Chapter 22

Hey guys! First of all, wish you all a very happy and a prosperous new year!! have a great year ahead :)

Well, Here's the next part :) Enjoy!

Recap: Siddhima wedding ; Muskaan upset.

Part 22:

"Muskaan! Are you alright? What's wrong?"

She didn't say anything. "Muskaan! Bolo na kya hua?"

Muskaan shook her head and managed to get her a fake smile.

"Nothing! It's just…" but her voice broke and tears started running down her face. She soon started crying.

Shilpa took her into the changing room and held her while she cried. Once she was a little stable, she offered Muskaan some water.

"Ab mujhe shuruat se batao… kya hua? I am observing you since the wedding, you look very tensed and upset."

Muskaan swallowed. "Rahul… Who…" but she couldn't speak.

"Rahul? You want me call him here? Maybe he can.."

"No! I don't wanna see him. Main uska chehra bhi nahi dekhna chati!!" Muskaan said vehemently.

"Kya? Kyun? Usne kuch kaha kya? Kal tak to tum dono ekdum thik the??"

"He's such a jerk! I can't believe I fell in love with him." Muskaan said.

Shilpa was shocked. "What? What are you saying?" she said

"Sach keh rahi hu! Log pyaar toh kar lete hai par.. Chhod na!!" Muskaan wiped her tears and stood up.

"Hey! You can't just leave the convo at such a crucial part. " Muskaan glared at her poor attempt at a joke.

Shilpa sighed and pulled her down slowly to sit. "Muskaan.. Agar bataogi nahi ki kya problem hai, toh hum uska solution kaise nikalenge, huh? Ab yaha baitho aur mujhe batao ki aise kya ho gaya tumhare aur Rahul ke beech ke tum uska face bhi nahi dekhna chati…?"

She looked at Shilpa, and her eyes filled up again.

"You remember the Chuda incident, when the chuda fell on my head and everyone was teasing us about it? Well, after that incident, Rahul started acting a little weird. I thought its just one of his moods. I also talked to him about it. I told him that I am happy with the way things are right now. I don't expect him to pop the proposal yet, that he can take all the time he wants. He said he was fine and that I shouldn't worry about it. After that, he started acting a little different."

"What do you mean? Different how?" Shilpa asked, surprised and a little concerned that she hadn't noticed any of this.

"Well, he started avoiding my calls, started leaving early so we won't have to go together, and he's ignoring any the conversation that we normally have. He just wishes me and talks to me as a formality. I am trying so hard to give him his space, trying to remain normal but it doesn't seem to help! "

"That's strange.. Well, it's possible that he's upset about some family issues Muskaan… Maybe--" Shilpa tried to console her.

"No… I talked to his mother. She said that everything was fine, and that when she had last talked to Rahul.. he seemed pretty happy. So, what does that tell you? Am I the one who causes him unhappiness? Am I the one who's---" her voice broke.

Shilpa squeezed her shoulder.

"But then today… I finally confronted him about his behavior…"

FLASHBACK

"What's your problem Muskaan? Kyu aise baar baar wohi sawal kar rahi ho?" Rahul said, in an irritated tone.

"So, what do you want me to do? You have been acting a little weird since Riddhima's wedding."

"Nothing's wrong… can't you just leave me alone for some time?"

"All I really want is for you to share your problems with me so that we can handle it together. Is that too much to ask?"

"But that's the whole point… There is no problem. Infact, by asking me again and again, you are creating it for me!! Agar kuch hoga toh main tumhe bata dunga! Why do you go looking for problems when there are none! " rahul yelled.

"What? I am creating problems for you!"

"I didn't say that!"

"But you meant it…" Muskaan said.

"Muskaan.. its just your insecurity speaking… please don't--"

"Insecurity! You think I am insecure?" Muskaan exclaimed.

Rahul sighed. "Dekho Muskaan---"

"Nahi tum dekho—I am not insecure okay? It's all my fault! I shouldn't have said anything, my fault that I care about you enough to ask you about your problems, my fault that I love you so much ke I can't se in pain. Its all me Rahul. But from now on, I am not going to 'interfere' in your matters anymore. You will get all the privacy you want. I am sorry to have meddled in your affairs." Saying this she turned to go.

"Muskaan--" Rahul tried to stop her.

"I have to go.." and she left, not noticing the expression of guilt on Rahul's face.

FLASHBACK ENDS

"Insecure! Clingy! The gall of him to call me that!"

"To be fair, he didn't rea;y call you that!" Shilpa reasoned with one teary and angry Muskaan. But it was a lost battle.

"He as good as, and you know it! What if Armaan had called you that?" Muskaan challenged and shocked Shilpa in the process.

"What? How does Armaan come into picture?" Shilpa tried to deny.

"Save it honey! I have known about the two of you for a long time now! So, tell me if Armaan had called you insecure--"

"I get your point, I would have punched him. Although, you should know when it comes to Armaan I am clingy and possessive!!" Shilpa said and Muskaan smiled.

But her smile soon turned into sadness. "I cannot live with someone who isn't honest with me. I cannot deal with someone who does not respect me… I cannot live in this constant fear wondering what's wrong between us. I cannot keep on speculating if I am putting commitment pressure on him or if it is too soon to talk to him about something. I can't always be unsure of whether he is ready for the next step in our relationship! Even after 3 years together, if he cannot trust me enough to share his problems with me…."

That wiped off the smile from Shilpa's face, with shock replacing it. "What…umm..What are you saying Muskaan?"

"That I am gonna have to break up with him, before he destroys me completely."

---

Armaan entered the locker room, looking forward to finally seeing Shilpa after the wedding. The only time they had spent together after it was when they were talking on the phone. God he had missed her. He recollected their private moment in Shilpa's room and smiled. She looked so beautiful and innocent, her expression the one of wonder and love.

He was still smiling, when two tiny hands covered his eyes from behind. He instantly knew who it was. The scent of fresh lilies was a major give-away that it was Shilpa, but he could recognize her touch even if he was deep in sleep. He grinned and decided to have some fun. He touched her arms, caressing them.

"Hmm.. who can it be?" he pretended and started taking some random names.

"Alisha?"

"Ria?"

"Amrita?" he teased.

No answer! But he heard a gasp and just when Shilpa was about to remove her hands, he covered her hands in his large ones, not letting her withdraw her hands. She tried to jerk his hands away, but he didn't let her. he slowly moved her hands from his eyes to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her hands. He felt her jerk and she stilled.

"Shilpa?" he whispered and turned around to look at her.

She looked away, a cute, little pout adorning her upset face. He chuckled.

"Chodo Armaan… Amrita? Alisha!! Aur uss ria ko toh main nahi chodungi! Hamesha tumse flirt karti rahti hai!!" Shilpa said, angry now. Armaan laughed out loud, clearly enjoying her outburst and the underlying jealousy behind those words.

"Shilpa! Meri baat toh--"

"Tum mujhse baat mat karo! Mere alava itni saari ladkiyan hai jo tumhare saath aise masti karti hai!" Shilpa said

Armaan held her hand and pulled her into his arms. "Arre--"

"I don't wanna listen to anything! Main--" her sentence was cut off by Armaan finger on her lp to shut her up.

"Itna gussa… Kab se bole hi jaa rahi ho! I am trying to tell you that I was kidding! I knew it was you from the moment you covered my eyes. " His voice softened as he saw that he had her attention and removed his finger from her lips. "Tumhara sparsh toh main kabhi bhul hi nahi sakta…"

Shilpa looked into his eyes and realized that he was indeed telling the truth. She gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Phew! Shilpa! Feels nice to know that you are so possessive of me!" he said and watched her go red. "I had no idea! Agar meri sach mein koi aur girl--Ouch" Armaan stopped mid sentence as Shilpa pulled his ear.

"Kya kaha Armaan?" Shilpa asked

"Ouch! Arre baba mazak kar raha hu Shona! " he ginned at her. Suddenly her pager beeped.

Shilpa chuckled "Me too… Waise jab tum mujhe Shona bulate ho na to tum par aur pyaar aata hai.." Shilpa whispered in his ears and ran away from there.

Armaan remained rooted to the spot. He couldn't move from there if his life depended on it. He hadn't known Shilpa to be so playful and such a tease. But now that he had seen this naughty side of her, he discovered that he loved it. She had a new shine in her eyes whenever she looked at him and was much more comfortable with him around now.

"Oye Hoye!" he looked at her retreating back and beamed.