Arshi FF: Tune Into Me-chapter:26 Updated Page 101 - Page 46

I have just read ur message via AlwayzT...thankkuu...

Originally posted by: AlwyzT.

I don't know how many of you'll notice this post. Anyways, I've a message from Dedee which she wanted me to post on her behalf!

As her laptop is not working , she won't be able to post the next chapter until it is repaired. She feels kinda sad that she has been late in updating and apologizes for it. She'll be back very soon.

I hope you all understand. Thank you!

Where r u dear????

Thanks for the note.

Where are u???
Waiting for update...

simply superb update !!! loved it.. 😊

Tune Into Me:

19: A Cognizance, A Path:

The way back to the shore prolonged in silence. It wasn't the disturbing silence, neither was it particularly soothing. But it was all that was left between them. Or so, it seemed.

She came to this deserted place to play some music. She still had the instrument Cathy had gifted her on her sixteenth birthday. She made notes like she always had; she probably had written songs, like the lyrical vocabulary had never left her in the first place. She singed. There are some emotions residing somewhere deep inside her.

He was exposed to her inherent side, for the first ever time in his whole life. He was exposed to the person that she was, is, or could be. He was exposed to the layer within her, which solely belonged to just her, defined just her, but had always been hidden by a lot more fraudulent layers. Like she is and had been faking it. Through out. He could see beneath the layers a little only today, let alone a little, well, there was a beginning to everything. The knowledge was explicit. Maybe he did have instances before today, in their adolescent years to see beneath her deceptive exterior. But it was only today that he had the required intelligence to read it, comprehend it and to give her some benefit of doubt. She was complex, yes and so was he. And maybe she is yet to gain the intelligence to look beneath his layers too. He knew this because he knew he was fraudulent too. In certain ways, he definitely was.

The night was calm, the ocean was all but serene, and the boat was oscillating and pacing towards the shore. The surroundings were dim-lighted with midnight blue, the water reflecting on their faces, as they continued to give each other awkward glances and their stances oscillated, wave-up, wave-down, wave-up wave-down, in a choreographed manner, while his mind continued to talk to himself. He could still hear her voice teamed with that soft guitar strings lingering in his ears although she wasn't really singing any longer. The music he heard a while ago stayed with him, like the masterpiece that resides in your mind, much longer after it has been heard.

In that serene prolonged moment, the boat hit the arched edge of the harbor, effectively bringing them back to reality, when he turned around, anchored the boat, parked it in place and jumped out into the water just below the shore. He took a couple of steps towards the sand, when he noticed no real moment from the side where she was sitting. Curiously, he turned around just in time to see her still routed to the place she had been sitting all the while.

"Are you planning to come yet?" he asked turning completely around, his hands finding a place inside the pockets of his tracks.

"Uh..yes" came the slow response and his curiosity only increased. Plain simple answer for his sarcastic call? Something definitely is wrong.

"Are you okay?" he asked taking a step towards the boat.

She moved, stretched her one leg with what seemed like great difficulty, and yelped in pain. "I think I hurt my leg" she said examining her own knee trying to slowly fold her pant up. He observed her for a split of second and he could see a stain of blood at her knee. He reached out, held the garment firmly and tore it away in a whim saving her the difficulty it would take to fold the wet thick material up. Given any other situation she would have complained, yelled, ranted. But the night had been long enough for her to induce a different behavior and she so, she sighed after another little yelp escaped her throat. He then settled on the rim of the boat, stretching her leg all too carefully, placed her toe on his calf, his gaze seriously observing the wet fresh wound that had just been exposed.

"It must be the stone under the water..."

"I didn't realize when..."

"Expected"

They talked, sentences uttered one after another, and she didn't have anything to say, he looked up a little apologetically, a little worried and little more concerned. "Would you try and get up? It's a long walk back home"

She just nodded, gripping the sides of the boat whilst lifted her injured leg away from his calf, when he lend her his support to step into the water. Without a second thought, his one hand circled the thin of her waist and the other reached out to her hand which he twirled around his neck, as he bent to reach her height before walking her on the shore. She limped with his support, her body weight leaning into his side, him looking away from her, taking in the silent breeze and her looking down, observing her limping pattern, to keep her mind occupied.

"Erm, can we, uh, go to your room? Dad would go crazy seeing me like this"

He nodded and took the turn towards the back porch of the house, towards the store, lead her inside the half opened shutter, and walked her into his room, making her settle on the bed. He then brought her one towel, grabbing another one for himself, switched on the room heater as they silently dried themselves as much as they can.

"Do you want me to get your clothes?"

"I'm good"

But he wasn't. He was half irritated with the wet clothes as it is. And then the sand particles were sticking to his pants. And so he decided to change. But before he left into the bathroom, he threw a pair of T-shirt and tracks towards her on the bed and gave her a look. "If you need" he added to his expression and vanished away into the washroom. He took his time to come out cleansed and when he was out she was sitting in the same place, still and representing a mannequin. May be her leg hurts.

"Do you have a first-aid box in your living room?"

She looked up to meet his eyes at that and her stance remained different. Different from the one he had known all his years. It was for once a direct genuine eye-meet. No traces of any eye-rolling, nor arrogance. "In the cupboard beside the dining table" she answered; he nodded and left the room, to sneak into the hall of the main house.

Her toe resting on his calf yet again, as he was sitting on a stool ahead of the bed, allowing her leg to stretch, knee to be exposed, as he washed the dirt away using the wet cloth, he looked quite worked up, occasionally trying to observe her glance, more so, trying to read into her suddenly mysterious mind, behind those doves of her eyes. He used some antiseptic, to clean the blood off her wound, and she winced, causing his hand to be stilled in air. She then took the first-aid box away from his hands, and started to clean and dress her own wound, and he chose to remain there, in that very position, all but observing her.

**

A few silent moments passed, when she heard him sneer and she looked up shooting him a pointed look. What's funny? She raised an eye-brow at him and he nodded his head, in that disbelieving manner, sniggering yet again.

"Do you realize you're insane beyond a limit??"

"---Pardon me?"

"Insecure..."

"Wh.."

"---Incorrigible, outrageous, impossible.."

"Excuse me! Just because you saved me another time, doesn't give you any right to call me names" she snapped, putting the first-aid box away, irrelevantly dragging her sitting self away from him.

"Oh really! Stop with the hypocrisy Khushi! I have always just thought you are a troubled child, but you turned out to be mean, heartless, selfish..."

"---shut up! Please, just stop!" she clenched her teeth, suddenly as if in defeat.

"Do you even have an idea, what that man, your father is going through? Do you realize how much had he been waiting to see you do music?"

"Arnav, I said stop! You don't know anything, so stop talking to me about it"

"Yeah right! That's about it. You are one hell of a selfish, self obsessed woman Khushi. You don't bloody care for anything else other than your own hypocrisy. You punish him for something that was inevitable, shut him away from music, you be a bitch to him day in and day out, give lectures about hating music, not wanting to do anything with it? I mean the GRAND PIANO? Cathy's Grand piano? You locked that up? How could you? How could you Maddy?!!"

He reached out held her shoulders, shook them, his voice in desperation as if all the act he had been putting up, until then is finally trailing down. And he realized, how much had he been actually affected by the drastic change he had witnessed in the life style they had been living. His disturbed mind, when not layered by any other sophisticated aspects of his persona, pouring out in the form of his sudden anger and all he needed was answers. Answers about her, about them and a lot more. The questions might not be coming out in the right way, deep down, he realized, but he had to start somewhere.

"I.DONT.NEED.TO.GIVE.YOU.ANY.ANSWERS. Think what you want" she said in her even yet troubled, tightened voice, as he continued to grip her firm, whilst looking down at her with his furious glare.

She started to get up and he gripped her down, back in position. "Have you been faking the whole act all these years khushi? All these bloody years? You keep him and everything around you away from music and you sneak around to be with solely? Faking it all the way??" his voice was deep, with desperation, hopeful to hear her say no.

"Were you really taking revenge on him for Cathy? In such a mean way?"

"NO!!" she cried, finally looking up to meet his tearing gaze. "I was not!" she yelled, finally causing him to easy his grip on her shoulders and to eventually lean away.

"There, you have your answer. I was not. Not all these years. Not until you turned up into our small world, not until you decide to save me from that goddamn hill and out of the blue a tune plays in my mind.."

She continued to speak and it was his turn to be stumped. Was she speaking his mind? For Real?

"Not until those inevitable lame dreams that I get overpowered all my senses, like never before" she sighed finally her voice toning down. "My mind was overloaded with vague imaginary tunes, words, so much that I had to get it out of my system... and..and..." she looked at him struggling to find some words of explanation. "and...after hearing you play that evening? I just had to do something with everything that's going on within me. Seeing you play so...so..." she sighed looking away. "effortlessly" she said not meeting his eye. Giving a compliment to each other has never been easy for them.

"...was disturbing..and, I... I had to see if I still have that in me" she stopped, giving a finality to her statement and he all but remained perplexed. Was this all really happening?

"Wh..what dreams?" he found himself utter, still in some shock, his eyes pouring into hers.

"huh?"

"You mentioned dreams?"

"You are having fun aren't you? Making me talk like this vulnerable one? Getting me admit this all? Is your ego satisfied now?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Whats wrong showing the world yourself?"

"You don't understand!"

""Oh try me!" he stated and she nodded her head in dismissal. "You push away everything from your life, or have tried to all along, every that thing that relates to your mom. You don't sing, you don't play, you can't surf neither have you learnt swimming, quite contrast to the kind of living that surrounds you here, keep reminding yourself and Uncle of what happened all those years ago and now me, the angst, do you think it's all that hard to figure out?"

"Will you for heaven's sake stop this?!" she threw her hands in air.

""It's all because everything of these reminds you of Cathy even more, isn't it?"

"Yes! The more I do the things that I did with her, I miss her more. You don't have to be so judgmental about this Arnav. I don't expect you to understand alright? What do you know about losing a parent anyway?"

"What do you know about losing a mother?" she yelled and it took only a split of second after her sentence ended to realize what she had said. And the realization was worth a slap on her own face. She was dammed by no one but herself. She had this urge to press a backspace or turn the time around, to take the sentence back. But the damage was done. It was not just evident in the way her face was masked with a sudden blank look, but also in the way he looked at her. Disappointed.

"You're right. How would I know anyway. I wouldn't, not even after losing two of them" he said stepping away from her and walked past her, turned off the lights, sat on one side of the bed and eventually lay flat on it, his one hand covering his face calling the argument quit. After all, she did choose the nasty way as usual to end an argument. After a prolonged moment of contemplation, the night getting darker, ocean in the exterior reciting its lullabies, rummaging and shuffling, khushi sat there replaying the events of the night and nights before this. She was alone. She realized; in whatever journey that was set for her. She was alone.

And so was he. A voice echoed within her. She was guilty. There were no second thoughts to it. Every time she had uttered something in a whim, to intentionally stab someone with her words, there always was regret, let alone a little, there was. God knows there was. But today, there was despise. Weird unsettlement. Her chest was heavy with unhealthy feeling. She sat there and her head started to ache. The decision was then made. She should apologize.

Moments later, she found herself in taking a sharp breathe before she moved, dragging her leg along, limping a little and then walked around to sit on the other side of the bed, looked at him, before laying flat, efficiently a mille-meters away from his posture. Yes, the bed seemed giant. She then turned to her side to face him and she knew he was awake, listening to her every move. She cleared her throat, looking for words. He didn't move.

"I, uh..."

He removed his hand away from his face, titled his neck to look at her. Eyebrows raised.

"Um,, I didn't mean to, You know how it is..." she explained, or tried to.

"I don't really know Khushi" he stated fixing his eyes.

"Yeah, that makes sense" she looked away, bringing her hand involuntarily to rest in between them. When she looked back, her eyes were determined. He deserved this apology.

"Arnav I'm sorry. I know that was arrogant. Bitchy actually. It..just...came out in the wrong way. I don't really mean half the things I say Arnav. It's just that..." she sighed. "No explanations. I'm sorry, truly and genuinely. I shouldn't have said that" there she finally said it loud and clear. She instantly felt better. And from the looks of it, even he felt better.

He turned to her side, mirroring her posture and for several silent moments, they continued to gaze, at particularly nothing but each other. There was a small smile evident in his eyes and unaltered apology in hers, when he finally smiled, giving that extra bit relief to her senses. "I'll forgive you on one condition" he said fixing his eyes. It was her turn to smile. A genuine proper one, directly at him.

"Please don't expect I'll do anything to earn your forgiveness. I have said it out and loud. I'm at peace!"

She surprised him. In every ridiculous way and he smirked at her statement. "See that's what I was talking about being mean and selfish"

"When did I deny anything? I love the names you give me" she winked. This was game, he was starting to enjoy.

"Oh really? Like?"

He didn't know if she noticed or not, but he did. They moved towards each other closing those miles a little. Their elbows, were almost touching as their palms lay flat on the bed, forming a V' as they lay facing each other.

"Bitch--- do you know you have to be well qualified to be a certified bitch? Girls compete to be one"

"I dint really know that at all"

"And Maddy? It sounds cool"

"Maddy was supposed to annoy you!"

"It did initially. Not anymore"

"Not anymore?"

"Nope"

She was being nice to him. Genuine and open about things. Just to make him feel better. Just as her own token of apology. He would surely know this. It happened once before too, as he would like to recall. He then saw her eye-lids getting heavy. The night had been definitely long. But she was still wet, her clothes were wet. Her hair was sticking to the sides of jaw. She looked ravishing though. More because he was now a bit more close to her on that bed, he could look deep into those pools of hazels, as they lay there looking at each other, his gaze intensified, all of a sudden, taking turns to roam between her eyes and her lips.

His eyes turned chocolate brown, deep and mystic. And that very gaze instantly took her back to her dreams where he was singing to her. The resemblance was ridiculous. Resemblance between something illusionary and something literally real. He was right there, in front of her, a living version of her dream and it all seemed too fascinating to believe. This was another reason, why she chose to be cranky around him. Seeing him after all these years, and realizing that he was the same person who visited her dreams every often, was infatuating enough and added to that was their irrelevant history. And so she chose to keep her distance. But tonight, everything had been captivating and she was losing her guards. Yes, she did realize they involuntarily moved another inch closer, and now their hands were slightly brushing against each other. She flipped her eyes to their hands, and so did he and when they looked back again, they knew something has changed. If it was in that instant or not neither of them knew.

He wasn't sure what was it that he read in her eyes, but it was enough for him to lean over, the little arch required and their lips met in tender passion. He gripped her fingers tighter, she arched her head up, and their lips brushed together delicately. And that was all to it. He didn't intend to deepen the kiss, neither did she. They didn't touch each other anywhere else and neither did they want to. He just brushed the petals of her lips a little, sucked the upper lip, before pulling away, their eyes still closed. Both unsure of what just happened and yet not wanting to confide and break the moment.

"Good night" he whispered, to her sleepy heavy closed eyes and turned away, facing the ceiling, suddenly feeling a lot more content than ever. He then sensed her turn too, all too silently, mirroring his position again. He heard her breathing gradually becoming even realizing she was fast asleep, that was all that he remembered before his eyes gave away too, into what can only be termed as a peaceful slumber.

awesome FF , waiting to see more update

Waiting waiting.missed arshi so much.