Fated to be with you - Chapter 12: BEST-DAY-EVER?? - Page 10

Originally posted by: mrs.karan.kundr

update soon plzzz

Originally posted by: vrshn

yea update ASAP...hope you are feeling better now...

Originally posted by: mrs.karan.kundr

varshini humaara bas yahi kaam hai , update soon update soon ke naaray lagaana😆

Originally posted by: vrshn

well said!!.we do it with almost every ff lolz!!😆

CHAPTER 6 - Night Ride

Arohi's jaw almost hit the floor. Had she misheard or misinterpreted what Arjun had just said?

"Err... did you just say what I thought you said?"

Arjun raised his brows and a hint of a smile played on his lips. Then he bit his cheek trying to check his smile from getting bigger.

"Yes," he stated, and seized Arohi's bag from her hand, swung it over his shoulder, and strode out.

"What? Wait! What's this? Where are you going with my bag? You weird... stupid... " Arohi fumed, at an apparent loss of words. She almost had to run after Arjun.

"Give my bag! GIVE MY BAG!" she yelled and then ran smack into Arjun's back.

"Ow!" She rubbed her nose and scowled at him. "Why did you stop so suddenly?"

Arjun tilted his head towards a black Yamaha YZF R15. "We're here. Come, hop on," he said, and got on his bike.

"You aren't serious, right?"

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"Because... because..."

"Because what? Don't waste time now. You can have your bag if you let me accompany you, okay?"

Arohi was at a loss of words. She wasn't used to being bossed around, but then again, Arjun was also being considerate.

"Okay," she sighed. She got on behind him and snatched her bag off his shoulder. She heard his muffled laugh from under his helmet.

"Now hold on," he said.

To that, she was about to say a sarcastic "Yeah right," but swallowed it the moment Arjun careened his bike out of the parking and zipped out onto the road. She held on for dear life!

After a while, they came across a traffic light and Arjun stalled the bike. He turned and looked at her hand clutching at his shirt.

"If you hold on like this, you would definitely fall, and rip my shirt in the process. Can you not just hold onto my shoulder like a normal person would?"

When Arohi just looked at him as if he was speaking gibberish, he himself took her hand and placed it on his shoulder.

Thankfully, the traffic light turned green just then, and it saved Arohi the embarrassment of having Arjun catch her blush.

With her hand placed on his shoulder, Arohi felt herself squirmy yet strangely pleased at the same time. This is how girlfriends sit behind their boyfriends, she thought. Anyone who sees us will think that. Which made her blush more, because she almost felt shy at the idea of Arjun being her boyfriend. Something was definitely wrong with the food she ate today. Why else would she be getting such nonsensical ideas?

After a while, Arjun asked her for directions, and she leaned forward to answer him. As she did so, she caught a whiff of his aftershave. It was different from the one he usually used. Strong woody scent. She liked it much better than the marine notes of his other aftershave. Actually, she kinda liked them both. They reminded her of ... of... you're officially a LOSER, Arohi, she mentally scolded herself! Noticing his aftershave? Now that was super odd.

Shaking these thoughts off her head, she tried focusing on the road ahead and giving the right directions to Arjun.

They finally reached the shop and Arohi quickly picked up Arjun's jacket while he waited outside on his bike. Once outside, she tried handing it to him.

"Do you expect me to hold it while riding the bike? You hold it. Give it to me when I drop you off."

"Are you planning to drop me home?"

"Well of course. It's too late to take a cab by yourself."

Arohi knew it was a tough argument, so she sat behind him and gave him the address to her house without further protest.

The night air was pleasant and cool, and Arjun had seemed to have forgotten she was sitting behind him. He was very quiet and the bike cruised smoothly down the lanes. Arohi also felt calm and relaxed her grip on Arjun's shoulder. While she had tried to avoid any other body contact, her knees grazed the sides of his legs every now and then. She decided not to bother too much about it, since she had already given herself a backache trying to sit as far away from him as she possibly could.

She had closed her eyes and was enjoying the breeze in her hair, when the bike suddenly swerved to the curb and stopped. Arohi looked around quizzically as Arjun turned around and said, "I'm super hungry. Do you want to grab a bite?"

Even though she wanted to turn down the offer, Arohi's tummy growled at that precise moment.

"Yeah, I guess I wouldn't mind getting something to eat."

They were at Carter Road, close to the promenade.

"Okay, so what do you want to eat?"

"Me?" Arohi asked, surprised.

"Main toh aate rehta hu yahan. Tum bolo kya khaogi?" Arjun asked, leaning against his bike.

Arohi looked at his face, trying to see if he was sincerely asking her for her opinion. He had an amused smile, which was obviously because he must be happy at himself for confusing her like this. But he seemed serious enough.

"It's not like I don't come here often. I also come here a lot."

"Achha? I come here at least 3 times a week. How often do you come?"

Arohi realized she was losing the argument. "Oh never mind. If you come here this often the why don't you only recommend something."

"Hmm..." Arjun considered for a moment. "You like momos?" he asked with a bright smile.

Arohi couldn't help smiling back at him. "Sure, I love momos."

"Great then. There's this place round the corner where they make the most awesome momos, even better than the real thing!"

"The real thing?"

"Arre apne dilli waale momos," Arjun explained, and a little while later, Arohi couldn't help but agree, as she filled up on the most mouth-watering momos she had ever had.

"Wow, these are the best! What's this place called?" she was speaking with her mouth full.

"You're the first girl I've seen who eats like a pig," Arjun guffawed, but lost his grin when Arohi glared, picked up her glass of water and made as if to throw it at him.

"Nahi nahi... You eat like a lady. Main toh bus... aise hi keh raha tha. Khao khao."

But Arohi made sure she ate in smaller bites as she finished her plate.

When the bill came, Arjun picked it up quickly even as Arohi tried looking at it.

"Don't worry, this one's on me. Waise bhi chhoti si jagah hai, aur tumne bhi zada khaya nahi."

"No really, we'll go dutch on this. I won't have you paying for me, too."

"Consider it my treat."

"What for?"

"Mere Birthday ki"

"It's your birthday today??" Arohi asked, mortified. It was close to 11 o'clock now, and she had spent close to half a day with him, yet she had no clue.

Arjun made a sad face, "And I had thought you would at least know a few things about your dance partner. So sad."

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea."

"Koi nahi, ab toh wish kar do."

"Yeah, happy birthday," Arohi mumbled.

"Aise wish karogi? Such a boring happy birthday? You know what, nobody cut any cake or sang for me today. It's so depressing because the day is also coming to an end. Will you at least sing 'happy birthday' for me."

Arohi found the request odd but felt obliged to humor him, because he looked so sad.

"Okay fine I'll sing, let's get out of here at least."

Arjun smiled and led her out of the place. Once outside, they had to walk a little to where he had parked his bike.

"Come, let's take the walkway," suggested Arjun, and since Arohi was feeling a little sorry for him, she went along.

A salty gust of wind was blowing her hair around, and she felt tiny goosebumps jump on her skin each time Arjun's hand brushed against hers as they walked along the seaside. She wanted to walk a little further away from him, but she also wanted to curl her fingers around his when he turned to her and grinned.

"When are you planning to sing?"

"You really expect me to?"

Arjun gave her a 'poor-puppy' look

"Uhmm... okay," she cleared her throat and very self-consciously and quickly sang 'happy birthday' for Arjun.

"You didn't sing it from the heart,"Arjun complained when she finished.

"Oh please, for heaven's sake. I sang it dil se,"

"I don't think so. But it's okay, you can sing from the heart on my birthday next week."

Arohi glowered at him. "It's not your birthday today??"

"When did I say it was?"

"Y-you did..." even as she asserted this, she realized he hadn't exactly said it was his birthday today.

"I haven't seen a bigger donkey than you," she yelled and started walking ahead of him.

"And I've not seen a bigger ullu than you," Arjun laughed. When she didn't slow down, he ran a little to catch up with her and nudged her.

"Don't be so angry, I was just trying to stop you from paying. And then you believed me, so I just went along. It was harmless. Promise!"

"You really shouldn't have made me sing. I'm so mad at you!"

"Accha sorry, don't be angry. You sang very well."

"Shut up."

"No really, you were very cute..." Arjun said, and abruptly stopped speaking. Arohi turned to look at him. He had an odd expression on his face, a mix of embarrassment and surprise. As if he had surprised himself, and was now embarrassed about something.

They had reached his bike. Arohi said, "It's okay. Now drop me home." She was still a bit angry and Arjun seemed to figure that out since he maintained silence and did not say anything to irritate her further.

They finally reached Arohi's house. It wasn't 12 yet. Arjun asked, "Which floor do you stay on?"

"Fifth floor," said Arohi, holding out his jacket.

"Which wing?" he asked, not taking it from her hands.

Arohi wondered why he was being so inquisitive. "A-wing. See that balcony?" she said, pointing to one. "That's mine. Attached to my bedroom."

"Hmm," Arjun nodded.

"So..."

"So?"

"So I'll go now," Arohi said, avoiding his eyes. Over the last few moments, he was looking at her very seriously.

He looked very cute with a tiny frown. Then suddenly his cheek dimpled into a smile. "What's the rush? Will you turn into a pumpkin after 12?"

"It's so late! My mum's gonna throw a fit," she replied, a little concerned about her neighbours, too. They could be a nosy lot sometimes.

"Well, okay," he shrugged.

"Take your jacket, will you," Arohi was getting tired of holding it for him.

Arjun smiled and reached for it. For a very short moment, his hand held hers as he pulled his jacket from her fingers. Arohi's heart did funny things when he held on for a millisecond longer than what would have been an innocent gesture.

"I-I still think you should have let me pay my share," she stammered, trying to change the atmosphere that was suddenly charged with things she was unaware of, but found exciting all the same.

Arjun came slightly closer and said, "If I like a girl, I ensure she doesn't go hungry."

Arohi's cheeks blushed pink. She mumbled something unintelligent and fidgeted with the ends of her stole.

"But if you insist, you can treat me at Taj. I wouldn't mind," Arjun grinned and he got onto his bike, and before Arohi could register all that had just happened, he had waved and was back on the road and out of sight.