Hello everyone!!😊 Here I am with the third chaper...😃 Hope I am not too late...😛 Okay, so in the last chapter, Shlok and Aastha only saw each other, and now they will meet 😉 This is a long chapter and I am sure you will enjoy reading it 😃 Do leave your comments after reading it 😊
I HATE YOU!!!
CHAPTER 3
Shlok came into the room, water dripping from his body. He removed his shirt and changed his pants after wiping his wet body. His towel was too wet to dry his hair. So he came out to get another towel from the room at the end of the passage where all the spares were kept.
*****
Aastha stood pressing her back against the wall behind her. She closed her eyes tightly as a strange fear gripped her heart. The thudding of her heart sounded louder than the sound of the heavy rain outside. What was it that just happened? Why was her heart beating faster? She knew that the reason was the sight of Mr. Shlok Agnihotri. But why did that affect her so much? She was breathing fast. She wanted to put an end to all these thoughts. "Aastha, this is just because you saw the great Shlok Agnihotri for the first time in person... That's all, nothing else!!" she told herself. She opened her eyes murmering "Relax... just relax!"
As she drank some water and sat down on the bed, she remembered that she had to call Baba. She looked around for her phone and then remembered that she had left her phone in the drawing room. She hurried out of her room and just as she turned around the corner of the passage, she bumped into a tall, handsome, shirtless Shlok. They both fell to the floor with Shlok on the top of Aastha. Shlok supported himself on his arms so that his weight did not crush Aastha below him. Before Aastha could understand what just happened, she saw a pair of black eyes staring down at her. Their faces were just a couple of inches away. Shlok could feel Aastha's heaving chest against his bare body. Aastha stared at him, her eyes wide in fear and shock. Shlok knew he needed to get up immediately, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. Aastha was at loss of words just wondering why he wasn't moving away. But Shlok was lost into those beautiful brown eyes that contained so many unspoken words in them. Aastha was waiting for him to move away. She hesitated to touch his bare chest to push him away. Just then, to her rescue, Aastha's phone began ringing. That brought Shlok back to his senses and he got up at once, totally embarrassed. Before he could say anything, Aastha ran away to the drawing room to get her phone. More than that, she just wanted to run anywhere away from Shlok. Shlok stood at his place for a couple of moments as a smile unknowingly spread across his lips.
*****
Aastha picked up the call. It was Baba as she had expected. He had called back after seeing Aastha's missed call. Aastha told him that she had reached safely and asked him whether he was fine and whether he had his lunch and medicines. He sensed Aastha's fear through her trembling voice. He asked whether she was alright, and she said she was. The call ended soon. Aastha was about to go to her room when Kaveri Mausi called her and told her to come at the dining table for lunch. Aastha quickly went to the kitchen to help Kaveri Mausi bring the food and arrange dishes and other things on the table. Kaveri Mausi was glad to receive the help. After everything was ready, Kaveri Mausi went to call Shlok for lunch.
*****
Shlok stood looking outside the window of his room. He couldn't stop thinking of those beautiful brown eyes. They had a mixture of emotions - there was sadness, there was fear, there was pain. Why? Was she really in pain? Was it because he was lying over her when they fell down? No... It was the pain of a deep wound, something she kept to herself... something that she had burried deep into her heart. Those eyes had something hidden in them... a mystery. Shlok looked at the rain outside and he remembered seeing the girl from his balcony. "Aastha..." he whispered. He remembered those words of her...
Yeh bhagya ke wohi kaale baadal hain,
Jo srishti ko khushiyon ki barsaat de gaye...
Lekin meri zindagi mein yeh baadal aise chhaye,
Ki kabhi na dhalne waali raat de gaye...
(Meaning - These are those clouds of fortune that have given rains of happiness to the nature... But the same clouds brought with them that never-ending dark night in my life...)
Why did she say that? Shlok was sure that something bad had happened with her in the past and that she had not yet come out of it.
Kaveri Mausi came there to call Shlok for lunch. Shlok went with her to the dining room.
*****
Everyone sat aroung the table. Aastha made sure she sat away from Shlok. Ramu too joined them. Kaveri Mausi always insisted everyone to have lunch and dinner together, be it the famous writer or his servant. For her, everyone was equal and Shlok too agreed, except for the interns. But today, he didn't have any objection having Aastha there. Kaveri Mausi didn't fail to notice that. She smiled.
Shlok was frequently looking at Aastha as she stared down at her feet. Both didn't say a word. Assuming that they were seeing each other for the first time, Kaveri Mausi introduced Aastha to Shlok. "Hi..!" said Shlok with a smile but Aastha remained silent. Kaveri Mausi was very surprised to see Shlok greet his intern with a smile. That was unbelievable for her! Shlok was shameful that he didn't get up immediately when he fell on her. He was sad that it may have created a bad impression of his on Aastha. He just wanted to make clear that the fall wasn't intentional. Kaveri Mausi told everyone to begin eating. Everyone was silently eating. Only the sounds of munching and clatter of plates and spoons were audible. The silence, especially silence of Aastha, was disturbing Shlok. He couldn't refrain from speaking. "Kaveri Mausi" he said, "I would like to share with you a couple of lines I came up with a few minutes ago..." Everyone looked at him waiting to hear. Aastha too was curious to know what he was about to say. Shlok glanced at Aastha as he said these lines...
Kab tak kaale baadal dhak paayenge sooraj ko,
Chaahe woh chaaro taraf se ho baadalon se ghira;
Chaahe raat kitni hi lambi kyun na lage,
Harr raat zaroor dhalti hai de kar naya savera...!!
(Meaning : No matter how the clouds surround the sun, they can never block the sun for long. However long the night may seem, after every night there comes dawn!)
Aastha was stunned to hear those lines. She was surprised to know that Shlok had heard her when standing in he balcony. And she understood that Shlok's lines were a reply to hers. Kaveri Mausi and Ramu praised Shlok for his lines. But Shlok was waiting for Aastha's reaction. Aastha looked at him knowing not what to say. She was surprised that he understood her pain behind those lines. Her eyes watered but she composed herself. Shlok was waiting for her to say something, but she couldn't speak. Though Aastha was silent, Shlok could make out her thoughts through her eyes. He had a faint smile on his lips as he looked at her to say that everything will be fine.
*****
After the lunch Aastha and Ramu helped Kaveri Mausi to clean the table and the kitchen. Shlok was waiting for Aastha to walk past his room so that he could talk to her. As Aastha was going to her room, Shlok called out to her. She stopped, clutching her mobile tightly in her hand in nervousness.
"Aastha, if you are upset about whatever happened before lunch, I am really sorry! I didn't mean to do that... I swear I didn't fall over you intentionally!"
Something inside her told Aastha to believe in him. She turned to face him, still looking down at the floor. "I am not upset any more, Sir!" she said.
Shlok felt better. "Thank you!" he said, "And one more thing, I am working on a new book. I will brief you about it tomorrow, and then your work begins!"
Aastha nodded. Shlok was about to go into his room when Aastha called out to him. "Sir!" she said, "I have read all your books so far... And I love your writing! The only thing I don't like about your stories is that you have ended all of your stories on a sad note. Why always sad? Does every story have to end that way?" Aastha's voice was wet. Tears filled her eyes. "Sir, if you are planning your next story too with a sad end, I am sorry but I will not work on it with you!" she said in a determined tone.
Shlok was shocked and angry. Now an intern will tell him what to write and what not to write?!! "How dare you say that!!" he yelled, "Don't forget you are just an intern! You work for me! Who are you to tell me what and how to write?!!" he was fuming in anger. Aastha couldn't believe he was saying that. He looked at her in anger and said, "Tomorrow morning I want you out of here!!" Saying so Shlok went into his room and locked the door.
Aastha stood shocked at her place. Listening to Shlok's loud voice, Kaveri Mausi reached there. She looked at Aastha who was standing there with tears in eyes, staring at the closed door of Shlok's room. Kaveri Mausi got an idea of what must have happened. She approached Aastha to talk to her, but Aastha ran to her room and locked herself in. Kaveri Mausi felt sad for her.
*****
Aastha sat on the bed embracing herself. Shlok's words had hurt her. Those words were reverberating through her mind. How dare you say that!! Don't forget you are just an intern! You work for me! Who are you to tell me what and how to write?!! Aastha's eyes watered. She tried to compose herself, she tried not to cry. But she couldn't help of thinking about Shlok's words... Tomorrow morning I want you out of here!! Now Aastha couldn't stop herself from crying.
"How can you be so rude?" Aastha said as she wept. "Why is the world so cruel to me?!! Why?!!!" she cried, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Why..." she whispered. She was all alone in the room, no one to listen to her cries, no one to console her, no one to share her sorrow, her pain... "I hate this world!!" she cried, "And I hate YOU Mr. Shlok Agnihotri!! I just hate you!!"
*****
Link : CHAPTER 4
Originally posted by: GoWithTheRhythm
Amazing update!!!
Loved the part when shlok responded to her poem or the lines the said! But what is it that aastha is so sad? What is the nystery behind her pain?And shlok? First i was like aww how sweet and then he yelled at her and asked her to go :0Pls continue soon
Originally posted by: Anunilmini
I hate you too neha...how can you write so beautifully...
It was so emotional and the way you explained her feelings was amazing. Loved it neha. Do,update soon.
comment:
p_commentcount