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Part 3
"Avoidance won't help...Face your demons"- Anonymous
Arohi entered inside her apartment...she dropped her bag carelessly and sat on couch...she looks around her empty apartment...she pulled out pills from her bag...she was craving or it again...she wants a way out of reality...everything around hurts so much...but when she take drugs the hurting stops...it makes her feel good...it makes her believe everything is alright...perfect like in those stories...pleasure bubble inside her...she pushed her hair away from her forehead...
"U r my best-friend" she said with groggy smile staring at pills...
Suddenly the incident at Arjun's place replayed in her mind...he will know what she is then he will hate her like everyone...he will judge her...he will believe rumors...he will also give her dirty glares like everyone else...
She was about to take pills when the doorbell rang...who could it be? She wondered...no one comes to visit her...once she was sure she had hidden pills she walked to open door...
And there stood Arjun smiling at her like always..."Hi!"
"u followed me" she asked accusingly...
"Yep" he replied tugging his hand in pockets...
"Stop stalking me...u loser" she said rather rudely...
Arjun stepped in not bothered about her rude behaviour..."u left so abruptly...I was worried"
Arohi stared at him...care and honesty shining in those brown orbs...she knows about all the gossips that go around in college about her...she don't give a damn about them...but with Arjun it will be different...if he came to know about her secret he will hate her...and she can't see hate for her in those eyes...she had been abandoned by so many lately...she wouldn't be able to bear one more name adding to that list...
"now that u have seen me...U can LEAVE" she said turning away from him...
Please go away...Please...Please just go...she cried inwardly...
"What's the hurry...u have nice home" he said looking around..."so u stay here alone...Arohi?" he said coming in front of her...
How well her name rolls out of his mouth...she thought blinking...Get over ur crush...u silly girl...she scolded herself...
"Why are u being so mean?" Arjun frowned...her this behaviour is getting on him now...
"u r invading my private time and expect me to be sweet to u...sorry I can't...m mean and rude...m like this only deal with it" she said annoyed at him...
Arjun looked at her for second and then smiled..."Don't u get tired being this tough always? U need to chill a little..." he made himself comfortable on couch...
Arohi rolled her eyes and sat holding her head...why the hell he isn't leaving?
"Why are u always frowning..? What ur problem?" he asked trying to initiate conversation...
"YOU! You are my problem..." she pointed at him angrily...
Arjun raised his eyebrows and asked smoothly "How?"
How!!? Arohi wanted to pull her hair..."Look! I don't like people..."
"Okay! So?"
"and u are no exception..." liar liar liar...her heart screamed but she continued..."U out of nowhere had popped into my life...u r literally stalking me everywhere...I hate being around people" her desire was rising...she was burning...She needs one pill...maybe two...no all of them...she needs all of them...
Arjun looked at her intentionally..."are u afraid of something?"
"Why are u asking me questions? I already made it clear to u...I don't want anything with u...Stay away from me" she stood up from her seat...
Arjun too stood up..."I also made it clear to u...I want to know u"
"and I want to be alone" she barked...
He ran his hand through hair..."okay listen" he tugged at her elbow..."one week. In one week we have to submit our project..."
Arohi tried interrupting him but he gestured her to let him continue...
"We will be working together and meeting for one week...u have no escape from it" he stopped himself from smiling on memory of how they ended up together..."I get it it's hard for u to let people in...but give this one week to me without trying to push me..." he said with utmost sincerity...
"and after this one week u won't bother me?" she eyed him...
Arjun chuckled..."or maybe u will have someone to call friend" he gave her his boyish dimpled smile...
...his smile! Arohi felt her heart melting at that sight...She wanted to put her every guard down and let him in...the desire to have someone to call her own aching in her...but when he will know who she is he will hate her...he will leave her...he will be disgusted by her...It was better to halt the feelings before they grew more...
"so what u say?" Arjun peeped in her thoughts...
Arohi sighed..."anything to get u off my back..."
Arjun laughed..."I am not that bad...I will prove it u in this one week"
"I guess u should leave now..."
"Yes..." Arjun nodded and stood up..."See u tomorrow..." he gave her a light hug and left her apartment...
-----------
Next Day Arohi was early...she was sitting on last bench and munching on a chocolate when Arjun came...but what shocked her was...instead of sitting at his usual place he marched towards back of class and sat beside her...his this small act earned them a lot of curious glances and dirty stares from Natasha and her minions...
"Good morning" he smiled brightly...
Arohi could hear whisperings and people gossiping about them...Great! new topic for gossip mongers...Damn You Arjun Singhania!
"Why are sitting here?" she asked gritting her teeth...
"bcz I wanna sit next to u" he replied shrugging his shoulders...
Before Arohi could fight with him the teacher came...
------------
"She is coming" one of Natasha's minion informed her...
Natasha nodded and opening her bottle poured water on floor...
"She slapped in front of everyone yesterday...What she thought I will leave her like that only..?" Natasha spoke angrily hiding behind pillar and looking at Arohi who was walking in her tune stuffing earphones...
Arohi was walking recklessly not watching where she was going...she didn't heard Arjun who was calling her from behind and kept walking...
A loud gasp released from her mouth as her foot slipped stepping on water...but before she could hit ground Arjun saved her wrapping her in his strong arms...Arohi could feel his touch through thin material of her top...she was staring unblinkingly back at him...
Natasha fumed with anger and left from there stomping her foot...
The sound of someone clearing her throat broke her reverie...she quickly detached herself from him and stood on her feet carefully...
Arjun glared at source of disturbance who was none other than his best-friend Shefali...who passed from their winking at him...
Arjun shifted his attention back at Arohi who was turning to leave from there...
"Hey Arohi!" he stopped her..."u r fine?"
"Yes" she replied curtly...
Arjun stood in front of her..."I was calling u...but u didn't heard me due to ur earphones..."
"oh! What is it?"
"u tell me What is it?" he asked angrily...
"what?" Arohi gave him a confused look...
Arjun crossed his arms..."it's our first day as friends and u r already ignoring me..."
Arohi rolled her eyes..."U r angry at me?"
"yes"
"Great! Now u should ignore me and leave from here..." she walked passed him but Arjun was quickly at her side...he threw his arm around her shoulders..."It's okay I forgave u..." he smiled cheekily...
Arohi grunted shrugging his arm off her...the whole day passed like this with Arjun trying to break her shell and she groaning in annoyance...
-----------
Next day again Arjun was sitting beside her...he was tapping his fingers on desk leisurely staring at her...Arohi was getting uneasy under his constant stare...
"Stop staring at me!" she grumbled
"u r so beautiful...ur mom must be beautiful too" he said still staring at her...
Arohi stopped doodling in her notebook on mention of her mom...Arjun saw change of expressions on her face...pain flashed on her face before she covered it up with her world famous anger...
"I am Sorry Arohi...I didn't mean to hurt u"
Arohi started doodling again without saying anything...Arjun sighed and sat straight cursing himself...
"She was very beautiful...I look exactly like her" she whispered looking down in her notebook...
Arjun looked at her smiling before her words struck him..."was" the word escaped from his mouth before he could stop himself...
Arohi closed her eyes for a brisk moment..."She died when I was 6"
"I am sorry" he said squeezing her hand...
Arohi pulled her hand away from him..."Don't be! I hate her anyway" she picked her things and left from there...
*****
Arjun looked at Arohi who was sitting in his living area playing game on her mobile...Arjun was feeling very guilty on unintentionally hurting her in morning...he took coffee mugs and placed on table...
"For u" he showed her chocolates...
Arohi looked at chocolates and then at him..."I don't like chocolates..." she replied arrogantly...
Arjun pressed his lips together and kept the chocolates back on table...he sat beside her..
"so u read the article I mailed u yesterday?"
Arohi looked at him for a brief moment before busying herself in game again..."I told u...I won't do anything"
"no no...u have to read it and make a report on it till tomorrow"
"What makes u think I will?"
Arjun looked at her for while..."if u will then I will stop bothering u in lunch time..."
Arohi looked at her thinking..."and stop sitting beside me in class"
"no that's too much..."
"Fine then I won't do work..." she shrugged her shoulders...
"Fine! I won't sit beside u"
Arohi looked at him victoriously..."check u mail...I mailed u just now"
"What!" Arjun looked at her shocked..."U already made it..."
Arohi nodded..."I did so much hard work I needed something in return"
"u r impossible..." he stated shaking his head...
Arohi gave him whatever look and stood up..."I should leave now...Goodbye"
Arjun tugged her hand..."Never ever say Goodbye again...Goodbye means going away to never come back again..."
Arohi blinked looking at him..."u r weird" she pulled her hand away...but Arjun again caught her hand...he noticed something...he was unsure if he saw something...he pushed her bands up and his eyes grew wide as he saw the marks on her hand...he looked at her other hand too which also had similar marks...
"Arohi" he said in a gasp...
Arohi jerked him away and covered her hands..."How dare u?" she hissed..
"What the hell is wrong with u Arohi? These marks?" he asked worriedly...
"Stop it! I don't need ur concern..." she pushed him and ran away...something she has been doing from so long...
Arjun stood stunned at his place...What is it that made her like this...? This question constantly running in his mind...
*******
Arohi lay on floor with a bottle of whiskey in her hand...in last one hour she had smoked 2 cigarettes finished a bottle of whiskey and got two new cuts on her left hand...still she was feeling restless...every time she closed her eyes Arjun's questioning eyes flashed in front of her...the past few days spent with him were constantly playing in her mind...she sat up rubbing her eyes...she needs something strong...she wants to shut everything...but she was running out of drugs...reaching out for her mobile she called someone...
After 20 minutes Arohi was sitting in corner of a club waiting for someone...
"Hey Hottie..." Arohi looked above hearing a familiar voice
"Rick" she exclaimed...Rick was also from NYU...he was the one who introduced her to world of drugs and he was also her supplier...
"u have brought them?" she asked as he settled beside her...
Rick pulled out a tube from his pocket..."here!"
Arohi nodded trying to hold the tube but he pulled away..."Money first..."
She gave him a dirty look and taking out few dollars from her pocket slammed in his hand...he gave her the tube "Have a nice time..." he smiled...
Arohi ignored him...Taking out the powder from tube on her finger she sniffed twice...and then taking out some more powder she sniffed again...her mind was going numb after every sniff...a goofy smile came on her lips as she drowned herself under effect of drugs...
********
Arohi caressed the soft fabric under her...she opened her eyes trying to figure out if she was still in club but once the green walls of room came in her vision she knew she was not in club...she couldn't remember anything after she met Rick and took drugs...it was not new thing for her to wake up at foreign places...whenever she gets high in club she always end up at some unknown places but they were always stranded streets or alleys but this place was someone's house and it looked awfully familiar...
It took only few more seconds before it donned on her that she was in Arjun's apartment...but how?
He knows it...a shiver ran down her spine...her little secret was out...she quickly jumped out of bed and picked her sandals...she can't face him...she had to leave from here...
She rushed out of room running towards door but someone grabbed her elbow pulling her backwards...she knew it was Arjun...
"Let go" she screamed...
Arjun hold onto her tighter "U r destroying urself Arohi...YOU NEED HELP" he said sternly...
Arohi with her all might tried to push him but she couldn't..."I don't need help..."
"u r consuming drugs...u r killing urself...u sure need help" he kept his composure...
Arohi closed her eyes..."I am fine" she yelled back...
"U are addicted! U are not fine" he tried making her understand...
"u r judging me..." she said in dejected voice...the one thing she was afraid of is happening...
"No I am not...I am stating a fact...U were so miserable last night when I brought u here...It was good I was following u..." he started blabbering as his hold loosened on her...
Arohi took advantage of it and jerked his hands away..."Stop Stalking me...Leave me on my own..."
"I can't" Arjun growled ruffling his hair..
"Why?"
"Because I care about u..." he said cupping her cheeks...
Arohi shook her head pushing his hands..."Drop this sham of caring for me...I know nobody in this world gives a damn about it" she screamed as stream of tears flowed down from her eyes...
"I do...I really care about u" he spoke softly...
"Lie" she said and stepped away from him..
Arjun shook his heads in denial...
"u r lying..." she repeated this time shouting...
"No I am not..." he hissed in anger pulling her to himself..."I care about u! Get it"
"Why u care about me...? Who the hell I am to u?" she questioned with fresh tears glistening her eyes...
Arjun stared in her eyes angrily before spilling..."I care about u...because I LOVE YOU!" He barked shocking her and himself too...
His eyes grew word as the realization of his own word struck him...he left Arohi swiftly who was staring him back with unbelievable look...a low whimper escaped her mouth as she rushed out of his house...
Arjun didn't try to stop her as he stood frozen at his spot dealing with new realization...
*******
2 Days it had been 2 days since that incident at Arjun's place...none of them had seen each other after that...Arohi hadn't come to college...after fighting and questioning himself for 2 days Arjun stood at Arohi's door...after thinking a lot he finally rang the doorbell...he rang again when after 5 minutes no one opened the door...he was getting anxious now...he was ready to break the door when door opened and Arohi came in his view...
She didn't say anything and let him enter without any fight making him surprise...she sat down on floor sliding her back with couch...an empty bottle and a pack of cigarettes was lying next to her...
"Why are u here?" she asked in raspy voice...
Arjun looked at her tenderly..."I was worried about u...I needed to see u" he stepped closer to her..
Silence.
He sat beside her..."We need to talk Arohi"
Silence.
"I meant what I said that day..." he whispered and this made her look at him...and all Arjun saw was pain...she looked so sad and broken...he gently caressed her cheek..."I love u...I don't know how when or why but I love u...a lot"
"Go away" she said after a moment of silence...There was no rudeness no arrogance in her voice...just plain sadness...the drug she had taken a few hours before had drifted her mind to peace and her emotions were now empowering her...
Arjun closed his eyes..."No"
"Leave me Alone"
"I can't"
"I don't need u or anyone..." she said closing her eyes...
Arjun cupped her cheek..."I am there for u always...I will help u out"
Arohi shook her head vigorously..."I am fine...I don't need help"
"U are addicted Arohi"
"I am not...I know when to stop...I have control" she replied shaking her head...
Arjun looked at her angrily..."Don't give me that shit...I know how much control u have on urself...I have seen u...once u start u can't stop until u pass out...U r killing urself Arohi...Drugs eat away ur soul piece by piece...U have become so weak...so broken...and so sad due to drugs...They leave u angry and hurt"
"No" Arohi screamed and picking up the bottle threw it on floor making it shatter into pieces..."They help me cope with this world...they are my refuge"
"They are not ur refuge...they are poison...and as sure as hell they are not a way to cope...They are only a way to kill urself slowly...they only leave u miserable..." he tried pulling her in his arms but she repelled..."U are totally dependent on them...U need to stop or u will kill urself...I can't let anything happen to u...I Love u...I care about u and I will protect u..." he held her shoulders making her look at him..."I will be ur refuge.."
"I..I" she stammered as tears flowed out from her eyes..."I am not ur mess to fix...it's my problem"
"When someone loves u...your problem are theirs too...they stay with u in rough times and help u out...So ur every problem is mine too...U need help and u r going to let me help u"
"I don't need help" she growled holding her chest...the pain was too much to bear...her heart was aching...why he had to know about her...? Why? Why?
"Let me help u...please" Arjun pleaded..."What's stopping u?"
"U will hate me..." she pushed him..."U will give up on me...and then u will leave me..." she blurted out...
"I will never hate u...I will never give up on u..." he said firmly letting her know the truthfulness of his words...
"U will...U will..." she chanted as her whole body started shivering...
Arjun pulled her in his arms and rubbed her back..."I won't" he said tenderly trying to calm her down...
Arohi stopped chanting and looked him with horror stricken face..."I can't feel u" she whispered shakily...she touched his face...his arms..."I can't feel u" she yelled running her hands all over his body...
Arjun hugged her tightly..."Everything will be alright" he spoke soothingly...
Arohi sobbed loudly "I can't feel u..." she whimpered before everything blacked out...
😊
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