ââ§â
Aryan and Jaydev's eyes glared into one another. Aryan's grip loosened around the handle of luggages he was carrying. Jaydev's hand fisted. Pakhi and Shruti gulped.
Shruti proved her father's words absolutely wrong and ran away from problem names Jaydev and Aryan.
Aryan frowned when he saw his sister peeking her head out of Jaydev's back.
" Shruti!"
Shruti quickly showed herself and replied, " ji bhai?"
" Come here," Aryan ordered.
Pakhi fidget with her fingers while Shruti glanced at Jaydev then came toward Aryan. Her brother looked up and down at her before asking,
" What are you doing here?"
" I-"
" Going for a honeymoon."
Shruti's eyes came out of the socket and she almost choked on her saliva hearing Jaydev who suddenly thought to intervene in the brother and sister conversation. Pakhi's mouth hung open hearing his words.
Jaydev came and stood beside Shruti.
" Shut the fuck up, asshole. I am not talking to you," Aryan warned him then looked back at Shruti.
" What the hell is happening here?"
Pakhi held his hand when his voice raised. He looked at her. His scary expression made her nervous but she gathered courage and said, " we are in public."
Aryan sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. Jaydev put his gaze on the joined hands of Pakhi and Aryan.
" Wait a minute-"
Aryan frowned, then looked at Shruti and Pakhi one by one. He nodded at himself then asked to Pakhi,
" You knew everything, no?"
Pakhi licked her lower lip and fluttered her eyelashes down.
" Uhm, yes."
" Then why the hell did you not tell me?"
" Careful, Mr. Chauhan. Mind your language and voice both when you talk to my sister," Jaydev snapped at him.
Shruti looked at both frenemies ( friends enemies) one by one.
" You shut up, bastard. And don't stand close to my sister."
Jaydev smirked and grabbed Shruti's hand suddenly, " I will. She's my wife. I have every right to be close to her."
" Better. In the same way, don't put your nose in my and my wife's business."
Pakhi thought of calling Rajdeep and complaining to him about the mess he had created.
" Where are you going, Shruti? Goa? Did Maa and Papa know?"
Aryan asked his sister.
" Uhm,.. yes. Did he not tell you? Haha. He must have forget-"
" Shut up."
Shruti made a face as he interrupted her. She huffed and crossed her hands around the chest.
" Okay but end this conversation before the announcement. I seriously can't risk my trip."
" You-"
Both Jaydev and Aryan uttered together and glared at her.
" Oh my God! Cool down, boys. I was joking. Fight fight. Haha," she nervously laughed.
Pakhi almost laughed at them but considered herself lucky when she did not let her intrusive thoughts win.
" Okay, I understand everything now. So, none of us is going anywhere. Shruti, you are going home with us."
Aryan tried grabbing her hand but Jaydev pulled her behind his back.
" Excuse me? Then, please send my sister to me. Sneaky bastard."
Jaydev passed him a Judgemental look. Aryan clenched his jaw and pointed his finger at him,
" Listen, don't eat my head. I am not in the mood right now. Let us go back home. Shruti, are you coming?"
Shruti blinked then cleared her throat and said, " no bhai. I am getting a week's leave with great difficulty. After this, when the exams come, it will be difficult for me, so I will not go. I want to travel."
"Itni ghumakkad ho na tum," Aryan commented.
( You are such a stroller.)
" Can't help. I am just a girl. Go and get your tickets checked."
Shruti said and hurriedly walked away from there. Jaydev did not step back from celebrating his little victory by smirking at him.
Aryan glared at him as he walked back to Shruti.
" Uhm,"
He turned his attention to Pakhi and seeing her innocent face, he forcefully digested his anger because it would be useless and regretful for venting anger on her neither he wants to.
So, he just went to get his tickets checked with Pakhi.
...
" This is your seat, Sir and Mam."
The air hostess pointed at the particular seats. Aryan looked around and spotted Shurit and Jaydev sitting far from their seats.
He sighed and sat on his seat along with Pakhi. She frowned when he turned his head behind.
" What are you doing? Sit properly," she said while wearing her seatbelt.
" You should not say anything, biwi. It is happening because of you and my parents. I will see them once I return home."
He gritted his teeth while uttering the above sentence.
Condition was same in the seats of Shruti and Jaydev.
" If you want, you can go and sit with your brother. Send Pakhi here."
Jaydev said.
Shruti shook her head while flipping pages of a magazine.
" Bhai's question will blow my head. I won't go."
" Stubborn little stupid professor," he muttered under his breath.
" Who told you to marry me then? There are millions of girls in the world but you chose me. Your bad! Tsk tsk tsk."
If he says one word then she adds ten. Everytime he regrets opening his mouth because her mouth knows no filter. She can irritate a person to the extent that he would feel like banging his head or maybe it's just him.
" Shut up and read your damn magazine."
" I was doing that only," Shruti replied and decided not to say a word after that. The commissioner who invited them has already arrived in Goa because he got urgent work there.
Soon the announcements were made in the flight and the plane boarded off smoothly.
Pakhi looked outside the window. The land slowly became so small then eventually disappeared and all she was able to see were clouds.
Aryan's head rested back on the headrest. His eyes were closed and eyebrows furrowed as his head was literally exploding in pain.
Pakhi was well aware of his condition but did not say anything to irritate him. It would take them around 2 hours to reach their destination, till then he can take rest.
Pakhi was busy reading a book when she felt weight on her shoulder. She was taken back but took a breath of relief, realising it was none other than him.
She looked at them through the corner of her eyes and found him sleeping on her left shoulder. She closed the book then turned off the lights. Her movement stopped when he stirred then snuggled his face deeper into her neck.
His beard tickled her, breath caressed her skin and sent euphoric sensations to her. She shook her head to shrug off the feeling and tried focusing on something else but failed terribly.
Her whole focus was grabbed by the man sleeping beside her. She tilted her head and joined her cheek with his head. She raised her right hand and timidly put her fingers into his hair then started caressing his scalp.
His tensed muscles relaxed and lines on forehead disappeared gradually with her fingers in his hair.
Meanwhile,
" Can you stop laughing?"
Jaydev asked irritatedly.
" No. This comic is funny. See-"
" Not interested," Jaydev disagreed.
She shrugged her shoulders and continued reading the comic while laughing from time to time. When the limit of his patience crossed, he snatched the comic from her.
" Hey-"
" Shh!"
He shushed her by placing his finger on her lips.
" Bahut bolti ho tum. Bas karo."
( You speak a lot. Enough now.)
He moved his finger down from her lips.
" Mai kyu?"
( I won't.)
Like a stubborn child, she snapped at him and tried taking her comic but he put it behind his back and did not let her reach it.
" See, SP Sahab, you can't do this to me. It's my right to have fun."
" And it's my responsibility to maintain my mental peace, which you intend to ruin."
She scoffed and angrily looked outside the window.
" Better," he said and kept the comic behind his back in case she flipped on her actions.
" Aisi shaant kitni achi lagti ho tum," he said and patted her head but she arrogantly jerked his hand away.
( You look so good while being silent.)
" Don't touch me!"
She warned him by raising her finger at him. Shruti did not talk to him for around 10 minutes and kept looking outside the window. Her tactics worked and she was able to melt the ice.
Jaydev sighed and put the comic back on her lap.
" Lo. Has lo. Kha jao mera dimaag," he said. His voice screamed immense sarcasm.
( Take it. Laugh. Eat my head.)
Smile formed on her lips and she grabbed the comic, " thank you."
She opened the page she was reading and again got busy laughing at some funny scenes in the comic. This time, she made sure to keep her voice low so that it didn't disturb him.
Jaydev's attention diverted to her when she put her head on his shoulder comfortably and read comics. He frowned and tried looking into her comic.
And, he found out that the comic was actually interesting and full of humor. She has great choices in fashion, food, shows and now comics as well.
ââ§â
Aryan squeezed his eyes when he felt someone shaking him by shoulders.
" Bhai?"
Shruti.
He lazily opened his eyes and saw Shruti standing by his side. He looked around then landed his gaze on the seat of Pakhi. Surprisingly, she too has fallen asleep. Her head is resting on his upper arm.
" We have landed. Wake up."
He rubbed his face then ran his fingers into his hair. He unfastened his seatbelt then carefully put her head against the window and stood up and started taking his and Pakhi luggage out.
" Pakhi?"
Shruti woke Pakhi up and she took a moment to process her surroundings. She looked behind and saw Jaydev coming with his luggage.
" Get up, princess. We have landed," Jaydev said to her and she hummed, then stood up after unbuckling her seatbelt.
Aryan took both the luggages and four of them went outside the plane. None, especially Jaydev and Aryan argued. Maybe because they were too tired to argue in the plane.
They checked out and booked a cab. Jaydev intentionally booked a 5 seater car so that Aryan wouldn't go with Pakhi alone. Pakhi and Shruti were seated in the middle seat while both the men took the last two seats.
" Now, will you explain? Shruti?"
Shruti sighed hearing her brother's question.
" Bhai, please let me live in peace."
Shruti showed her palm to him irritatedly, indicating to him to keep silent.
" You have snatched my peace, little girl. How dare you not tell me?"
" Ab yahan bhi ladayi karoge kya?"
( Will you fight here as well?)
Pakhi said to him, making him look at her. Jaydev keenly looked at them one by one.
" Let me question this silly girl. She doesn't know what is right and what is wrong."
Shruti raised her eyebrows amusingly and replied in an offended voice, " excuse me? I am 25 years old. I am way more intelligent than you and this man. So, don't question my intellectual ability."
She huffed and Jaydev glared at her because she had no right to include him.
Pakhi shook her head in disbelief.
" God knows why he set you as my sister," Aryan said irritatedly and took out his mobile from pocket and decided to use it rather than wasting his time in a useless conversation.
Shruti ignored them like they did not exist and started talking to Pakhi.
" Has papa booked a hotel room for you as well?"
Aryan asked Shruti.
" I don't know," Shruti replied.
Aryan clicked his tongue and informed them, " he has. One room set for us and one for.. both of you."
God!- Jaydev groaned mentally, not wanting to spend a week with her in the same room.
Soon, they reached their destination and came out of the car. The manager welcomed them and gave them the keys to their reserved bedrooms. They entered the lift and pressed the 10th floor.
" Mai kya keh rahi thi na," Shruti started speaking and three of them looked at her.
( I was saying..)
" He doesn't want Pakhi to stay in a room with you and maybe you also don't want me to stay with him. So... why don't Pakhi and I move into the same room?"
As she completed, mixed responses came together.
" Sounds good!" Pakhi exclaimed.
" No! Absolutely no," Jaydev highly disagreed.
" Don't use your brain much. I won't stay in a room with him," Aryan spatted in frustration.
Lower lip of Pakhi curved into a small pout while Shruti raised her hand in a surrendered manner.
" Cool down, boys. No need to lose your temper," she said.
" You better shut your mouth, Shruti, because you only propose ideas that irritate me," Aryan said.
Shruti rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, " sar dard ho raha hai khud ka aur gussa mere par kar rahe hain."
( You are getting a headache and getting angry at me.)
They came out of the lift and moved to their own bedroom which was opposite to one another.
" Princess?"
Pakhi left the doorknob and faced her brother. Jaydev walked closer to her and grabbed her hands.
" I am right in this room, okay? If you feel troubled, let me know."
She smiled and nodded. He patted her cheek, " Good night."
" Night," Pakhi replied then went to her room. Jaydev sighed and went to his own bedroom.
Pakhi saw Aryan laying on the bed. His belt and jacket are placed on the couch. He seemed tired and did not even care about changing his clothes.
" God! My head," he groaned and lay on his stomach then snuggled his face into the pillow.
She opened her suitcase and took out comfortable clothes from it. She went to the bathroom to change her clothes and came back in 15 minutes.
It was difficult for Aryan to doze off due to headache so he only had his eyes closed and waited for sleep to welcome him.
He felt bed dipping beside him and the next moment hand rested on his shoulder.
" Suniye?"
( Listen?)
He exhaled heavily then turned his face to her. He opened his eyes a little and asked, " Bolo?"
( Yes?)
She licked her lower lip, " uhm.. I can massage your head."
He blinked his eyes, " it's okay-"
" I insist. You must be tired after working but you have to travel."
He stared at her face for a few moments then quietly shifted close to her and put his head on her lap. She shifted nervously on her place then leaned her back on the headpost.
His face was facing her belly and hands struggling to wrap around her waist. His eyes closed slowly when he felt her fingers into his hair and she began taking his pain by her magical touches.
Pakhi slid his hair behind which was feathering on his forehead. His eyelashes are big and thick. She smiled when the line from his forehead started disappearing. Means her massage was working.
His chest was moving slowly up and down as he was taking breaths. Time slipped from her clutches too fast and she was able to see him sleeping soundlessly. He looked peaceful while being in deep sleep. A rare sight to her naked eyes.
Her smile faded and breath stuck when she felt him snuggling his face into her belly. A wave of butterflies ran down to her stomach and tiredness flew away for a fraction of seconds.
She put her free hand on her left chest and felt her heart beating loudly.
" Sote sote bhi bechain kar rahe hain ye mujhe," she whispered, then tenderly lifted his head and put on the pillow. She turned off the table lamp then lay down as well.
( He's making me restless while sleeping.)
She moved to his side and smiled seeing his face opposite to her.
She mouthed 'Good night' to him and chuckled mentally finding him adorable suddenly.
On the other hand,
" Listen, you don't have to propose stupid ideas. It won't work anyway. Do you think I will stay with him in a room?"
Shruti looked up and down at him brushing her hair.
" Why? Will you not be able to control your emotions while living with my brother? Okay okay, I know your intentions can slip seeing my handsome brother-"
" Hey!" He snapped at her.
" You don't have to be ashamed because you are maybe gay-"
She gasped when he reached close to her and grabbed her free hand then twisted it behind her back.
" Ah!"
" Stop running this pretty mouth of yours, professor otherwise I.."
She arched her back in a quick reflex and said, " otherwise you.. what?"
He stared at her reflection in the mirror. His eyes moved from his eyes down to her lips. She noticed his stares and couldn't stop herself from opening her mouth,
" And what- ahh!"
She gasped one more time when he applied pressure on her wrist. His jaw clenched as he glared into her eyes. Seeing her controlling her painful expression he left her hand then stepped back. He turned his back to her and started walking toward the bed.
Shruti turned around and tried to instigate him, " what? Couldn't find words, SP Sahab? And yes, don't you dare touch me like that again."
" I will," he replied and climbed up on the bed. She gritted her teeth and almost ran to him.
" You know what?"
She too climbed on the bed and he lay down, covering himself from head to toe with a duvet.
She forcefully moved the duvet down from his face and pointed her comb at him.
" I have never seen someone so arrogant like you."
" Ab dekh lo," he replied bluntly.
( You can see now.)
She glared at him and felt like pulling his hair but knowing it would affect his beauty, she dropped the plan.
" Don't talk to me anymore."
She said and started getting down from the bed but felt a hold on her forearm and the next second she was hovering over him.
Her eyes enlarged and hands rested on his chest.
" W..what the hell?"
Her tone was not at all full of anger but rather timid. He slid her hair behind and cupped her cheek with same hand then parted his mouth to say,
" Maaf kar do."
( Forgive me.)
She frowned and he added.
" Tang na kara karo. Gussa aa jata hai mujhe fir gusse mein kuch nahi dikhta mujhe ki mai kya kar raha hun."
( Don't bother me. I get angry and in that anger I can't see what I am doing.)
She gulped down her saliva.
Did he apologize just now?
Did Jaydev Chaudhary apologise to her?
She was not dreaming. It was indeed a truth.
ââ§â
Because of some, readers who vote suffer and have to wait impatiently. I always say, one vote won't hurt you. Just click the star below. That's it.ð
I expect sudhar in votes.
160+ votes.
Comment you favourite part. Liked the chapter?
Read more chapters in scrollstack as early access.