ArHi FF: Kya pata kahaan hum Chale(Part 25last 112 - Page 44

It is the day after

background music: Kitni Baaten yaad ati hain from movie Lakhshaye

Part 19 – Kyu puri ho na payi Daastan, Kaisai aai hain aise dooriyaan

Extricating herself from his embrace, she sat back to look at him quietly. With her index finger she wiped away the tears that had managed to escape beyond his control, her hand lingered on his face for some time caressing it. Holding his face she lifted herself to rest her forehead against his, her nose nuzzling his for some time before she took a deep breath and kissed his forehead and got off the couch.

"I….I must go now, I'll be late for my job," she said in matter of fact way, as if nothing important had happened last night.

Arnav's eyes had widened as he looked away trying to hide the hurt that covered his face at what she had said. What he didn't know was that she too had suppressed a stab of pain that had risen in the pit of her stomach threatening to destroy the composure she had mustered up. She quickly turned around heading for the door as her eyes misted over. Blinded by the tears in her eyes she groped on the door, trying to unlock it when Arnav's hand covered hers to squeeze it and with the other he took her in a reassuring embrace trying to placate her.

Letting her go he asked, "Harley or car?"

She shook her head turning down the offer of lift. "Harley or the car?" he asked stubbornly. "Do-not-fuss-Khushi," he chewed on each word when she again shook her head, "I am not asking you whether you want a lift or not! I am asking you how you want to go!" he made his intentions of taking her with him crystal clear.

Not wanting to sit in close proximity with him she opted for the car and walked out with him towards the elevator. They were too aware of each other as if there was some electric filed around them. There were crackling sparks between them. He had shoved his hands in his pockets and she had hers folded as if trying to overcome the urge to hold each others'. Pressing the button for the ground floor, Arnav leaned against the elevator wall and closed his eyes, which wasn't a good idea as her image from last night at once descended in. Sighing he opened his eyes, giving a sidelong glance at her who seemed to be lost in the Elevator's control panel.

The drive to her hostel was very silent, neither of the two trusting themselves enough to speak coherently.

"I am waiting here, get ready, I'll drop you off at Sanjeevani." Arnav said as she got off.

"Umm no thanks, Armaan comes to pick me up every day," she said incensing him and he set off with tires screeching as soon as she shut the door. He drove at breakneck speed through the early morning traffic seething with anger.

"Damn! Damn! Damn" he kept saying repeatedly, angry at her dispassion, angry at himself for being a cad, angry at the things that had made a cynic, who always believed the worst about people first, always skeptical about their intentions. Banging the door shut he went back into his apartment to find it empty. It was always empty but after the night before everything had changed. Going inside his room he stood before the bed still rumpled and messy. At once, it all came back to him, how many times had he said it, and how many time had she said it. He couldn't remember for he had declared his love innumerable times and he remembered she had reciprocated each time. Kicking the bed with his foot he went to the bathroom and turned on the water. As he bent down to wash his face he saw her bangles on the sink counter and he froze remembering the music they had composed when they were in bed in last night. Straightening up, he held on to the counter, his knuckles going white as he tried to control himself breathing hard. Banging his fist on the counter he went out into the bedroom and picked up the pillow she had rested her head on last night and lied down on the floor holding onto it breathing in her fragrance.

In her apartment Khushi couldn't forget the hurt written across his face when she turned down his offer to drop her off at Sanjeevani. She had numerous proofs in her memories from last night of his love for her, and the thudding heart in her chest made the same music but she still didn't know where things will go from here. Slowly she went forward to get her clothes from the iron stand, as she picked them up she saw his T-shirt neatly folded beneath them. Fingering it, she remembered he had left it here only yesterday after they had returned from the football match and now it seemed ages ago. Putting away her clothes, she took off her kurti and put on his T-shirt, remembering his scent, the feel of his arms around her, his hands on her, his mouth kissing her intimately, lovingly. And she realized she couldn't do it, she couldn't be normal like before, at least not for some time, the faade of normalcy she had tried to keep up in front of him broke down as she slumped down on her bed crying with her face buried in the pillow. Turning around she snuggled the T-shirt close to her trying to keep the memory of their love fresh in her mind.

"Wake up Arnav, Wake up honey!" he heard her voice as she called out to him running her fingers through his hair, trying to wake him up. With a start he opened his eyes to stare into the darkness that had enveloped his room. He was still holding on to the pillow which he placed back on the bed. Wiping his face he hoisted himself up in a sitting position and looked around. Leaning back on the arm chair he sighed, "it had only been a dream!" His back hurt and he had slight crick in his neck for he hadn't slept on the floor for a long time. Straightening his legs he stretched to do a few toe touches to stretch his back muscles in order to get rid of the back ache. Getting up, he stomped across the room to the bed and quietly collected all the sheets on it in a big bundle and took them outside to dump them in the laundry basket, their sight was painful to say the least. Morosely he brewed coffee, and toasted bread slices for his stomach was rumbling as he hadn't eaten anything since last night. Putting his mug on the coffee table he sat down absentmindedly nibbling on a toast and in the same vein he took a big gulp of the hot coffee and ended up scalding his palate. Putting back the half eaten toast he just lied down on the sofa and closed his eyes as tears started to roll down. "What will I do?" he just wondered.

"Hey beautiful, rise and shine," she heard him say as they lay together snuggling together, his arm around her waist and a leg draped across her legs. She tried to snuggle closer to him but couldn't. Frowning she opened her eyes to stare into an empty room. Quickly she got up to look around her to look for him but he wasn't there, it had been a dream only she thought as she fell back on the pillow yet again. "Will I be able to live away from him now?" she wondered.

wow...i love how they dream-in-sync too😃