing off my skills. “What... Hahaha... What are you doing?” she laughed suddenly “I was just... Happened...” I said looking up into her eyes, sweat starting to glisten us both. Something which made her look even more beautiful and serene. “It just tickled me! Don't worry!” she said as my roving hand finally reached the destination. The moment was here, stripped off every reason and logic. A moment that wore a dreamy crown. A moment beyond time and life. “Are you sure?” I said looking at her, as I tore open my guardian for the night. She nodded her head shyly and closed her eyes. I decided to be perfect and poetic about it, by kissing her reassuringly and... “No! Stop actually!” she said opening her eyes and holding my face between her palms. Two words couldn’t stop me. It had to be something more than that. My body was no longer me. It was being controlled by overwhelming desire. I realized that if I failed now, in this moment, I could never look at myself again. I had to focus. I had to be more. I closed my eyes trying to get things under my control. A sudden flash of rage bolted through my brain, but I desperately willed it to absolve. I was better than this, and ultimately found the calmness in me to look back at her again. And one look at her, and I suddenly felt proud of myself. That was what I was supposed to do. And somehow it was what I did. “What happened? Anything wrong?” I asked and kissed her forehead. A huge turmoil was still lingering around the corner in my head. It now started to throb with pain. I had get away from her. “It’s nothing. I mean it's stupid to say this now, but I think I can't do this! ", she said hugging me tightly. No, please, let me go. Don’t do this. “Oh! I mean, I'll just... That's cool!” I said and did a finally pushed myself away, to roll beside her, and just stared at the roof. One of the most gruelling things to do in this world, was stopping your passion mid-way, even more so, when everything else is going for you and there is a really beautiful person clutching you and rolling and placing her head on your chest. "I'm sorry! I totally am!” Geetika whispered, slowly, as if she didn't want to hear the apology herself. “I said it's cool. Tough but cool. We don't have to” I said finding her at her most vulnerable, now after spending the whole day with her. I had managed to bring myself to sense after all. “Is it something to do with Sam? If you don't mind that is?” I went ahead and asked her. I knew that it was totally her wish to partake or not, but still entertained the thought that this might have something to do with her Ex. I needed to ask her that, but I never wanted her to answer it. “No! No! Nothing about Sam! It's something confusing totally. If I do this, I won't close out, you know!” she said sitting up and roughly combing her hair with her fingers and making it into a bun sort of thing. “I’m sorry I don't follow!” I said still laying, and still trying to, well, subside into normalcy, if you know what I mean. “Well see. Me and Sam, couldn't work it out cause I didn't want to have something to hold me back. I didn't want that nagging feeling that I'm responsible for someone here, to pull me back here. I want to leave the city with no unattended businesses on my part. And with you, with this, I'm again leaving a part of me here, you get that?” she said plucking the plastic cover with her fingers, finding it comforting enough to not look me in the eye. “Ohk! That's cool I think I get that, thank you!” I said taking her hand in mine. “Haha! Yeah. Thanks for that! " “Though I should ask you one last thing. Now leaving our business unfinished, and not getting to Climax, wouldn't that nag you for long? Just offering another viewpoint, is all” I said winking at her, for which she finally smiled for a bit and got out of the bed. My hands found something more to feel and love. Her breasts emanated warmth that made sense of everything. She crossed her legs over mine. Staying away was getting impossible. “Keep your viewpoints for when you write your next book! I'll be the first one to buy that. I promise!” she said running her fingers over my thighs “Haha! of course, you’ll definitely be in there..” I said kissing her neck for the hundredth time. Her skin coyed shyly on my touch. “Sarcasm huh?” “Maybe! depends on how you take it” I said and withdrew myself. After sitting up from our embrace, I picked up my jeans and walked out of the room. Any second longer, control would have surely gone astray. “Yeah Yeah!” she said as I left. “I do plan to write a novel and thereby let you know” I said and walked out to the hall, and drew the curtain behind me. As I came out, I saw Geetika's mobile vibrating silently on one of the boxes. When did we leave it there? Interesting that I didn't remember that. I promptly picked up her mobile and passed it over to her through the curtain. She put a finger to her lips, signalling me to shut up and keep quiet. I guessed it was a call from one of her relatives or someone, who would make a big hoopla out of it if they found out that she had company at this hour. I remained silent and dressed myself up. I moved to the farthest corner of the hall, and sat on the ground beside a box, as she continued to talk with whoever it was, swiftly in Tamil. At some point today it had slipped from my mind that she was a Tamilian. We, or at least, she was good in English, which allowed us to have a fantastic time together. As I leaned on the “Utensils” labelled box beside me, and got lost in arranging the events of the day in chronological order, I saw Geetika walk out of the room, as beautiful as she was when she woke me up a million hours ago, to offer a cup of coffee, the taste of which I couldn't remember now. It didn't really matter now, did it? End of Time: “That was my dad! He is a bit of a sceptic himself” Geetika said as she knelt down and kissed me. She placed her mobile on the box near me, and crawled over me. “Couldn’t you have come earlier, you idiot!” she said as she kissed my forehead and got up again. I reached out to her neck to return the debt. “Then, I'm sure we wouldn't be having this moment. People tend to confirm that I'm psychotic, once they get to know me well enough” I said, as I heard my phone ring. I took it out of my pocket and immediately answered it. Geetika planted a swift kiss on my cheek, and walked away, lifting some open boxes in the process and taking them to the bedroom with her. She had already packed most of the things, but still needed to seal some of them. I decided to join her in packing stuff, after I was done with the call. "Hello, who is this?” I answered the phone, rather very bluntly. “I'm the human they call Sudheer!! " “ Holla! And now you finally call me, you Dickhead !!” I said, knowing well enough that he was busy with all sorts of Tax saving work. “At the flat? I've heard that you've had a city tour with Gk!! And first things first, do you like the flat? " “Yes, yes, the flat is great, thank you. So is Geetika, she's awesome! " “And lesbo, bro. So do not get any ideas, Alright. God's must be crazy right, mondo?” “Oh! Is she? That's... That's... Thank you, man. I was about to ask her to add me on Facebook, she seems super nice” I responded at the WTF moment of the day being broadcasted here. “Pity, she's not on Facebook, bro! Anyway I just called to tell you that, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. We'll take a new SIM for you too, one that you asked for yesterday! " “I’ve already purchased a SIM card, bro! Wait I'll just give you my new number...” I said and picked up Geetika's mobile from the box near me. The pin lock welcomed me, but I got past it quite quickly. I then went to the contacts and in the search bar, typed 'S'. All names starting with the letter 'S' popped up. Except mine. I clearly remembered storing it, between the names starting with "Sa" and "So". I definitely did that. But no! My number was gone. Or rather deleted. Voluntarily deleted. I got off the call with Sudheer, and slowly closed my eyes, drifting off to some other moment. Trying to find an answer for the act. But then I could never understand it. I got up from the floor, and decided to help her pack. A bit lost for the first time in a pretty awesome day. It wasn't just being sad, but it was as if all the happiness somehow had just vanished into thin air. I should've known. When she talked about Sam, and how she felt that SAM could be a strand of past that could hold her back, I should've known, that in the same breath, she was referring to me as well. Somehow I felt that I was that important to her, that I was someone she would feel about that way, someone that she had to get away from, to move forward. Someone who could maybe bring her back. Now that thought, somehow stupidly brought back a smile to my face. By deleting my number, she implied that I was important, and all this that we had today, meant something to her. No one could get mad at her, for doing that, could they? Still, there was a great deal of silence in me, that wasn't listening to any kind of reason. Maybe my heart had arrived at a very different conclusion than what my mind had arrived at. One which cried out loud that maybe she never took these moments that we shared, as being important or worthy. Two conflicting versions of the same story, two ends to a single beginning. It all came down to which one I'd like to believe in. That would become my memory. That would become my reality. And it was one of the best days of my life, and I decided not to mess it up with what I expected out of it. “So, Geetika! How exactly do you plan to carry these many boxes? What are they like, 20 in number?” I said entering the bedroom and hugging her from behind. “17 actually. And no I'm not gonna carry them. My cousin, Bhargavi is gonna take away most of them in a couple of days and... " “Is she cute? Sorry auto.. " “I dare you. If I even hear that you are hitting on her, I'll come back and kick your ass!” “….Automated response. You didn't let me finish. But if that's gonna bring you back, then I should probably flirt with her!” She turned to face me and hugged me tightly for a few seconds. And then just let go. She fell silent and suddenly serious. She drew up the boxes that laid on the floor on to the bed, confirmed herself that they were all packed and sealed again. She never looked at me the whole time, as she pretended to be hyper busy, just as her mobile phone rang in the other room. I was about to get it to her, but she literally rushed past me and picked it up. I had enough hints now that I needed to get away and out of her sight. She wasn't angry, she wasn't sad. But there was definitely something that made her look like a different person altogether. And therefore, I walked past the remaining boxes in the hall, picked up my mobile, and out of the flat and stood at the far end of the corridor, at an opening which overlooked the next building and the almost vacant roads. I placed my mobile phone back in my pocket, and gazed at the skies and the stars, beyond the roof of the adjacent building. I had started my journey a couple of days before, under the night sky which never spoke of moon, and somehow halted here to look back at it again, which this time turn a bit more generous. I saw him walking out of the door, closing it behind him and let out a deep sigh. It was as if I had been holding in a breath for a very long time. Over the last couple of hours, one thing had been made crystal clear to me. He was different. He was something more. More than Amit, more than Sam. He fitted in like it had always been his place. I knew he was hurt when I had asked him to stop but he had no idea how I felt. His one touch had almost messed up everything. I had almost decided to stay back and that's when I stopped him, against my will and his wish. Now I knew what this was....not a joke, not a gift....it was a test. A test of resolve, a test of perseverance, a test of the strength of my dreams. How much would I be able to give up and for how long? One day...had it just been one day...can one day be so long yet so short?...now the time we had spent felt like minutes, even seconds. I closed my eyes once and instantly a movie reel started playing in my mind, of my future with him, in this city. It was gut wrenchingly beautiful. I couldn't see it anymore. I opened my eyes and a lone tear drop fell. That tear drop brought out all of the confusion from my system and now I was determined. I knew what I had to do. And I will do it. The doorbell rung and I hurriedly pulled down the kurti into which I was changing and rushed to open the door. It was the watchman. The cab had arrived. I had to leave. I dragged out all my suitcases to the watchman and went in again to bring out my boxes. After I brought out everything, I closed the door behind me. I knew he was standing there at the far end of the corridor looking at me, probably waiting for me as much as I was to go to him. So I took a deep breath and walked up to him determinedly. I heard footsteps approaching the flat. It was the watchman knocking at the door. Clearly Geetika was expecting him to come, as she instantly opened the door. The watchman went inside, and reappeared after a minute or so, with two of her bags. The cab had arrived five minutes before the scheduled booking time. I saw from the end of the corridor, that slowly one by one all of her bags were being taken out and placed in the elevator, by the watchman. The luggage would definitely exceed the free flight load allowed for a single person, but I guessed it wouldn't be by much. As I was mentally counting her luggage, she walked out. Adjusting her long purse and her watch. She had changed into a more ethnic kind of long Kurti, which made her look taller than she already was. She looked at me, and I instinctively smiled at her. We were never going to meet each other again. Our lives would take us somewhere else, millions of miles apart. I knew she was thinking about the same as she slowly walked to me. “This is sad. I can't leave like this!” she said holding my hand firmly “Well. This is it, I guess” I said softly pushing her hair back from her face “Say something funny, no?” Geetika said looking at the floor. I just saw her, never hearing her say anything. I wasn't going to come up with something funny. It just wasn't the moment. She turned and walked away. And a few seconds later she was gone. Just as unexpectedly as we had met in the first place. I wanted to call her back, but this was not the day. I couldn’t afford her dreams, just as yet. I wanted to get down with her, walk her to the cab, and kiss her goodbye. But rather I preferred to get back to the flat and close the door behind me. I saw that all the boxes that she had left behind, were neatly stacked up one over the other at one corner. I hoped that one day, I would ask her to come back. And that one day she would. After washing my face and changing into my boxers, an hour later I lay on the bed and thought to myself. What could I have said that would sound funny and witty? Maybe I could tell her that she looked like a giraffe in that dress. Or maybe I could've mocked her coffee one last time. I could've said so many things, but then it would still turn out to be the same. This day was the Citadel, which stood majestically right in the middle of the City of Time. And I hoped that it looked beautiful on the other side… The End.