Chapter 23

Part 23:

Recap:

Muskaan decides ro break up with Rahul.

Armaan-Shilpa masti

The next day in Sanjeevani:

Armaan walked out of the OPD. He looked around for Sister Lovely to give her the prescriptions for the patient. Shilpa was at a little distance from the cafeteria, talking to Muskaan. She looked a little upset. Yesterday also he had seen Shilpa and Muskaan exchange some tensed looks. Something was definitely fishy. Although Shilpa hadn't told him anything, he knew she knew something. Yesterday, when he had dropped her home, she sounded a little distracted and sad. He decided to talk to him about it when they next met.

The opportunity for that presented itself sooner than he expected.

He turned to find Shilpa hurrying towards some room. She was very anxious and almost ran towards the locker room. She clearly worried about something, and that scared him a little. Shilpa wasn't the one to get anxious of trivial things. She was a strong girl. If there was someone who knew what to say when and how to handle a problem, it was Shilpa.

"Kya hua? Why is she so tensed?" Armaan asked himself.

He walked towards the locker room, fully intending to know what was going on. Muskaan and Shilpa seemed to get pretty closed these days. They were talking to each other every minute they got alone, they were exchanging disturbed loks every time he looked at either of them and Shilpa was distracted every minute they spent together. And inspite of him asking her what was wrong she didn't really talk to him about her feelings. So, here he was walking towards the locker room, intent on talking to her.

"Shilpa?" he entered to see her do something in Rahul's locker. She gasped and turned around to find him. Her eyes widened in surprise like a child does when he is caught doing something bad.

"Kya kar rahi ho?" he asked walking towards her.

She turned and banged Rahul's locker close, effectively hiding what she had kept there.

"Kuch nahi… Who mera locker Rahul ke paas wala ha na toh main thoda confuse ho gayi ke mera locker kaun sa hai." Shilpa mumbled.

Armaan narrowed his eyes. She clearly hiding something, but he decided to play along.

"Really? Itne dino mein toh kabhi tum confuse nahi hui?"

"Nahi..Bas aise hi"

"Hmm… Shilpa..Kya prob hai? And please yeh mat kehna ke prob nahi hai…"

"Nahi Armaan.. No problem.. kuch nahi hua hai"

"Toh tum yaha itne tension mein kyun aayi..?"

"Woh…Woh main na… tension mein nahi, thoda jaldi mein thi toh…. But anyway, mera pager baj raha hai… I have to go.." she started to leave when he held her wrist and turned her so that she was facing him.

"Shilpa… If you don't wanna tell me what the problem is, I will not force you to, but please for god's sake don't lie to me. I know you inside out!" and with that he left from there, leaving Shilpa standing there.

Had he turned around to see her again, he would have seen an expression of guilt and helplessness on her face.

--

After a few days::

Shilpa was in the cafeteria waiting for Armaan. Armaan hadn't talked to her properly since the fiasco in the locker room. But she had to remain strong. This wasn't about her. It was about Muskaan and Rahul. It was their secret to tell. She couldn't betray Muskaan like that. She talked to Rahul about this, and finally found what was bothering him. She and Rahul talked for long times in the cafeteria after everyone left, resulting in her spending less time with Armaan. Even Muskaan had seen him talking to Rahul and misconstrued the situation, seeing it as betrayal. But she had to sort this out for her friends, and more importantly for Armaan. She couldn't lie to him for long.

She saw Armaan approaching the caf with Dr. Shashank. They were discussing some important case. He looked at her, but passed her without ay acknowledgement. And it hurt, big time!

Shilpa sighed. "So, this is what hell feels like!" she muttered to herself.

She looked at them and saw shashank leaving, so she approached Armaan.

"Hi Armaan!" she said softly, trying to gauge his mood.

He turned around and looked at, and after a hesitant moment smiled at her. He hadn't talked to her properly for days now. But he could still feel the energy of their love surround them every time he looked into her eyes. She gave him a hesitant smile, as id unsure of where they were standing in their relationship.

Jab jab tere paas main aaya
Ik sukoon mila..
Jise main tha bhoolta aaya
Woh wajood mila..
Jab aaye mausam gham ke
Tujhe yaad kiya

Jab sehme tanhapan se
Tujhe yaad kiya
But before he could say anything they were joined by JP and Jiggy. But shilpa kept looking at Armaan and him at her, as if trying to convey something.

Hmm.. dil..
Sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu
Dil.. yahin ruk jaa zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu

He shook his head and left. Shilpa looked at him in pain and hurt, afraid of what was at stake and what she risked for Muskaan.

Aisa kyun kar hua
Janu naa
Main janu naa
O..o..

Dil.. sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu
Dil.. yahin ruk jaa zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu
Every night, Armaan hid behind the curtains of Shilpa's room and watched her sleep. She didn't know that, and he would gaze at her for hours, caressing her cheek oh-so softly. Love her he did, and he wanted her to trust him on her own. But he couldn't see her disturbed and anxious all the time. he was so worried for her, he couldn't handle it.

Jis raah pe
Hai ghar tera
Aksar wahan se
Haan main hoon guzra
shayad yahi
Dil mein raha
Tu mujh ko mil jaye
Kya pata
Kya hai yeh silsala
Janu naa
Main janu naa
O..o..

Dil.. sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu
Dil.. yahin ruk jaa zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu

Dil.. sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu
Dil.. yahin ruk jaa zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu

Dil.. sambhal ja zara
Phir mohabbat
Karne chala hai tu

Armaan was wrapping up to leave Sanjeevani, ending yet another long day of work. He had started to resent these duties now! They more had the funny discussions in the caf with the gang, no stolen moments with Shilpa, no stolen kisses and no more masti with her. And he hated it.

Just as he was about to leave his cabin, Shilpa came in.

"Armaan.. Chalo mere saath." She said. Armaan looked at her questionly.

"Kaha?"

"Cafeteria…"

"Abhi?"

"Haan.. Kyun? Apni girlfriend ke saath jaane mein darr lag raha hai? Ghabarao mat.. you are safe :P" she teased. She was very happy today. Finally she could have her old Armaan back.

Armaan raised his eyebrows. He smiled involuntarily, but wiped it off before she could see it. He still didn't know how he felt about her not sharing her problems with him. She held his hand, and it was like every other time she touched him. A current ran thorugh him. She pulled him, but he tried to resist. He looked up at her, and in her eyes she saw excitement and hope and most important of all, he could finally see the pure delight and joy in her eyes that was missing in the past few days. So he walked with her to the cafeteria.

But he stopped short, unable to comprehend the scene in front of him, once they reached the cafeteria…

Thats it! Apologies for stopping it here. But what's a story without any suspense, eh? Hehe :) Hope to see a lot of comments :) Thanks

Vanshika