The front gate opened and his ears perked at once. Placing the suitcase open on the settee, he dumped the heap of clothes he carried out of their closets. Instead of filling the neatly folded clothes, he ruffled them and sat at one side of the bed as the door parted, filling in the bag.
Or making a show out of it.
Vidyut noticed her frowning from his peripheral. Dressed and exhausted from another of her promotional events that she had been occupied with.
She cleared her throat. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Yes." He hummed uninterestedly, refusing to look at her.
"Where?" She peered inside the bag. His shirts and shorts waving back at him. "Somewhere hot?"
"Yes."
Her lips dropped and formed a pout at his cold shoulder. Murmuring a soft "Okay" she moved towards the closet.
He glared at the door and threw a t-shirt inside harshly, pinching his brow he tried calming his annoyance towards her.
The click from the door came after a long 25 minutes with him zipping his bag and placing it down.
She glanced at the bag and back at him. Sighing she made her way toward him and stopped infront. "Are you mad at me?"
"Did you do something?" Vidyut scoffed without glancing at her, standing he tried walking past her but she was quick to hold him back.
"I am sorry." She whispered pouting. Leaning her head against his arm, she closed her eyes and he let her. Shifting closer, he supported her head and stood still until she looked up. "Will you not look to me?"
"Why should I?" His eyes moved towards her and he cursed at his lack of control before giving up to her innocent face that had him wrapped around her little finger.
Her pout turned more adorable and he rolled his eyes stepping out of her hold. She tried grabbing him again but he was quick to pry her hold away. "Vidyut!"
Fisting his palms, he maintained the glare and placed his packed bag in the corner mocking her with silence at the unsaid questions she threw at him.
"At least tell me where you are going?" She nagged following him out. She checked the clean kitchen counter and refrigerator. "Did you not cook something? I'm starving."
"I am not your cook." He mumbled and saw her stomp her foot with a glare.
Yanking the utensils out of their designated cabinets, she almost tore the vegetables apart with the force she picked them.
Soon, she dived into cooking something which he prayed was edible to eat. The utensils clinked, fell, and banged together while he kept his attention on his phone scrolling through his work emails while sliding the things she would need without announcing his help.
The aroma in the kitchen changed to a spicy flavorful aroma that made him raise a brow, impressed he peaked inside the door in the name of getting water.
He watched her standing against the cabinet they had kissed just days before. Taking leisurely sips from the water bottle, he glanced to find her huffing with her arms crossed and irked at his silent treatment. The thrill of riling her up crawled up at him and he bit back his urge to smirk.
The doorbell rang and broke her patience.
"Are you done?" She demanded as he capped the bottle. A defiant brow raised waiting for his answer. He tried crossing him but was yanked back and pushed back to the slab. "Act like this and I will go answer the door."
"And why do you think I will stop you?" He narrowed her with a glare.
"You won't?" She tested and earned nothing. "Fine!"
He shrugged.
She stepped back and his eyes fell on her. Like on her as she stomped her foot and spun to walk towards the gate. Her purple t-shirt laughed right on his face. His eyes turned into slits as she stomped her way into those tight, scintillating shorts he had hidden in his closet to burn them someday.
"What the fuck?"
He ran behind her and caught her arm.
"How did you get hold of this?" He pinched the material and yanked her closer to him.
"Why? By any chance you stole it?" She challenged him. The doorbell rang again and she wiggled in his hold. "Leave me. I need to answer the door. Someone is waiting for me outside."
"Don't test my patience. You are never stepping your foot out wearing this." He gritted while she smirked in defiance.
"Try me." She ducked below him and ran towards the door.
The realization dawned on him and he chased her, pushing her to the wall. His lips touched hers. His hands tightened around her waist and ran one up her sides, locking her between the wall and him. He pressed harder into her, their chests brushing as the air clogged with what he refused to acknowledge before.
She tasted like the mint mouthwash she must have used while freshening up yet there was a sweetness that had his brain swirl. Her mouth opened and her lips parted. He was not one to turn his back on opportunities.
He believed in exploring.
He tasted her mouth as if an unconsumable hunger ruled his actions. Every part of his wanted to touch hers and he let his hands wander with their minds while his tongue teased, tortured, and touched her lips.
"Vidyut" She managed a gasp. Trying to catch a hold of her breath, her palms fisted on his t-shirt but none could tell if she wanted to push him away.
"You cannot threaten me with this." He mumbled, cupping her butt, and squeezing it to earn another set of gasp that he muffled.
A few weeks earlier, he would have resisted her but now, he felt breathless at the thought of not holding her closer. His hands moved to her hair, caressing them as he breathed through her feeling what he had never felt before. It was a feeling he couldn't pinpoint. Something close to finding his way back home after hours of being lost or it was finding your parents among the crowd.
Relief coursed through his soul, like that of finding a glass of cold water in the scorching heat.
A satisfaction of warmth in the chilling winter air.
"You are making it difficult for me." He confessed to her, panting against her as he carried her towards the couch. The door and the person on the other side were long forgotten.
"What?" She asked dazed, not letting him part away from her. Holding his t-shirt, she shook her head indicating him not to move just yet.
"Now you are trying to be innocent." He glared but chuckled slowly. Kissing her nose ephemerally, he settled on his knees and watched her. "I was trying to be angry with you."
"Was?" She bit back her smile.
He rolled his eyes.
Snaking her arms in his neck, she placed her cheek on his shoulder. "Why were you trying, my dear Dr. Chauhan?"
"Don't call me that." He rolled his eyes, gritting. trying to pry her hold on him but she circled her legs around him, freezing him on the spot. "Tara."
"Tell me." She cupped his face, brown eyes holding the steel greys.
He watched her small round face, eyes soaking in her features and sketching them in the walls of her brain while the words that left him acted as a bucket of cold water on both of them. "You are working with him."
She stiffened.
"Did you not know before? You know that man had laid his hands on you." He felt the memories coming back. Her face, those teary eyes withholding so much pain that he could never erase them from his life. "I could have killed him that day if you had not interfered between us."
"I...I got to know about him today." She confided, stammering, and tightening her hold on him. "I didn't wish to. Rocky..."
"Do not take his name." He held her chin harshly, yet the hold was not painful. "You will never say his name again, Tara."
"I...Sorry." She clamped her lips shut.
He read the fear in her eyes and his hold loosened while the regret seeped in his mind. He shook his head. "No. I am sorry."
He caressed her cheeks and watched her, heard her. Felt those small shivers she tried hiding. They were close and he could feel her skin erupting with goosebumps talking about him. Unconsciously she had shifted to the edge of the couch and he was ready to catch her when she fell, both now and again.
Each time she wants him to catch her.
"I don't want you to work with him." He announced. Her face scrunched in confusion and he nodded. "I do not want you to work with that man again, Tara."
This time, the words were spoken slowly and clearly to erase any doubts she may have.
"Vidyut!" She tested his name before letting the thoughts sink in. "You have never..."
"I know." He admitted begrudgingly "I have never interjected with any of your career choices. I may have left your messages unseen unchecked because I did not want you to feel bound by me but not today. I can ignore anyone, anything but him. I cannot ignore him. I cannot overlook Rocky Makhija."
She winced at the name but took in an unsteady breath, palms turning sweaty as she stared at the floor. "I don't know what to do."
"Why?" He cocked a confused brow.
She tried shrugging but it seemed harder to her than lifting her chin. "I have signed and confirmed the announcements. My dates are cleared and schedules are out."
He gritted his teeth. Not wanting to indulge in show business and its tactics, he kept quiet and rummaged his brain to find a simple solution without scarring her career. "Can Nitya help?"
She kept mum yet passed a small nod.
"Okay." He said to himself, making a nod to talk this with Nitya and work out a solution. His eyes roamed the place and rested at the dining table. "Were you not hungry?"
"I am." She blushed in reply, placing her head against his chest feeling tired.
He hesitantly touched her hair and ruffled it earning a whine in protest. He leaned closer to her ears. "I am not carrying you to eat."
She raised her head with a scowl. "You were better before."
"When?" He smirked. "Oh yes, when I kissed you to the state of breathlessness. I was better than this, wasn't I?"
Uttara's eyes widened at his teasing and her lips gaped open, no words left her as she tried formulating a reply.
He shook his head with fake disappointment. "I didn't mean to kiss your brains out that you could not speak, Tara. I am sorry."
A pillow was slammed on his face which he caught thanks to his fast reflexes.
"You are so...unpredictable." She shook her head in disbelief as the blush coated her face, neck, and ears. She was red and no doubt he enjoyed every bit of it. Rubbing her cheeks, she pulled away from him and hugged her knees closer. "I never thought you would tease me."
Squinting his eyes, he glared at her "Why? Am I not human?"
"How would I know?" She shrugged averting her eyes, biting his smile back.
"You don't?" He raised a brow with a scowl.
She shook his head, grinning, and slammed another throw pillow on his face. This time she caught him off guard and it landed square on his face. Laughing at the hit, she got ready to sprint away from him.
"Not so soon." He was quick to react and pin her down. He leaned above her, her wrists locked in one of his hands and the other holding her chin to make her look at him. "You can never get away from me."
"We should...eat." She gulped, kicking, and pushing against him to which he leaned more and held her hostage under his weight. She glanced towards the kitchen and back at him. "The...gas. I forgot to turn it off."
"I know you are making excuses." He started with a bored face. "But you don't know that I can punish you."
"You won't." She stated with all sincerity that amazed him.
He felt his mind skip certain seconds. "I can."
"No. You cannot." She stated with finality. "You will never hurt me."
"I have hurt you many times." He confessed blinking and averting his gaze away from her.
"So?" She asked, turning him back towards her. "You have healed me a lot many times than you have hurt me, and I would rather remember all those days with you than the ones without you."
He closed his eyes and placed his forehead against her stomach. "You cannot love someone this much."
"I can and I will. It is a promise, Vidyut." Her fingers entangled in his hair as she felt him taking assurance from her.
He looked up at her with a flash of doubt which was cleared almost immediately as he stared into her brown eyes. "A promise you will keep?"
"Forever. With my heart crossed." She nodded smiling. Taking his palm in hers, she placed it on her heart.
He leaned her and stole a forehead kiss from her. "I believe you."
She grinned. "So, tell me where are you going?"
"Not me." He smiled looking at her bright eyes. "We are going."
"We?" She gaped in surprise.
He hummed.
"Where?"
"Havelock Island."
â â â â
Continuation of the afternoon...
"The event was a success. We appreciate your efforts."
Signing the last of the payment cheques for the vendors and decorators, Dhwani shook her hand with the planner and passed her the bundle of envelopes she had prepared before.
"Working with you was an honor, Mrs. Chauhan." The planner, a woman in her mid-forties, smiled at her with gratitude. She collected her things and left her cabin.
She watched her leave and as the glass door closed behind her, She sighed.
The Annual Gala was done and the relief crossed her mind.
Not that the gala was the only reason.
Anirudh had asked her for 7 days and today marked the second day for the same.
The previous day he may have slept his time off and worked almost every waking moment, yet waited for her for meals. His eyes followed her each time she stepped inside their room and rested until she left.
Not that he did not tease her smirking each time she tried touching the romance novel. She may have burst out the night before, but she had come to respect his patience for her.
She had witnessed those changes in the past month, which never came to him in those years. But it was too soon.
She could name it to be changes, a starting towards building something but it was too soon. She may have been deprived of the feeling of belongingness but she was no fool to dive in head first on the simple attempts.
The knock on her door made her look up and she smiled at the sight of her lemonade.
"Please come in, Kaka." She nodded at the silent question and welcomed the chilled drink with open arms. Taking a sip, she hummed in approval and thanked the peon before he left.
Taking her tablets, she tossed them in her mouth gulped them down with a gulp of water, and placed them near the now empty glass of water. It was nearing lunch and she left for it only after her colleagues left.
She was always the last one to leave and the first to return. The unwanted attention and faked sweetness were not digestible to her.
Picking a random file, she concentrated on the words and marked some points that needed verification. Scribbling the changes on a rough paper, she placed it inside and picked another only to drop it once her mobile started blaring.
Quickly silencing the device, she glared at the phone and took a quick scan around, conscious of any eyes she may have disturbed because of her song ringtone.
"Hello?" She was alerted seeing the caller ID.
The orphanage in charge hesitated. "Dhwani ma'am, that boy...he is nowhere to be found."
Her breath hitched. "What? Who...who are you talking about?"
"That boy from last Friday. He was brought in by the rescue services."
"Did you check the CCTV footage?" She demanded jolting up from her place, the hold on her phone tightened as her brain produced a thousand scenarios that could result in all the worst possible solutions.
"We will...just that he..."
"How can you people be so careless?" She breathed, hissing into the microphone "This is the second case in a month. Is this some sort of foolishness that you have been portraying?"
"Sorry...sorry ma'am."
"Keep your sorry to yourself." Dhwani snapped but calmed herself. Inhaling and rubbing her temple, she tried thinking of a solution. "Check the CCTV and inform the social services and police. I'm coming."
Hanging up, she rushed towards the lift and jabbed the button in the hope of escalating the speed. The doors parted and she stepped inside.
Wanting to press the button for the ground floor she forwarded her palms but stopped midway as the panic kicked in her system. Last time, the entire situation had turned horrendous and she had lost her sense of composure. She was to discuss this with Anirudh but in the wake of her low BP, family dinner, Annual gala, and Avantika Sahay she got no moment to talk to him about the previous incident.
And now she had one more on her plate.
Earning dirty looks from the occupants, she stepped out with an apology and rushed towards the stairs to climb up 2 floors to reach the executive floor.
She huffed breathlessly but put that past and hurried towards Anirudh's cabin only to be stopped.
"Mr. Chauhan is not here, Ma'am." A girl informed her. "I am Erica, Dishant sir's assistant. He said Mr. Chauhan has back-to-back outdoor meetings today."
"Alright." She gulped and tried smiling. Turning she held her phone and searched for the contact number she had hardly used more than 10 times in the past years.
The phone rang twice, thrice, again, and declined.
Anirudh: In a meeting.
She read the text and felt the disappointment crawling in when another text popped up.
Anirudh: Is everything okay? Are you okay?
Clutching her eyes shut, she buried the thoughts back and bit her lip reading the worry between the lines.
Dhwani: Yes, It was nothing important.
Anirudh: Okay. Will call you later.
She let out a derisive sigh and leaned against the wall staring at the last text sent by him. Another day she will have to battle alone.
With her shoulders dropped because of the invisible burden, she walked towards the elevator when she heard a distinct slam. The voice became clear as the floor was empty due to lunch break. Following the voice, she came infront of the washroom and frowned at the hushed painful whisper.
Knocking twice, she waited for the door to be opened but it never did.
Pursing her lips, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, only to be stumped seeing one person Dhwani could never imagine being this distorted.
"Shreya?" She gasped the name and hurried forward, crouching down at her level as the urge to stop her tears heightened. "What is wrong?...what happened? "
Cupping her face, she wiped the tears but couldn't stop the incoming ones.
"Bh...bhabhi." She hiccupped.
Shivering at the contact, Shreya tried brushing her hold away yet Dhwani did not let go.
"No. Stop crying." She demanded to a sobbing Shreya who had now blocked her face from her sight.
"Please go...away. Leave me alone. Please" She shuffled more towards the wall in the hope of burying inside the wall.
"And, you will do what?" Dhwani averred, shaking her out of the hole she was digging in her brain. "Snap out of wherever you are, Shreya. You are not weak. You are strong. Stronger than this."
"I...I am not..." Her eyes teared as the voice choked, she shook her head and swatted her palm away. "I...am sorry. Just go...away. Go!"
Dhwani recoiled back at her scream. "No, please calm down. Just tell me and I promise I will help you."
"No one can." She snapped. She sneered the word out. "Help? What help will you do?"
"Shreya, snap out of it. Will you?" Dhwani shook her harshly and she broke. The venomous expressions turned vulnerable.
At this point, she reminded Dhwani of those children who often acted defensive when they were pushed into the orphanage system. Some kids are dealing with the loss of parents, some deal with exorbitant changes that are not easy to accustom to, and then, few wish to break free and meet their families back.
But what they all have in common is their hostility towards letting strangers inside their shells.
Just like Shreya who protested infront of Dhwani. She was unshielded and lost yet the thought of letting another person in her thoughts proved more difficult.
"Get up." She commanded and yanked her up holding her shoulders.
"Let go."
"Shut up." She glared. "You are coming with me either willingly or I will drag you out of here. Decide?"
Shreya averted her eyes and kept mum. As Dhwani pulled her, she complied and let her lead toward her cabin. Dhwani helped her collect her things and left for the ground floor.
"We will be taking the taxi," Dhwani informed her and they got inside the car. The ride converted into a deadly silence that itched on her skin.
Stepping into the orphanage, she watched the caretaker and his assistant bidding farewell to the officers.
"Wait for me in the Garden," Dhwani whispered to Shreya and gestured towards the direction.
With a nod, she left and Dhwani decided to announce her presence to the search party.
"Mrs. Chauhan." The assistant acknowledged her awkwardly and introduced her to the police. "He is the sub-inspector, Ankit Shinde, and Sir, she is Mrs. Dhwani Chauhan."
"Ah, you must be the observer here. Should I say, you are managing it quite well." The officer's gaze lingered on her as he mocked her. "But don't worry, we are public servants and as always helping all. We found the boy for you. He had run away from your guarded compounded gates."
"I apologize on behalf of my staff, Sir." She bared her teeth faking politeness.
"It is alright, Mrs. Chauhan. It is our job." He snorted with a smirk.
"Yes, Thank you." She nodded, gritting her teeth.
They bid bye to the officers and watched the police car leave the premises.
She spun on her heels, glaring at the staff that she had willed herself not to fire. "Can someone explain?"
What started as a series of excuses to hide their incompetencies and lack of attention towards the work. Gritting her teeth, she rubbed her temple and glared at the men who stood shamelessly infront of her.
"Mr. Hitesh." She took the name with an under-laced warning. "This is the last time who have neglected vigilance."
"It won't happen next time, Ma'am."
"There will be no next time." She hissed with authority. "Consider yourself fired the moment you blink your eyes for more than a second when you work here. Am I clear?"
The men shuffled on their feet and nodded fervently.
"Back to work you all."
The command had them scurried back and Dhwani gritted her canines as the headache returned. Ignoring that stupid headache, she rushed towards the mess room and greeted the kids and staff with a happy smile. Her eyes lingered for a long minute on the wrapped-up body of the little boy who was brought back by police.
"Poor kid must be traumatized." She said to herself and caressed his head with empathy. Addressing the lady in charge of the kids of his age, she tried smiling. "Please take extra care of him. Feel free to reach out to me whenever you need my help."
Earning affirmations from the staff, she took two plates of food towards the garden where she knew her guest waited for her.
"I am sorry. It took a lot of my time." Dhwani passed her a plate and sat beside her under the shade of the enormous flowery tree she had no idea about.
"Why are you here?" The croaked voice made her refocus. Shreya's tears had dried and her fight was dissolving, one she had been displaying for far too long.
"Why should I not be?"
Shreya looked up. "You shouldn't" and her eyes ducked down in shame. "After the way I have treated you. You should nowhere stand near me. You must hate me."
"I do hate..." Dhwani trailed off with a small smile. "...a lot of things but not you. I hated the way you never tried to understand my viewpoint or the way you kept passing those remarks against me."
"I am sorry." She mumbled in shame.
"Just that I guess. I don't recall anything more." She ignored her apology. "But we cannot change the past, can we?"
She shook her head timidly.
"You were not the only one at fault, Shreya." She smiled and gestured for her to eat some more. "I never tried letting you in. I was entangled in my self-admonishing world that I kept you at arm's length and made you believe that I was a mute spectator who let everyone walk all over her. I was portraying a woman I am not so that somewhere Anirudh would pity me and let me go."
She could feel Shreya's wide eyes staring at her with shock.
"Don't worry. I may have put that thought behind for the time being." She smiled and placed the empty plate down. "I kept pitying myself and that made you abhor my presence. Believe me, Shreya. I understand where you came from."
"I am sorry, Bhabhi." She said genuinely, looking at her with a newfound interest. "I never tried talking to you. I thought you were trying too hard to fit in and let other's words cloud my judgment. I am sorry."
"Apology accepted." Dhwani cupped her cheeks. "It took me months to open up to you and I will understand if you do not wish to share whatever happened with you." She paused. "But, remember that you will have enough people to rely on. Whatever it is, it will come to an end and you will be free from these vicious emotions. Nothing stays in this world, Shreya. Everything that starts has its end specified. It will end one day, no matter what."
She nodded, swallowing the lump as her fingers clutched the small flowers in her fist. "Thank you, Bhabhi."
Dhwani acknowledged her with a hum. "I will be in the office. I have a few things to deal with."
She stood up and collected their empty plates.
Shreya kept staring into the flowers.
Glancing back, Dhwani called out for her attention. "Will I see you back here?"
Shreya looked up unfocused. She registered the question and shook her head. "No. I will be gone."
I am so glad I could be back to writing. So here is to all of you.
Cheers!
Do let me know what you think. Is the pace okay or it is going too slow?
I'll be waiting for your views.