Fawad Khan| Jennifer Winget| Sriti Jha| SS: Saathi Rey Shot 7 Pg.13 - Page 8

The sun was mild yet warm, with no breeze as of yet but same couldn't be said about the evenings and nightfall where the temperature drops.

They started walking towards a small hill, that was beautiful yet a bit deserted from the main population and soon, a beautiful, small bright house came into the view.

Aarohi opened the front door with her keys which had a keyring that was a mini version of her favourite Captain America's star spangled shield.

Rahul shook his head amused at the fact that she was still crazy about her favorite avenger.

She switched on the lights to a beautiful, cozy living room whose walls were painted in a very pretty shade of cream.

Fresh wildflowers that were a fragrant native to the hills of Coonoor are arranged beautifully in a corner in a simple ceramic vase.

Some paintings hung at the walls, while one particular portion of the wall, was occupied by photographs.

Some were from her college, some from art school and Rahul was surprised to find a picture of Him, Aru and Arjun holding a newborn Aarav in their arms while they themselves were kids, showing their toothy smiles as the infant Aarav was yawning.

"Make yourself at home." She spoke up from behind as Rahul turned to look at her.

"Yeh photograph toh.." He tried to recall when Aarohi helped him with it.

"Papa ne kheechi thi, just a few hours after Neerav was born. We all were so excited at the prospect of someone being much more younger than us. Tum aur Arjun toh yeh soch kar khush the, ki ab tumhare order lene wala koi aa gaya hai." Aru laughed a bit remembering their childhood.

"You still have these?" Rahul asked her, surprised.

"I have many more of them in my bedroom back at my house and in here too." She replied with a smile.

"zindagi chahe hume kitna bhi aage le jaye, yeh yaadein, memories hume apne jaddon se jode rakhti hain. Aakhir inn sab cheezon mein ek yeh yaadein hi toh apni hoti hain." Aru added, smiling thoughtfully.

Each and every word of hers carried a depth that resonated with Rahul. Hadn't he thought that after leaving Coonoor, and everything else behind he would be happy, but was he really? Sure he pursued his dream, was earning millions but then the strange satisfaction, and joy he felt when he came back home, saw his mother, his family was something he still needed to comprehend.

He heard her in the kitchen, putting up the electric kettle for some hot water and let his feet wander around the small cozy house.

Near the window, he spotted a canvas and on a small table beside it were neatly kept palette, pencils, brushes and colors.

On the canvas, a beautiful woman with red lips was looking straight at him with her dazzling blue eyes, and in her silhouettes, was a woman rocking a baby in the cradle, working as the CEO till late hours and the third and the last one was celebrating her anniversary with her husband.

Though the painting was still in its developing phase and only half of it was painted, Rahul couldn't help but be amazed at the thought gone behind it, with the beautiful color theme.

She still painted!

Several other canvases were kept in order, where one of it had Mark Antony and The Beautiful Queen Cleopatra locked in an embrace against the war, death background in Rome, and another one was just a beautiful submergence of a river into the mighty ocean painted in beautiful hues of blue, green, and white.

"Aru, your paintings are beautiful. But it should be out there in the world. Not here in this small town, cuz ppl here won't value these masterpieces." Rahul spoke up, coming into the kitchen.

"Thank you Rahul. But you know, why I left Italy when I could've stayed there and earn millions?" Aarohi turned smiling at him as Rahul still looked at her clueless.

"After completing my course at art school, I had thought to settle down in Italy, put up exhibitions here where people, art lovers could appreciate the hard work I put into my paintings, even pay for it. But then one night, after my second art exhibition when I was calculating the amount due to the gallery for putting up my paintings, I just thought why am I doing this? Why am I wasting my talent in a place that has millions of artists? My exhibition won't make a difference here. But back at my home, it will. It will inspire others to not to be afraid to embrace their inner artist. If my paintings could pull a crowd in Italy in Mumbai then why not here? I want to do something for the place I grew up in, I want to stay true to my roots. To be with my parents who matter the most to me.." She added, stirring coffee in the mugs that were now half filled with hot water.

"Tum duniya ko bohot alag nazar se dekhti ho.." Rahul smiled a bit, realizing that they were opposites when it came to personalities.

"Well, change of views is refreshing isn't it?" Aarohi turned, smiling at him and offered him his mug of coffee.

"It is and it's surprising to know that you still remember that I don't like too much sugar in my tea and coffee." Rahul raised an eyebrow amused.

"Old Habits Die Hard." Aru spoke up before she could stop herself and Rahul find himself grinning from ear to ear as soft crimson rose up in her cheeks.

"You like the coffee?"Aarohi spoke up, swiftly changing the subject.

Rahul chuckled and took a sip from his mug relishing the slight sweetness with that creamy bitterness of the caffeine.

"It's delicious, just as I remember.." He smiled warmly at her.

Aru thanked him, taking a sip of her own coffee and they talked a good bit about the old days. Rahul was quite surprised to find that the old momos stall where they loved going to as teenagers still operated and Aru pulled him along, for a treat.

Thapa Momos was one of oldest shop serving delicious momos ever since they could remember and not to mention was one of the most favourite of the natives. It wasn't one of those fancy food trucks you would see in big cities but a cozy place with some simple chairs and tables spread out in front yet was extremely clean.

They ordered a plate of veg momos each and Rahul asked for mayonnaise too, making Aru look at him, eyes wide.

"You are going to eat momos with mayo? Really?" She asked him, chucking a bit.

"Yeah, cuz the dip is too spicy for me.." Rahul spoke up, sheepishly.

"Kapoor! You haven't changed a bit! Even back then you used to ask for mayonnaise cuz original dip se tumhari haalat kharaab ho jaati hai." Aarohi laughed, making him smile too but then she suddenly realized that she had addressed him as what she used to back then.

"I.. I'm.. sorry.. I just got carried away." She spoke up, a bit embarrassed.

"No, it's okay. You can call me Kapoor. Ek apnaiyat si lagti hai, otherwise sab kuch toh change ho chuka hai." Rahul smiled, brushing his fingers on her knuckles as she smiled looking at him and nods a bit.

Their momos came in, steaming hot as Aru smiled thanking the little boy who served them their orders and both didn't take a minute to bite into the hot, spicy treats. Aru laughed as Rahul gasped for air after eating the whole of it in one bite for they were too hot for his mouth.

His eyes widened in shock as Aru did the same, rather dipped the whole momo in the spicy dip and didn't even flinch.

"That's amazing!" How do you do that?! Rahul asked, cutely surprised.

Aru bows gracefully and a bit dramatically, still giggling making him smile as well.

"Im not telling you that!" Aru spoke up, cutely proud.

Though they had intended to eat just a plate each, but soon both Rahul and Aarohi were ordering 3 more plates for themselves.

Aru laughed again as Rahul tried to eat the piping hot dumpling in one bite but couldn't.

"You need to hone your skills Kapoor! But jo bhi karlo, mujhse nahi jeet paoge, cuz I'm the undefeated queen!" Aru spoke up, proudly squaring her shoulders dramatically.

She chuckled seeing the blotch of mayonnaise on his face, and told him to clean it up, handing Rahul a napkin.

"Where?" Rahul asked clueless, touching his face.

Aarohi indicated it on her own face, right beside his lip but still he wasn't able to get it.

"Tumhara sense of direction abhi bhi kharaab hai..!!" She shook her head laughing, and leaned in to clean the blotch.

Her fingers gently wiped off the mayonnaise from the side of his lip, realizing that she had leaned in too close and that her fingers just brushed on his soft lower lip. And if she was sure, she felt him shiver under her touch.

The proximity they had shared in his room, was already spinning around in her mind. The way his lips had brushed on her skin, or her fingers had traced the muscles of his arm had her thinking about Rahul way too much than she already was.

Rahul was literally fighting the urge to trace her bottom lip with his thumb, and give her an idea of that delicious shiver she had spent down his spine.

He hadn't felt like this in a long time. Sure he has had a few girlfriends but the relationships had been off and on, and neither did they meant something so deep to him to share intimacy. He hadn't felt like this.. Well, ever since they separated back in the unfortunate summer that saw the end of their innocent romance.

The little boy, who served their orders came running with their bill, and that broke their trance as Aru straightened herself and wiped some small droplets of sweat o n her chin using the back of her hand.

Tia paced the porch eagerly awaiting Rahul's return, when she had returned from the walk at the garden with Dadu and Neerav, Rahul wasn't to be seen anywhere. She asked Sunita, but the kapoor mum had no idea where her eldest born could be.

Since then, she was waiting for him for Rahul wasn't the kind to wander off anywhere without informing her. Tia tries calling his mobile again, but it said, switched off.

The sun was setting in, and there was no sign of her best friend.

Tia was about to try his cellphone again, when she spotted him coming up the hill but he wasn't alone, the girl next door, what was her name now? Aarohi? Yes Aarohi was with him.

They were laughing heartily, and not just that, she had his jacket on her too which Rahul being the gentleman must have given her as she might have started feeling cold, for temperature drops as soon as the sun sets in.

Even that morning, she had found them intimately close in his room. She was in his arms, and his arms were around her waist but wasn't she just a next door neighbor to be that close to Rahul? Or did they have a history about which she was totally unaware?

Tia didn't know what it was, but she already felt a wave of profound repulsion every time she saw her, though they've just met twice.

"It's been an amazing day Rahul. Thank you." Aru smiled as they came to halt at the crossroad just in front of their house.

"I should be the one thanking you, I don't remember the last time I had so much fun." Rahul held her hands, reciprocating the smile.

"Well, I'm glad you did!" She held onto his hands this time and leaning in kissed his cheek.

It was unexpected for Rahul but not unpleasant as felt the tips of his ears going pink, again.

"I'm happy that you and Arjun are back Rahul, specifically you cuz all these years I've seen Sunita Aunty, Aarav and Dadu struggle to keep this home, their life working, struggling everyday to make ends meet. Sunita Aunty may not say it out loud, but she has been through a lot after you and Arjun left, your presence will give her the much needed support." She spoke up with a smile caressing his cheek and there was something in her words that made Rahul realize what he had missed in past five years. All the struggles that his family went through alone, hoping that he would return while he had been away, chasing his dreams.

Her words snapped something inside him.

Aru walked to the path that led to her home, with a sweet smile on her face, feeling the soft fabric of his jacket on her shoulders. Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears, she turned and saw Rahul still standing there. She waved at him, and he waved back at her, this sudden burst of happiness was something she hadn't expected in a long time.

Rahul came up the porch, humming to himself as Tia greeted him with a happy hug.

"Kahaan the tum? I called you so many times!" Tia demanded, folding her arms.

"Aise hi, Ghar mein baithne ka dil nahi kar raha tha. Aur regarding phone, battery discharge ho gayi thi Yaar, and I didn't remember to charge it. I'll do it right now." Rahul smiled at her.

Tia reciprocated his smile but a turmoil had started inside her mind. Rahul shared everything with her and so did she, which was the reason why they were the best of friends but he just brushed off her question. He didn't want to tell her that he had been with Aarohi?

She followed him inside where Sunita was arranging the dinner table and asked Rahul to freshen up and sit down for the meal.

"Nahi Maa I'm already full." Aru ke saath bohot saare momos khaa liye the! Rahul gave a hug to his mum.

"That's great! Atleast you too have started getting along well, warna tum dono ke introduction ke baad I was very worried ki shayad tum dono ek doosre ko pehchana hi nahi.." Sunita smiled at her son.

Tia didn't realize when her fingers had balled into fists, not only did he brush her off, he spent a whole day with Aarohi, without her having the slightest idea.

Rahul had just plugged in the charger to his phone when Neerav came into the room, followed by Arjun.

"Rahul Bhaiya aap hi Arjun Bhaiya ko samjhao naa, Dad aap dono ko dekhkar bohot khush honge." Neerav pleaded, his face beaming with hope.

"Dad khush honge, par mujhe unko dekhkar koi khushi nahi hogi." Arjun snapped at his younger brother whose face looked like as if he was about to cry making Rahul recall Aru's words that all these years his mum, brother and grandfather struggled a lot to keep their life going on.

"Theek Hai, main chalunga." Rahul agreed that instant as Neerav hugged him happily..

Originally posted by: GrilledCheese

this is such a beautiful story! i'm probably the only one who ships both couples equally 😆

can't wait for more!

Originally posted by: chik

Loved it... Thanks again for the PM and a great update...

Originally posted by: sharda_123

Awesome superb fabulous update dear

Thanks for pm

Originally posted by: GOLD3009

Loved it dear

Awesome part

I am quite amazed with harsh first of all ... He choose to leave so gem of lady like Sunita over that self centered Anu

I really do support Sunita & can understand her point of view but I think she should tell the truth to her son other wise it would be a blow for his innocent heart if he learns this from somewhere else

I am happy about Rahul & Aarohi they gelled well after so much of time ... True she is really a unique

Her relationship with Rahul was beautifully penned. . A pure friendship with a sense of romance hidden in their hearts

I loved the Momo scene a kiddish sweetness and then a bit of simmering heat

Coming to Tani .. I think she needs to find out reason of her behavior & thoughts .. Her insecurity was also well portrayed

Waiting for more

Thanks for the PM

Continue soon 😊