Chapter 12

Hi friends. I hope you all are doing well ❤

Chapter 12

Morning...

Yash comes downstairs only to find Nimki alone. He enters Aarti's room and sees her turning in her bed holding stomach. He gets that it's her per**. She raised head as he smoothed her hair.

"You had your breakfast?" He asked. She nods no. He called Nimki and asked her to bring coffee for them and some fav food of Aarti.

"Ek parda sa aa chuka hai humare rishte mein" He sat on bed.

"You're wrong Yash." She touches his hand. He is hurt, it's very much clear to her. Yash held her hand, he felt good when she proved him wrong. Meanwhile Nimki enters the room with a tray. Yash took the tray from her then she left. Yash helped Aarti to sit and gave a coffee mug to her.

"You also didn't have breakfast?" She asked as he picked his coffee.

"Tumhare bina kabhi bhi kiya hai kya?" He questions.

"Never." She said. He sat near her.

"Thank god you still remember" He jocked. she leaned on his chest, wondering how he always makes her forget her pain with his sweetness. Aarti was not ready to have breakfast.

"Mujhe nahi khana" She made a face as Yash forwarded her an omelet plate.

"Ok then have pasta" He pick another small plate.

"No" She turned away.

"Achha baba juice peelo aur yeh tumhara fav poha khalo" He picked a poha plate. She finally looked at him.

Yash fed her somehow then he gave her a painkiller. She lay, he stroked her arm seeing her in pain. She turned to the other side restlessly. He felt helpless. It took 30 minutes of torture before she finally looked in peace. He gave her water. She looked at him as he pulled her in his arms.

"I'm fine now" She smiled.

"Hmm" He hummed before dropping a peck on her forehead.

*******

Later in the afternoon Yash finds Aarti in the library. She is laying on a huge sofa there with a book in her hand. He walked toward her only to notice that she was so lost reading. He sat there near her head then only she noticed him.

"Yash" She smiled at him.

"What are you reading?" He asked.

"Nothing, just a random history book" She tells, moving a little only to place her head in his lap. He smoothed her hair, admiring her as she again got lost in the book. They heard a knock on the door. Aarti moved away and Yash stood to look who was here. Aman was at the door.

"You didn't come to the office so I thought of seeing you." Aman said. Yash smiled at him and told him that Aarti is sick.

"How are you Aarti?" He smiled at her.

"Feeling much better" She smiled weakly. Yash got a call so he moved out of the library.

"History" Aman looked at the book in her hand.

"Yeah" She placed the book back on a bookshelf.

"Actually Yash had a meeting but he postponed it for today" He said that he got a client call but Yash denied going anywhere. Aarti was not even surprised because Yash always prioritized her over anything else.

"Yash loves you a lot" Aman words stunned her.

"He cares for me." She said awkwardly. Yash returned. Aman smiled nervously as Yash glared at him. Aarti left for her room. Yash Aman went downstairs.

"Yash, I know your and Aarti relationship is very special, she is almost a baby to you but nowadays I feel as if you're falling in love with her" Aman said. Yash looked at him amused wondering he really had changed so much after falling for Aarti that even his friends could see the change in him.

"You're never good at hiding your emotions and this is love, nobody can hide it" Aman smiled. Yash pretends to look into mobile to hide his smile.

"I'm really happy for you yaar" Aman came forward only to hug him. Yash also hugged him back.

"Soon give a breakup party of Aarti and Manik" Aman parted.

"Aman" Yash glared at him. Aman laughed. Yash also ended up smiling.

*****

Aarti enters her bedroom. Aman words still make her heart restless.

"We are just friends, very good friends." She tells herself. Then recalled that highway night, their almost kiss, how she was grabbing on to Yash.

"That was just a weak moment" She walked toward the window.

"Yes" She tried to convince herself.

"But then why I never had that with Manik, even when he tried many times to come close to me I'm always uncomfortable." She fisted the curtain.

"This is wrong" She reminds herself.

*******

Manik finally broke his silence and talked with Aarti as he pulled her out after office, she sat on his bike and he took her somewhere in a peaceful place, it's a hill where he parked his bike.

"I'm sorry Aarti, I guess I overreacted" he apologized. She smiled, liking that he is not misunderstanding her.

"I missed you a lot" he hugged her dearly.

"Me too" she placed hand on his back just lightly not like how she was grabbing on to Yash yesterday. She was stiff, recalling it.

Manik picked her by the waist and made her sit on the bike. She smiled weakly holding his arms for support as he stood close to her.

"Will you marry me?" He asked stunning Aarti, she was shocked. He doesn't like her reaction as she stays silent. He thought maybe because they never had a meaningful conversation and not even got intimate. He leaned in and kissed her neck lovingly then pulled away her dupatta. She tightly closed her eyes and could see a blurred face. "I love you" A confession which made her feel as if she is cheating but to whom. Didn't know when she pushed Manik away. He was taken aback. Aarti got down bike and ran away from there holding her dupatta in fist. She was running on an empty road madly, tears flowing down her cheeks when she bumped into a steel like front.

"Aarti" Yash was on his way to home when he got shocked to see her running madly, without thinking much he got down the car and came in front of her.

"Yeh kya halat bana rakhi hai" he held her face in concern and saw her moist eyes. She breaks down being emotionally tired.

"Baby what happened, please tell me" he wiped her tears and smoothed her messy hair back and glanced behind if somebody following her. Without a word she hugged him tightly, feeling like a home.

"Shhh I'm here, don't cry" he tried to console her by rubbing her back. When she calmed down he brought her to his car. He handed her a water bottle. She drinks a little. He drove home. She was silently sitting looking out of the window with a lost face. Soon they reached and Yash get down from the car but Aarti was in trance. He opened the door for her and waited a little but she didn't move. He picked her up in his arms. Aarti lay head on his shoulder, she just doesn't have strength left to fight anymore with these new feelings making place in her heart. Yash entered her room and dropped her on bed. Later he brought their dinner. Aarti stared at him laying there on the bed as Yash sat on the sofa.

"Come have dinner." he said. She nods, leave to the bathroom to wash hands. Soon she joined him. They had dinner in silence then Yash asked her why she was running like that madly, she was silent because she herself didn't have an answer, he sigh sadly that she didn't even want to share with him. As Yash left picking up plates Aarti lay in bed hugging a red teddy.

******

Next day Manik questioned Aarti about her weird behavior. She was silent.

"What's wrong with you?" Manik again asked. She left for her cabin without answering. Yash notices Aarti being different to everyone.

"Aarti are you alright" Yash touched her shoulder as they sat in his cabin for lunch.

"Hmm" She nods. Yash was worried but didn't know how to change her mood. Then he got an idea.

Meanwhile Yash finds Aarti's friends in the canteen. Girls get surprised to see him walking toward them. He smiled at them as they greeted him.

"Why don't you all go out, and also take Aarti?" He tell.

"I mean working everyday is boring, right?" He asked. They all nervously nod no even though they are getting excited. One of the girls said that only a few days back they all did shopping.

"How about going to a nightclub?" He suggests.

"Sir you're the coolest boss" A girl chirped excitedly. Yash smiled at her.

"Let's go, we need to tell Aarti" All of them walked out happily.

*******

In the evening Yash came to drop Aarti to the club and she asked him to also join her. He accepted. Soon Aarti and her friends were enjoying themselves. Yash standing in the bar. Meanwhile a girl approaches Yash. He was not interested but then his eyes fell on Aarti who was looking at him. To him she seems uncomfortable and he knows the reason is the girl next to him. Yash decided to start a talk just to confirm his doubt. The girl got excited and grabbed his arm only to pull him to the dance floor. Aarti was getting angry at the way that girl was clinging to Yash.

"Aarti come" Vidhi pulled her to the bar. All the girls took their drinks but Aarti's attention was still on Yash and the girl. Her patience broke when that girl kissed Yash on the cheek. She grabbed the glass and drank in one go. Yash instantly left the girl and walked toward Aarti.

"Aarti" He tried to stop her as she picked one more glass. She pushed his hand away and gulped the shot. He can feel she is very angry.

"Please" He looked at her with a small face. Aarti picked one more glass but Yash snatched it from her. She glared at him and pushed his chest and left to the dance floor. She danced madly just to tease Yash, some guys were staring at her, which angered Yash. He went up and turned Aarti toward himself.

"What are you doing, everyone looking at you?" He told.

"So what?" She grabs his black shirt collar. Her gaze moved from his eyes to lips.

"You were dancing with that girl, did I say anything? No. She kissed you on your cheek. Did I get angry? No." She yanks him closer. He looked at her in amusement because her words and her actions are completely opposite. Finally the alcohol effect showed on her which worried Yash. Her hold on his collar loosen only to push him and she walked away.

"I'm sorry baby" He dearly hugged her from behind. She looked into his eyes.

"Mujhe koi fark nahi padta" She yanks his hands away.

"Mujhe maloom hai" Yash came in front of her and picked her up. Aarti lay head on his shoulder just looking at him as he informed her friends that he is taking her.

"Bye girls." She happily waved to her friends. They smiled.

"They're cute." Vidhi said.

"Yeah I never see Aarti getting possessive of Manik." Ishita added because she saw Yash with that girl and she knew Aarti took drinks in jealousy.

"They should date each other." One more girl said.

"You stole my words." Vidhi said.

Walking out of the club Yash dropped Aarti on the back seat of his car.

"I want to sit in the front." Aarti whined. She cutely lifted her hands, asking him to pick her. He smiled and dearly picked her in his arms. As they sat in the front seat. Aarti leaned forward only to kiss Yash cheek.

"You're so cute" She smiled.

"Thanks" He laughs, starting the car. Aarti lay head on his shoulder gripping his arm.

"I love you Yash" Aarti's confession stunned Yash. He stopped the car and looked at her. She nods.

"I don't like it when you're with someone else" She tells without moving away from his arm.

"And you know I don't like Manik, I hate it when he touches me." She said. He smiled as she finally said something which she can't express in her real sense.

"Bahut pyaar karti hoon main aapse, na jaane kab aur kaise aapko itna chahne lagi main" She said emotionally.

"I love you too baby, you have no idea how much I was yearning to hear it from you" Yash cupped her cheeks lovingly.

"Sach" She asks, delighted. He nods emotionally. She moved back only to throw herself in his arms. He embraced her closer. They both tightly hold each other as if they found their lost soul.

*********

Next morning Aarti wakes up in her bedroom. She hold head recalling what happened last night and remembered getting angry at Yash then she took some shots. Also their confession.

"This can't happen" Aarti feels guilty knowing she has feelings for Yash but love, she never wanted to fall for him, for her he deserves best, a girl with a clean past, not like her destroyed and ruined completely. Her gaze fell on a lemon juice glass on a table and a note placed near it.

"Drink it, you will feel better." Aarti read Yash's name. She threw glass in anger. Yash was standing outside her room, studying her behavior. He walked inside. Aarti sees him and comes forward.

"Kya kar rahe hain aap yahan?" Before she steps on broken pieces of glass Yash comes forward and moves her away. They both fall on bed. She wriggles under him.

"Aarti" He called her. She tried to push him.

"Look at me" He held her chin.

"No" She continues struggling, fearing what if he sees love in her eyes.

"This is wrong" Aarti cries, she can't believe that she confessed to him. He loves her back, just her.

"Kuch galat nahi hai" He smoothed her hair back. She hit his shoulder with her fist. He pin her hands down. Tears rolled down her cheek as she faced him. His own eyes were moist, her rejection breaking his heart.

"Bool jaiye kal jo kuch bhi maine kaha" She begged him.

"Can you forget?" He released her hands.

"Why can't you understand?" She closed eyes.

"Mujhe kuch nahi samajhna" He leaned into her neck helplessly, her hand came around his shoulders, she knew nobody can love her more than Yash but can she live a normal life, the answer is no.

"Stay away from me" She pushed Yash away and moved out of bed. He looked at her trying to understand her sentence.

"I was drunk, how can you take my words seriously?" She raised voice to convince him that whatever she said was not true.

"That was a lie" She spoke to see him silent. Yash gets up and comes near her.

"Kehdo meri akhon mein dekh ke." He raised her chin.

"Pyaar nahi karti mujhse? dekh sakti ho mujhe kisi aur ke saath? Manik tumhe pasand hai?" He questions. She looked away.

"Answer me Aarti, after all that was all a lie?" He asked.

"Mujhe aapki kisi baat ka jawab nahi dena" She tried to leave on the balcony. Yash grips her arm.

"Damn it you can't even lie looking into my eyes and you're saying that your confession was not true" He asked. She looked at him restlessly.

"Jao aap yahan se, akela chhod do mujhe" She dragged him toward the door.

"Please leave" She pushed him out of the room and locked the door.

"Aarti" He stood there not understanding why she is doing this.

******

Aarti came to the breakfast table, Yash didn't bother her. Meanwhile she left to garden and Yash went back to his room only to come to the balcony from where he saw Aarti who was standing near a red rose plant. She looked lost. This is what he feared, and didn't want to confess his love to her.

"I won't trouble her now" He decided because for him her peace of mind is more important than anything else.

In the evening at the dinner table Yash started a normal conversation. Aarti was surprised as Yash talked about just work. After dinner they both walked upstairs. Yash told Aarti that they had a lot of work tomorrow. Aarti was feeling better after talking to him and she leave to her room with the thought of joining the office tomorrow.

********

Precap: A forgotten past.