Note: I am going to be busy this weekend and so the next update will have to be sometime next week. I will try to squeeze in some time to write an update but no promises.
Chapter 27
Kapoor reached for the cup of coffee that Rishab was holding when it started to tip downward as he stared at the tent the couple had crawled into. "Hey, you're about to end up with a wet foot," she said, nudging his knee with hers. "Huh?" He glanced at his coffee that Kapoor was holding and took it again. "Thanks, was just kinda lost in my thoughts," he winked at her. "Yeah, I caught that." "You've worn your group out huh? All in bed," he said when he glanced around and realized that it was just his own group that was still out. Kapoor smirked. "Hell, all it takes is for one of them to try and take a nosedive off of a mountain and suddenly they're exhausted." She shook her head. "They tend to get pretty serious after that." She looked over his group. "You've got some live ones this time out." Rishab laughed quietly. "Yeah, they're a lively bunch alright." He took a sip of his coffee. "Most of them anyway." "Yeah, I see. One couple's already hitting the sheets, huh? And that's only after the first day." He shrugged. He didn't want to think about what was going on in that tent. Kapoor frowned when he didn't say anything.
"You climbing to the top with them or just halfway?" she asked to keep the conversation going. "Nah, they paid for the whole package. What's the point of climbing if you're not heading for the summit, you know?" "True, but some people don't manage this. Too exhausting." "This group's in good condition; they'll make it."
"So which one do you have your eye on to snuggle up with, huh?" she joked. He forced his gaze to stay away from the occupied tent and he smiled at her. "Now why would I need anyone else when you've come down to keep me company tonight?" She smirked. "You're such a ladies' man, Rishab." "Can't help it... gotta work with what you're given." "C'mon, you're too good for just that," she said, giving him a gentle shove with her shoulder.
Madhu found that she couldn't sleep yet, she was still too wound up after the exhilarating climb today. She got out of the tent as soon as Adam had fallen asleep so she could spend some time with Abby and the others. But now that she was awake and out, she found that everyone had retired to bed and it was just couples sitting around, talking or making out. Abby and Akash were cozying up to each other, Sikander was talking excitedly about life in Mumbai while Harpreet was looking disinterested but secretly loving the Mumbai tales, some couple was busy making out in the dark from the looks of it. She wondered if Rishab had retired for the night and if that woman was with him, when a wind caused the bonfire to flicker which in turn shone light on the couple sitting in the corner, lighting up their faces. Now that she had seen their faces she just stood there in shock.
Abby was the first one who acknowledged her presence and Akash and Harpreet turned slightly to look at her too. Oh, shit! Akash thought, when he saw the hurt in her expression and the direction she was looking in. "Uh, Madhu... look, its not what it looks..." He trailed off when she just shook her head at him. "Someone do something," Harpreet hissed. Sikander stood up, but knew better than to move towards Madhu at that moment. "Hey, look, it's not like he was doing something with her or anything." Harpreet just dropped her head in her hands. So much for the ability of the modern male to be sensitive in certain situations. "Yeah, whatever," Madhu said and started to walk away. "Don't come after me, Abby," she told the girl when she saw she was getting up.
Rishab was just catching up with Kapoor and she was just telling him about her recent break-up. Rishab was just trying to soothe her broken heart by giving her comfort, when Madhu saw them. By the look in her eyes, he figured where her thoughts were leading and he didn't know why he was bothered by what she was thinking and why he felt the need to explain himself.
He waited a few minutes to see if one of them would incur her wrath by following her and when none of them got up he leaned forward to toss the last of his coffee into the fire. It would be cold before he returned and cold coffee was worse than no coffee in his opinion.
He glanced at Kapoor and nodded at his tent. "It's ready to go whenever you are." He turned to Akash who was sitting close by. "Keep an eye on things. I'll be back when I get back." He didn't bother waiting for a response.
He got up and followed Madhu, knowing she was smart enough to know that even if she was upset she needed to stay within the camp's boundaries. Her tracks were easy to follow in the moonlight and he located her after just a few minutes, leaning back against a large, snow-covered boulder as she stared at the mountains in the distance and stubbornly wiped away the tears that kept falling to track down her cheeks.
He left several feet between them, giving her a moment to collect herself. The last thing he wanted was for her to go off on him. "Hey," he said quietly. "What do you want, Rishab?" she asked weakly. "To make sure you're okay." "It's not your problem... , if I'm okay or not." He took a couple of steps closer to her, ignoring the hurt that her words caused. "Hell, Madhu, just because we don't know each other for donkey's years and don't hang out every evening doesn't mean I don't care."
"Uh-huh, and you don't think your behaviour towards me, your moodiness, your indifference, your overt displays with 'others' hurts me?" she asked ironically. She didn't understand why his behaviour affected her but it did. He would never be immune to her pain; nothing in the universe could make that happen. He wanted to explain himself but couldn't bring himself to do just that. Instead he focussed on other stuff. "Look, Madhu, I didn't mean to act the way I have today. Yeah, probably... okay, definitely, and maybe I should be more professional and act..." He sighed. "Look, I'll try to do better tomorrow, okay?"
"You're right, Rishab, you should be more professional. I mean nothing to you anyway. Just someone who splashed some colours over some canvasses which you bought. What I do shouldn't affect you just like what you do shouldn't affect me."
God this was getting worse. You want an explanation? FINE!! "You have every right to be pissed at me, at what I did, but you don't have a right to just presume to know what should and shouldn't affect me. Right or wrong, I had my reasons for doing what I did. f**k! I was just comforting a friend with a broken heart." He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her. "And you should be thankful that I am abiding by certain professional ethics because if it weren't for that you'd be leaning back on that boulder with me plastered to you... and we wouldn't be just hanging out watching the f**king stars."
She shook her head sadly. "Don't talk to me like that, Rishab." Madhu glanced at him for several moments before she dared to speak her thoughts out loud. "I want you to take me back down tomorrow morning." "What? Why?" "Because I can't do this anymore, Rishab." "You can't do what? Climb up a mountain, be friends, tell me what? " She shook her head. "It's not that, Rishab." "Then talk to me... just lay it all out there." He dared to move closer to her and after a few minutes of silence he leaned back against the boulder next to her. "Talk to me Madhu." "I can't," she said quietly.
"Madhu... don't miss out on this experience because of me, girl." He wanted so badly to take her in his arms but he knew she'd probably punch him if he tried. She felt like she couldn't breathe when he was close like this. Right now, she wasn't thinking about what she had seen earlier, her brain was just focused on him, trying to find a good reason why he cared and why he was being so nice to her now. "I... I am confused," she blurted out in a whisper.
He couldn't have stopped himself from reaching for her at that moment if they'd been facing an avalanche. He took her hands and pulled her into his arms, holding her close as he stared down into her beautiful brown eyes. His right hand came up to gently trace over her features and his eyes darkened as he let his thumb brush the outline of her lips. "I know you don't like me too much, but unless you tell me to stop I'm gonna kiss you," he warned.
She stared up into his eyes, hands on his strong chest, while her knees felt like gum. She shook her head slightly. "Please don't, Rishab." Her heart was beating so hard but she knew of his reputation and couldn't stand for him to leave, and she knew it would happen as soon as the trip was over. At the same time she knew she couldn't give in to whatever these feelings were, because if she did she would just keep flowing like a tributary into the ocean away from the river she is part of.
She had asked him not to, but he knew if he kissed her she wouldn't give so much as an ounce of resistance. He let his hand slide around to settle at the back of her neck and he tugged her closer, pressing his lips against her forehead for several long seconds before releasing her. "Don't ever think I don't care about you." He waited for a few more seconds before asking her, "Are you happy?" He wanted to know if she loved Adam and if she was happy with him. Yes, he cared about her but he didn't understand why it was so important for him to know if she was happy, happy with him. When she didn't answer for a while he stood up straighter and motioned back towards the path they had taken to get there. "We should get back to camp. Don't make your decision tonight, Madhu. Sleep on it and let me know what you wanna do in the morning." She nodded. "I'm gonna stay here for a few more minutes. Don't worry, I'm not gonna go any further than this," she said and gestured to the poles in front of them. He hesitated for a moment before giving in to her wishes and leaving her alone.
"Hey, Rishab," she stopped him before he could get too far away. "You asked me if I'm happy. Are you?" "Sometimes... sometimes, I almost feel like I could be, but..." he shrugged. "It's not important." He left before she could ask any more questions and Madhu stared after him for a while until she could finally feel her muscles relaxing a little and she took a deep, cleansing breath.
Abby waited until Rishab had passed by on his way back to camp before she moved out from her hiding place. She had gone to find Madhu when she realised that Madhu had still not returned. She had been surprised to hear that Madhu knew Rishab from earlier and had even sold some of her paintings to him. She had thought she just knew him as the 'Rishab Kundra' like everybody else. Why didn't she say anything? Maybe this attraction they have for each other didn't start here. Are they friends or ...? She was confused to see Madhu accept a hug from the man, but it had only taken seconds to realize that it was more than that. There was a certain possessiveness in his touch and the fact that Madhu had done nothing to fend him off or discourage him made her more feel more assured of the fact that what Adam and she were doing was not wrong.
The snow crunched underfoot as she walked up to Madhu and she leaned back against the boulder next to her friend. "So... you okay?," she said, opting not to just jump on what she had seen between Madhu and Rishab right away. Madhu turned, surprised when she heard Abby from behind. Had she seen anything, she wondered. "Yeah"
"You wanna talk about it?" "There's not much to talk about, Abby. Everything is just... just so confusing. And I hate being confused. I like everything simple. I was stupid to think that this could work out." "First, you're not stupid and don't ever let me hear you say that again. Second, your tone sounds kinda final... what're you talkin' about?" Abby asked, worried.
Madhu stared down over the mountains and the snow glistening in the moonlight. "I think I am gonna go back down again tomorrow morning." "Whoa, Madhu, whatever it is, it's not that serious! Look, we can fix whatever it is. No one wants you to leave the trip."
"But it's no fun for me here, Abby. I don't wanna spend my whole vacation either fighting with him, or hoping he is in a good mood or watching him with others", Madhu replied before she realised what she was saying. Madhu hung her head. "This is all getting too complicated."
"Does this have anything to do with that hug between you and the guide? Seemed a little more familiar than two strangers." Madhu's eyes widened. "You saw that?" "Kinda hard to miss." "Did the others see?" "No, I just happened to see it because I came lookin' for you to make sure you're alright." She nudged Madhu with her shoulder and grinned. "Looked like our guide had everything under control though."
"It's him, Abby. Rishab Kundra. I met him at my exhibition and he bought all my paintings." Before she knew it she narrated the meeting with him in the car park and then at his office. She went on to tell her about her dream and how she suspected that the guy in the dream was him. "Wow I think this is the first time I have acknowledged that out loud even to myself", Madhu said surprised at herself. She went on to tell her how she doesn't like it when Deepali or that Kapoor girl get too cozy for comfort with Rishab. And how if she gives in to these feelings, she might just forget the world around her. And what if he doesn't feel the same way, after all he is 'Rishab Kundra'. "Oh, my God, Madhu, why didn't you tell me all this sooner?"
"Abby, promise me you won't tell anyone, especially not Rishab" "I won't say anything," she promised. "Wait, did you seriously just say 'especially not Rishab' to me, Madhu?" Abby asked, laughing. Madhu rolled her eyes. "This isn't funny, Abby." She quickly sobered. "No, of course not. Look, I'm not gonna say anything, but you'd better start talking ... what was with that hug?"
"God, I don't know, Abby. He came after me and said stuff. I... I got weak for a moment." "Uh-huh, still think he doesn't want you?" "I truly don't know what he wants, Abby. I mean, one minute he is mad at me, the next he is joking around with me, the minute after that he is flirting with someone else. And how can he just come to me and try to kiss me? That's not right."
Abby bit her bottom lip and tried to be a little more tactful as she voiced her next question. "So, he tried to kiss you... you told him no?" "Of course."
"Okay, but you have feelings for him, right?" Madhu stayed quiet and looked out over the landscape again. Did she have feelings for him? She snorted inwardly. As if you have to think about it Madhu. "C'mon, Madhu, you can tell me. You know it won't go any farther." She could see that her friend was torn and she wanted to help her but she didn't know what else to do. Madhu sighed and glanced at her friend. "Yes, I have feelings for him. But I don't wanna love him, Abby"
Abby pulled Madhu into a hug. "I'm sorry, Madhu, I know this has to be so hard for you, acknowledging that you love someone, opening up to someone else" "I don't wanna love him, Abby," Madhu said sadly. "Why not? Why not give him a chance? Do you think he doesn't care for you?" "No. He just said he that he cared about me. But why should he... I.. I don't know what I should do, Abby. I mean, I know nothing about him expect from what I have read, all his exploits"
"So he's with someone?", Abby inquired. "I don't know. But I am sure someone like him isn't alone." "How do you know for sure?" Abby asked."Have you looked at him, there's no reason why he'd be."
"So, you didn't ask him." She leaned back to look at Madhu. "Why? Let me guess, because you're scared that he'll say he's taken?" Madhu just glanced at her friend, hoping she would find the answer in her eyes without her having to say it out loud.
Madhu nodded. "Alright, let's talk about this decision to go back tomorrow instead of continuing... do you wanna go back because you're afraid of what you'll do if you spend much time around Rishab or because you're afraid to know if he will love you back or not?" Madhu made a face. "Both I guess."
"Okay, why don't you just stay? Girl, you've got a very good opportunity here... Rishab has nowhere to go while we're up here on this mountain. You're never gonna have a better chance of getting the truth out of him." Madhu almost laughed at the crazy situation. "So you're suggesting that I should stay here with my feelings which are all over the place while I try to find out if Rishab is into me or if he is already taken?" Abby shrugged and grinned. "Yeah, that's pretty much it." "I'm so screwed."
"No, don't say that. Look, I know what's going on, so I can run interference if you need me to, and..." her back teeth started to grind. "But you're supposed to have fun on this trip, Abby," Madhu said. "And I'm not gonna be having fun if my friend bails on me and leaves me up here with an idiot of a brother, who by the way already knows that you and Rishab are more than just friends."
"Oh God!!! When did life get so complicated, huh?" Madhu exclaimed. "Look, we're here to have fun... so, let's have fun. If you want, we can even do some switching tomorrow. I'll talk to Adam and he can partner up with me and Akash so that leaves just you and Rishab."
Madhu snorted. "Yeah, that won't be suspicious or anything. Though Deepali would be pissed like hell." That sounded like music to Abby's ears.
"Well, I think you should do whatever you feel is right and just know that I'll support you either way." "I hate my life," Madhu whined. "C'mon, Madhu, it's not that bad." She paused a moment and then nodded. "Okay, it is that bad, thinking about the bob-cat with big claws (FYI - the bob-cat reference was made in association to Deepali) but Adam and I will get you through this." "Uh-huh. Alive?" Madhu joked. Abby snorted. "Yeah."
"I'm scared, Abby," the girl admitted. "Me too." Abby was hoping for the best but things could go wrong when the heart is concerned. "Let's get back to the others before this gets any more suspicious." Madhu suggested. Abby nodded and they started back down the path they had plowed through the snow.
"Wanna sit outside for a while or are you getting tired?" Madhu asked. "I guess I am getting a little bit tired and they did say we'd break camp early, so maybe we should get some sleep." Madhu nodded even though she was sure she wouldn't be able to sleep just yet. Her heart was still pounding wildly as she imagined how Rishab had glanced down at her. "Alright," Madhu said as they reached the tents. "Goodnight, girl." Abby gave her another hug before taking a deep breath and walking to her own tent.
Madhu glanced around and noticed that Sikander, Harpreet and Akash were still sitting and decided to join them for a little while. Rishab was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he was already in bed. "So, are you guys excited about tomorrow?" Akash asked. As a rule the guides didn't all go to bed until everyone else had called it a night. Rishab suddenly joined them. "Yeah, tomorrow is probably one of the most exciting days of the climb." He sat down as far away from Madhu as possible.
"Yeah, looking forward to it. But what're we gonna do?" Sikander asked. "Tomorrow's climb is shorter as far as distance, but as far as endurance is concerned, it's a lot more challenging," Akash said. "Sounds great," Madhu said, wishing she could concentrate better and be more excited about this trip without her problems.
"It'll be a lot steeper, but it's also a lot of fun. There's a lot of satisfaction to be had at the end of the day after we reach our next camp site." Rishab stared into his coffee as he spoke, not sure he was ready to make eye contact with Madhu just yet. Should I really stay? Madhu wondered. Sure, she wanted this trip and hell, she wanted to be close to Rishab, but she also knew it would only hurt her more in the end.
"Nothing matches summit day though," Akash said with a big grin. "Man, when you reach the top it's like looking down on the entire world." "Has anything dangerous ever happened during your climbs?" Madhu asked, trying to find a safe theme for a conversation. Harpreet snorted. "Well, last year Rishab over here busted his arm when he played superhero to save one of the climbers who wasn't listening and nearly got himself killed because of it." God, why did she have to tell her something that would make Rishab even more sexy in her eyes? "You guys have a lot of responsibility."
"Really?" Sikander was intrigued. "What happened?" Harpreet stretched her legs out in front as she warmed up to the story. "We were about four hours from the summit on our third day out and we stop for a break, right? Well, this stupid motherf**ker gets too close to an area where the ice wasn't stable so he could take a picture. We knew what was gonna happen because he was edging further out and next thing you know there's this cracking sound... and if you ever hear it while standing on one of these glaciers, it's guaranteed to stop your heart. The guy freezes, right? He's too scared to do anything but stand there and wait to fall." She shook her head. "Meanwhile, Rishab's secured himself and me and Akash, we're braced because we know no matter what, Rishab's ass is going over the edge of that cliff."
Rishab stretched his leg out and kicked her. "Dude, don't tell that story." Harpreet glanced up. "What? Why?" He shrugged. "You make it sound like I'm some kinda hero and I'm not." "But you did save him man, and you almost got yourself killed doing it."
"Guess, we don't have to be afraid of anything with you being our leader," Madhu said, glancing up at Rishab. She trusted him with her life on this mountain. There was no doubt that he wouldn't let her get hurt. Rishab's head came up and he met her gaze directly. "No, you're perfectly safe." She nodded. How the hell was she supposed to act around him? Especially now that he had almost kissed her.
"Well, tell your tall tales and make me sound ten feet tall and bulletproof, Harpreet," he said as he stood and stretched. "I'm gonna call it a night. G'night, you all." He pointed at Harpreet. "Don't keep them up too late with your lies." "Whatever Rishab," Harpreet said with a grin.
"Good night," Madhu said, ignoring her jealousy at the thought that he might be sharing his tent with that female guide. She looked away when he crouched down to unzip the opening of his tent, forcing her mind away from the attractive woman waiting for him. She quickly excused herself and returned to her tent.
Edited by luvera - 12 years ago
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