18: Almost Kiss

"Sshhh" He placed his finger on her lips causing her to instantly stop. He pushed his body on her, letting his body feel her warmth and yet not be touching. She curled her bottom lip and bit it in nervousness and lust. The quick, shallow breathes of theirs were enough to pass the message.

"Are you going to kiss me?" She asked seeing him look at her intensely. His eyes flickered between her eyes and lips. Aryaman quickly realised what he was doing and took a step back from her and turned around. In the dark alley, just their harsh breathes were heard.

"Aryaman" She placed her hand on his shoulder trying to keep her lust for him in check. He didn't turn around but hummed.

"Will you consider me a characterless girl if I say I wanted to kiss you?" She asked in a small voice knowing that men had the ability to make the whole situation be the other way round.

"What?" Aryaman spun around quickly, offended and angry at her words.

"I'd never do that Maitri. Wanting to kiss someone is a bodily reaction be it a man or a woman. Maitri... I am not leaving my fortune and legacy just for a random hookup. I don't know how much you are into this relation but get one thing in your head straight, am not leaving until I've spent all years of my life as yours" He slammed her onto the wall and hit his index finger on her head, trying to make a point that he was not going to leave. She smiled widely at him.

"I didn't believe in love at first sight until you" She pushed his right shoulder hard enough for her to move out. His back hit the wall.

Maitri stood infront of him with her hands crossed at her chest. Aryaman looked at her confused. She stepped in between his two legs.

"You are breaking my walls and am hating it Mr. Aryaman Ranawat" She unfolded her hands and ran her left hand, index finger on the left cheek. He gulped down in anticipation of how this was going to end.

"You have anything to say about it?" She placed her other hand on his upper chest. Aryaman got the hint and slid his both hands around her waist and pulled her close. Maitri gasped at the feel of his warm rough hands on her naked waist. Her fingers fisted his t-shirt tightly. She found herself at loss of words.

"I can't help it princess, you are bloody bull dozing through the reinforced walls I had made to protect myself. Do you see me complaining?" He squeezed her waist firmly. She pressed her lips together tightly, preventing herself from letting any sound out. He placed his fingers on her lips, feeling the softness of them.

"Can I?" He asked looking into her eyes. She nodded her head and closed her eyes, leaning into him. Aryaman leaned towards her face, inhaling the refreshing scent of her perfume mingling with her hair's scent of rose shampoo. Maitri's hands snaked across his neck, holding him close to her. Aryaman held her chin with one hand while the other drew soothing circles on her waist, trying to calm her.

Their lips were just a few centimeters apart when Aryaman began laughing and joined his forehead with hers. Hearing him laugh, she opened her eyes and tried to stop laughing but eventually joined him in laughing. He pulled apart and leaned onto the wall still laughing hysterically. She joined him.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked wiping her tears due to laughter.

"Where did you learn how to seduce a man?" He asked still laughing.

"You were so aroused so don't even say it didn't work" She took in deep breathes and spoke.

"Well as for that am not complaining. But I really didn't think you had it in you to actually seduce a man so well" He controlled his breathing and replied to her.

"All credits goes to my friend. She wanted to be surprise her husband on their wedding day so she joined these seduction classes. She didn't want to go alone so I tagged along with her to give her company" She said shrugging her shoulders.

"You are a cartoon. Who tags along a friend for seduction classes?" He asked laughing loudly.

"Shut up it was fun" She hit his shoulder playfully.

"Have you tried it on anyone though?" He asked turning to her side.

"Nope, was never confident enough to try it on a stranger. It just happened with you as if it was normal" She said shyly, looking at the floor.

"Will I get a pass to your lifetime seduction?" He asked pulling her close by her shoulder.

"You'll cum within seconds if I do it properly" She warned him laughing.

"You really want a show, don't you?" He stood face to face with her.

"I had a serious problem in school, I had to be taught everything practically, theory never worked for me" She winked at him.

"Achaa" He laughed.

"Aryaman" She held onto his shoulder and hugged it tightly.

"I didn't mean to put you in danger. The whole plan was to give you an idea of who I am. My nanna ji, masi and mum dad too, they've never stopped me in doing anything as long as it was reversible. I've done everything, all bad things, everything of course except the ones I was uncomfortable doing but I've done other stuff. This is who I am Aryaman, think carefully before accepting me because one thing I know is that men don't want such kind of women as their wives" She kneeled down infront of him and looked at him with teary eyes, truly feeling guilty about putting his life in danger.

"Maitri...Maitri... If you are thinking that am some kind of saint then let me prove it to you that am a born devil" He pulled her up by holding her chin in a tight and firm grip.

"I don't believe you. If you'll stay with me I'll corrupt you and I don't want to do that. You deserve a woman who's calm, sophisticated and just yours to be ruined. A woman who's every first is you" She started crying hysterically.

"Woman!!! Who is teaching you all this? There's no such thing as corrupting someone or having your partner's all firsts. How sure are you that despite having all the firsts there'll be love that'll survive through all. Its not the firsts that matter, it is who you all your lasts to matters. Which 1920s era are you living in? Listen Maitri, you are not my first. I loved a girl before you and I've done everything with her. We had gone all the way to third base so no you aren't going to be my first. I am not a hypocrite who wants his wife to be a virgin or so. We both have met each other in different times. We both have had different chapters of life but this moment is that chapter from where onwards its either just the two of us going to be till the end of the book or we both would be a chapter like the others. After this am not going to prove to you that I want you in my life because no matter what I do you are hell bent on proving me that you don't want to be enough for me" He held her shoulders tightly and shouted on her making her cry even more. He made her stand on the side and walked away to her home in anger leaving her there crying. He had reached his limits because no matter what he said or did, she never thought of her compatible to him.

He stood at her door realizing that he didn't have the kids to her home and waited for her there to return. Maitri on the other hand, sat on the ground replaying his words on loop and realised that she had given him all the reasons to say no to the alliance but yet he ignored it and proved it that he wanted her, with her faults too. She wiped her tears and immediately took a taxi home, hoping he'd still be there.

She ran up the flight of stairs to find him standing at the door huffing in anger. Aryaman looked up sensing her presence. She opened the door and let him in without saying a word, knowing that if she even sneezed, he would erupt like a volcano. Aryaman ignored her and straightaway went to get his car keys.

She held his hand, stopping him from taking the keys.

"Please" She didn't want him to leave her.

"Please what Maitri? Please let me give you another reason as to why am not perfect for you or please let me prove it to you why this relation would never work. Tell me one thing clearly so we both don't waste each other's time here, do you seriously want to get married to me or not? Everytime I feel that we've progressed a little you remind me we are still at square 1" He pushed her hand away politely and took the keys.

"Please don't go. Maan" She held his shoulder from behind and hugged him tightly so he won't be able to go.

"When I look at you, I feel that you can get anyone and one day when you'll realise that you will leave me or cheat on me. You are perfect Maan, looks, brain, money, everything. You have everything a girl would kill for but I feel insecure that you would be fed up of me one day. Am not as beautiful as the models who do photoshoots with you, am neither as rich as you, heck I'll never be one. You are a King and am simply nobody. I feel as if by being with me you are harming your growth in career. You deserve much more and much better than me. I don't want you to suffer on my sake but I also don't want you to leave me" She sobbed loudly, wetting his hoodie.

"I didn't know you'd think so low of me despite of everything" He held her hands to push them away but instead her grip tightened on him.

"The problem is me Maan. I don't want you to carry me as a burden" She felt torn.

"What do you want me to say Maitri? If I tell you that everyone has a baggage of past and yet they accept their partners and share the baggages and have their happily ever afters. You still won't believe me. I don't know how to make you believe that I don't want to leave you even if you are dangerous, mischievious, a bit mad, I still don't want to leave you" He turned around and held her in his embrace.

"Then don't leave me, please. Scold me when I doubt myself whether am capable of you or not but don't leave me" She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed.

"This is the last time I want you to doubt yourself, okay? I am staying no matter what, even if you have STDs am staying" He said hugging her back.

"Sorry" She whispered.

"In all this I forgot to thank you. Your intentions of going to the race were different but I did have fun. The roar of motorcycles under me got me alive and pumping. Your tears made me forget why I had pulled you into that dark street" He pulled her apart and cupped her cheeks.

"Sachi?" She asked wiping her tears.

"Yes. I had a lot of fun today. I was angry on you because that place looked dangerous, and I wanted you safe. This was indeed the best date I've been on" He kissed her forehead lovingly.

"Am glad you enjoyed" She hugged him back not liking the absence of his comforting warmth.

"Maitri" Aryaman called her after sometime.

"Hmm?" She layed her head on his shoulder and felt calm.

"Our kiss was incomplete, can we complete it minus the seduction part?" He asked jokingly.

"Shut up Maan, you are so shameless" She hit his back and laughed.

They remained in each other's arms until Aryaman's phone rang indicating Raj's call. Maitri moved out and looked at him worriedly.

"We got Nidhi's contact, she's here" Raj said hurriedly and Aryaman breathed out. Maitri looked at him for some kind of explanation as to how the new female was related to them and what context she was missing. He signed her that he'd tell her everything later.

"Nitya's condition is detoriating" Aryaman's face tensed again hearing that.

"Which hospital is Nidhi in? We will take care of the rest you just make sure Nitya is fine" Aryaman cut the call.

"We need to go" He held Maitri's hand and pulled her out of the house. He went downstairs to get the car while she locked the house.

___________________________________

I don't feel to drag this story more unless you want me to come up with some new things for Aryaman or Maitri. The motive with what I had started this story was to educate the readers that sometimes the baggage of the past affects the present and future and in today's generation, compromise happens just not from the girl's side but its rather a teamwork effort.

I feel that now I will probably write the marriage sequence for them and end it on a good note, like this story will have 30 chapters in total unless as I said earlier, you want something from them then I can see what I can do. Please share ideas if you have.