Posted:
Originally posted by: iheartChai
Tag 2
Tagging Readers
Read if you want or you can ignore. So Sorry for the long delay.
Grace!! So happy to see an update!!
Awesome!
Originally posted by: iheartChai
Tag 2
Tagging Readers
Read if you want or you can ignore. So Sorry for the long delay.
Grace!! So happy to see an update!!
Awesome!
Thank you for the tag.
Was overjoyed when i saw it was an update and it was a heartwarming update too
Can wait for more
Loved it… needed to go back and read a bit of the previous chapters to remember what was the story about.. but enjoyed doing that even more…I’m so glad you’ve decided to make this an FF.. can’t wait to read more..hope you’ll be able to update regularly.
thanks for the tag! I will read for sure but I have forgotten the story, so I will have to read from chapter 1Originally posted by: iheartChai
Tag 5
Tagging Readers
Read if you want or you can ignore. So Sorry for the long delay.
Gravity Part 5
He looked into the mirror and gently fixed his hair trying to catch any stray strands not gelled in place. He then ran his hands across the front of his black kurta smoothing out any wrinkles before putting on the black bensarasi silk jacket with embroidered stones. He smiled at himself approving his final check in his Indowestern sherwani before he headed downstairs to the mehndi - sangeet party.
Twenty minutes later he was downstairs in the large ballroom that was decorated with vibrant pinks and warm gold colors. There were two side areas with gold embroidered beige lounge sofas for guests to receive mehndi. The center stage had a gold embroidered pink lounge sofa where the bride sat receiving her mehndi. He glanced about the room and smiled as he saw Pihu and Chris approach him. “Very nice,” he politely greeted as they said their hellos and showed him their mehndi designs on their hands.
“Thank you for protecting us last night,” Pihu said.
“Yes, thank you so much Abhimanyu,” Chris agreed. “How’s your eyebrow? That looks painful.”
“No need to thank me. I’m just glad you girls are okay. And don’t worry about the eyebrow. It will heal in time.”
“Oh, if you are looking for Akshu she’s sitting over there getting her mehndi done,” Pihu pointed to the second sofa on the left.
“Thanks,” he answered and walked towards the direction he was informed of. His eye caught sight of Akshara and he just silently stood there. He was simply mesmerized. He had been taking a nap when she was getting ready so he never had a chance to see her outfit. She was wearing a purple lehenga with gold mirrored embroidery. The color suited her wheatish skin tone perfectly. She had a dab of sindoor on her forehead and a mangalsutra. Maya had found a costume shop that sold fake jewelry and they were able to purchase a mangalsutra. The sindoor was taken from Maya’s mother’s stash. He was pulled out of his reverie when he heard the voice of Rishi speaking to him.
“How are you doing Abhimanyu?”
“Not as bad as you. I’m sorry about the shoulder.”
“It does make dancing tonight difficult,” Rishi joked. “But I’d do it again. The most important thing is that the girls are safe.” He nodded his head in agreement.
The room soon heard the sound of a microphone being turned on and one of the cousins from the bride’s side introducing himself as the emcee for the night. He announced that the first performance was about to start. It featured some of the young children in the family. Soon the lights dimmed as a group of boys and girls ages from 8 to 14 came out on the floor to dance and kick start the festivities for the night. When he returned his attention to where Akshara was getting her mehndi done he saw someone else sitting in her place. He frowned and then felt a gentle tap on his right shoulder. He turned to see Akshara’s beaming smile. The corner of his mouth lifted automatically into a soft grin. “Hey.” She excitedly displayed her mehndi to him. It was a simple flower vine design that started from her index finger and then went diagonal across the back of the hand ending at her wrist. She was animatedly talking about why she chose the design unaware that his eyes had already left her hands and were softly enraptured by her being. “Beautiful,” he replied without much thought.
“Thank you!” she answered not realizing what he actually meant. She then frowned, “Though I am a bit worried that I got it on both hands. It’s going to take some time to dry. Tonight’s a buffet too. I’ll have to go and hold the serving spoons to put food on my plate…that may ruin the design.”
“I’ll make you a plate. Don’t worry.”
“Abhi…”
“You took care of me last night. Least I can do. You want that mehndi to dry properly so the design can last longer, right? I’ll make sure you get all your favorites…double the cauliflower.” He chuckled as Akshara gave a pouty frown in return.
***************************************************************
The night continued on with high spirits and general cheer as friends and family members celebrated the impending nuptials of Jai and Veera with good music, good food, and all around fun. He stepped off the dance floor looking for something to quench his thirst. He found some water and was about to drink when the glass was taken from him and replaced with another containing a faded pink like liquid. He inspected it curiously. “What’s this? Is this what you’ve been drinking?”
“Yes!” Akshara replied with great mirth. “It’s what I’ve been giving you too.”
“But I don’t want anything sweet, nah,” he complained. “But you haven’t explained…what is this?”
“Maybe it has Sprite? It is fizzy. And there is sherbet!” she exclaimed. “I don’t know what it is but it tastes good.” She then took the glass away from him and started to quickly drink the contents.
“Hey, that was mine! You gave that to me,” he whined and held onto the glass. Akshara eventually let go and gave the remaining quarter cup of punch to him to finish off. “Ahhh!” he smiled as he slammed the glass on the table.
“See you like it!”
“Of course I do. I like anything you give me,” he replied goofily. “But there is no more.” He held his hand up, shaking it back and forth with a sad face. His eyes then changed as he waved energetically to their approaching friend. “Hi Maya!”
“Uh, Hi Abhimanyu.” Maya replied looking on with some concern. She was soon pulled into a tight hug by Akshara “Oh, Hi there Akshu.”
“Hi Maya!” she giggled.
“So what have you two been doing?” Maya asked almost certain of the answer.
“Nothing. Just dancing.” Akshara replied.
““Did you have any of the punch?” Maya carefully gestured with her eyes at her cousin Shaan who was inspecting the glasses on the table.
“Of course I did…we did. Punch is free to drink.”
“Don’t have anymore, it has been spiked.” Maya explained.
“Why would anyone do that?”
“No more punch.” Maya instructed firmly.
“But I like punch,” Akshara whined.
“She likes punch. And what Askhu likes she gets!” He grinned as he took the empty glass away from Shaan and returned it back to Akshara.
“But it’s empty Abhi.,” Akshara pouted.
“It’s okay we can get some more.” He said, trying to comfort her.
“Oh, this is a disaster,” Maya sighed. “I told you to watch them. I swear when I get a hold of Jamie and Sanjay!”
“Why?” He asked.
“Because they are responsible for this. And your state.”
“It’s fine. I feel fine. I’m fine.” He replied with a smile.
“Is it all that bad? I mean look around, everyone is having a good time. Sure, Uncle Vinay is breaking it down a little too much on the dance floor but hey, eventually everyone goes up to the dance floor.” Shaan said.
“Of course this is bad. Abhi and Rishi are hurt and they have medication so they shouldn’t be drinking anything spiked…no alcohol.” Maya gestured towards Abhimanyu to make a point. He was gently dancing in circles.
“Oh, right.” Shaan agreed, understanding the situation. “Here Abhimanyu, drink this water. It will help you.” He looked relieved that he took it without much fuss until Abhimanyu started to drink it all down in one gulp. “Woah, it's okay. The water isn’t going anywhere.” He patted him on the back. “You okay?’
“Fantastic!”
“Um, where is Akshara?” Shaan asked with concern as he turned to give some water to Akshara.
“What are you talking about? She’s here.” Abhimanyu turned around pointing to an empty space. He blinked wide. “Akshu? Where did she go? She disappeared! Akshu!” He quickly made his way through the crowd who were all cheering and dancing to what the DJ was playing. When he opened the ballroom door he looked about him, not sure if he should go left or right. He made a right turn and then shook his head changing his mind and walked back to the left shaking his finger as if mad at himself for picking the wrong direction. “Akshu! Where are you? Akshu!” He soon found a table covered with a white linen cloth. It had a large golden box with a slit in the middle and right next to it was a medium sized flowing water fountain with a statue of Buddha. He put his hands together and bowed his head before he lifted the skirt of the table cloth to see what was underneath. “Not here.” He mumbled to himself and then wandered to the other table that was empty. He did the same action and peaked underneath the white table cloth. “Not here either. Where are you Akshu?” His eyes scrunched as he walked away to search for his missing friend.
He didn’t make it too far when he felt a sudden weight in his bladder. He smiled when he saw there was a restroom near him. When he remerged he felt refreshed and much lighter. That is when he saw to his delight the back of a familiar figure in a purple length walking down the hallway. He quickly ran up and hugged her from behind. “Found you Akshu!” he called out. The reaction was a squeal causing him to drop her. He was then met with a slap across the face. “Ow! That hurt!” holding the side of his cheek.
Akshara held her hand over her open mouth in shock. “I’m so sorry Abhi!” She moved his hand and blew on his cheek in an attempt to soothe the sting of the slap. He moved away to show he was fine.
“It’s okay. I’m fine. Where did you go? You were there and then you disappeared. I looked everywhere for you. I was worried. Where did you go?” He asked, the palm of his hands facing upward with a firm pout.
Akshara held up her pinky finger and looked sheepishly. “I had to go.”
“It’s okay. I had to go too.” He smiled in return.
“We should get back to the party.”
“Listen, no more drinking the punch.” He advised with a bit of a slur. “I know you like it a lot but Maya and Shaan says it is spiked and it's not good for you or me.” Her mouth formed a circle as she nodded her head in understanding.
“You take medicine. I’m so sorry Abhi!”
“It’s okay Akshu,” he replied with a smile. “I forgot myself.” She hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. He mimicked the same gesture in return.
“I think it’s this way back.” She instructed, pointing to the left.
“Is it? I thought it was to the right. It’s in a round circle isn’t it?”
“This place is so confusing. Everything looks the same,” Akshara sighed.
He held his arm out so she could link her arm with his. “Let’s go then.”
She smiled, “Let’s go!” as she took his arm.
Few minutes later they walked into a ballroom that was playing Bollywood music. They smiled that they had made it back. He immediately gestured to her that he was heading towards the buffet to get something to eat. He carried his plate of food very carefully and found Akshra sitting at a nearby table. He sat down and started to eat. “This palak paneer is so good, Akshu.” He broke off a piece of naan and swiped up some of the creamy spinach and paneer ready to feed her a taste. Akshara accepted the food parcel into her mouth and then nodded her head. She then gave a perplexed look.
“Abhi, they didn’t serve palak paneer at the party.”
He looked down at his plate. “They had chole.”
“Yes.”
“They had malai kofta.”
“Yes. But no palak paneer. It was matar paneer.” He lifted his head and looked around him, realizing he did not recognize anyone walking about, dancing on the dance floor, and the decorations in the room were very different. He looked at Akshara with wide eyes. “I think we should go, Abhi.”
“But the food is good. We should at least finish it. We shouldn’t waste it.” He said and started to quickly shovel food into his mouth with his spoon. He made a few naan palak paneer parcels and fed it to Akshara who didn’t have time to say no and just quietly sat helping him eat. Once done they made a hasty exit before someone realized they had crashed a wedding reception.
***************************************************************
He took in the fresh night air and gently grinned as he heard the small tapping of Akshara’s shoes hitting the ground. They had somehow made it outside to one of the large fountains typically used for wedding ceremonies. When he couldn’t hear the tapping anymore he turned with concern. “Everything all right?” He saw that she was sitting on the ledge of the fountain and was taking off her shoes. “Are your feet sore?” She pouted, nodding her head childishly. He walked forward and attempted to bend down when he saw her curl her feet back preventing him from touching them.
“Abhi, you shouldn’t do this.”
“Why? Your feet are sore.”
“You’re being too nice.” She protested in mock anger. “Don’t be too nice. People will take advantage of you.”
“Am I? Okay, let’s do this. I will charge you for the massage. Would that make you happy?” He asked. She grinned at his joke. “You think I am joking? Fees will be taken.” He bent down and firmly took one foot into his hand despite her protest and started to gingerly rub the soles of her right foot. “How does that feel?”
“Really nice,” she sighed. “Thank you Abhi.”
“Mention not.”
“This place is so beautiful,” she sighed out loud. “You know I had this impression of Las Vegas…the glitzy neon lights and the casinos. I never thought it could look like this…no neon lights…peaceful and pretty. Jai and Veera’s decorations so far for each event have been mind blowing! Oh I’m sorry, I shouldn't talk about all of this.”
“I’m not allergic to these functions. I can talk about them when it's with the right person. So, you want to get married here?” he asked.
“I never said that.”
“But you like the venue.”
“I like the wedding planner’s designs, definitely going to keep those in mind.” Akshara replied. She then chuckled. “You know it reminds me of when I was younger. My sister and I would play wedding planner. We pick out the style of the wedding lehenga, the groom’s matching sherwani, the decorations for each event…the colors, the flowers…the designs…everything. We had so much fun back then. She said my designs and ideas were better and she wanted me to take care of her wedding decorations. I never mind sharing.”
He switched to her left foot and noticed her silence knowing she was thinking about the past. He never really probed into these moments trying to be respectful of her privacy. Those memories were for her to share when ready. He had only seen a small glimpse of the dynamics of her relationship with her younger sister. It was complicated. He understood. Even he had things that he kept close to his heart as they were too painful to let out. “How’s the left foot feeling? Harder or stronger?”
“Oh, it’s fine the way it is.”
“Hey, things will get better.” He simply stated.
“That is what the counselor said. I really hope so.”
“If that is what she said then trust that.” He looked up at her and gave her a reassuring look.
“I called her recently…about two days ago before you came to Vegas. Well, I spoke with Kairav bhaiya first because he ended up picking up the phone. I couldn’t help myself. I know I shouldn’t have. I should have respected the space. This is part of the reason why I am here.”
“Don’t feel guilty. What happened with Sirat Ma was an accident. You are not responsible. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise especially, your sister.” He saw her slowly nod her head in agreement. He gently let go of her foot and continued, “I don’t know about you but it's getting a bit cold. Must be the effects of the alcohol wearing off. We should head back in before we catch a cold.” He stood up and rubbed his hands together.
“Yes we should.” Akshara agreed and smiled, blinking back a tear. “Thank you for listening.”
“Anytime.”
“I owe you.” He glanced briefly as she put her shoes on the ground getting ready to slip into them. He felt a sudden pull forward as she grabbed onto his jacket as if she had lost balance. “Fees…” He turned his head back just as she said those words and felt her lips miss his cheek and landed on his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise at the contact. He could see from her eyes the same feeling. Akshara let go and fell backwards. He reached out, not able to catch her in time and heard a splash into the fountain. His hands were on the stone edge and he let out a shout. “Akshu!” She sat up in the water and started to shake.
“We need to get you back to the room.” Abhi ordered as he carefully took off his jacket and made her wear it. He picked up her shoes and motioned, “Let’s put these on inside.. Quickly.” Akshara shivered but speedily followed behind.
***************************************************************
He opened his eyes knowing it was daylight outside despite the shades in the room being drawn closed. Rubbing his forehead as he sat up, he looked to his left to see if Akshara was still sleeping on the pull out bed. Things had gotten awkward when they had returned to the room after the incident at the fountain. She ran immediately into the bathroom to take a shower and though he tried his best to stay awake he ended up falling asleep before they could talk. He touched his lips recalling the unexpected kiss and then got out of bed. He walked to the bathroom assuming she would be there but the door was open. He checked the closet to make sure her luggage was still in the room and it was making him breathe a sigh of relief. “Maybe she went downstairs for breakfast?” He mumbled to himself. “I should take a shower first and then go look for her. We need to talk.”
Thirty minutes later he was dressed in a yellow kurta and getting ready for the haldi ceremony that was to start in a few minutes. He heard a knock on the door and without much thought he opened it hoping to see her, “Akshara…" It was Ajay who gave a faint smile and wave.
"She’s already downstairs with Maya and the rest of your friends. After last night's festivities the bride and groom families were afraid people wouldn't be up and make it to the haldi ceremony. It was something last night. I volunteered to help out."
"Nice to see you Ajay," he answered, shaking his hand with a smile.
"Likewise. Who would have thought? Small world, right?"
"You can say something like that." He replied and walked into the hallway with Ajay.
"This charade…you and Akshara I must admit it looks pretty real. I don't know what my Aunty Varsha will do if she finds out. It’s just for a few more days. Let me know if I can help in any way.”
“Thank you. I’ll let you know.” The two men then made their way to the venue where the haldi for the groom was being held. They could already see everyone starting to line up to take their turns to rub some turmeric paste on the groom. He looked about the room searching for Akshara not knowing what she was wearing nor where she was. He just felt this urgent need to speak with her.
He gave a bright smile as he saw Jai covered in yellow as some of his friends had made it a point to smear as much haldi on his face as possible. “Jai, you’re looking great!”
“I am beginning to think yellow is my color!” He laughed. “Come on, do your worst.”
He took some haldi paste on his thumb and placed a yellow tilak on his forehead. “Congratulations on your wedding Jai”
“Thank you Abhimanyu!”
As he walked to his right following the walking path set by the other guests who had completed applying haldi, he heard someone asking to get more haldi paste as they were running out. He recognized the voice that replied to the request instantly. His eyes darted to one of the side tables on the left and saw Akshara in a simple yellow and lehenga. He quickly made a dash in her direction following her as she disappeared behind a set of folding screens. He was relieved to find that no one was there in this little storage area of the ballroom. He walked slowly towards her and watched as she scoped some haldi paste from a large bucket on a table. Her hair was in a gentle bun giving full view of her neckline and the open back of her blouse. He felt his fingers tingle as he suppressed the urge to reach out and undo her bun so he could see her hair fall to her shoulders. He took a short breath. “Hi.” He greeted as she turned around. His eyes widened as he saw her become startled by his presence and he immediately reached out to hold her so she didn’t go tumbling backwards.
“Abhi!” she gasped as her right hand hit his kurta, smearing it with haldi.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He answered as his hands rested on her back. “You’re not hurt are you?”
“No, I’m fine. I came to get the haldi. They were running low.”
“I know,” he replied, giving a soft grin as his eyes gestured towards the paste on his right shoulder. When their eyes met again a sudden feeling washed over him. He was content to just stand there with her in his arms for however long he could.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Akshara said with worry. “We should clean that.” She tried to move away but was held in place.
He shook his head. “We need to talk about last night.”
“Last night?” She innocently asked.
He could sense the hesitation in her voice and as he looked into her eyes he could read this feeling. His breath was steady but his heart felt like it was racing. “The fees, Akshu?” He watched as her eyes reacted to him using her nickname. A pulse of delight ran through him when the request to stop never came.
“I slipped and it was supposed to be on the cheek and you turned your head.” Akshara quickly blurted out.
“The cheek?” He softly questioned. “Why?” He saw her swallow, unable to gather up an answer to his query. “The cheek.” He repeated and then lifted her right hand to take some of the paste off his kurta and applied it to his right cheek and then to the left one. All the while his eyes never left her face as he studied her reactions. Her breath was picking up pace the longer they stood there. He slowly gazed down at her parted pink lips and swallowed hard before he calmly said. “We never negotiated my fees.”
“But I already-” she started to protest but stopped when she saw him tilt his head slightly.
He leaned forward and gently caressed her check with his leaving a smear of haldi on her skin. The smell of rose petals lingered in his lungs as he took a small breath and slowly pulled back moving his head to face her so their lips were inches away from each other. He watched her testing her boundaries of what she would accept from him. The last thing he wanted to do was to cross them when she had not given him permission to. He moved to the side brushing his left cheek against hers mimicking the same motion he did with her right one before ending the movement in front of her. His gaze was intent on conveying the emotions he was feeling. Her eyelids gently closed indicating acceptance and he leaned forward ready to seal the distance between them when they were jolted out of their world with someone calling for the haldi paste.
Akshara opened her eyes immediately and answered, “Ji, I found it. I will be right there.” He couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. “I have to go Abhi.” He childishly shook his head. “Abhi…”
He let go and said. “At least wipe some of the haldi off your cheek.” He handed his stole for her to use. “We’ll pick up our discussion later?”
“I paid your fees,” she teased as she tossed his stole back to him. “Bye!”
“Akshu!” He called out trying to stop her but she had disappeared back into the ballroom. He just smiled to himself as he touched his right cheek.
***************************************************************
He never felt so elated and anxious at the same time. The haldi luncheon was taking forever to finish and all he wanted to do was spend some time alone with Akshara. He watched as she mingled amongst some of the guests and Jai’s cousins chatting about this and that. He was included in his own circle mostly the doctors of the family discussing interesting case studies and such. He talked minimally and spent majority of the time quietly listening so he could keep an eye on Akshara’s movements. His eyes flexed in relief as he saw her begin to walk away and head towards the ballroom exit. He politely excused himself and placed his glass on a nearby table making his own hasty exit. When he reached outside he quickly held her elbow, “Finally. You’ve been chatting nonstop.”
“Abhi,” Akshara replied. “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking you away.” He simply answered.
“But I need to go use the restroom,” she pleaded.
“You can go in our room.”
“Our room?”
“Naturally, there is a restroom in our room. You and I still need to talk.”
“Talk?” Akshara repeated. Her mouth formed a tight frown, “Is that what you call it?” He raised his eyebrow and then winced at the pain immediately causing her to react with concern. “Let’s go back to the room. You need to change your bandage.”
But before they were able to leave they were met with Aunty Varsha. The woman flashed a smile and greeted them. “Akshara Abhimanyu. It’s so nice to see you again. With all the guests and festivities we hardly had a chance to talk.” They both bent down and touched her feet. “May happiness always be with you,” she replied as she touched their heads.
“It’s great seeing you, Varsha Aunty,” he greeted.
“Every ceremony has been done so beautifully for Jai and Veera, don’t you think?” Akshara asked politely with a smile.
“Yes. They certainly have spared no expense. Oh dear, Akshara you have some dry haldi on your mangalsutra.”
“Oh I do?” She replied and looked down to inspect it. “I’ll get it cleaned.”
“This one is different.”
He exchanged a quick glance with Akshara who nervously smiled and answered. “It is. This is a different one.”
“Yes for our anniversary.” He interjected.
“I see.” Her smile was thin, making him feel nervous. His fingers gently reached out, finding Akshara’s in an attempt to hold her hand. He could feel them resisting and fighting him back making him annoyed at her actions. He casted a sideways glance while Akshara tried her best to ignore him and continue the conversation at hand. Aunt Varsha was going on about a new yoga health book she was reading and providing tips for certain ailments.
“Aunty, I’m very sorry but we have to go change Abhi’s bandages.”
“Oh, yes of course. What a nasty incident. I had heard what had happened. It is good that Abhimanyu, Jai, Rishi, and everyone was there but you can never be too careful. It's best not to put yourself in that position by going to such places.” Aunt Varsha replied.
“Of course,” Akshara nodded. “We’ll certainly think twice. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“We’ll take our leave now.” He replied. They both turned and started to quickly walk down the hallway towards the elevators.
“I don’t know why but sometimes when I’m talking to her it feels like I’m being examined.” Akshara admitted once they were at a safe distance.
“It’s like being put through a MRI.” He breathed as they entered an elevator.
“And what were you trying to do? Earlier?” Akshara questioned. He gave a blank look while she held up her hand.
“I was trying to get your attention to leave.” He answered. “Can’t I do that?”
“By trying to hold my hand in front of Varsha Aunty?”
“In her eyes we’re married. And it hasn’t been the first time either.” He replied and held her hand tightly. As the doors opened to their floor he continued, “It won’t be the last either.”
***************************************************************
Once the door clicked shut in their room Akshara ran to the restroom while he opened a bottle of water and gulped half the contents down trying to slow the anxiety he was suddenly feeling. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths to compose himself just in time as the bathroom door opened and Akshara came walking out.
“We should change that bandage.” Akshara stated. He nodded and took the top of the petroleum jelly jar off. He stood in front of Akshara and bent his knees so she could comfortably reach his forehead. “Abhi, why don’t you sit on the bed bench? It’s better than making yourself uncomfortable.”
“But then you won’t be the same height as me. Oh about this?” He answered as he lifted her up and placed her on top of the dresser.
“Now, I’m too tall,” she laughed. He looked up and leaned forward with his hands resting on the dresser closing in the distance between them. He noticed the way her smile paused as their eyes met.
“Aren’t you going to change the bandage?” He asked, trying to mask the mischievousness brewing in his mind. He suppressed the smirk from his mouth and quietly let her remove the bandage from the corner of his left eyebrow. He silently marveled at the concentration Akshara was displaying as she carefully placed a fresh dab of petroleum jelly on the stitches. This was the same girl who would squirm if he spoke in detail about his heart surgeries and here she was dressing his wound without a flinch.
“Done.” Akshara announced as she placed a small adhesive tape over the folded gauze on the corner of his eyebrow.
“Thank you.” He replied and then lifted her hands and placed them around his neck.
"So we're talking now?"
"That was the point." He answered looking at her. "I was going to help you down or you prefer to stay here instead?" He tilted his head to the side and teased, "What other talking is there?" He caught her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
"Of course…talking…um, there is only one type of talking…let's talk…" She replied.
He glanced to the side suppressing his smile and then looked forward again. "This past year we've gotten to know each other really well. I generally don't talk in riddles. I say what I mean. And you know how I feel about a lot of things…my family…relationships…my views on marriage…that I am fine being on my own. I don't know if it's this place, this atmosphere, or maybe it was last night…or even several weeks back that I have been becoming more aware." He gazed directly into Akshara’s warm eyes and clearly stated, "I can't hold it back anymore. This feeling. This restlessness. This change. This warmth. It’s you. For the first time in my life you make me want to hope. Hope that there is a future…that there is a friendship…a partnership in this life…that the thought of marriage could exist in my world. The truth is I’ve fallen in love with you, Akshara Goenka.” There was a moment of silence as he carefully observed her reaction. Relief soon washed over him as he heard her say, “I’ve fallen in love with you too Abhimanyu Birla.” His eyes crinkled into happiness as her head nodded in great affirmation and she beamed a huge smile his way that made him feel as if he had won the biggest thing in life. He leaned inward, closing the distance between them for their first kiss. It was short but sweet. He pulled back with her hands cupping his face knowing his grin was just as big as hers. He carefully helped her back down and teased, ”That wasn’t so bad. We should do more of this type of talking.”
“Abhi.” She replied and gently pushed his chest.
“Akshu.” He smiled. “I was thinking of watching a movie. Do you want to go out? Or we could stay here and watch something on Netflix?”
“I don’t really feel like going out right now.”
“Okay Netflix it is then.”
“I’m going to change out of these clothes.” Akshara announced as she opened one of the dresser drawers pulling out a t-shirt and sweatpants and started to walk towards the bathroom.
“Oh, don’t forget to clean the haldi off of the mangalsutra.”
“Right! Thanks for reminding me.”
Few minutes later they were sitting comfortably on the couch in their lounge wear preparing to watch a movie. Akshara sat on the middle cushion with her legs tucked to the side while he sat on the side resting his left arm on the armrest. It had been about twenty minutes into the movie when he felt a weight on his shoulder. He glanced to the side and smiled. Akshara had fallen asleep. The last couple of days had been eventful and with the late nights their sleeping schedules were off. It made sense that she was tired. He moved his arm to allow her to cradle herself on his chest. However, the movement woke her up. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay you’re tired. Why don’t you lie down and take a nap?” He watched her glance over to the bed as if it was a far off island and chuckled. “Here,” he answered and gently lifted her up into his arms carrying her to the bed.
“Abhi! You’re still hurt. You don’t have to carry me!” She panicked.
“Too late.” He replied as he pulled back the covers and gently placed her down. “Now sleep.”
“You’re tired too.” She said watching him yawn after she had finished yawning herself. “You should take a nap as well.” He turned to walk away when he felt her catch hold of his hand. “It’s okay Abhi. You can sleep on the other side.” He looked down at her and simply nodded his head. He turned off the TV and the rest of the lights in the room before settling down on the side of the bed. He rested on his side facing Akshara who had turned over to face him.
“Don’t get any ideas Akshu,” he teased.
“In My Dreams!”
“In my dreams?” He questioned.
She shook her head, “I meant in your dreams.”
“Wow, what exactly are you dreaming about me in your dreams then?”
“You know what I mean. I’m tired, don't trouble me,” she huffed.
He grinned. “In my dreams or in your dreams…in our dreams…let’s dream of good things for us.” He closed his eyes, savoring the feel of her hand resting on his cheek. When he opened them again he saw her mocha eyes staring back.
“Sweet dreams Abhi.”
“Sweet dreams Akshu.” He replied and gently lifted her hand from off his cheek. He placed a kiss in the middle of her palm before returning her hand.
***************************************************************
He looked down at their intertwined fingers and smiled. It wasn't the first time they had gone out to get something to eat. But after their confession things felt different. The closeness they shared was more apparent and it was nice to not have to worry or hold back when their hands touched or when they accidentally leaned into one another. After their nap they decided to go out and have some pizza for dinner and made their way down to the shops at the Venetian.
“That pizza was quite nice.” He mused out loud as they walked down the food court area.
“Yes, it was.”
“What do you want for dessert?” He asked as he took out his phone to check messages. He thought he had felt it vibrate in his pocket earlier during dinner.
“Is something wrong with your phone?” Akshara asked.
“It looks like I didn’t charge it.” He sighed. “Must have run out of battery. It’s okay. We can charge it once we get back up to the room. So what are you in the mood for?”
“Gelato.”
They found a shop and picked out some flavors to share in a cup. They decided to walk and eat as they made their way back towards the hotel side of the grounds. “It was nice that we got a bit of a break between the haldi and the wedding. Most times the haldi is held in the morning followed by the wedding.” He said.
“Yes, Maya said Jai’s immediate family is having dinner together and the same thing is happening for Veera. The other family members and guests get this extra day to relax a bit. Did you see the time tomorrow? The wedding is so early in the morning, 8am.”
“Must be the most auspicious time period? That’s probably the real reason the festivities were scheduled this way.” He said and took a big spoonful of chocolate.
“Oye!”
“Oye!” He mimicked.
“Don’t eat all of it! You ordered the hazelnut.” Akshara pouted.
“But the chocolate is good too.”
Eventually they made their way back to the hotel making sure to finish their dessert and toss the trash in a receptacle before heading back up to their room. The elevator ride was quiet as there were other guests from the hotel riding with them. When they exited and made their way to the front door of their room he couldn’t help but feel a tad nervous. He followed behind Akshara and as she veered towards the bathroom he walked straight ahead to plug the charger into his phone. Sure enough the battery had died.
He glanced at the bed and wondered if they would be sharing it for the rest of their stay or remain separate. He turned when he heard Akshara walk back into the room and knew she had been thinking the same thing when her eyes fell upon the bed. “I’m fine sleeping in the pull out.”
“Abhi you’re still recovering. I can take the pull out.”
“Or…” He took a pause and reached out, taking her hands into his, pulling her closer. “We can share. It was nice.”
“Nice?”
“Holding you…” He replied. “And…” tilting his head a little, “I promise to behave.” She chuckled at his last remark. “Better…” He gasped as she hit him lightly in the stomach before she settled into his chest for a hug. He reached out to the nightstand to check on his phone. His eyes flexed at what he saw when he turned it on.
“Abhi? Is everything okay?” Akshara said, looking up at him.
“Fifteen missed calls from Neil and Sir?” He replied as he moved out of their hug. He quickly checked a voicemail message left a few minutes ago. His breath hitched and he swallowed hard at what he was hearing. “Maa?”
“What’s the matter Abhi? Abhi?” Akshara asked in alarm.
“Ma…She’s in in the hos-pital….hospital.” Abhi replied shakened at the news. “Neil said they have to do surgery. Heart attack. I…um, I…I need to go home.”
“Breath Abhi.” Akshara placed her hand on his chest and gently rubbed trying to make sure he stayed calm.
He quickly pulled out his suitcase and opened it to start packing. “I-I’m sorry Akshu.”
“Don’t be sorry Abhi. Your mother is in the hospital. Your family needs you now. Here let me help you get some of your things. Do you need to call your father? He’s still here isn’t he?”
“Oh, yes, he’s still here. He called me.” He quickly returned his father’s call and was met with an agitated voice. “Sir, I just got the message. My phone battery had died. I just put it to charge. You got us tickets? Yes, I can be at the airport I’m packing right now. I’ll get an Uber and meet you there.” He looked up to see Akshara swiftly packing up his suitcase. “Akshu…”
“Everything's there except the blue suit jacket. That should be coming back from the dry cleaning tomorrow. I can take it back to the apartment.”
He nodded. “Sir, booked tickets. I’ll have to leave for the airport now.” He placed his suitcase on the ground and pulled out the handle and started to roll it towards the door.
“Abhi! Wait!” He turned to see Akshara holding the charger for his phone. “You don’t want to leave without this.”
“Right.” He smiled and stuffed it into the front pocket of his jeans. “Maya…the wedding…”
“I’ll tell Maya about what happened. Don’t worry. Just concentrate on your flight back home and your Mom.” He nodded rather shakily and turned to leave again only to turn back around searching with his eyes if he may have forgotten anything. “If there is anything left here I will make sure it gets back to the apartment. I’ll also let David and Saloni know.” He let out a breath and turned once again towards the door. Just as he was about to reach for the handle he swiveled back making Akshara look up in alarm. “Abhi?”
Without a word he pulled her close and gave her a series of longing kisses. His eyes remained closed as they pulled apart savoring the moment. After a fews seconds his eyelids lifted. “I promise I’ll call you when I get there. It may be a bit hectic. Being at the hospital so I may not be able to call you right away but I will call you.”
Akshara gently placed her hand on his cheek and nodded, “I know you will.”
***************************************************************
A loud beep from behind broke him from his trance and he glanced up to see the light had turned green. “It’s green,” a voice from the passenger side stated. His jaw tightened and he replied. “Yes, I see.” He made the left turn and sped through the curve of the road.
“The roadway here is not lit very well. There are a lot of cars out here who like to speed down this road recklessly at night.”
“Yes.”
“You are being very formal.”
“Am I?”
“Eyes up front please.” He faced forward again just in time as a car with their high beam lights came around the corner. His eyes narrowed as he slowed down to make sure he didn’t run into the other vehicle coming the opposite way. “See.” He gripped the steering wheel and remained quiet despite the storming brewing inside of him. “The turn is coming up. It’s on the left.” He made the left turn into the apartment complex and pulled the car to the side of the entrance. When he heard the sound of the car door being opened he couldn’t help but get out himself and quickly ran to the other side to meet his passenger. He looked at the surprised gaze, her mocha eyes round and wide.
“You didn’t wait for me to get you out Miss.”
“Seriously?”
“I was asked to drop you off. That is what I am doing. I’m making sure you get home.”
“Can you stop playing the chauffeur and be normal?”
“Oh, now you want to be normal? And during the party?” He asked with an irritated voice.
“You were playing along as well. If you were fine then you could have introduced yourself differently.”
“Introduced myself differently? You…” He paused as he shifted his head back and forth in frustration. “I didn’t want our past to affect the future.”
“Wow, how noble of you! You started the game Dr. Abhimanyu Birla. At least own up to. World famous heart surgeon…people come to you to save their hearts. Little do they know in your personal life all you know how to do is break them.”
“Heart break?!” He repeated, flabbergasted at the accusation. “You should give some lessons yourself. If you—”
“Stop! I don’t want to do this. You dropped me home now. You can leave.”
He nodded his head. “Right. Good night. Congratulations Miss Akshara Goenka on your engagement.” And with those last words he closed the passenger door and headed to the driver seat. Once in the car he revved the engine before taking a few seconds to look in the rear view mirror to see the figure of Akshara growing smaller as he drove away. He didn’t understand why this was all happening now. He had so many questions that only she could answer. But instead of staying and properly confronting her he just angrily walked away. He slammed his right hand against the steering wheel frustrated at himself for not saying anything. He then turned on the radio in his car and switched to his Spotify playlist hoping to get his mind some relief from the events of the night.
Bekhayali Mein Bhi Tera Hi Khayaal Aaye
Even in times when I have no thoughts, I think about you
Kyun Bichhadna Hai Zaroori Yeh Sawaal Aaye
I keep on thinking why this separation between us is necessary
Teri Nazdeekiyon Ki Khushi Behisaab Thhi
The joy of you being close to me was indescribable
Hisse Mein Faasle Bhi Tere Bemisaal Aaye
In my share, the separation from you also came in huge abundance
Main Jo Tumse Door Hoon
As I’m far away from you
Kyun Door Main Rahoon
Why should I remain like this?
Tera Guroor Hoon…
I am your pride
Aa Tu Faasla Mita
Come and eradicate these distances
Tu Khwaab Sa Mila
You are like a dream that I have achieved
Kyun Khwaab Tod Doon
Why should I break my own dream?
The song was pricking every inch of him so he changed the playlist to instrumental songs and drove the rest of the way home in a daze. The minute he pulled into the garage of the house he got out and ran upstairs unaware that his younger brother was calling out to him. “Bro?” Upon entering his room he immediately flung his suit jacket onto the bed and stripped his white dress shirt off. He put his ear buds in and pulled his workout gloves from a nearby shelf. He stood in front of the boxing bag in the corner of his room and started to vent his frustration. And of course the song that had to start up from the sound system he had at home was the one that he had turned off earlier.
Bekhayali Mein Bhi Tera Hi Khayaal Aaye
Even in times when I have no thoughts, I think about you
Kyun Judaai De Gaya Tu, Yeh Sawaal Aaye
Why did you give me separation, I have this question in my mind
Thoda Sa Main Khafa Ho Gaya Apne Aap Se
I am a little upset with my own self
Thoda Sa Tujhpe Bhi Bewajah Hi Malaal Aaye
I feel a little amount of regret about you without any reason
Hai Yeh Tadpan, Hai Yeh Uljhan
I have this uneasiness, I have this confusion
Kaise Jee Loon Bina Tere
How should I keep on living without you
Meri Ab Sab Se Hai Anban
I have quarrels with everyone nowadays
Bante Kyun Yeh Khuda Mere
Why are they trying to become my lords?
Song: Bekhayali
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
English Translation Credits: https://www.bollynook.com/en/lyrics/22116/bekhayali/
***************************************************************
So we are now back in the present again. What exactly happened after Abhi left that night? More to come in Part 6 😃
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