Chapter 13
7.30 pm:
This is unbelievable! It is too good to be true; it seems so surreal.
"Wow!" I couldn't help but exclaim, looking at the starry night sky. Scenic beauties like this had ceased to exist. When I was young, I would lay on freshly chopped grass which had the refreshing smell of wet sand, and I would just stare at the night sky.. that is so beautiful; this was one of my fondest memory of childhood. But after I grew up, the star filled sky simply disappeared, like my friend. I never thought that I could see this beauty again.
"Too good, huh?" Asked me a dazzled Armaan, starring at the night-sky, embedded with diamond-like shinning night stars.
"Absolutely." I mumbled, dipping my leg in the pool of cold water. Ah, this felt so good! I closed my eyes, trying to absorb in the sensation, for I knew I would need it later on, once I return back to my old life.
I opened my eyes, felt his eyes on me. Immediately, I turned to look at him, who seemed to have read my thoughts.
"Thinking about your old life?" He asked me, taking his eyes off me.
"Yep. You, too?"
He nodded.
"This is too good to be true, isn't it?" He asked me. I nodded, even though I was sure he meant something I wouldn't understand.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked me finally, and I looked at him amused.
"You love doing that, don't you?" I confessed finally, and he smiled.
"Totally." His deep blue eyes and charming smile dazzled me again. I looked away immediately, embarrassed.
"Um, about my family." I said, looking at my.. our reflection the pool of clear water.
I took out my cell phone immediately, wanting to show him my family pictures. He looked at me, curious at my actions.
"Let me show you my family." I tapped the touch screen and opened a picture of a woman; the most beautiful woman, with a pure heart of gold, with a serene smile on her face. At times I wondered how she was so content with her life. At times I wondered, if I would ever attain the same peace, like she did?
"My Dadi." I told him, and he nodded understandingly.
"She's beautiful." He told me, smiling.
"Yeah, the most beautiful woman I know." I told him, my eyes still on the picture.
And what he told me next took my breath away.
"You look just like her." I told me, staring straight into my eyes. I gasped, when a hard realization struck me: the distance between our lips was hardly any. I could feel his eyes on my lips, as mine were on his. His breathe was slow and rhythmic. He smelled so heavenly, it made my thoughts blurred. Slowly, he leaned in, as his lips slightly touched mine, I trembled. Without thinking of the consequences, I momentarily gave in to the moment, letting him kiss me. He was slow, careful not to hurt me. The fire he had been suppressing for so long ignited suddenly, as I leaned in to kiss him back. What had begun slowly, turned to passionate, that it had become to keep my thoughts in place. But when I realized what I had been doing, I pushed him immediately.
I had no courage to meet his gaze, but his gaze lingered on my face, studying my expressions.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled. How could you, Riddhima? How could you? More ashamed than ever, I looked away immediately.
"I am engaged, Armaan. I love him." I told him. He grew silent immediately.
"You do?" He asked me, taking me by surprise again. I looked into his eyes to find something different in them. His gaze made me look away, not wanting this to meddle with my head again.
"I am sorry. I can't do this." I got up, picking up my sneakers and walked away, leaving him all by himself, in the lonely beautiful night.
Quarter to eight:
I knew he wasn't going to give up, when I heard his soft my persistent voice behind me.
"Wait, Riddhima!" He shouted behind me, and I paced up my speed. I love Aditya. I am going to marry, Aditya, I kept telling myself. His beautiful face flashed in front of me, smiling at me and proposing to me. Without the leftover strength in me, I ran inside my room and locked the door behind me.
"Riddhima!" I heard him shout, before I shut the door on his face.
He did not give up.
"I am so sorry, Riddhima!" His fist banged the door hard, and harder, making me shudder. Tears of repentance rolled down my cheeks. My body sank down, sobbing heavily, as I heard him bang harder.
"Please, talk to me Riddhima." He mumbled softly, but fiercely against the door. When I did not reply, he banged the door harder, before the silence took over.
Silence can be more overpowering than his whispers. His soft whispers rang my ear drums and I tried to drive them away with the image of my loving fianc proposing me. I worked, after a long attempt.
After a few moments passed, a loud clattering of glasses caught my attention. At that, a sudden wave of fear took over me. He couldn't, I kept chanting myself. I wanted to open the door immediately and check up on him, but I couldn't. I was not ready to.. face him yet.
"No, no!" I mumbled to myself, hoping that what I was thinking doesn't come true.
"Ugh!" I heard him groan. Alas, my fear ought to come true! Unlocking the door, I ran to help him. He kneeled in the corner, facing away from me, with the shattered glasses wide spread near him. I gasped on noticing the stains of red blood all cover the glasses and then noticed his hand, injured.
"Armaan!" I took his hands immediately, looking at him. His expression, again, was unreadable and dark.
I pushed me away fiercely, but this time I was prepared for it. Confidently, I pulled his hands in my grip again.
"Why did you do this?" I looked at his wound, and a pain surged inside of me. What is happening to me?
"Leave. Me. Alone." He yelled at me, his eyes reflecting so much pain.
"NO!" I yelled back, knowing what to do.
When he realized that I was not going to give up, he sighed. I got up immediately, trying to help him get up, but he shoved his hand away at that.
"I'm wounded, not handicapped." His whisper made me tremble.
"I have a first aid kit in my room. Lets go." I told him, but he fought back again.
"I do not need you. Leave me alone." His rudeness least affected me, since I was only concerned about how much the wound must hurt him. Pushing me away, he dragged himself to his room, and I simply followed.
I locked the door behind me, not wanting to create a scene.
He moved about the room frantically and pulled open a drawer and look out the first aid box. He did not budge when I silently took the first aid box, and began cleaning his wounds. Instead, he stopped fighting and watched me clean his wounds. I suddenly felt hot in the centrally air conditioned room, with no air to breath in.
"Riddhima." He whispered softly, and I felt a jolt of electricity running down my spine.
Luckily, I did not have to stay close to him for very long, since the wound cleaning and bandaging was done. I thanked lord silently, and stood up.
"You should change." I tried to sound stern, without looking at him. When he did not reply, I took that as a yes. I walked over to the other side of the room and pulled open wardrobe, where his clothes were arranged neatly.
"You're shirt might scare people-" I stopped midway, as I felt his warm breathe on my neck. I could feel his skin, hardly inches away from mine, and froze on spot.
"Are you angry?" He whispered.
I pulled myself together immediately. I had to. Everything he does affects me, but I did not want to show him that.
"No, I am proud of you." I am very sarcastic when I am angry. It flared even more on realizing that it didn't bother him, when I felt him grin from ear to ear. A little to forcefully, I pulled out the topmost white shirt, and out came a book, which fell on the ground.
I turned around to look at him, to find him frozen in shock. Suddenly, the small book had captured all my attention. Carefully, I picked it up, and recognized the cover immediately. A yellow diary, I recognized and froze, horror-stricken.
This is my diary. This is the diary. I had given this particular diary to..
"Armaan." I turned around to finally meet his gaze, both our bodies frozen in shock.
Edited by Heart - 13 years ago
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