Part 10
Raj stormed off from the room and ran behind Raj.
Raj and Naina room
Raj was standing at the window looking out. His back was towards Naina.
Naina: Raj, please listen to me.
Raj: Naina, please. I don't want to talk about this. Go to sleep.
Naina: No Raj, you have to listen to me,
Raj: Naina, stop it. I am not in the right frame of mind.
Naina persisted. She turned Raj towards her. She was scared of the stony expression on Raj's face. His eyes looked hurt and angry.
Naina: It's not what it looks like. Abhi and I...
That was it. Abhi's name broke all the restraint that Raj was exercising.
Raj: Really Naina? i am glad to hear that. Because it looked like you were in Abhi's room making out with him. Abhi your former lover or maybe even your current...
Raj stopped. Naina was shocked and hurt. Raj had never spoken to her like this.
Raj: I asked you to stay away from me. Right now I can only say things that'll pain you.
Raj walked out of the room leaving behind a distraught Naina.
Raj drove to the top of a nearby hilltop. He got out of the car and went to the edge.
He yelled loudly: NAINA!!!!!!! WHY??????????
He collapsed on his knees.
Rajveer (to himself): How can she do this to me? How can she have an affair with him while being married to me?
Married to me? Huh? Naina doesn't consider our relation a marriage. In fact it isn't a marriage. I have signed the annulment papers.
But she is my Nainu. My Nainu..
No she isn't. She is Abhimanyu's Naina.
Rajveer couldn't bear it anymore. He put his hands on his ears.
Tears were streaming down his eyes. He had always hoped that Naina would accept this marriage and him one day. But today it was all over. Naina had never been his and would never be his.
He stayed at the hilltop till sunrise,.When he reached home, he found Naina sleeping with her head on the table. She had fallen asleep waiting for him. Her face was lined with tears.
He gently picked her up and placed her on the bed. She may have crushed his soul, but he could never see her in the slightest discomfort.
Naina got up a few hours. She found Raj sitting on the table reading the newspaper. He had made breakfast.
Raj: Naina go freshen up and then come and have breakfast.
Naina came back from the bathroom. She was scared of the Raj she saw. He was calm and behaving like nothing has happened.
Raj: Here's some black coffee/
Naina; Raj we need to talk about last night.
Raj (sternly): We will never talk about last night. You hear me?
Now I have some work in the Delhi HQ. I will leave immediately after classes and come back late at night. Don't wait for me. I have made sure the tapping equipment is working. You should try and listen to it. Shalini is typically in her room after 5 pm.
I hate to being spying on Shalini like this. But when decade old relations can beyray you, why can't Shalini.
Raj walked out. His words had stung Naina. Naina stayed in the room all day. She wasn't feeling well and she wanted to stay away from Abhi.
It was 3 am. Raj wasn't home and wasn't answering her calls.
Naina reflected on what had happened last night. How did she end up like that? She was not the type of person to break the bonds of marriage even a marriage that was temporary.And this was about Raj. Her Raj. She couldn;t imagine betraying him.
How did she end up in a position where she was making out with Abhi? Or was she? After all she didn't remember doing anything from her end. She tried recalling the chain of events.
She had walked into ABhi's room by mistake and he had insisted that she have tea. He had taunted her on his outfit. Why did Abhi always manage to make her feel bad about herself? Then the tea had spilled from her hand? No it wasn't her tea. It was Abhi's.
She had gone to change. That dress made her so uncomfortable. The cooling juice. It relieved her pain but it also made her head spin. Then Abhi's room. The music. The photos. She was overwhelemd. Naina was horrified for a moment. Had she really lost control of her emotions? But no. She remembered things clearly till that point.
Then abHI came back and insisted she have the juice. Things goy fuzzy after that. The next thing she remembered was being on the couch under Abhi. Abhi was kissing her.
How did she get there? Maybe she and Abhi got carried away. She had loved Abhi. But no. She remember how the kiss had a lot of force in it. She could hardly breathe. And Abhi was using his left hand to restrain her hands and his right hand was moving inside her dress..
She shuddered and suddenly started sweating. Her vague memories pointed to a degree of force in the intimacy. Could Abhi be...
No of course not. Abhi had always been passionate and could get slightly aggressive. But then her mind wandered to the juice.. Could the juice have been spiked? No... Not Abhi. Abhi would never do that to her.
Her mind and body were in conflict. While her mind had a blind faith on Abhi her body suddenly felt a strong sense of revulsion.
Just then Raj walked in.
Naina ran to him and flung his arms around him.
Naina (sobbing): Raj I am so confused. Please help me...
Naina suddenly realized that Raj was stiff. He hadn't put his arms around her. She looked up to see an iciness on his face.
Raj: Help you, how? By telling you what you had told me a few weeks back?
Naina: Told you what Raj?
Raj: You had told me that id I ever fall in love, I shouldn't let the constraints of this fake marriage hold me back. Fine I'll say the same thing. Do what you like with Abhi. This farce marriage shouldn't hold you back.
Naina: RAJ!!!!!
Raj; I just have one request from you. Don't use his room or our room at KMA? We all have our reputations to think about. Here take my credit card. Next time book a room at a hotel.
Nainw was crying by now.
Naina: You think I am a prostiture? Is that really what you think of me? Raj I am your Nainu... Your Nainu... Not some roadside... I didn't... last night... I would never...You have to listen to me.
Naina was getting hyserical. Raj steadied her. He completely melted and his tone changed.
Raj; Naina stop crying. You'll make yourself sick. Have some water, Now say what you want to say.
Raj's face grew darker as he heard the story. Even though Naina tried her best to sugar coat Abhi's actions, he had no doubts in his head
Raj: HOW DARE HE??? IS HE CRAZY? HE BASICALLY ASSAULTED YOU.
Naina: Assault. No Raj. Abh didn't do that.
Raj was already on his way to Abhi's room. Naina ran after him.
As soon as Abhi opened the door, Raj pushed him against the wall and punched him across his face.
Abhi: What the hell??
Raj: This is just the beginning. You rascal. I promise I'll get you thrown out of the army and into jail. You have the guts to assault a woman? My Naina?
Abhi: Assault? Are you insame? And your Naina? Yours isn't even a real marriage. Just a contract you desperate man.
Naina: You... how...?
Abhi: Naina I care about you. And why are you calling what happened between us force? Is this crazy man intimidating you? Didn't you come to my bedroom on your own? Didn't you want us to sit down on the couch?Weren't you crying over our lost love when the music tape was playing?
Naina: But the juice.. it didn't feel right.
Abhi: Really, you think I'd spike your drink?
Raj: I wouldn't be surpised
Abhi: Really Raj? Here come taste the juice? I said taste it? Remember we learned to make it in our survival course.
Raj: You have your tracks all covered I see?
Abhi: Haan. I am not surprised you say that. Because that's how you think and you are the one who's guilty.
Why did you force Naina to marry you when all she wanted was a fake marriage?
Raj (taken aback): That is none of your business.
Abhi:Anything that concerns Naina is my business.
He turned to Naina.
Abhi: This man... your supposed best friend... has had his eyes on yoy for a long time. Since you were a teenager. You should have seen his face when Naveen spoke about you. And those desperate attempts to always be a part of your life.
Raj felt physically sick. Abhi was maligning his pure love for Naina in a completely disgusting manner. But the guilt he felt - of having loved Naina for so many years and never having told any one - held him back.
Abhi: Convenient isn't it? Kill the brother and then make merry with the sister. This man who is accusing me of assaulting you? Do you know why he insisted on a real marriage?So that he has the legal and moral sanctity to fulfil his long cherished dream.
Mark my words Naina. Either by blackmailing you or by physically forcing himself on you... This man will somehow make you sleep with him.
Raj was reeling with disgust and felt ready to vomit.
SMACKKK!!!!!!
Abhi received the hardest slap of his life.
And the person who slapped him was Naina.
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