Chapter 13: Confidants - Shaurya
The next few days following their conversation bought a change in Shaurya and Anokhi's bonding.
After sharing with Anokhi a significant part of him made Shaurya feel emotionally closer to her while Anokhi too started seeing Shaurya in a different light observing more closely his moods, acknowledging his efforts leading to them establishing a comfort level.
The hugs became a casual occurrence, they started traveling together more and made sure of spending at least 10 to 15 minutes alone time after college, having conversations on any topic whatsoever which acted as a booster after the hectic schedule of balancing studies and society's work.
They got to know more of each other's likes, dislikes, pet peeves etcetera. Shaurya learnt that Anokhi is scared of darkness and is not a fan of riding a motorbike whereas Anokhi was shocked to know Shaurya's fear of heights.
In between all this, Ahir had to travel to Chandigarh for 2 days and after coming back he spent most of his time catching up with his missed syllabus. Reema and Kabir were busy with the preparation of the Dandiya fest which was to be held in the first week of October.
Hence, after the unofficial freshers, the group hardly got any time together.
***
It was friday and Anokhi had received her first offer letter to many of the internships that she had applied to. It was for the post of editor for an online blog.
The money was decent and the time was flexible because the pay was per article that she would write for the blog. So, it was not a burdensome task and it allowed her to focus on her academics simultaneously.
She communicated this news to Reema who decided to celebrate this occasion and thus planned a night stay at Anokhi's flat in which they would watch a movie, order food and have some fun.
Accordingly, Reema was in the hall arranging the popcorns on the table while Anokhi was in her bedroom trying the gift bought by Reema.
Her phone beeped and Reema clapped her hands with joy opening the front door. She shushed the visitors, inviting them in and they all began arranging and organizing the living room.
5 minutes later, Anokhi strode into the hall, her eyes lowered sizing up the skin her knee-length shorts were revealing "Reema, thank you for this gift but I don't think I can kee-" the rest of the words died in her throat as her sight landed on the group of people standing before her.
Kabir was holding a bottle of soft drink, Ahir was clutching a cushion and Shaurya was bending down to arrange the bean bags that he had bought from his house.
Perhaps, they all stilled and halted their tasks the moment Anokhi barged in wearing a pink nightdress that had cute little pandas printed all over it.
They kept staring at her, amusement dancing in their eyes while Anokhi flushed clasping the hems of her shirt. Well, this is embarrassing.
"Surprise" Reema exclaimed, breaking the silence.
Anokhi glared at her, her palms curling into fists while all of the others bite their lips, fighting back the chuckle.
Ahir and Shaurya then stepped ahead with a box of chocolates "congratulations" Anokhi accepted it with a small smile, her eyes lowered.
"Hume gift bhi lana tha? Yar kisi ne mujhe btaya kyu nahi?" Kabir whined, annoyed.
Reema shook her head "yeh common sense hai, Kabir."
Kabir rolled his eyes in reply and went to Anokhi "congratulations. " He took her into a side hug while Anokhi thanked him.
Then they all got busy selecting the movie, and Anokhi thought of changing her clothes when Shaurya went and stood beside her.
Anokhi halted in her tracks and mentally prepared herself for his humor-filled comment.
Shaurya leaned sideways and whispered in her ears "Cute lag rahi ho..."
Surprised, Anokhi tilted her head to look at him. However, as soon as she made eye contact with him, Shaurya continued "just like these little pandas on your dress... From where the hell have you bought this? Kids section? "
And he cracked up while Anokhi's cheeks turned bright red, and she quickly looked down tucking her hair strands behind her ear.
Shaurya continued laughing clamping his mouth while Anokhi passed deathly glares to a completely oblivious Reema.
As she planned on stomping off to her room, her sight landed on her phone and something struck her mind.
She grinned, turning around to face him "Bohat hasi aa rahi hai na aap ko?"
Shaurya saw a devious glint in her eyes and he instantly quit laughing. Anokhi smirked at his nervous face and stepped closer, tip-toeing to reach his height.
"Mai abhi aap ko aur thoda sa content deti hu...HASNE ke liye..." She said in a husky voice, passing him an overly sweet smile while Shaurya gulped in fear.
Turning to her friends, Anokhi announced "Guys, unofficial freshers' ki photos aagy hai. Let's have a look at them first."
All agreed and Shaurya furrowed his brows witnessing a skip in her step as Anokhi happily slouched back on one of the bean bags.
Yeh kya karne wali hai? He dreaded taking a seat on the other bean bag placed beside hers.
***
Anokhi connected her phone to the T.V through the cast screen feature and opened the gallery. Reema dimmed the light taking a seat beside Ahir on the couch while Kabir dragged a chair beside them.
Setting her gallery to 'slides' mode, Anokhi slumped back comfortably, a smirk curling her lips while Shaurya kept glancing at her, confused.
The slide played, scrolling through the pictures and they all laughed recalling the moments that led to those candids.
Shaurya and Anokhi forgot all about their banters and giggled along with Kabir as they pulled the legs of Ahir and Reema when they saw them secretly glancing at each other in the pictures.
However, when the pictures scrolled to the dance and then to Shaurya and Anokhi's photos...Anokhi's head whirled towards Shaurya and found him already looking at her.
Scarlet color grazed her cheekbones, her fingers played with the dangling threads of the cushion in her lap whereas Shaurya had his hands pressed and intertwined, as he held her gaze, the corners of his mouth drawn upwards in a small smile making her smile as well.
Both knew that the other was recalling the time and the closeness they had shared, it didn't seem like a big deal then but now seeing the pictures, they weren't able to recognize themselves.
It felt like a completely alien territory...with a question buzzing in their brains – were they really this close?
To their relief, since Ahir and Reema already knew the 'behind the scenes' nobody teased them giving them the time of continuing with the staring game.
But it was not long enough when they heard a gasp making them both jolt back to reality. Following which they heard a wince...a grunt...and a bark of laughter.
Furrowing their brows both looked at the screen and Anokhi grinned, biting back her laughter, and turned to see Shaurya who had his eyes widen and face colored in red...not with anger but embarrassment.
Plan successful
She then looked back to see Ahir and found his face enclosed in his palms, while Reema and Kabir were having their best time guffawing holding their stomach.
On the screen, were the snaps that Anokhi had clicked when Shaurya had landed on Ahir. However, it was not the scene but the angles from which such pictures were taken making it look a lot 'more' than intended.
In a few clicks, Shaurya had his face 'relaxing' on Ahir's torso, his eyes closed while Ahir had a 'painful' expression plastered on his face. And in the others, Shaurya's chin was resting on Ahir's chest with both looking into each other's eyes...pretty romantic, right?
"Anokhi yar..." Ahir groaned aloud, and Anokhi felt a bit sad for unnecessarily dragging him into this but instead of apologizing, she passed him a cheeky smile making him shake his head.
"Reema, stop laughing yar..." He moaned, mortified.
Reema nodded, taking deep breaths but when her sight landed on Tv she again cracked up mumbling sorry in between.
Kabir on the other hand had tears in his eyes, but he controlled himself when Ahir offered him Shagun's number.
Whereas Shaurya was glaring at Anokhi continuously with an 'I-will-kill-you' look and Anokhi glared back, raising an eyebrow 'dare-to-mess-with-me'. He squinted his eyes in response, biting his cheeks 'you-are-going-to-pay-for-this' and Anokhi shrugged passing him an 'i-don't-care-bring-it-on'.
Shaurya rolled his eyes and disconnected the TV yelling "Stop it! Enough".
Reema instantly stopped laughing, Kabir shrunk in his seat while Ahir had a 'what will you do now, the damage is already done' look on his face.
Anokhi looked at him sternly but giggled when Shaurya tried opening her gallery...which was locked.
He scowled, tossing the phone to her, and ordered "Delete those pictures, now"
Anokhi sighed. Her job was done, so she deleted the pictures and showed him the screen "Happy?"
Shaurya shook his head, and Kabir praised "Nice photography, Anokhi. Tujhe meri society join karni chahiye thi."
Anokhi chucked, "Thanks" and passed him a hi-fi.
Shaurya tilted his head observing this exchange and tried to calm himself down. "Movie?" He asked diverting the topic.
All nodded and he breathed out a long sigh before connecting his phone to the TV and playing some random movie.
Nobody cared because the main 'movie' was already over...
***
In the first thirty minutes of the movie, each one of them was excited and jumpy, after all it was their first movie night slash sleepover together.
And for Anokhi it was her first time hosting friends in her home and so she was extra cautious in making sure that everyone was having some snacks to eat and their demands if any was taken care of.
Now and then, she passed them bowls of popcorns and drinks, she had even prepared sandwiches and fries, rest Reema took care of by ordering pizza.
They were all enjoying it until...they ACTUALLY started watching the movie and realizing that it was effing boring.
But none said a word instead Ahir and Reema got indulged in whisper conversations catching up with each other's lives, Kabir started playing on his phone, and Shaurya leaned back on his bean bag, his eyes drooping with sleepiness while Anokhi too struggled to keep her eyes open.
One hour into the movie, and Anokhi yawned looking at the time – 12 a.m. Deciding to make herself a cup of coffee, she turned in her seat to ask others and instantly went 'aww'.
They were all asleep.
Reema had her head on Ahir's shoulder and his head was on top of hers. Kabir had shifted on the floor and his head was resting on Reema's lap while his legs were sprawled over in the front.
Anokhi then turned to Shaurya who was curled up in the bean bag, his arms crossed over his chest, his mouth slightly open. He was sleeping like a baby.
Anokhi smiled, shaking her head at the 'success' of the sleepover, and turned off the TV.
Depositing Shaurya's phone on his lap, she took off towards the kitchen with the empty bowls and glasses in her hands.
***
Placing a pan of water on the stove, Anokhi waited for it to simmer and opened the cabinet to pull out the coffee jar when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
She squeaked in shock and jumped on her feet, twirling around with the jar ready to hit the intruder but stopped when she found Shaurya with his eyes widened, shielding himself with his arms.
"Dara diya aapne, Shaurya" Anokhi sighed a breath of relief keeping a hand on her chest.
"Aur tumne mujhe... kitni khatarnak ho yaar tum." He replied shaking his head, wiping the invisible sweat from his forehead making Anokhi giggle.
"Aap ko kuch chahiye?" She asked turning around and putting a spoonful of coffee in the pan.
Shaurya stood beside her and observed her and the kitchen, noting how organized she was.
Drumming his fingers on the counter, he asked "Do you have green tea?"
Anokhi nodded and took out another jar. "Ahh! I will make it myself, Anokhi. Tumhe pareshan hone ki zarurat nahi hai" He smiled taking the jar from her.
Anokhi smiled back and went to the other corner to give him the pan. However, as soon as she gripped the handle, she felt a presence behind her and the next moment, a hand enveloped her hand which was holding onto the utensil.
Anokhi shivered at the touch and tilted her head to look at Shaurya who was already staring down at her. She blinked trying to withdraw her hand but Shaurya in return, tightened his grip, his lips curled in a playful smile.
Not getting anywhere with his tight hold, Anokhi gradually turned around to face him, the pan forgotten and his hand now clasping hers.
The closeness caused her to lean back on the counter, as Shaurya placed his both hands on either side of hers, successfully caging her.
Anokhi's heart raced at the position, not meeting his eyes, her breathing heavy as she said "Sh-Shaurya...yeh aap kya..." Pink tinted her cheek and she trailed off...her mouth suddenly dry to form any coherent sentence.
Shaurya gazed down at her and bit back his smile "Hmm, Anokhi....mai kya?" He asked with a tinge of innocence and amusement.
Anokhi shook her head, and instead tried freeing her hand from his hold. Her other hand came to his chest as she tried to push him, but Shaurya smirked, took hold of her hand in one swift move, and bought it back to the counter.
Now both her hands in the tight clutch of Shaurya, Anokhi gulped, her heart thumping in unknown rhythm at the blazing warmth radiating from him.
Shaurya leaned in, his breath fanning her face as he whispered in her ears "Vo photos dikha kar tumne acha nahi kiya, Anokhi...it's payback time now"
Anokhi's eyes widened, and she felt his smirk against her ears. When he backed a few inches away to face her, she gulped seeing the mischievous spark in his eyes.
Shaurya was enjoying her nervousness as she tried process the meaning behind his words.
However, before Anokhi could ask Shaurya's hold on her hands got firm, and she saw him leaning in, she could feel her heartbeats all over her body.
It was like the pounding in her stomach was trying to compete with the thrashing of her heart against her rib cage. As the gap between them kept on decreasing, her eyes on its own accord went shut, she was glad for his grip on her hands otherwise she could have crumbled into pieces the moment she felt his breath on her lips.
Shaurya, who had whipped this whole plan on the spot, just wanted to tease her for the stunt she had pulled but when he saw her eyes shut close and a brush of baby pink sweeping her cheeks, his own eyes darkened and a shift happened as he observed how beautiful she looked in that moment.
His eyes took into her form from head to toe, and he could say her face was now matching the color of her nightdress. He noticed her toe fingers curling and unfurling with eagerness and then scanned her face to find nothing but calmness.
He didn't know why but a smile graced his lips seeing the trust she had placed in him because for what he knows about her she could have easily pushed him, smacked him, or maybe resisted with her sharp razor words.
But she didn't. She wanted this...making him realize he too didn't want to pull back as he had initially intended to do so.
Not caring about the consequences or the direction where their friendship could lead to, Shaurya closed his eyes, and softly brushed his lips at the corner of her mouth...and stilled, leaving her hands ...allowing her to push him or back off if she wanted to.
But Anokhi didn't move an inch, impatience was creeping inside of hers, an ache building in her stomach waiting for some respite...the feel of his lips only sparked the already ignited flames and she parted her lips, her hold tightening on the edges of the counter to maintain her balance.
Seeing her acceptance and thankful to her for not pushing away, Shaurya turned off the stove instantly and then held her waist, spanning it with his fingers for a few seconds before snaking his arms around her and pulling her flush against him.
Anokhi gasped in surprise, her hands circling his neck, a shy smile greeting her lips.
This inhibited, unexplored closeness was affecting both the souls in equal intensity. If one had her eyes closed to absorb whatever awaited her, the other felt overwhelmed with emotions, unable to keep himself from admiring the girl in his arms and deciding to give everything to this moment.
An electrifying nervousness gripped his heart as his one hand slowly crawled up her back feeling the satin top hugging her fragile form while the other hand firmly clasped her waist keeping her in place.
Anokhi's eyes squeezed shut, the lingering trace of his hand exploding exhilarating tingles in her skin, which dissolved into the mass of her hair, and then settled around her nape as Shaurya applied gentle pressure to angle her head.
His chest rose and fell with each deep heavy breath, his eyes focused on her lips in a look of feral concentration as his thumb softly caressed her bottom lip making her shiver.
Swallowing, Shaurya's eyes flickered close as he leaned in, closing the gap between them.
Just when an inch of a gap remained, Anokhi suddenly pulled back, slid off him, and ran away. Shaurya stood frozen at his spot, dazed, not sure what suddenly happened until he heard a door slam shut.
His eyes widened and he ran a hand through his hair in exasperation, cursing himself. Dammit! What happened? I thought she was okay. Did I misinterpret? Oh god!
Shaurya ran to her room, and dreadfully knocked at the closed door "Anokhi, are you okay?"
He heard some whimpers and he could tell she was leaning on the door. "Anokhi, Please open the door. I'm sorry.".
A few seconds passed before Shaurya heard her sobbing and his heart dropped to his stomach, panic started to rise within him and he mentally cursed himself for his stunt.
He knocked once more, his voice cracking with guilt as he said"Anokhi, I'm sorry. I shou-" But was cut off with a barely audible voice.
He sticks his ear to the door to hear her say "Nahi, Shaurya. Aa-pki galti nahi thi. Mujhe thoda time chahiye, please. I will be out in few minutes."
From the way she was sobbing, Shaurya could tell that in no time she would burst out crying, so he pleaded "Anokhi mujhe - "
"Please, Shaurya. Aap jaiye, mai aa jaungi thodi der mei.." Anokhi tried in the most convincing tone she could muster.
Shaurya sighed, biting his bottom lip as he contemplated a little but gave in not wanting to put unnecessary pressure on her.
"Okay! I will wait. But please don't cry."
"Hmm" He heard her reply before he went out.
***
After about half an hour, Anokhi stepped out of the room and straight away went to the kitchen and took a pill, swallowing it with water.
Her gaze then fell on the half-simmered coffee and the green tea jar. A smile made way on her lips and she brewed coffee in one pan and green tea in the other.
Transferring both the drinks into mugs, she went to the hall to search for Shaurya and saw him in the balcony, sitting on the floor, his back to her as he watched the stars.
Guilt surfaced on her face as she recalled what happened between them and how worried he was, taking the entire blame on himself.
Exhaling a deep breath, she went and took a seat beside him, forwarding the mug. Quite startled, Shaurya looked at the mug in confusion and his head instantly whirled sideways, his eyes widened with concern as he sat straight.
Anokhi gave him a sad smile when she saw his tense face as he took the drink from her. He wanted to say and ask things but Anokhi's puffed-up red eyes and drained face stopped him in his tracks.
Anokhi understood his hesitation and took a sip of her coffee as she averted her eyes looking at the buildings in the opposite lane while Shaurya's eyes were trained on her, deliberating how to proceed.
In that time, Anokhi's defenses dropped under his piercing gaze. She felt as if he could get a glimpse of what she was feeling, something she had managed to hide from everyone... every time.
And so she decided to gave in.
Though not completely.
"Shaurya, aap ko yaad hai, kuch dinn pehle aap ne kaha tha ki mai kitni talented hu, aur apni age ke hisab se kitni mature bhi?" Anokhi asked and glanced at him.
Shaurya's eyes narrowed in confusion and he nodded taking a sip of his green tea, a little relieved seeing her talking.
Sighing Anokhi continued, "Jaise bahar se aap ki life perfect dikhti hai na Shaurya, koi nahi keh sakta ki aap bhi apne career ko lekar struggle kar sakte hai...vaise hi jis tarah se mai bahar se jitni tough aur sorted lagti hu, andar se utni hi uljhi hui hu"
Anokhi looked down, tracing her finger on the rim of the cup and Shaurya's eyes softened noticing the dullness in her tone.
"Things have never been easy for me, you know"
Tears burned at the back of her eyes and Anokhi looked up at the stars seeking some strength "Sabki life mei koi hota hai who supports them in hardships, comforts them in tough times, loves them despite their flaws, and motivates them in their failures but ... I had no one. Not even my parents or my family."
Shaurya's heart constricted with pain seeing the hurt in her eyes. He felt she was not with him at that moment but somewhere else.
"Mai bohat koshish karti thi ki kisi tarah se unka pyaar jeet saku, lekin mere full marks, trophies sab....sab bekar thi."
A grim expression covered her features "Mai samjh gy thi ki unhe mujhse koi matlab nahi tha. I was a burden to them. Unhe bas mujhe 12vi takk padhakar....shaadi karakar mujhse peecha churana tha."
Anokhi shook her head, her voice a little tough "Isliye maine bhi koshish karni chor di. Maine apna pura dhyaan padhai mei laga diya jis vajah se mere kabhi koi dost nahi bane...and I didn't even care kyuki mujhe bas vahan se kisi tarah se bhaagna tha. Vo ghar mujhe suffocate karne laga tha...isliye jitna ho sake mai ghar se bahar rehne lagi. It was like fighting a war...all alone."
Her rushed tone suddenly fell low and she snorted hysterically looking at Shaurya "Lekin mai bhool gy thi ki freedom comes with a price."
Shaurya's lips parted, bile started to rise in his throat, his eyes lined with concern as he dreaded her next words.
Keeping the mug on the floor, Anokhi pulled her knees to her face, hugging them to her chest "Papaji started abusing me."
Few tears rolled down her cheeks flinching at the memories and Shaurya's breathing became that of panic. He reached out to hold her close but stopped midway recalling what happened in the kitchen.
Taking a deep breath, and wiping away her tears, Anokhi avoided explaining further and concluded with a shaky voice "But I didn't let it get to me. It didn't stop me."
Before Shaurya could stop himself, he blurted out "Tum isliye apni Shaadi se bhaag kar aay? And those panic attacks...is it because of your parents?" And then mentally smacked himself for being so inconsiderate.
He wanted to take it back but Anokhi shook her head sideways in response cutting him off.
"That was not all" fear gripped her heart, sweat broke across her forehead and she closed her eyes, swallowing hard from breaking down.
She was not ready for this. She was not ready to reveal and relive those things. Her frame shook as she tried dismissing all those thoughts which played as the last straw for Shaurya.
All apprehensions went down the drain and he kept his mug aside, taking Anokhi in a side hug.
His one arm went around her back and the other in the front passing her collarbones, as he held her close to his chest. He then slowly started rocking her back and forth, stroking her back and arms to console her.
He knew no words could heal the pain she was going through but he could at least fill the void of loneliness she had been feeling since childhood. She had been holding onto so much with nobody to confide into. And there was more to it. He could tell. But he was not going to force her.
As her words dug deeper in his brain, he got outraged. Parents are supposed to be the safe place of a child, and not the opposite. How could they be so blind to her pain? To her achievements? What kind of shitty mentality do they possess?
Anger spurred in his veins and at that moment, Anokhi's one hand went around his waist and the other around his back as she clings to him, unknowingly calming his raging fury.
Shaurya exhaled in relief when he noticed she wasn't trembling anymore and looked down at her to find her face morphed into sadness, her lips pursed as she stared at the buildings lost in thoughts.
A few seconds later, her soft voice reached his ears "Thank you for being there" Shaurya just snuggled her closer in response.
Silence fell, as Anokhi basked in Shaurya's comforting embrace. Minutes passed and Shaurya decided to apologize, at least he could do that much.
Dragging a deep breath, he started in a guilt-ridden voice "Anokhi, I'm sorry. Abhi kuch der pehle jo hua..."
"I wanted it to happen" Anokhi completed in a final tone leaving Shaurya speechless. What was he supposed to say next?
Anokhi tilted her head to look at his face and Shaurya gazed down in her eyes "It was not your fault"
Swallowing the lump in her throat she continued "I suddenly had a flashback... I didn't see it coming."
She sat up straight withdrawing from him, which disappointed him a little. "Please don't hate me for what happened, Shaurya."
Her voice choked in the end as she looked at him hopefully, her eyes pleading from him silently.
Shaurya's brows furrowed in bewilderment and he shook his head, cupping her cheeks "shhh...Anokhi..."
Anokhi leaned in his touch as he caressed her cheekbones "I could never hate you. You have no idea how much you scared me. Agar tum bahar nahi aati toh mai aane hi wala tha tumhare room ka darwaza todne." Anokhi chuckled making Shaurya smile.
He then interlaced their fingers "Abhi jo kuch bhi tumne btaya...you have no idea ke mere mann mei tumhare liye respect kitni badhh gy hai. And I'm not angry but sorry for your parents who failed you."
In a blink of a moment, he pulled her to him tucking her under his chin, cradling her form, sinking back on the wall.
"Aur ab tum akeli nahi ho...you know that, right? You have my parents who love you more than me, Reema, Ahir, Kabir, and most importantly, me – Shaurya Sabherwal." He pressed on the last words in proud and Anokhi smiled at his attempt "I know."
"Thank you for listening. Maine kabhi kisi ke saath yeh sab share nahi kiya. You are the first one...and I feel really good after letting it out." Anokhi was feeling light and for the first time, not alone.
Shaurya kissed the crown of her head "Thank you for trusting me with this."
He continued caressing her arms and a few minutes later asked "Anokhi, did you consult the doctor for your panic attacks?"
No response.
"Anokhi?"
Still no response.
He cupped her chin and tilted her head to face him. She was asleep. He admired her innocent form and couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if they had actually kissed.
A chilled breeze made him shiver, pausing his not so innocent thoughts and Shaurya decided to go back inside. He shook her a little and Anokhi woke up, rubbing her eyes.
He then whispered in her ears"We should go inside."
It took seconds for Anokhi to process his words and she nodded yawning. Shaurya helped her getting up, and Anokhi locked the balcony door before sauntering towards Reema and asking her to sleep with her in the bedroom.
Reema nodded without thinking and they both went inside while Shaurya placed the mugs in the kitchen.
He then tried waking up Ahir but failed miserably. Not having any strength to jerk him up, he decided to spend the night in Anokhi's flat and so took a seat on the couch, with his legs resting on the bean bag.
Anokhi came back to the hall and covered all the three guys with separate blankets before going to sleep.
***
The Next Day – Saturday
Anokhi was in the kitchen preparing breakfast and the rest of them were fast asleep. That's what Anokhi thought until Shaurya mosied inside the kitchen all freshen up surprising her.
She stopped stirring the poha and leisurely eyed his damp and disheleveled hair, grey sweatshirt, and track pants...and took into his scent which was fresh and strong like that of peppermint.
Shaurya smirked and leaned back on the counter, his arms crossed against his chest, giving her a good view of his muscles.
He then cleared his throat snapping her back and Anokhi flushed. "um...aap itni jaldi uthh gye?" She diverted her eyes to the poha.
Shaurya shook his head at her state and replied "Yeah! Karan ka call aya tha. He wanted to discuss dandiya fest, which brings me to the main point, the heads are going out tomorrow to contact a few sponsors and food stalls, and you are coming with me."
"oh! Lekin karan ne mujhe toh kuch nahi btaya." Anokhi glanced at Shaurya for a second before turning to put spices in the pan.
Shaurya shrugged "He will message you. And he wanted to go out with you but I said we are neighbors so it will be good if you come with me instead."
Anokhi nodded, smiling "Okay! Just message me the time."
As she continued with her work, Shaurya just stood there, looking at her. She was dressed in a red A-line kurta with white leggings, her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and pearl earrings adorned her ears.
In a daze, he went and stood behind her while Anokhi's heart raced as she felt his presence.
"Kya bana rahi ho?"
Anokhi rolled her eyes "Breakfast"
"Wow!" he replied sarcastically.
Anokhi chuckled "Poha bana rahi hu. Kulcha sandwich aur paratha already ready hai"
Shaurya's face lit up and he placed his hands on her shoulders in excitement "Paratha? Aloo ka right?"
Anokhi took her own time, making him wait, and then nodded with a smile.
Shaurya grinned happily "You are the best, Anokhi. Thank you." and quickly placed a soft kiss on her temple.
Anokhi halted her movements, her eyes widened. Shaurya too went silent, and squeezed his eyes shut, berating himself for losing control, even after what happened the previous night.
His fingers clenched on her shoulders and before he could step back, Anokhi turned her head placing a kiss on his cheek.
"You are welcome"
She went to the fridge while Shaurya stood astounded at his spot, his hand rising to touch his cheek where she had kissed. His face was red. He couldn't believe it. He looked at her and found her slicing apples like nothing happened.
Before Shaurya could react, Kabir came inn, scratching the back of his head. He yawned, squinting his eyes and smiled seeing them.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning, Kabir." Anokhi replied cheerfully while Shaurya just nodded acknowledging his presence, too shocked to say anything.
Anokhi bit her lips controlling the smile threatening to escape. She was herself stunned at her boldness. Where did that courage come from?
Kabir looked at the sliced apples and was about to pick a piece when Anokhi swatted his hand away.
"Ouch!" Kabir frowned, caressing his palm.
Anokhi showed him the knife and he took few steps back "Pehle fresh hokar aa, Kabir" she ordered.
Kabir looked at her annoyed before exclaiming "Fine! Anokhi maa" and went away while Shaurya let out a laugh at the endearment earning a glare from Anokhi.
Breakfast was served and everyone gobbled on the food, praising Anokhi after almost every bite. Ahir then went home to finish some pending work, dropping Reema on the way and Kabir too left with them.
Shaurya was working on the laptop collecting information of the food stalls they could visit and afterwards Anokhi recited the layout of the mail which Shaurya typed in for the sponsors as she cleaned the flat simultaneously.
Shaurya suddenly stopped typing, his gaze shifting to Anokhi "I wanted to ask you something"
Anokhi was placing back the plates in the cabinet "Puchiye."
"Will you go out on a date with me?"
*SMASH* - a plate fell to the floor.
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I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Please leave your feedback. ❤
Criticism is wholeheartedly welcomed.
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
