A/N: Sorry for the lack of action in this chapter! This seems more like a filler chapter (and it's short) to me, but anyways: Enjoy! :)
Part 5: World War III
"Armaan," Keerti spoke knocking on his door.
"Ya?" he replied buttoning his shirt "Do you need something?"
"Yeah, do you mind leaving a bit earlier today?"
"Uh, why?" he asked grabbing the brush and gel to style his hair.
"Well, to pick Shilpa up from her house on the way to school." Keerti informed him.
"No, mom," Armaan spoke his grip tightening around the brush "I can't."
"Armaan." Keerti said in a disapproving tone.
"Mom." Armaan replied matching her tone.
"Armaan, you're going to pick her up and that is final."
"Last time I checked, she had a car. Why can't she just go by herself?"
"You're going to husband and wife soon, beta." Keerti spoke gently "It's best for you to bond as much as you can before the wedding to clear up all the misunderstandings."
"But, mom, we're NOT getting married." Armaan spoke opening the door.
"Oh, yes you are." Keerti spoke sternly following her son.
"No, mom."
"Yes, you are. Now go and pick my daughter-in-law up, got it?"
"Mom! I am not going!" Armaan protested.
"Well, if you're not going you can forgot about coming back to this house after school."
"Fine!" Armaan spoke.
"Armaan," Keerti whined "Just go and pick her up. How hard can it be?"
"But, mom" Armaan whined as well.
"Come on, beta, this marriage will not be broken no matter what you do. So, why not just give up now?" Keerti tried to convince him.
"Mom, I'm just going to go pick her up, okay? Nothing else, okay?"
"And I'm NOT getting married to her." Armaan added as an afterthought.
"Sure, whatever, you say." Keerti spoke before ushering him out the door and closing it on his face.
ooooooo
"Okay, mom, I'm going, bye." Shilpa spoke kissing her mom on the cheek.
"Oh no, wait." Her mom replied.
"What?"
"Armaan's coming to pick you up."
"Mom, funny. I'm going."
"No, seriously, he's coming to pick you up."
"Okay then, when he shows up tell him I left."
"Shilpa."
"Mom."
"Just go with him, beta, it won't hurt you."
"Hurt, maybe not. Killed, yes."
"I don't know why you don't like him, he seems like a nice boy."
"Yeah, seems."
"Shilpa, you're going with him and its final, got it?"
"But, mom" Shilpa whined.
"Shilpa, you need to get more acquainted with him, okay? You are going to get married soon."
"Mom, we're not getting married."
"Whatever gets you through the day, beta."
"Mom!"
"Sorry, beta, but we all think it's a good idea to get you guys married."
"Yeah, two people are getting married who hate each other, and can't stand the sight each other. They can't stop fighting! They can't even talk for 5 minutes without insulting each other. Come on, see something wrong with the equation?"
"Personally, I don't." Her mom replied.
"Mom!" she moaned.
"Come on, Shilpa, think about it. It might not be such a bad idea after all."
Shilpa didn't know why, but due to that particular line her thoughts from Saturday came flooding back. She remembered that she wanted to find out what made him flip out like that. She inhaled deeply, giving a lot of thought to that idea, before promising her mom that she'd think about it.
ooooooo
Shilpa was startled when she heard a car's loud horn outside her house. She quickly grabbed her backpack knowing that it was the one and only, Armaan - she could almost feel that it was him.
She glanced at her watch to see that she was already running late, and ran outside. She opened the door, got inside the car and threw her backpack in the backseat with Armaan's backpack not uttering a word. She closed the door and told him to hurry up if they wanted to get to school on time as she fastened her seatbelt.
"What the keener can't tarnish her perfect record?" Armaan teased, but there was bitterness in his voice...one that hadn't been there before.
"Yes, unlike some people, I actually care."
Armaan just started the car not bothering to say a word, and Shilpa reluctantly did the same.
Already bored of the noise, she turned on the radio only to have Armaan turn it off.
"Ar-maan" she spoke again aware of the consequences. She knew he was going to flip out on her again, just like on Saturday, but she wanted to see his reaction one more time. After all, if she wanted to get to find out his back story she had to have some place to start.
The car screeched to a halting stop, and Shilpa was close to bursting into giggles - just the thought of having something vaguely interesting to do was making her happy.
Armaan started the car again, and Shilpa couldn't help but chuckle at his behavior. She knew it was the totally wrong time to do this, but she couldn't help it.
Armaan's eyes changed color again, but they looked stormy this time instead of just black.
"Something you find funny?" he asked sounding like a teacher who caught you and your friends laughing during class.
Shilpa couldn't help but laugh harder as she imagined them in a classroom full of students with Armaan as the teacher.
Armaan's blood was boiling. He knew he had told her not to call him that, and she had even look scared of him at that time. But now, she looked far from that. Just hearing her break his name into two like, like...
He shook his head, and pressed on the gas pedal harder. He heard her stop laughing, and from the corner of his eye he saw her look at him. He smirked to himself. How could he have forgotten? She had a fear of having cars go too fast. He pressed harder making her look at him in fear, but she didn't say a thing...she was a tough nut to crack.
Armaan forgot about what happened a few minutes ago, and continued to accelerate the car faster.
Shilpa knew that Armaan was doing this on purpose. She could practically hear him laughing inwardly as he smirked at her obvious fear. She put one hand on the edge of the seat and the other clutched the seatbelt strap going across her body. She made sure not to clutch them too hard, and make it seem like she was scared. She knew that she wasn't going to get the upper hand in this, but she was prepared to use anything that would be of advantage to her - even if it meant breaking his name into two.
ooooooo
One thing they didn't realize, along the way, was that their game of insults had now turned into a game of power. Whoever had more power over the other would be the clear winner in this competition that they had started. They were both desperate for power, desperate to control each other. Power, from this point on, was the only thing they both cared about in their relationship, or so they thought.
On one side was Armaan, the guy who always got what he wanted. He was used to being in power, used to ordering others around. He didn't enjoy being ordered around by anyone neither did he like having people ignore his orders - especially not a girl.
On the other side was Shilpa, a girl who was determined not to let a guy rule her life or control what she did. She was too used to having the power of being able to controlling everyone around her, but it seemed like that wouldn't be the case, anymore.
Another thing they didn't realize was how this struggle of control would make them hurt each other and then eventually make them fall in love.
.|. LET THE WAR COMMENCE .|.
A/N: I know! I know! You probably hate me 'cause of this chapter, but this was important for the buildup of the story! I'm sorry! Don't worry this is the part after which the story gets interesting. :]
Next up: Armaan and Shilpa agree for the marriage! :O
Uhh...review? Please? Pretty please? Whoever reviews gets a cookie! 😛 :)
NEXT PART: Page 10 :)
Edited by xxdevilishxx - 15 years ago
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