#2: "Challenge? Challenge!"
Roli is nervous as heck as Siddhant begins to speak. Her palms are all sweaty and cold in growing anxiety, her heart is thumping like crazy, her face is as pale as a vampire's! Coming back to Siddhant, he's actually enjoying all these-seeing her scared and susceptible like a deer caught up with a lion. He smirks visibly having succeeded in getting the desired reaction from her.
"Beta?' Sunitha calls again slightly surprised to that wee smile on her son's face while he quickly rolls his eyes and smiles at her like nothing happened before turning to Roli again.
"Well...I know Roli from St. Louis. She was my junior.' he says fixing his eyes upon Roli. As for Roli, she screw shuts her eyes as she hears him. This is it. He has already started it. He's gonna speak up everything now. Hey Matarani! What will happen now? What will I answer my parents, to Di's in laws, to other relatives? She thinks anxiously. She just wants to be invisible, or just pass out at this very moment so that this wretched moment comes to a closure. But she tries her best to not show it on her face because she knows she's the centre of attraction for everyone now and a tiny mistake from her can be fatal.
After hearing Sid, while there is a 'is it' expression on Roli's parents face, Siddhant's parents are surprised. Siddhant's Dad Rishab Bharadwaj, a pleasant man in his late fifties turns to his friend Anand with slight surprise.
"But Anand, I guess you told me that Roli did her graduation here in Jaipur? Then how come she became Siddhant's junior in St Louis, Mumbai?' he questions.
"Oh that; a long story.' begins Anand casually. "Come to talk of it, once she finished her school, Roli got admission in St. Louis under merit. Actually I wasn't too keen in leaving her that far, but you see today's children. She convinced me with her emotional talks and went there. Two years! Two years she studied there and then after coming home for Ragini's marriage, she refused to go back saying she's missing us a lot and can't go away from us. What can we do when she's saying so, especially when our elder daughter was too going away from our home? So I just got her transferred here and she completed her gradation here. We never talked of Siddhant's college and all, so I never thought that they could be acquaintances.'
"Oh! That's what I was thinking. Well, it's good that they know each other. Things are easier!' Rishab comments with a wink while Anand nods in agreement. But looks like Siddhant hasn't got enough of his 'entertainment'. He turns to Roli who's sitting absolutely clueless with the rising questions and answers. She knows where this is heading to. A revelation; heartbreak and cutting open of the partially healed wounds in her. Though Siddhant feels a tiny remorse seeing her situation and knowing that he's the reason for her distress, he decides to go with his plays and asks
"Roli! I can't believe you quit St. Louis just because you were missing your family. That doesn't look like a valid reason after studying two whole years there. Come on! Is there something else to it?'
Roli literally jumps out of her skin at his question. What's this guy up to? Does he want me to confess the real reason for which I quit the college I had entered with a lot of dreams? Does he want to confess me that I had come out because I wanted to set free from his memories? She simple glares at him while he gives her a naughty smile, well declaring his victory. Just then he receives a good punch on his shoulder from his mother surprising everyone.
"Come on Siddhant! Don't start now. Roli beta, don't mind. He always asks such stupid questions.' declares Sunitha while Sid rolls his eyes at her. "Why are you rolling your eyes like that? Do you even know what a girl feels when she's away from her family? Say what Anamika ji, this guy saw home rarely when he was at college. Talk of even the present case, he's always busy with his business and all.' complains Sunitha while Anamika just smiles like she's doing right from the morning. She's not that active in to all these decisions as Sunitha is and that's clearly visible. But the one who's clearly happy with the diversion in the topic is Roli. At least she got to escape from the well planed question Siddhant had shot at her. She thanks Sunitha inwardly for the same and continues the pretense of being normal.
"Well Roli...' Laksh, who has been sitting near to Anand silently all the while, speaks up now. "Siddhant told he knew you well. So you guys were friends?' he questions.
Roli is back to dilemma again. When I think one problem is gone for good, another starts. Why jiju why, what did I do to you guys to burn me in this unseen fire, she thinks quietly. But there is no time to think. I've to manage somehow before this stupid man uses this question for his benefit, thinks her.
"Ahhh...No...Just that we talked couple of times.' she lies keeping her head down. But Siddhant isn't ready to leave it there.
"Just talked couple of times?' he questions looking at Roli. This scares her, like crazy! Even everyone else in the hall is surprised. But looks like Siddhant knows to fix the things he has messed up. All he wants is some fun!
"ya...just talked couple of times.' it doesn't take him long to transform his question to a statement. Roli sighs in relief and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear in nervousness.
"Anyway, something is far better than nothing. Say what? When Ragini and I got married, we hardly knew each other. It literally took us a whole week to even talk to each other.' Laksh confesses looking at Ragini who's sitting near him with a big smile on her face probably recalling how startlingly their relationship has evolved in a period of two years.
"Well, I'm sure that's not the case now.' Sid comments with a smile engaging himself in to the loose talk.
"Definitely not!' Laksh agrees taking Ragini's palm in to his.
"And that's visible.' Sunitha says looking at the heavily pregnant Ragini while she blushes a deep scarlet. Laksh too lets out his usual chocolaty smile that makes him look more like a teenager than a grown up man. In all this, Roli feels relieved as the topic is slowly changing from her. The families engage in a bit more of talk before Rishab drops in the next major bomb.
"Well, since we had a lot of talk, why don't we fix things now? Not that we're unsure about this, but let's make things formal.'
This alarms Roli. They're going to fix things! No this can't happen! I can't get married to this idiot. I've to stop this somehow, but how, she wonders. Just then-
"Rishabji, you're forgetting something!' reminds Sunitha while Rishab and everyone else looks at her in confusion.
"We've talked on everything, but our kids, they're yet to speak t. Like, there may be things that they want to talk alone...' Sunitha explains making everyone except Roli to break in to an obvious grin. She of course, doesn't want to talk to him. Talking is so far; having him in her vicinity itself freaks her out.
"Oh we all forgot that! What's in that? We have a vast garden in the rooftop; let them talk there.' Anand says.
"That looks like a great idea! Siddhant?' Rishab turns to Sid while he shrugs his shoulder like he's fine with everything. It's just Roli who is sitting with her head down as if she's searching for something precious at her feet.
"Roli!' Anand calls her finding her visibly lost while she quickly looks up with a start.
"Just talk with Siddhant.' he then turns to Roli's cousins who're also in the hall. " Ritu, Anjali can you take them upstairs, to the garden?' he questions while the girls nods with a smile and reaches Roli. She's still super hesitant while Siddhant, like any other time, is enjoying her dilemma.
"Looks like our Roli is really shy.' one of Roli's aunts comments. The women grin at the 'joke' while Roli doesn't find it so funny. She is of course not shy. Instead, she's actually feeling like a goat to slaughter. That visible smirk on Siddhant's face fills her with disgust, creating a deep desire in her to wipe it away; forever! But to her dismay, the ball is in his court now.
A while later. Roli's cousins leave the Roli- Siddhant duo in the garden and leaves teasing and nudging Roli. Siddhant giggles and walks in to the pretty area filled with myriads of flowering and dcor plants. It has even got couple of tables and chairs to sit and relax and a pond with a small fountain.
"Cool!' he comments while Roli stays quiet. He turns, looking at her who's standing at the entrance with no significant expression on her face.
"Roli?' he begins while she looks up at him.
"What do you want?' she questions looking straightly in to his eye. Siddhant smirks.
"You'll get me whatever I want?' he questions back with the same expression.
"That's not my job, neither my concern. All I want to know is why the hell are you back in to my life?' Roli asks through clenched teeth.
Siddhant chuckles again. More than anything, this irritates Roli. This attitude of his; as if he's the most perfect and flawless being in the planet, as if he never did anything called wrong in his life.
"Roli, I'll suggest you something. Don't ask too many questions. Keep some of them in stock for future too. You have a lifetime to ask all of them. I'm not gonna run away for sure. You can take your sweet time in asking all of them.'
Now it's Roli's turn to smile. A smile with sarcasm, hatred, and disgust filled in it.
"Like seriously? lifetime? Aren't you ashamed to say that after all what you did to me? Not even a bit?' she questions looking in to his eyes. Siddhant is quiet for a moment but gains his composure very soon and nods his head in negative.
"Not at all.'
"Yeah, of course. How will you be ashamed? Feelings like shame and pain; all that are for human beings. Well, you sure aren't one and that I've understood when you tattered my heart in to pieces. But you know what; don't think that things will always go in the way you want. This time, I won't let you play with my life. I won't let you come back in to my life!' Roli says determinately. Sid chuckles again.
"You know what Roli? Over the years, you've turned really bold. But not too much that you'll beat me. You don't have a choice. I'll marry you and you can't stop that.'
"No! I can and I will.' Roli is sure resolute.
"And how's that? Will you go down and tell everyone about our past? And when they question you, do you have the right answers to give them? Plus, there are your relatives, Ragini's in laws; do you really want to speak it out all in front of them? Huh?'
Roli is quiet. She doesn't have answers for all this. She knows can't do anything at the moment; anything that can cost her family's reputation.
"Why silent? Don't you have any answer now?' he questions coming real close to her. Roli just backs off. The familiar presence and cologne of his filling her nostrils creates a mixture of feelings inside her. She just closes her eyes and lets it out before it could take toll on her brain. She then, maintains a good distance from him and speaks up.
"Maybe I won't be able to do anything now. But don't think that's forever. It may be a minute before you tie knot with me, but I'll stop this, for sure.'
"Looks like a dare!'
"Call it the way you please.' Roli replies tit for tat.
"aah haa! I love this challenge. But let me tell you this Roli, your future is as Mrs. Siddhant Bharadwaj and that, I can assure you.'
"Try your luck!' Roli taunts as she begins to walk out. But Sid stops her with a strong tug on her waist that gets her close to him. She's breathless for a moment and tries freeing herself from his mighty hold as he looks straight in to her eyes. But as always, he's too strong for her. He watches her; her pretty face and appealing features, her hairs that's dancing out of the drape of her dupatta, above that her enormous innocence. He moves close to her as she closes her eyes tightly and murmurs in her ears.
"But you know what; you've turned really really hot and groovy in these two years. I feel like...'
But Roli doesn't let him complete. She opens her eyes and pushes him with all strength she has.
"Dare not to touch me!' She warns angrily and walks away, of course glaring daggers at him. Siddhant is unaffected and just watches with a smile as she descends the stairs.
"keep running Roli, but how long and to where? You'll obviously have to come back to me, be it today or tomorrow.' he says with a smile as he pauses for a while and then follows her.
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