"No, this is not possible!" Arnav shook his head vigorously.
Sheetal wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.. sobbing... tears trickling down her eyes, she said, "Arnav, why would I lie about such a thing?"
Arnav pulled himself out of Sheetal's embrace, reached for the tissue box and handed it to her. His face was sharp. His eyes filled with confusion.
Arnav said out loud though thinking to herself, "Sheetal, I never looked at you as anyone else but just a friend. Then how can this happen? I just don't'"
Sheetal blew her nose in the tissue and angrily said, "What do you mean? I am lying? And what about that night when we were having fun getting drunk at Aman's party?"
"You might have gotten drunk, Sheetal. I was not!" Arnav clarified.
"Oh, yea? Then tell me where we went later on that night?"
"I remember clearly.. we went to the movies.. and as we were walking back after midnight, it started raining'and we had ducked in that wooden cabin. ..shivering.. no blankets ,.. nothing!" Arnav said with narrow eyes as he tried to remember.. His eyes lost... remembering the past!
"Exactly.. I had this chiffon dress on. It was all wet and stuck to my body.." Sheetal started talking in a husky voice....She walked over to Arnav.. all of a sudden she threw herself at Arnav and wrapped her arms around him.. rubbing her head on his shoulder she said, "A..r..n..a..v.."
"Huh.." Arnav said as his senses started getting blunt.. for a moment he forgot who he was,.. where he was...
Just then came a knock on the door....
Arnav looked up.. Khushi stood in the door.. her eyes wide.. tears filled to the brim..
"Khushi?" Arnav said as he realized Sheetal's proximity to him.. he pulled himself out of her embrace and leaped towards the door. But, Khushi had already started running down the stairs...
Arnav's feet stopped.. he wondered for a moment.. Shall he run after Khushi and clarify... or should he go back and get to the bottom of Sheetal's story...
Arnav's heart went out to Khushi... he knew how hurt she must be after what she saw... but this version of Sheetal's story could destroy what he has with Khushi forever...
Arnav decided to come back..
Arnav turned around and looked at Sheetal. She stood there with winning eyes.. Arnav's eyes filled with rage for a moment but then he controlled himself.. He locked the door to the office. Clenching his teeth.. he turned towards Sheetal and said, "Can you, please, sit down and tell me exactly what happened?" He poured a glass of water for her and held it in front of Sheetal as she settled in the chair.
Arnav sat at the edge of the table... Sheetal now placed her hand more authoritatively on Arnav's thigh and looked him into the eye' she took a sip of water and said,.. "Arnav, I was never going to tell this to you.. but I always have loved you and will love you! I kept this..,. Aarav... secret from you because.."
"Sheetal, first tell me what happened that night... " Arnav said in a straightforward voice.
"I was all wet.. the dress was clinging to me... and you remember... Anand.. he started making passes at me.. when he started getting out of control, you picked a fight with him. You hit him so hard that he was all bruised.. everyone was shocked to see you pick a fight for me..."
"I cannot take it if someone insults any girl like that!" Arnav said in a sharp tone.
"Yes, but I was sooo Happy, Arnav! Then you took me in the backroom..to keep me safe from him.. I was crying and you were calming me down.. and then.. in the heat of the moment... " Sheetal looked at Arnav with meaningful eyes....
"No! That's not possible!" Arnav said in a sharp tone.
"Arnav.. a girl always remembers her first time!" Sheetal said with dreamy easy.. "And especially when.. it was you.. someone who always had a crush on.."
"Sheetal, I understand what you mean.. but.. I still don't believe it!" Arnav said, "How come I don't remember?"
"Because, you had gulped down a whole bottle of wine before that!" Sheetal said.
"I need time.. I need time to think!" Arnav said. Then he looked at Sheetal's face.. her makeup was all over the face due to crying earlier.. he said to her, "Why don't you freshen up.. your make up.."
"Okay!" Sheetal jumped to her feet and smiled sweetly at Arnav.. as she left to go towards the toilet.
Arnav stood there with numb senses.. how could he do anything like that? If he did, how come he did not remember anything?.. Just then his eyes caught Sheetal's phone .. she had left her portfolio and phone on his desk when she took her handbag to the toilet with her.
Her phone was blinking a message.. As Arnav's eyes focused on the message, it read:
"Did you hit the target?"
Sender's name read: SMJ
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