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Here it is guys: the new updated part of my ff 😃 I'm sooo sorry it was late. Actually I wanted to do it yesterday, but I had all this work to do, only to turn up for class today and find the teacher never showed up! 😡 And then I said 5pm, but I got distracted discussing, amongst other things, the madness of loving Apu 😳 (Mona, you know you're to blame! 😆 ). But here it is, late but here all the same:
Chapter 11 – The Craving
Kaajjal stared up at the ceiling, watching the eerie shadows of the leaves from the trees dancing above her head in the swathe of soft moonlight. They were taking on shapes such as she had seen in her dreams as a child: dragons coming out from cavernous recesses and spreading their fiery tongues across the ceiling as if they wanted to burn it to ashes. Amidst this mingled the spirit of black cat, which perturbed Kaajjal as she lay watching it weave in and out of the shadows. The sight if the kali billi left her so disturbed that she had to get up and utter a prayer of protection for her and her family to Gannu Bhaiya. The sight of Him was comforting and she went back to bed with a sense of calm and inner peace. Yet still she could not sleep. All night her baby had been demanding attention, making her restless and uncomfortable, but it was as if the sight of the kali billi had unnerved her child and she was no longer able to bear the torment. Sighing she turned her head and looked at Dev. He was sleeping peacefully next to her, the duvet wrapped about him and a look of serenity on his face. Kaajjal envied his slumber and she frowned at him, thinking to herself how unjust that he should sleep soundly and she should be agitated.
"Dev!" she called on him, nudging him. "Dev utho!"
Much to her irritation there was no response. By now Kaajjal's annoyance had ignited into a strong flame inside her and she pushed herself up, leaning over him and shaking his shoulders with considerable force.
"Dev! How can you just lie there when it's clear your wife is in distress? How can you be so selfish? Utho! Abhi aur isse waqt!"
It was not so much the sensation of being rocked back and forwards, as if on a stormy sea, that woke him, but the tickling of her hair at his cheek. As she leaned over him her hair had come loose and some strands brushed across his face. When he opened his eyes the first thing he saw through his blurry vision was this curtain of chestnut hair, it's sweet fragrance wafted over him like a summer breeze. It was only as the rocking sensation became more insistent and he heard Kaajjal's irritated voice that he realised she was leaning over him and the one responsible for his rude awakening.
"Dev, if you don't get up now then I will never speak to you again," she was warning him.
"Okay, okay!" he responded, pushing himself up and rubbing his eyes.
His hair was tousled from sleep and for a moment Kaajjal forgot her mission, lost in gazing at his sleepy, irresistibly handsome face. She could feel her cheeks tingling as she mused on his charm when he looked rugged and there was a vibrancy to her eyes when Dev looked at her that belied her inner thoughts.
"Kya?" Dev asked, his voice less commanding than he would have liked.
His words snapped her out of her day dream and giving herself a shake she looked back at him with a pout.
"Dev, I need some ice cream," she told him.
At first he wasn't sure if he had misheard her and for a moment he stared at her in confusion, trying to search for anything in her face that hinted she was playing some kind of joke on him. All he saw, however, was the earnest longing in her eyes and the pleading expression about her mouth.
"You're joking right?" he asked hopefully with a smile.
"Nahin Dev! Mujhe saachmuch ice cream chahiye!" she replied, thuming her hands on the duvet like a child in a strop.
She grabbed his arm and stared pleadingly up at him.
"Please Dev, don't make me wait any longer," she said. "The baby wants ice cream and what can I do? I've lain here all night while you've been sleeping peacefully. I can't take it any longer; I need ice cream or I will go crazy."
Dev sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wondering to himself why Kaajjal was so irrational; she hadn't even looked at the practicalities of the matter.
"Kaajjal," he said to her, "It's 3am in the morning."
"Haan, toh?" she responded as if he had said something everyday.
"Toh? Kaajjal, there won't be any shops open at this hour," he told her her.
"There will be in the city," she corrected him. "There they have those places that open all night."
"And how are we to get there?" he asked. "We have no car anymore and there are no buses or autos at this time."
"I don't care about all that Dev!" she cried, rising and pacing across the room. "I want ice cream and we are going to get some."
Dev groaned and flopped back down amongst the pillows, wishing he knew some way to make her see sense. Kaajjal, meanwhile, was selecting a sari for herself and when she turned and saw Dev lying down again she was maddened. Stirding across the room she grabbed his arm and using all her strength she pulled him up again.
"Utho!" she ordered, her voice stern.
Much as it pained him to relent, Dev knew that when she was in this determined mood nothing but submission would work. So with a heavy heart he rose and meekly accepted the clothes she handed him. Fifteen minutes later he walked into the kitchen to find Kaajjal eagerly waiting for him. She rushed up to him and linked her arm through his with a wide smile.
"Chalo," she said in a chirpy tone.
"Kahan?" he asked wearily. "Aur kaise?"
"Uff Dev!" she sighed, leaving his arm in frustration. "Sometimes I wonder how you became an MD of such a big radio station. You have no imagination, no initiative."
"Paar Kaajjal..." he began, but she put a hand up flatly in the air to silence him.
"Chalo," she commanded and headed towards the door.
Sighing Dev followed her out into the night. The air was balmy, yet there was a hint of coldness in the breeze that ruffled his hair and sneaked down his collar, making him shiver. Looking up he saw there was a full moon, bathing the hills in a soft and gentle light, which made it difficult to see the path clearly. As he made his way across the courtyard behind Kaajjal, Dev remembered hearing that people often went crazy at full moon; it was called 'moon madness', and he deduced that this was what Kaajjal must be suffering from. How else could he explain her behaviour? She was waiting anxiously for him by the gate, wringing the end of her pallu constantly, her body quivering with excitement.
"Jaldi karo Dev!" she called, beckoning him.
"Before we go any further, please tell me where we are going and how?" he told her.
"We'll call at Tejwani Saab ka ghar," she told him. "He will surely let us borrow his car."
"At this time in the morning I don't think he will be very compassionate towards our plight," Dev replied, somewhat sarcastically.
"Nahin Dev, he will understand," Kaajjal said with conviction. "Chalo, I can't wait much longer for ice cream."
Without waiting for him she set off down the dark and overgrown pathway, hardly seeming to mind that there were unseen potholes. She walked with more precision than one could image, considering her condition and the poor visibility. Alas, Dev was not so sure footed. Accustomed as he was to city living the task of traversing a country path in the dark was a sure hazard and as he tried to follow Kaajjal he found himself staggering from side to side, nearly losing his balance a couple of times and once stumbling over a rock which sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Oww!" he cried, cursing under his breath.
Startled, Kaajjal stopped and turned to see what was wrong but in the poor light she could only barely distinguish his form, seated on the ground, rubbing his arm and wincing.
"Dev, kya hua?" she asked. "Tum thik ho, hai na?"
"I don't think I'll ever be alright again," he mumbled.
"Kya?" she called.
"Kuch nahin meri jaan!" he called back, using a mocking tone in his irritation. "Main bilkul thik hoon."
"Arrey, then why are you sitting down there?" she asked him, his temper lost on her, preoccupied as she was with her hunger pangs. "Jaldi utho...Dev, come on nah!"
Dev grumbled something inaudible and rose to his feet, shaking the mud off his jacket as Kaajjal shook her head despiaringly at him. They set off again, Dev sticking closer to Kaajjal and managing to keep his balance, though there were still potholes that nearly made him tumble again. At length they reached the school master's house and a delighted Kaajjal gestured with her hand to the door, her eyes shining with happiness, as if someone had just gifted her treasure.
"Here we are!" she cried. "Now knock on the door."
"Me?" Dev asked incredulously. "It's you who wants the car and the ice cream!"
"Dev, don't be childish," she scolded him. "Knock it."
The way she knitted her brows together and pointed with her hand, so flat and stern, made Dev relent and though he felt like an idiot he knocked loudly on the door. Inside the lights came on and someone could be heard treading heavily on the stairs. Dev sighed internally, wondering how his life had come to this moment when he had to surrender all his dignity to call at the house of a man he barely knew to ask for a car. Never in all his wildest dreams had something like this happened and he was sure fate was playing some kind of joke on him.
When Mr Tejwani opened the door he squinted out at his disturbers with sleepy eyes, yawning widely as he enquired who they were.
"Namaste Tejwani Saab," Dev greeted him, folding his hands to him in greeting and smiling apologetically. "Please excuse this call, woh...actually...Kaajjal..."
"Uff Dev! Just ask him!" Kaajjal cried from behind, then pushing her way forward she smiled sweetly at her boss and greeted him with a sunny namaste. "Actually Tejwani Saab, I have a desperate need for some ice cream and we have none at home, so please may we ask permission to take a loan of your car for half an hour to get some?"
Mr Tejwani had never been confronted with such a strange request in all his life, but he was really genuinely fond of Kaajjal and seeing the pleading in her eyes melted his heart.
"Of course you can," he agreed. "When you have aided me so greatly in becoming a teacher at my school, I can surely do this much for you. Just let me get the keys."
"Thank you Tejwani Saab," Kaajjal replied.
She turned to Dev, who was rather amazed at the other man's aquiescence, and gave him a 'I-told-you-so' look. Tejwani reappeared and handed the keys to Dev. They thanked him again and then walked towards the car, allowing the school master to go back to bed.
"I was right, nah?" Kaajjal crowed as they crossed to the car. "Didn't I say he would agree. Unlike you there are some people with compassion in this world: people who understand the plight of a mother-to-be."
"There are also unreasonable people in this world who don't think practically," Dev muttered as he unlocked the car and held the door open for her.
"Haan," Kaajjal agreed as she sat down. "You are one of them."
Dev rolled his eyes to the sky and let the door shut with a hefty thud. Reminding himself of the 'moon madness' theory, he consoled himself that perhaps other fathers-to-be in the world had endured a lot worse than their wives wanting ice cream at 3am in the monring, although at that time he felt as if nothing could be worse. Rounding the bonnet he climbed into the car and turned the key in the ignition, turning to Kaajjal with arched eyebrows.
"Where does Memsahib want to go?" he asked her.
"There is a city only some miles away," she replied. "We will go there."
"And what if this ice cream parlour isn't open?" he asked as they drove off. "I mean, imagine if it had closed for the night. Wouldn't that be awful?"
"Dev, chup karo," she replied, making a face. "It will be open."
"Lekin, just imagine...there might have been a rush on ice cream: all these mothers-to-be craving some chocolate ice cream, and by the time we arrive it could be all gone. What would you do then?"
Although she didn't like to admit it Dev's words had rather alarmed her. The very thought that she might not get ice cream had her baby moving restless and a cold sweat of apprehension dotting her forehead.
"Don't be ridiculous Dev!" she said, trying to scare his words away. "Aise kuch na hoga." She placed a hand on her stomach and patted it gently. "It's okay baby," she said soothingly. "Your Papa is just being disagreeable. He doesn't care about others' needs."
She shot him a tempestuous look and then went back to patting her stomach. Dev rolled his eyes again but said nothing, instead inserting a CD in the drive. The music trilled out sweetly and despite her restlessness Kaajjal felt her eyes beginning to lower with sleep. She leaned back and gazed out the window at the passing darkness. Only now and again did the odd light flash, but mostly the roads were deserted and the blackness that surrounded them intense. She was just about to slide into slumber when the song changed and a loud, Western-fusion song came on with a thumping beat that jolted her back to her senses. The fright she got made the baby kick particularly hard and concern for her child, coupled with annoyance at being disturbed made her reach over and switch the music off.
"Ab kya hua?" Dev asked wearily.
"The music was disturbing the baby," she replied, scowling at him. "But you wouldn't know anything about that."
"The baby is alright, isn't he?" Dev asked, feeling little pulses of alarm inside his veins.
"Oh so now you're worried about him!" Kaajjal declared.
"Kaajjal don't be so silly," Dev chided her. "Of course I worry about him; I worry about you both. If I didn't would I really be here right now?"
"But you don't want to be here," she replied, her voice sounding resentful. "You'd much rather be sleeping and let me deal with everything alone."
"You know that's a lie," Dev told her angrily. "Who has been the most tensed about the baby? Who has been taking care of you both; been there when you were feeling too tired to wash the dishes or cook dinner? Who has done everything you ever asked of him?"
Kaajjal opened her mouth to speak but just then she saw a deer bounding across the road about to hit the car. Her heart missed a terrified beat and she grabbed Dev's arm, turning pale and shaking in horror.
"Dev!" she cried.
Dev was looking out of the other window, his head turned away from Kaajjal and the main road, simmering away in his anger, so he did not see either the deer or Kaajjal's petrified face.
"Bas Kaajjal! Bas!" he cried. "I've had enough of your accusations and attitude. Main sirf ek insaan hai, mai superman nahin hai."
"Dev!" she screamed again, tugging at his arm.
"I said enough Kaajjal!" he snapped, shaking her arm free.
It was then he looked round and saw the deer about to hit the car. His eyes flew wide in astonishment and he had only seconds to react. Cursing he pulled on the wheel hard until it jammed and it went skidding to the side. In the dark with only the poor swathe of light from the headlights they could not make out where they were headed. The wheel seemed to be spinning outwith Dev's control and Kaajjal began to scream. She grabbbed Dev's arm and buried her head at his neck, screaming his name.
In the quiet of the night two names resounded in the air, like the shrieks of the tortured:
"Dev!"
"Kaajjal!"
I think it was long, wasn't it? 😕 If there are any mistakes feel free to point out...it's late at night and I wrote most of it while listening to my flatmates playing Justin Timberlake for the 100th time while they got drunk before going out to get more drunk Hope you all liked it and the cliffhanger actually works this time! 😆 As ever, feel free to add any suggestions and please do comment: it means a lot to me. 😳
Anu 😃
Chapter 11 – The Craving
Kaajjal stared up at the ceiling, watching the eerie shadows of the leaves from the trees dancing above her head in the swathe of soft moonlight. They were taking on shapes such as she had seen in her dreams as a child: dragons coming out from cavernous recesses and spreading their fiery tongues across the ceiling as if they wanted to burn it to ashes. Amidst this mingled the spirit of black cat, which perturbed Kaajjal as she lay watching it weave in and out of the shadows. The sight if the kali billi left her so disturbed that she had to get up and utter a prayer of protection for her and her family to Gannu Bhaiya. The sight of Him was comforting and she went back to bed with a sense of calm and inner peace. Yet still she could not sleep. All night her baby had been demanding attention, making her restless and uncomfortable, but it was as if the sight of the kali billi had unnerved her child and she was no longer able to bear the torment. Sighing she turned her head and looked at Dev. He was sleeping peacefully next to her, the duvet wrapped about him and a look of serenity on his face. Kaajjal envied his slumber and she frowned at him, thinking to herself how unjust that he should sleep soundly and she should be agitated.
"Dev!" she called on him, nudging him. "Dev utho!"
Much to her irritation there was no response. By now Kaajjal's annoyance had ignited into a strong flame inside her and she pushed herself up, leaning over him and shaking his shoulders with considerable force.
"Dev! How can you just lie there when it's clear your wife is in distress? How can you be so selfish? Utho! Abhi aur isse waqt!"
It was not so much the sensation of being rocked back and forwards, as if on a stormy sea, that woke him, but the tickling of her hair at his cheek. As she leaned over him her hair had come loose and some strands brushed across his face. When he opened his eyes the first thing he saw through his blurry vision was this curtain of chestnut hair, it's sweet fragrance wafted over him like a summer breeze. It was only as the rocking sensation became more insistent and he heard Kaajjal's irritated voice that he realised she was leaning over him and the one responsible for his rude awakening.
"Dev, if you don't get up now then I will never speak to you again," she was warning him.
"Okay, okay!" he responded, pushing himself up and rubbing his eyes.
His hair was tousled from sleep and for a moment Kaajjal forgot her mission, lost in gazing at his sleepy, irresistibly handsome face. She could feel her cheeks tingling as she mused on his charm when he looked rugged and there was a vibrancy to her eyes when Dev looked at her that belied her inner thoughts.
"Kya?" Dev asked, his voice less commanding than he would have liked.
His words snapped her out of her day dream and giving herself a shake she looked back at him with a pout.
"Dev, I need some ice cream," she told him.
At first he wasn't sure if he had misheard her and for a moment he stared at her in confusion, trying to search for anything in her face that hinted she was playing some kind of joke on him. All he saw, however, was the earnest longing in her eyes and the pleading expression about her mouth.
"You're joking right?" he asked hopefully with a smile.
"Nahin Dev! Mujhe saachmuch ice cream chahiye!" she replied, thuming her hands on the duvet like a child in a strop.
She grabbed his arm and stared pleadingly up at him.
"Please Dev, don't make me wait any longer," she said. "The baby wants ice cream and what can I do? I've lain here all night while you've been sleeping peacefully. I can't take it any longer; I need ice cream or I will go crazy."
Dev sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wondering to himself why Kaajjal was so irrational; she hadn't even looked at the practicalities of the matter.
"Kaajjal," he said to her, "It's 3am in the morning."
"Haan, toh?" she responded as if he had said something everyday.
"Toh? Kaajjal, there won't be any shops open at this hour," he told her her.
"There will be in the city," she corrected him. "There they have those places that open all night."
"And how are we to get there?" he asked. "We have no car anymore and there are no buses or autos at this time."
"I don't care about all that Dev!" she cried, rising and pacing across the room. "I want ice cream and we are going to get some."
Dev groaned and flopped back down amongst the pillows, wishing he knew some way to make her see sense. Kaajjal, meanwhile, was selecting a sari for herself and when she turned and saw Dev lying down again she was maddened. Stirding across the room she grabbed his arm and using all her strength she pulled him up again.
"Utho!" she ordered, her voice stern.
Much as it pained him to relent, Dev knew that when she was in this determined mood nothing but submission would work. So with a heavy heart he rose and meekly accepted the clothes she handed him. Fifteen minutes later he walked into the kitchen to find Kaajjal eagerly waiting for him. She rushed up to him and linked her arm through his with a wide smile.
"Chalo," she said in a chirpy tone.
"Kahan?" he asked wearily. "Aur kaise?"
"Uff Dev!" she sighed, leaving his arm in frustration. "Sometimes I wonder how you became an MD of such a big radio station. You have no imagination, no initiative."
"Paar Kaajjal..." he began, but she put a hand up flatly in the air to silence him.
"Chalo," she commanded and headed towards the door.
Sighing Dev followed her out into the night. The air was balmy, yet there was a hint of coldness in the breeze that ruffled his hair and sneaked down his collar, making him shiver. Looking up he saw there was a full moon, bathing the hills in a soft and gentle light, which made it difficult to see the path clearly. As he made his way across the courtyard behind Kaajjal, Dev remembered hearing that people often went crazy at full moon; it was called 'moon madness', and he deduced that this was what Kaajjal must be suffering from. How else could he explain her behaviour? She was waiting anxiously for him by the gate, wringing the end of her pallu constantly, her body quivering with excitement.
"Jaldi karo Dev!" she called, beckoning him.
"Before we go any further, please tell me where we are going and how?" he told her.
"We'll call at Tejwani Saab ka ghar," she told him. "He will surely let us borrow his car."
"At this time in the morning I don't think he will be very compassionate towards our plight," Dev replied, somewhat sarcastically.
"Nahin Dev, he will understand," Kaajjal said with conviction. "Chalo, I can't wait much longer for ice cream."
Without waiting for him she set off down the dark and overgrown pathway, hardly seeming to mind that there were unseen potholes. She walked with more precision than one could image, considering her condition and the poor visibility. Alas, Dev was not so sure footed. Accustomed as he was to city living the task of traversing a country path in the dark was a sure hazard and as he tried to follow Kaajjal he found himself staggering from side to side, nearly losing his balance a couple of times and once stumbling over a rock which sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Oww!" he cried, cursing under his breath.
Startled, Kaajjal stopped and turned to see what was wrong but in the poor light she could only barely distinguish his form, seated on the ground, rubbing his arm and wincing.
"Dev, kya hua?" she asked. "Tum thik ho, hai na?"
"I don't think I'll ever be alright again," he mumbled.
"Kya?" she called.
"Kuch nahin meri jaan!" he called back, using a mocking tone in his irritation. "Main bilkul thik hoon."
"Arrey, then why are you sitting down there?" she asked him, his temper lost on her, preoccupied as she was with her hunger pangs. "Jaldi utho...Dev, come on nah!"
Dev grumbled something inaudible and rose to his feet, shaking the mud off his jacket as Kaajjal shook her head despiaringly at him. They set off again, Dev sticking closer to Kaajjal and managing to keep his balance, though there were still potholes that nearly made him tumble again. At length they reached the school master's house and a delighted Kaajjal gestured with her hand to the door, her eyes shining with happiness, as if someone had just gifted her treasure.
"Here we are!" she cried. "Now knock on the door."
"Me?" Dev asked incredulously. "It's you who wants the car and the ice cream!"
"Dev, don't be childish," she scolded him. "Knock it."
The way she knitted her brows together and pointed with her hand, so flat and stern, made Dev relent and though he felt like an idiot he knocked loudly on the door. Inside the lights came on and someone could be heard treading heavily on the stairs. Dev sighed internally, wondering how his life had come to this moment when he had to surrender all his dignity to call at the house of a man he barely knew to ask for a car. Never in all his wildest dreams had something like this happened and he was sure fate was playing some kind of joke on him.
When Mr Tejwani opened the door he squinted out at his disturbers with sleepy eyes, yawning widely as he enquired who they were.
"Namaste Tejwani Saab," Dev greeted him, folding his hands to him in greeting and smiling apologetically. "Please excuse this call, woh...actually...Kaajjal..."
"Uff Dev! Just ask him!" Kaajjal cried from behind, then pushing her way forward she smiled sweetly at her boss and greeted him with a sunny namaste. "Actually Tejwani Saab, I have a desperate need for some ice cream and we have none at home, so please may we ask permission to take a loan of your car for half an hour to get some?"
Mr Tejwani had never been confronted with such a strange request in all his life, but he was really genuinely fond of Kaajjal and seeing the pleading in her eyes melted his heart.
"Of course you can," he agreed. "When you have aided me so greatly in becoming a teacher at my school, I can surely do this much for you. Just let me get the keys."
"Thank you Tejwani Saab," Kaajjal replied.
She turned to Dev, who was rather amazed at the other man's aquiescence, and gave him a 'I-told-you-so' look. Tejwani reappeared and handed the keys to Dev. They thanked him again and then walked towards the car, allowing the school master to go back to bed.
"I was right, nah?" Kaajjal crowed as they crossed to the car. "Didn't I say he would agree. Unlike you there are some people with compassion in this world: people who understand the plight of a mother-to-be."
"There are also unreasonable people in this world who don't think practically," Dev muttered as he unlocked the car and held the door open for her.
"Haan," Kaajjal agreed as she sat down. "You are one of them."
Dev rolled his eyes to the sky and let the door shut with a hefty thud. Reminding himself of the 'moon madness' theory, he consoled himself that perhaps other fathers-to-be in the world had endured a lot worse than their wives wanting ice cream at 3am in the monring, although at that time he felt as if nothing could be worse. Rounding the bonnet he climbed into the car and turned the key in the ignition, turning to Kaajjal with arched eyebrows.
"Where does Memsahib want to go?" he asked her.
"There is a city only some miles away," she replied. "We will go there."
"And what if this ice cream parlour isn't open?" he asked as they drove off. "I mean, imagine if it had closed for the night. Wouldn't that be awful?"
"Dev, chup karo," she replied, making a face. "It will be open."
"Lekin, just imagine...there might have been a rush on ice cream: all these mothers-to-be craving some chocolate ice cream, and by the time we arrive it could be all gone. What would you do then?"
Although she didn't like to admit it Dev's words had rather alarmed her. The very thought that she might not get ice cream had her baby moving restless and a cold sweat of apprehension dotting her forehead.
"Don't be ridiculous Dev!" she said, trying to scare his words away. "Aise kuch na hoga." She placed a hand on her stomach and patted it gently. "It's okay baby," she said soothingly. "Your Papa is just being disagreeable. He doesn't care about others' needs."
She shot him a tempestuous look and then went back to patting her stomach. Dev rolled his eyes again but said nothing, instead inserting a CD in the drive. The music trilled out sweetly and despite her restlessness Kaajjal felt her eyes beginning to lower with sleep. She leaned back and gazed out the window at the passing darkness. Only now and again did the odd light flash, but mostly the roads were deserted and the blackness that surrounded them intense. She was just about to slide into slumber when the song changed and a loud, Western-fusion song came on with a thumping beat that jolted her back to her senses. The fright she got made the baby kick particularly hard and concern for her child, coupled with annoyance at being disturbed made her reach over and switch the music off.
"Ab kya hua?" Dev asked wearily.
"The music was disturbing the baby," she replied, scowling at him. "But you wouldn't know anything about that."
"The baby is alright, isn't he?" Dev asked, feeling little pulses of alarm inside his veins.
"Oh so now you're worried about him!" Kaajjal declared.
"Kaajjal don't be so silly," Dev chided her. "Of course I worry about him; I worry about you both. If I didn't would I really be here right now?"
"But you don't want to be here," she replied, her voice sounding resentful. "You'd much rather be sleeping and let me deal with everything alone."
"You know that's a lie," Dev told her angrily. "Who has been the most tensed about the baby? Who has been taking care of you both; been there when you were feeling too tired to wash the dishes or cook dinner? Who has done everything you ever asked of him?"
Kaajjal opened her mouth to speak but just then she saw a deer bounding across the road about to hit the car. Her heart missed a terrified beat and she grabbed Dev's arm, turning pale and shaking in horror.
"Dev!" she cried.
Dev was looking out of the other window, his head turned away from Kaajjal and the main road, simmering away in his anger, so he did not see either the deer or Kaajjal's petrified face.
"Bas Kaajjal! Bas!" he cried. "I've had enough of your accusations and attitude. Main sirf ek insaan hai, mai superman nahin hai."
"Dev!" she screamed again, tugging at his arm.
"I said enough Kaajjal!" he snapped, shaking her arm free.
It was then he looked round and saw the deer about to hit the car. His eyes flew wide in astonishment and he had only seconds to react. Cursing he pulled on the wheel hard until it jammed and it went skidding to the side. In the dark with only the poor swathe of light from the headlights they could not make out where they were headed. The wheel seemed to be spinning outwith Dev's control and Kaajjal began to scream. She grabbbed Dev's arm and buried her head at his neck, screaming his name.
In the quiet of the night two names resounded in the air, like the shrieks of the tortured:
"Dev!"
"Kaajjal!"
I think it was long, wasn't it? 😕 If there are any mistakes feel free to point out...it's late at night and I wrote most of it while listening to my flatmates playing Justin Timberlake for the 100th time while they got drunk before going out to get more drunk Hope you all liked it and the cliffhanger actually works this time! 😆 As ever, feel free to add any suggestions and please do comment: it means a lot to me. 😳
Anu 😃
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Bindi
