Chapter three: Loving you was easy, the aftermath, not so much..
2nd August 2018
He shuddered at the contact of cold water with his bare back. Dripping wet under the shower, Rayan heavily sighed, his heart heavier than that.
Ignoring the endless calls and messages that popped on his mobile screen, he tied a towel around his waist. Rayan's eyes fell on the little sparrow struggling in the corner of his room. He shook his head at the stubbornness of that bird. The sparrow had entered his room somehow last night. Rayan had opened up a window for him to escape however the sparrow was still struggling inside the four walls of his bedroom rather than simply flying out.
Rayan couldn't help but find similarity between his and that little bird's situation, both were struggling hard when they could simply choose an easy way out. But maybe they did want to get engrossed in themselves and their struggles because they were scared that they wouldn't be able to take the flight if they did try. Rather than facing the reality, they were happy in the four walls of their fear.
Rayan shook his head once again trying to change the direction of the train of his thoughts. He was no philosopher, he should stop mending his broken heart in these ways.
"Stupid little bird!" He commented as he walked out to open the door of his apartment. Some lunatic was constantly ringing the bell.
"You're alive! Hallelujah Rayan is alive!" Mohit greeted and frowned at Rayan's appearance.
"No Rayan is dead. This is his ghost." Rayan bluntly replied as he let Mohit in.
"Dude, the least you could do was wear something appropriate before opening the door!" Mohit complained at Rayan's half naked form.
"Get lost. Go and die!"
"Ooh someone didn't wake on the right side of bed. Why is your mood so sour? Didn't Rochelle gave you last night" Mohit sank in the couch ignoring Rayan's pointed look.
"There is nothing between her and I or anyone else as a matter of fact."
"So Shaitan has become the saint." Mohit laughed out before quickly shutting up.
"Why are you here?"
"You didn't pick up my calls and you had a flight in the morning. You know how plane crashes are frequent nowadays."
"I am not a two year old, you don't need to keep checking on me. And I was the one who flew the plane. I do not take any risks when it comes to flying."
"I know that but can't I be worried for you? Anyways the main reason I was here is because your brother had called me this morning. I didn't tell him where you were but I think he will figure it out soon."
"That man! He never gives up!" Rayan sighed out. Sometimes he wanted to smack his twin real hard.
"What does he want now? He married your financee and now has taken over your share of company and properties too. He sounds like an evil twin who wanted everything you had."
"You should stop watching all those Vampire dramas and series. Have you heard yourself, you sound like a freak. Evil twin etc etc!" Rayan replied, gritting his teeth angrily.
"But isn't he one? Whatever your reason of leaving the marriage, why did he marry your financee? And now he has claimed all your shares as his. He stabbed you in your back. All while he took over the business and showed as if he did a big sacrifice while he sent you away to study. He played his cards right. He got both, girl and money." Mohit continued.
"Just shut your mouth. If you are here to bad mouth my brother then get out, I am not interested."
"He betrayed you. Isn't that the truth?" It hurt listening to Mohit taunting his brother. After his mother, Rehan was everything Rayan had and it really hurt when someone insulted him. But the sad part was he couldn't even defend his brother cause despite the fact that Mohit words were painful, it held truth.
"Brothers betray brothers everyday."
"So, are you saying that you don't care for the fact that he married your finance and took all your property?"
"No. I don't care about any of those things. I cared about one thing and now thats not possible." Rayan said out staring at the blank wall, having nothing inside him in particular.
..
"You idiot!" Shahida shouted at the man before her. Below her heavily coated anger tone lay a tinge of worry.
Rehan raised his eye brow at her sudden outburst. "Yes ma'am?"
Shahida eyed him, her eyes red in anger as she calmed her breath. "I thought you were in an accident. I thought you were injured!"
"The accident I had was that I fell down the stairs and broke my nose." Rehan replied pointing his finger towards the nurse who was treating his nose.
"You just broke your nose?" Shahida asked in a rather disappointed voice.
"You seem disappointed. You want me to break something more? A leg? Two hands? Couple of bones?" Rehan asked as Shahida rolled her eyes at his sarcasm.
Turning towards Mia, who called her, Shahida asked, "Seriously? This man? He is perfectly fine! Healthy enough to joke around. Why did you call me for such a small thing?"
"Last time Rehan sneezed for a couple times and had a common cold and you were angry with me on why I didn't inform you!" Mia reasoned.
"I...I. I am sorry." Shahida said guilty for the deep feelings she still harboured for him.
"You were worried about me!" Rehan announced once the nurse and Mia left the room.
Shahida wanted to wipe that smirk off his face, she would have slapped it away but she dropped the idea looking at his red bandaged nose.
"You were bound to fall down. You're head is always in the clouds! You can not even watch your steps. You are so careless at times!" Rehan smiled as Shahida kept ranting away.
"Stop smiling like an idiot!" Shahida snapped at Rehan's wide smile.
"You look cute when you get angry, your nose gets red and your eyes look teary." Rehan admitted as a blush crept through Shahida's face.
He pulled her towards him and she let him. Hugging her waist, Rehan took in her scent. Shahida ran her hands through his hair.
"I was so scared." Shahida confessed in a soft voice. "For a moment I thought I would lose you. That was not a nice thought."
"I know. I have such ridiculous thoughts running in my mind every moment, every day." Rehan replied back. He looked up at her face before pulling her onto his lap.
"Rehan!" Shahida shrieked as her arms wrapped around his neck.
"And there goes my ear drum." Rehan complained shaking his head as Shahida laughed.
"Thats the most beautiful sound one could hear." Rehan complimented.
"I thought someone had lost his ear drums and could not listen. You're nose is not working already. You are total useless." Shahida said in a serious voice.
"Total useless huh?" Rehan asked in as surprised voice and Shahida tried to control the giggles that were threatening to spill.
Rehan started tickling her in retort. Soon the room filled with her giggles.
"You are a bad boy!" Shahida said as she calmed her breath. She pulled his ears slightly.
"Agreed."
"You are also an idiot." Shahida continued as Rehan nodded his head.
"Agreed."
"I don't like you at all."
"Disagreed!" Shahida laughed finding him cute as he continuously shook his head.
"You really like me. In fact you love me and a lot." Rehan sheepishly smiled.
"Agreed." Shahida pecked on his lips lightly. But as she was about to pull back, he pulled in for a deep kiss.
..
Rayan gulped the glass down as the liquid burned his throat.
"My god, you're drinking neat whisky as if they are shots." Mohit said amazed at Rayan's capacity to drink.
"Why do you follow me around like a lost puppy?" Asked an irritated Rayan. He was fed of Mohit following him around 24*7. This was one clingy man.
The only person he could spend so much time with was his brother. Rayan sensed a bitter taste at the thought of his brother. He swallowed the lump down his throat with another glass of drink.
The bar tender eyed him wearily as he prepared the next glass.
"I don't follow you around 24*7!" Mohit denied. "I do follow you around clubs cause you are a babe magnet."
Rayan cringed at the name. "A what?"
"A babe magnet. You attract girls and you can land one easily. Thus I want you to become a wingman for me. Find a nice one for me and yourself too."
"I can be your wingwoman! I will help you find a good girl."
A voice played in his head. Rayan paused at the sound. It was like he was playing an old tape.
"I don't want one and neither am I finding one for you." Rayan cleared. He didn't want a girl, he didn't want anyone except for... except for her.
Rayan could see her picture as he closed his eyes. Her big eyes shining with excitement, her infectious smile, her small button nose. Her sweet voice constantly bickering and those never ending conversations. He missed it all. He dearly missed her.
"Oh god Avilasha these laddoos taste so good." Rayan commented as he ate a third one. "Why don't you try one?" He suggested.
Avilasha rolled her eyes and raised her henna covered hands in front of his eyes.
"Sorry I forgot about the mehendi completely. Wait I will feed you."
Avilasha opened her mouth as Rayan fed her. "Slowly, its all yours. You don't need to open your mouth so wide."
Rayan laughed out as Avilasha elbowed him in his rib. Her eyes widened when he suddenly held her hand, feeling uncomfortable at the close contact.
"Where is my name?" Rayan asked as he searched her henna.
"I did not write your name." Avilasha confessed.
"Why?" Rayan's disappointed tone surprised her.
"Cause I don't like your name. If we change one letter from your name then it spells out 'Ravan'." Avilasha teased him as he narrowed his eyes.
"You know what? I don't care. As long as I am the one you take pheras with and not Ravan!" Rayan teased her back but Avilasha's smile flattered at the mention of their marriage.
In the excitement and happiness of their marriage Rayan never noticed how hollow Avilasha's smiles were, how fake her laugh was and how she pretended to be happy. But now as he thought back of those times, Rayan noticed how it was just him who was in the moment. She was never with him. He was so blind on his happiness that he never felt her emotions. He was there just waiting for the moment to make her his, to claim his childhood love while she was there trying to run away from him at the first chance she got.
"She really ruined you. She tore you apart completely." Mohit's voice broke the Rayan's thoughts.
"You were such a happy person and look what happened? God knows how she sleeps soundly at night snatching all your dreams away! And how your brother lives happily with her while your life is a hell."
Rayan laughed out loud. A cold humourless laugh. "They are not happy. They never will be. He wouldn't understand her and she" Rayan gritted his teeth before continuing,"and she will never make a good wife to him. Or any person as a matter of fact!"
His tone was filled with hate but only the ones who truly understood him could find the underlying pain in his statement. The pain of a broken heart, the pain of unaquainted love.
Little do you know
I am hurting while you fall asleep
Little do you know All my mistakes are slowly drowning me Little do you know I'm trying to make it better piece by piece Little do you know I, I love you 'til the sun dies
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