Breathless ~1~...*Note - Page 143* - Page 61

"Rahul! Slow down, it's dark!"

Muskaan frantically looked on either side of her as the trees morphed in to one dark blur. The engine of the car growled furiously with the increasing speed. Rahul glanced to his side to see her nearing hyperventilation, her curly locks bouncing from side to side.

"Muskaan...relax. Hasn't anyone told you? I'm practically Superman....fully equipped with night vision baby."

He turned to her and smirked before focusing on the road again, stepping on the accelerator harder.

"Rahul! Superman had X-ray vision!....now slow down before I pass out!"

Rahul chuckled and released the accelerator, slowing the vicious tiger to a purring kitten. Muskaan exhaled loudly and finally leaned back against her seat with a thud. Eventually tearing her eyes away from the road for the first time since their departure, she turned to Rahul who seemed to be just as relaxed driving at 90 miles per hour as he did when he was driving at 65.

"You know about superheroes? Impressive...." He said with a genuine look of amazement.

Muskaan rolled her eyes at him and smiled. The darkness drowned the interior of the car; the only relief was the glow emanating from the moon which highlighted his strong features. Watching him take hold of the wheel with only one hand, she couldn't help but think how in control he always looked, be it driving a car, playing the guitar or even cracking open a can of coke.

"You do know Goa has virtually no speed cameras right?" He interrupted her train of thought.

"Why would you want to speed through Goa at night anyway? Have you seen the nights here? You're supposed to notice these things, aren't you like the hippy musician type?" She asked wide eyed, gesturing to the windscreen.

Rahul turned to her and chuckled at her passionate expression.

"Err Muskaan....Believe it or not...Mumbai has nights too you know and I am NOT a hippy."

"Not like this! When was the last time you saw stars instead of aeroplanes? Or breathed fresh air instead of pollution? Or heard the waves of the sea instead of honking and hooting of the rickshaw drivers?"She said wistfully as she leaned her head against her window and looked up at the night sky.

Damn. He had never thought of it that way. Leaning forward in his seat he looked up at the twinkling stars scattered across the pitch black sky. Mumbai most definitely had its perks as 'the city that never sleeps' but there was certain serenity about Goa that had somehow gone unnoticed by him over the past few days.

"Shoot!"

Rahul instinctively shot his head to his right to find Muskaan fumbling around in her seat.

"What's up? Are you okay?"

"My earring fell out." She said slightly disappointed as she shook out her turquoise baby doll top with furrowed eyebrows.

"I need a flashlight." Leaning over to the glove compartment in front of her she-

"Hey Muskaan I really wouldn't open that if I were-" Too late!

Her silver diamante sandals were suddenly piled with individual packets of condoms that had tipped out of the box. Oh you have got to be kidding me....

"I did try to warn you!" Rahul laughed as he watched her look to her feet like she'd stepped in cow dung.

Muskaan reached over to her feet and picked one of the packets up like it harboured a contagious flesh eating disease.

"Why exactly does Armaan need these?!" She asked incredulously.

"Oh allow me to explain Muskaan, basically when a guy and a girl have sex th-"

"Woah woah woah...I know what it is!" She rolled her eyes and shook her head as he laughed at her interruption.

"I'm just wondering why he needs so many in here..."

After a few moments of silent, she watched Rahul run his free hand through his hair and cringe.

"Ahhh shit..." Rahul muttered when realization finally hit him as to what exactly Armaan was getting up to in his 'lady magnet' Aston Martin. That asshole!

"Ugh do you think?...I mean....they? He?....here?...on this seat?" She stammered through the series of half questions for an answer to the obvious one question.

"Yes...yes...yes and yes" Rahul answered confidently. He sure as hell knew about Armaan's tactics after living with him for years.

"Ugh!"

Muskaan reluctantly began picking up the 'tiny packets of protection' and placing them back in the box in the dark. Finally finding her earring near her foot she slipped it on and locked up the box back in the glove compartme- hold on....why aren't we moving? She draped the hair that was veiling her face to the other side of her shoulder and looked up at Rahul who had his arms crossed and was waiting for her to finish fumbling.

"Why did we stop?" She asked as she sat back up in her seat and looked around to find the car parked on top of the familiar cliff facing the direction of the indigo sea. Turning around she saw the recognizable road leading up to the mansion lying perpendicular to the now stationary car.

"Are you lost? I know my way up from here..." She suggested, though she knew the chances of Rahul losing his way up to the mansion were as high as Armaan being a virgin. Virtually impossible.

He chuckled and shook his head, "You know you're speaking to the human GPS right?"

"Then?"

"I'm appreciating the Goan night just like you told me too, I'm supposed to be the hippy musician type right?....plus I'm getting the hell away from this seat. Wanna join me?" He asked nonchalantly with a grin.

"But what are we going to do?" She asked hesitantly.

"Well...I'm sure Armaan has a rope or a cable in his boot and we are on a cliff....wanna go bungee jumping?!" He asked with a devilishly wide grin.

"Only if you go first." She whispered sarcastically.

Rahul chuckled hysterically before taking the keys out of the ignition, stepping out of the car and taking advantage of a dumbstruck Muskaan by opening her door out for her.

She stepped out apprehensively, one glistening porcelain leg after another.

Shutting the door close behind her, he rolled up the sleeves of his black button up shirt and strolled over to the front of the car. Muskaan watched him in confusion as he hopped on to the bonnet and leaned against the windshield.

After a few seconds of awkward silence he turned towards her and sighed.

"Are you hopping on or do I have to drag you up here?" he said gesturing to the empty space next to him.

Muskaan exhaled loudly and rested her hands on her hips.

"You know Armaan's going to kill us right? This car's like practically his girlfriend....well one of his girlfriends."

"Armaan's not going to find out unless you leave a Muskaan shaped dent on the hood....how much exactly did you eat?" He laughed looking towards her.

She rolled her eyes and smiled as she crawled on to the bonnet of the car awkwardly, finally leaning her head against the windshield next to him.

The sky was an alluring shade of onyx, free from clouds and haze. The stars shone brightly like a thousand little shards of diamonds scattered across the dome.

They lay in silence listening to the whisper of the waves.

"Rahul?" Muskaan whispered apprehensively.

"Hmmm?"

"I'm really sorry....about...you know...before." She gave him a side way glance, her hands resting on her stomach.

Rahul looked to her, locking in on her big brown gaze.

"It's okay Muskaan....you didn't know."

He whispered softly, though the now rigid tension in his eyes was evident. She turned to her side, unable to break away from his stare even as he spoke. The cool breeze brushed past her with a feather touch, carrying with it the scent of Rahul's cologne.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her question was innocent, though deep down her curiosity made her feel self conscious that she was prying.

She noticed his arms move to his chest and cross over each other stiffly. His eyes left hers and looked back up at the sky.

"I'm sorry....it's just hard to talk about." His voice had transformed in to one drenched with strain and discomfort.

"That's okay." She replied guiltily, inwardly kicking herself for being so intrusive and bringing the tension in the air.

Resuming her position on her back again, she looked outwards above the ocean to find the silver moon glowing gloriously. Its beams floating upon the waves, completely contrasting the black of the sea.

"Hey Rahul!....you see those three stars in a diagonal line up there?!" Muskaan whispered excitedly, her hand rose in the air pointing to the three stars lined up in a row, equally dazzling intensely.

"Where?"

"There!" She shifted closer so she was seeing the stars in Rahul's perspective.

" The bright blue ones right?...They're beautiful..."

" Yeh now can you see the vertical line of three stars just under it?!"

Her hair was tousled to one side and she was resting on her elbow, her other hand pointed over him to the cluster of stars above.

"Uh huh.." He murmured...sceptical as to where this conversation was going.

"Okay now follow my finger..." She said softly, her eyes wide and enthusiastic.

She traced out the cluster of stars and the ones surrounding it over and over again until Rahul gasped.

"It's a constellation..." He smiled looking over to Muskaan who was practically hovering over him, looking up at the twinkling specks of glitter.

She glanced down at him and nodded, flushing at her proximity. Hastily settling back down in to her previous position and taking her subtle sweet scent with her, she looked back up to her latest discovery.

"Do you know what of?"

"A butt naked dude..." He stated confidently.

"What?!" She giggled, shooting Rahul a sideways glance.

"You don't see it?!" He gasped sarcastically, watching her laugh hysterically.

"No! Well...it is a man so maybe you're half right.." She said between giggles.

"Ahh...let's hear your side of it then."

"He's Orion. That row of diagonal 3 stars is his belt, the vertical straight line is his sword. That's his shield, his head, his shoulders and that's his club." She said, moving closer to him again as she pointed out each aspect of the constellation.

Rahul welcomed back her sweet fruity scent and the warmth she brought along with her.

"Why has he got a shield and a club?" He asked curiously.

"He's a hunter. According to Greek mythology, he ate the flesh of all his mortal enemies and the Gods he killed. There was a belief in the magic that by devouring the Gods, one can absorb their powers and spirits and become invincible."

"Wow....how do you know all of this?" Rahul asked, tearing his eyes away from the constellation to watch her eyes fixated on the sparkles.

She had relaxed once again and leaned against the windshield.

"I'm in to astrology....astronomy kind of just comes with it." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's pretty damn impressive Muskaan." He was most definitely surprised that the bollywood fashionista was so casual about her knowledge of the stars and the universe.

"Thanks....but explain to me why you thought it was a naked guy again?"

"Oh! I'll give you the belt but there is no way that vertical line of stars underneath it is a sword....if you know what I mean..."

Muskaan's brows furrowed and she pursed her lips, squinting at the constellation. Waiting a few quiet moments suddenly she gasped before clamping her hand tight to her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut. Rahul chuckled at her as she discovered his perception of the piece of art.

"Oh my god you're right!" She mumbled with her hands still fixed to her mouth.

She shot her head to Rahul who was now chuckling hysterically at her expression. Slowly releasing her mouth, she burst in to a giggle.

"See?!"

After a few seconds of uncontrolled laughter they both settled down from their high and relaxed back to their star gazing. The sea seemed to have adopted a momentary state of tranquillity as the sound of the waves subsided to a hushed whisper. Silence permeated their atmosphere and the only sounds were Rahul and Muskaan's steady even breaths.

"Her name was Simran " He said shakily, his voice a sharp contrast from a few seconds ago.

Muskaan turned to Rahul in confusion, the clench of his jaw and the intensity of his eyes as he looked up at the sky told her all she needed to know.

"Rahul you don't have to do this...I understand if-"

"No....I want to. I have to. How long can I keep it locked up?" He said, looking to Muskaan helplessly.

All she could do was nod hesitantly. She didn't know if she could help him or make him feel better but she knew that if he needed an ear or just someone to talk to she'd be there for him.

His eyes were wary and confused. He opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it firmly shut, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration alongside. He started, as if he were talking more to himself, slowly and hesitantly.

"I met her at a college party, I was studying Engineering and she a Communications degree. From the moment I laid eyes on her – I was stolen. I know it sounds superficial....like 'love at first sight' or some shit like that." He let out a dry, bitter laugh, his eyes still cold as he fixated them to the stars.

"I'd never really paid much attention to girls before her...they were just fun. But there was something about her that drew me closer. She was my complete opposite at the time – I was slightly introverted, she was a social butterfly. I liked to keep my best friends close and they were my family; she was everyone's best friend yet everyone was her stranger. I wanted to see the world from her perspective."

"The more time I spent with her the more I fell for her and I had to make her mine, even though I knew I was just one of the guys in the queue. It didn't matter....I'd wait for her. So when she agreed, I couldn't believe my luck. I'd never let her go."

"I took her anywhere she wanted to go. Expensive restaurants, weekend trips out of town, shows, whatever...it didn't matter. She was worth every penny. Eventually we became exclusive, she was finally my girlfriend and I was pretty much the happiest man in the world."

Muskaan paid him her full and utmost attention as he lost himself in his nostalgic thoughts. His intense eyes had transformed in to hazy, glass like gaze as he transported himself in to a world of memories...in an alternate universe.

"She drank alot. I was always up for a drink, don't get me wrong and I didn't mind her drinking. But every time she insisted on partying, which was about 4 or 5 days a week, she completely and totally wrecked herself. Normally resulting in me carrying her out of the club and taking her back to her dorm room. Every time I brought it up she'd argue with me, some shit about me being too controlling. I stopped bringing it up. The last thing I wanted to do was argue with her."

"After a while we never really spent any time alone, if we weren't hitting up Mumbai's hot spots we were out partying with friends. I couldn't blame her....the fact that we had so little in common reflected in the time we did spend together. So eventually she partied with her friends alone, but every night she was out she'd call me to pick her up at around 4 or 5 in the morning. I was honestly happy to do it, because truthfully I couldn't sleep until I tucked her up in bed safe."

He exhaled, the knot in his stomach making it almost painful for him to reawaken the memories he had tried so hard to suppress.

"People told me what she got up to, even Armaan warned me. I knew her every move, her every breath. I could tell when she was lying to me, or when she'd come back from meeting a guy. I was pathetic. I'd pretend everything was normal, like we were normal. I was happy to play the fool as long as she was by my side until-"

His breath caught and Muskaan watched him break from his hazy trance in the sky, his eyes now fixed downwards.

"Until?" Muskaan whispered softly, almost afraid to ask.

His gaze was evasive and anxious as the silence wore on. Narrowing his eyes at nothing in particular, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. With a sharp exhale he began...

"Armaan finally saw her with another guy at a club. I didn't believe him at first, or maybe I just didn't want to. I thought he was just trying to mess things up between me and her. Or maybe even have her to himself. My ego probably had something to do with it.....I was in denial of the fact that she would ditch me for some other guy when I treated her so well. But when he forced me to see her with my own eyes, reality slapped me across the face."

Rahul finally turned to Muskaan for the first time since he began his heart wrenching confession, his eyes burning bright with intensity. His clenched fists were still concealed within his crossed arms, his body rigid with frustration.

The sparks of irritation had gradually built in to an inferno of infuriation within Muskaan. Who the hell did this girl think she was? How can someone's heart be so frozen? Her eyes searched his for more answers to her questions; she was oblivious to everything else. The stars, the sea and the sky had all disappeared in to reality, for right now she was stuck in Rahul's universe.

"What happened?" Her voice trembled.

"I had to walk away from her."

"She begged and pleaded for me to stay, using her tears against me every step of the way. I just couldn't do it." His voice was low and defeated.

"Rahul....that must have been so hard for you." She whispered, her heart breaking in to pieces with each of his words.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." He said in a strained whisper, his hands running through his matted hair.

"You did the right thing. You know that right?"

"I know.... I've learnt from my mistakes. I was immature and I shouldn't have let it get that far anyway... "

"Hey...you did absolutely nothing wrong. Do you understand?" Her voice was firm and unwavering yet still retaining her softness.

The assurance in her bright brown eyes comforted him and all the self doubt and guilt seemed to wash away with every second he looked in to them. Suddenly, the knot in his stomach, the heavy feeling in his chest, the painful memories had all dissipated during the conversation and he hadn't even noticed. Realizing she was still waiting for an answer, he gave her a stiff nod and an almost genuine smile.

"You've got a huge heart and she'll never ever deserve it."

She confidently reached over and wrapped her arms around his neck in an attempt to further console him. Rahul's breath hitched inaudibly as he hesitantly enveloped her in to his strong arms. Closing his eyes, he realised he'd just experienced his own form of an exorcism with her words. The demons he'd kept locked up for so long had finally been released in to the open air. With a deep sigh of relief, he inhaled her fruity scent and he mentally replaced it with the stale scent of cigarettes he had been a accustomed to. He wrapped her waist tighter, relishing in the feel of a warm embrace and replaced it with the cold touch of a drunken corpse being tucked in to be-Warm?

Suddenly it occurred to him that the warmth of the hold he'd been feeling was in sharp contrast with her ice cold body. Drifting away from his dream-like state he planted himself firmly in to reality for what felt like the first time since he unlocked his demons.

"Jesus Christ Muskaan...you're freezing." He whispered with his eyes opening slowly and reluctantly.

Muskaan unwrapped herself away from his hold and rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Pretty much" she shrugged, lying back down on the windshield next to him nonchalantly.

"Shit sor-"

*RING RING RING*

Rahul's phone vibrated violently in his back pocket against the hood of the car. Sitting up he checked caller ID, the glow of the light illuminating his tense face.

"Ahh shit..." Rahul groaned, not censoring his thoughts.

Muskaan furrowed her eyebrows and sat up with him, peeking over his shoulder to see the interruption.

"Uh oh" she moaned, biting her lower lip with wide eyes.

Glancing to each other briefly with guilty faces, Rahul finally answered warily. Knowingly he held the phone an inch away from his ear an-

"What the HELL are you two FATASSES doing sitting on my BABY?!"

Author's Note

Hey guys! First up...apologies for a late update! I have to admit I was kind of apprehensive about putting this up because it's a little different to my usual updates and I got a teensy bit nervous. But turns out that my internet decided to cut off for about a day (longest day of my LIFE) because of a snow blizzard.....*sighs*

Let me know what you think....oh and yes we'll have a moment with all the couples...this isn't just an RM thing.

LOVE YOU GUYS! Your comments are keeping me going baby!

Please comment/hit like!!

Your love is more powerful than Orion! (oh yes it is!) 😊