Arnav sat at the bar, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. He watched as the liquid swirled around, gently sloshing up against the sides of the glass. He tilted the glass back and took a deep swig, his Adam's apple bobbing as the alcohol burned its way down his throat.
Wearing a neatly ironed, baby blue button down and jeans, Arnav was aware of the looks he received from the women in the bar. Instead of the crisp, gelled back look he generally sported, Arnav left his hair and face in a stylishly ruffled look. Day-old stubble lined his cheeks, his hair grown out messily. He managed to pull it off effortlessly, but his eyes gave away the exhaustion and sadness he truly felt. They had a melancholy feel to them, the chocolate depths swirling with an unnamed emotion.
He observed Aakash, who had his arms wrapped scandalously around his girlfriend, Payal. A cynical chuckle escaped Arnav's lips as he imagined Nani's reaction to Aakash's current position. The only consolation was that Payal was Indian, unlike Arnav's many conquests. She would be horrified, he mused, just like she was at his womanizing lifestyle he had taken up in the States.
Unfortunately, the endless string of women he bedded couldn't remove the hazel eyes that haunted him. Every cry of passion, every thrust, every gasp of pleasure was compared to the woman with the long, dark tresses and boundless reserves of joy. Joy that she spread to everyone, including himself.
The long blond hair and bright blue eyes that usually clung to his arm, slipping under his covers at night turned into streaming dark hair and sparkling hazel eyes in Arnav's imagination. He was always gone before the sun broke, leaving a heartbroken girl who hoped to snag one of the richest bachelors at Harvard. No girl lasted longer than a week, and none of them were ever Indian.
"Arnav, Arnav, dekho! I got in! I got into the medical program!" He staggered back as a blur of colors slammed into him, waving her letter of acceptance in his face delightedly. He picked her up and spun her around.
"I'm so happy for you! Didn't I tell you that you would get in?" She smiled bashfully, grinning up at her best friend.
"Did you get into Harvard?" Arnav hesitated, thinking of the fat package of materials he had received just that morning. He looked into her eyes, seeing the sparkle of joy. He couldn't tell her he was going to leave. Not yet.
"Um... No. I was waitlisted." She drew him into a tight hug, nestling her face against his chest.
"You'll get in! I promise. There's no way they can say no to you." He pulled her closer, never wanting to let go.
Arnav chuckled darkly as he remembered that moment. It was their senior year in high school, and she, typically, was the first one to get her letter of acceptance back from her dream college. It was close to home, and had a fantastic medical program. She always had an unrelenting need to help everyone, didn't she? She didn't apply abroad, despite the fact that she had the stellar grades to get into whatever elite school of her choice. She wanted to stay close to her parents and younger sister, so they wouldn't feel her absence too strongly.
He leaned her down on the bed, gazing into the beautiful, almond shaped orbs that revealed her every emotion. Her bare shoulders peeked out from underneath the sheets. He placed a lingering kiss on her neck, softly nipping at the sensitive skin. A delicate moan fell from her lips, and she buried her fingers in his hair.
He drew back to look at her, studying her for any sign of hesitation.
"May I...?" He asked, trying to convey that she was under no pressure to say yes. She squeezed his hands, nodding her consent.
With one swift thrust, he slid into her. His lips captured the cry of pain, and he stilled, waiting for her to relax. When she wiggled her hips impatiently, he began to move. While he had been with girls before, nothing compared to the sheer bliss of this moment.
Arnav's hands clenched into fists at the memory, his body heating up. His throat tightened, the sting of tears piercing and intense. He remembered the sweet fragrance of her body in the morning, the sunlight streaming in and highlighting the curves of her figure. The way she curled into him, her bare skin pressing sensually against him. The sleepy, clouded eyes when she finally opened them. The shy blush that spread across her body as she pulled the covers tighter, begging him to go inside and shower so she could get up without embarrassment. The pain of the following memory, the tears, and the anguish of leaving her.
"We're going to miss you, Bhai. I can't believe you're leaving for America." Arnav froze at Aakash's words, his heart tightening in fear. He turned his eyes to her, only to meet her probing gaze.
"You got in? Why didn't you tell me you were off the waitlist? This calls for a celebration!" She was about to signal to the waiter when Aakash's statement stopped her.
"Waitlist? What waitlist? Bhai wasn't waitlisted... he got in by early admission! Guess they just loved him too much to say no, right Bhai?" Aakash playfully punched his brother, oblivious to the rising tension in the room.
Arnav couldn't bear to meet her eyes. He felt the shock plunge in, then the anger, and finally the sadness. Her gaze changed from pride to hurt and resentment. Arnav swallowed painfully, willing the guilt that was weighing so heavily on his stomach to go away.
Her voice was tight when she spoke next, betraying the emotions that plagued her.
"So... when do you leave, Arnav?" He refused to look at her as he responded, unable to bear the hurt in her eyes.
"Tomorrow." He felt her freeze. He knew there would be tears welling up in her eyes. He was about to turn towards her when she suddenly got up, pulling her coat on and grabbing her purse.
"I just remembered I have a test tomorrow to study for. I'll... take my leave now. Have fun at Harvard, Arnav." With that, she left, without a backwards glance.
He didn't go after her.
He closed his eyes to the searing pain in his chest, cutting him deep inside. He was about to down his drink when he heard a familiar voice calling for Payal, the light, tinkling sound calling out to him over the madness of the pub.
He turned to see her tear-stained face, the red rims taking away from those beautiful eyes. He strained to hear her conversation with her sister. He could tell she was struggling to keep from breaking down, the quivering of her lips giving away her sorrow.
"Khushi? You're not supposed to be here so soon! Aren't you supposed to be celebrating your anniversary with Abhi- wait, what happened?"
"He- he was... otherwise occupied." Payal's eyes widened in understanding, and she murmured something to Aakash before corralling her sister to the bathroom, giving her soft condolences and wrapping her arms tightly around her waist.
Arnav strode out of the bar, anger clouding his gaze.
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Later that night, Arnav glanced in the mirror as he drove a despondent Khushi, a comforting Payal, and a distinctly uncomfortable Aakash home. He watched as Payal muttered uplifting messages, telling her Abhi wasn't worth it, and that Khushi was worth so much more. They came to a stop outside the apartment, and Payal ushered Khushi in, with Aakash and Arnav following closely behind.
Shortly afterwards, Aakash and Payal retired to their rooms upon the insistence of Khushi. Not giving him a chance to talk, she strode into the kitchen. He sat down at the table, hearing the clang of pots and pans as she whipped up jalebis.
He was pleasantly surprised when fifteen minutes later, she came out with a plate full of jalebis and two steaming cups of chai. She placed one down in front of him, gestured for him to eat, before leaving the room once more.
"Everything is sugar free, you should be fine." She had remembered, Arnav noticed.
She came back with gauze and antiseptic, pulling his arm towards her with a practiced ease. He winced in pain as the antiseptic seeped into the wound on his knuckles, the bruises beginning to form a purple stripe along his fist.
"Hero banna zaroori tha kya?" She said it so quietly that he almost didn't hear her. She avoided his gaze, tending to his wound purposefully.
"I would have done it for anyone."
"I didn't say you wouldn't have."
A tense silence hung in the air, neither knowing what to say.
"He told me I was the kind of girl he would settle down with, but that he needed his fun before he settled down."
"I didn't ask."
"You didn't ask very loudly."
"You deserve better, Khushi. You deserve someone who can love and care for you, who cherishes you. No guy needs to f*** another girl if he has one he's willing to settle down with. You need someone better." She looked up at him, her gaze piercing his own.
"Someone like you?" His heart nearly stopped at the statement. It wasn't said sarcastically, or with resentment. It was almost as if she was stating a fact. The words were heavy with promise, a question hovering in the thick air.
He took a deep breath, inhaling as he felt her fingers wrap the gauze around his hand.
"Yeah. Someone like me."
Without saying a word, she finished wrapping the gauze around his fingers. Just when he thought she would pull away, she gently pried his fingers apart and slid hers between his. He looked at her in surprise, not expecting her actions.
She let out a breath and turned her face up to his. They sat like that in the dining room for the rest of the night, the promise of a new beginning standing in front of their eyes. They would figure it out. They always had.
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My other OS: Of Brides and Babies
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