Hostel Road
On the other hand, several kilometers away, Piya was walking towards her hostel. Sambhav had dropped her at the turn of the uphill road and Piya had assured him that she will go on her own . He needn't worry. Sambhav didn't look too sure but Piya had convinced him that she'd be okay. And if any danger lurked around, Zeenia would sense it and come rushing like a roadrunner . She trusted Zeenia. Sambhav had just smiled and waving her goodbye, he had driven away. Arms crossed against her chest , holding the beige jacket that she was wearing closer as the wind whispered around making the branches of trees howl. She looked at the ground as she walked, her face all pensive and thoughtful. How far she had come. From a carefree , giggly teenager to an intense , thoughtful woman in love. Abhay had changed everything about Piya and now, he had changed ….forever? Piya trembled at the thought of seeing Abhay's cold eyes again- the same cold ice blue that she had seen when she had met him for the first time. No matter how brave a front she put in front of everyone, only she knew how she was slipping out of her own fingers , inside. Tears welled up in her eyes but she didn't let them flow out of her baby browns. No. She wasn't weak. She couldn't afford to be. Just then, Piya stopped in her tracks as a gust of wind struck her. Piya's eyes went wide open and she rolled her fists into balls. She slowly turned her head to the end of the road and her baby browns looked on curiously , or maybe anxiously. It was rather tough to tell. And then, she saw those headlights turn into the curve that led to the uphill road to our hostel. The long black car , the metallic bat sitting royally on the bonnet. Piya's heart skipped a beat. Abhay! That was Abhay's car ! Piya's feet turned cold. Suddenly, she realized that she didn't want to see Abhay. She wasn't prepared to see him. Piya turned on her heels , her head reeling and her face drained of all colour. She covered her head with the black stole , jammed her hands into her jacket and quickened her pace towards her hostel. The car was coming closer , no honking – that was Abhay's habit. He never honked the car horn. People moved out of his way on their own. Piya shut her eyes and crossed her fingers , praying that Abhay doesn't see her. The car zoomed past Piya and for a few seconds , Piya felt her heart had just stopped beating. Piya opened her eyes and the tail lights of the car began to recede away into the darkness.
Piya took the stole off her head and as she put it back around her neck, she saw the black monster of a car reverse in full speed . A shocked Piya almost fell backwards. The car came to a halt and as Piya looked on, the door of the driver's seat opened and she saw her favourite face raise his head and come out of the car. Abhay – pleasant , happy , twinkling melting blue eyes , a smile on his illegally handsome jawline and impeccably dressed in a half buttoned crisp white shirt and black trousers. No, nothing had changed about him. He waved at Piya and walked towards her , raising his eyebrows. Piya felt a knot in her stomach and a lump in her throat . Abhay was walking towards her and he was smiling! He remembered her! Yes, he did! Piya was totally dazed by the moment as Abhay's familiar cinnamon and balsam scent hit her senses after what seemed a whole lifetime.
Piya ( croaks )- A-Abhay……
Abhay comes to her and gives her a quick hug , patting the back of her head , making Piya go weak in the knees and making her head throb. What was happening! Abhay was in her arms! This had to be a sick joke – it just had to be. Piya's face crumbled into a sea of emotions and she raised her arms to hug him back but Abhay pulled away quickly . Tucking her hair back behind her ear , he smiled pleasantly at her.
Abhay (sweetly )- Whoa! This is some surprise, Piya. When did you come back? Does Maithli know?
Piya looked at Abhay blankly, blinking her eyes at him. What's wrong with Abhay? What is he talking about?
Piya ( with all her strength to appear normal )- What….i mean, what are you talking about? Maithli knows what? Where did I go?
Abhay looks at her quizzically and then, bending over smells her breath , making Piya's heart stop and getting tossed himself by the warmth of her breath. Their eyes meet and Abhay looks confused for a few seconds. He snaps out of Piya's baby browns and shakes his head as though getting back to normal. He steps away from her and runs a hand through his hair , laughing.
Abhay ( narrows his eye brows at her )- You are not drunk , then, why the silly counter questioning?....( finds his hands going back to her black curls rather innocently )…..To Cahoota , of course. You were at the ancestral home for a fortnight , right? Maithli said that you were upset over something that had happened at your father Arnab's house….( warmly )….you are too sensitive, Piya.
Piya ( gently taking his hands off her hair )- Sensitive? And what is 'Aunt' Maithli?
Abhay reads some disdain in Piya's eyes and he doesn't like how Piya shook his hands off her hair.
Abhay ( raising an eye brow )- Concerned. That is what she feels about you.She said she had been trying to call you but you didn't take her calls.
Piya felt a plethora of emotions and feelings as she looked at Abhay. He was here. With her. But not for her. He had been fed lies by Maithli and logically, he had believed them. He was Maithli's Abhay after all. Abhay had no idea that he was breaking her heart every millisecond and that it required Herculean effort on her part to even stand in front of him. She wanted to scream, sob , break into his arms but she couldn't. Piya's eyes shown bright with tears as her jaw tightened.
Piya ( getting angry )- That is between me and Maithli. You are not an advocate, Abhay. I will go and see her. Tell her am fine and back in hostel….( looking at the clock in her cellphone )…..am getting late. Can I go now?
Abhay ( offended )- You are being rude, Piya. Maithli is your relative.
Piya ( irritated )- And who are you? That I should stand in the middle of a lonely road on a winter night and listen to you!......( directing all her pain to him in the form of temper )…Just go , Abhay! I don't take orders from strangers!
Abhay feels a pang in his dead heart when Piya calls him a stranger and aggressively turns her around by grabbing her arm.
Piya ( squirms in pain )- ABHAY!
Abhay ( hurt and furious )- Who am I? Why should you listen to me? STRANGER! How dare you call me that! I am…..( his temper and tempo both going low as he looks into her pained questioning eyes )…..i am….your friend.
Piya looks at Abhay's stricken face and his confusion breaks her heart. He knew the answer inside that why Piya's attitude had hurt him so much but his heart was in conflict with his programmed mind. Piya cursed herself as Abhay's grip loosened over her arm . Why was she raging and ranting on Abhay! Its not his fault if he doesn't remember that he loved her or has Maithli dancing over his head.
Piya ( softly )- Sorry.
Abhay ( rubbing his temples and normalizing himself )- No, I am sorry. I have no right to scream at you or hurt you. I don't know what came over me. I think am just possessive about y…..(shakes his head)….about you because you are Maithli's niece. Please don't misunderstand my intentions.
Piya (looking away )- Go home, Abhay. You should go home now.
Abhay looks at Piya's turned away face and feels a strange heaviness in his heart as he retreats from her. He walks towards his car and Piya watches him go. Then, he stops.
Abhay ( turning around )- Will you…
Piya ( nods her head slowly with a smile )- I will go and see Maithli tomorrow. I promise. Get going now…. ( fears that she might burst into tears any second now )….I will see you in college , tomorrow morning.
Abhay's face lights up and Piya feels the light go out of her……
Tanushree's house
T was sitting by the window of the living room of her hilltop house , watching the rain beat against the window and the town below lit up like a fairyland. Her parents were out of town to attend a family wedding. They had insisted that she comes along but Tanushree, still unsure of her animal instincts and with no Sambhav to take control of her had refused to go. She couldn't risk lives of others. Lives? She laughed internally. Did it even matter now? She was a killet vampire already who had killed people , drank their blood, poisoned vampires like Danish who had already been put on death roll by Natasha and then….SAMBHAV. The gorgeous grey-eyed powerful werewolf who was trying to help her fight her demons because he knew what it was like to be a monster. And what was she doing? Trapping him emotionally. But was that all? Did Sambhav mean nothing to her? T looked at her reflection in the glass.
T (to herself )- Don't T. Don't even think about it. You don't have feelings. You cannot afford to have any feelings being a Bolshva vampire. You are a kill machine and you are only using Sam…..and Sam will never even look at you that way. He loves Misha , whether he says it or not. You are just a charity case. When you were the college queen, men just wanted to touch you, there was never any love. And today , when you are a damned monster, your beauty is just a weapon. There is no love….( smiles sadly )…..poor little pretty girl.
Just then, the doorbell of her house rings and T is shaken out of her reverie. She looks at the wall clock – it is 3am! Mom-Dad are not back before day after tomorrow and the servants have been given an off. She has no friends. Natasha never visits her at home and she spoke to Sam an hour ago and he was going home. T gets up, straightening her green T-shirt and white shorts. Slipping her feet into her furry slip-ons, she goes towards the door. Narrowing her eyebrows , she opens the door and is taken aback by the surprise visitor.Misha! Dressed in a black vest and capris , her sling bag resting at her waist , she looks at T.
T ( shocked )- Misha?
Misha ( looks in )- Can I come in? The rain just started and I am not carrying an umbrella.
T ( not budging )- Go home, Misha. You shouldn't be here. I am dangerous. You've seen it yourself. We will talk tomorrow in college , whatever it is. Just go.
Misha ( not budging either )- Sam trusts you. Think of him when you have the urge to bite me. You won't. And there is no blood on me that would put you out of control.
T ( insisting ) – You don't understand. I am evil and am a danger to your life.
Misha ( looks at her )- Call Sam then. At least his presence will guarantee my life , if not you.
T moves away from the door and Misha walks in , confusing her. T immediately picks her cellphone and dials Sam's number.
TO BE CONTNUED……………..
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Kumkum Bhagya
