Garden of Thorns

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/1493649/tanhaaiyan-muskuraane-lagi-ff

Part 10

They entered inside the main departure section of the airport, fingers tangled together. As their body parts brushed past each other's every so often. Yuuma inhaled and exhaled increasingly trying to control a new initiate sensation, the innate passion of a 'gorgeous stranger.'

"Yuuma!" She heard her name behind her, turning to see a small blotch attacking her, holding her tightly. She looked past her attacker to see her mother and some of her aunts, uncles, and cousins standing there with big smiles across their faces. Yuuma finally realized who the attacker was; it was no other than Ash. Because the thing she said astonished her "I only saw him once, but now that I look at him clearly during the wedding...didi, I think your husband is cute." Yuuma's mouth dropped as Ayesha released her from her death choke. "And I wanted to say bye." She said with a smile. Yuuma looked at Arhaan who still had his fingers linked with hers, he looked straight ahead, but he heard everything that Ayesha said, causing the grin that was now plastered over his lips. Yuuma looked away from him gazing ahead, hiding her expression with composer. Yuuma's mother approached her smiling trying to hide what she knew she couldn't, her sadistic expressions under that masked behaviour. Arhaan released Yuma's hand walking past her to her mother, exchanging a few words than walking over to the rest of the group with a genuine smile, leaving the mother and daughter to themselves. Her mother placed her palm on either side of her cheeks as her finger tips tangled in her hair. For a few seconds her mother just gazed at her until finally she slammed her against her body in an aggressive hug. Her arms tighten around Yuuma's body preventing her lungs to gain oxygen to her blood streams. "Be careful, okay?" She demanded more than said "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, as I wanted to. But jaan, I love you." She said hoping for forgiveness of her ignorance, forgiveness for the intolerance act that her father put her through just for his own gain. When she finished, Yuuma saw the tears forming in her eyes, and suddenly thorns of her mother's pain pierced her body shattering the ice that formed around her heart. She felt the tenderness of her mother's wounds indicating to her how worse of a daughter she really was. Yuuma looked at her mother with pity and despair, watching her recollect herself as she turned around to see Fizan behind her mother waiting for her to finish so he can start. "Fizan beta, you wanted to say good-bye to Yuuma too right, I'll leave you to be." She said walking away from her towards Arhaan.

Ten minutes past as Arhaan carried a conversation with her mother looking at her with a smile. "Arhaan beta," she started as she placed her hand on his cheeks and brought his forehead toward her lips.

Arhaan's eyes searched for Yuuma's, until he found her talking to Fizan. He looked at her, until she glanced his way, winking before placing his head back in place. Yuuma glared with a look that stated 'you need help,' raising her eye brows at him.

"Thank you beta, you took care of all the transportation of getting us here, I'm happy you found it necessary." She voiced softly, in a motherly tone.

"Aunty we're family now," He began pulling out his smug attitude "I know this may sound filmy, but you're calling me beta, and thanking me, that's not very genuine." He stated as Yuuma got back to his side gazing at him in confusion. "By the way, where is uncle-ji?" Yuuma's head jerked up as she suddenly remembered the absence of her father. He was supposed to be here? She thought, she wondered how amazing her defence mechanism was for not even realizing her father's missing presences.

"Oh, woh buzy tah." She began "Hence the whole transportation problem beta, you know how it is." She covered up her lies with a smile. But Arhaan proverb past her enclosed lies and begun to protest "But how-." Before he could have said anything anymore Yuuma quickly linked her fingers with his squeezing them tight indicating him to stop. He looked down at her, as her view was focused toward the ground.

They finally boarded the plan in silence. For the first time she was surprised Arhaan didn't say anything. So she started as they got to their seats. She took the aisle while he took the window taking quick glances at the few people around them. "Thank you," Yuuma finally stated. He didn't say anything, nor did he turn around. "Arhaan," she called, grabbing his shoulders. His back relaxed against the seat turning around to look at her.

"Don't you think if you're saying thanks you should do it in a 'proper' manner? He asked with a smirk. From a welcoming calm environment, Yuuma hoped to surface turned into another battlefield by Arhaan's words. But Yuuma didn't voice her words this time, for, she found it was much more necessary to ignore her now called husband then voice anything at all. So she simply turned around, watching the few passengers like themselves walking to their seats. "I think I'm use to your mood swings now, when I ignore you, you talk to me, when I don't, you get worried." Yuuma turned back around to face him, her left eye twitched with an eyebrow raised, glaring at him with utter confusion.

"Arhaan...we've only known each other for less than 24 hours, and you think you finally understand me?"

"Why not? Sometimes you can get to know someone in just two or even less hours." He stated with a wink, rebutting against her comment.

Before Yuuma can defend herself, the announcement came on for the take off alerting us to take a seat and have our seat belts buckled. Yuuma suddenly smiled a sigh of relief, soon she thought, soon she will be on familiar grounds. She squeezed her eyes thinking things over, relaxing her tempo to a bare minimum.

"Hey, by the way, I'm glad you're wearing something proper and presentable." Yuuma opened her eyes to look at him. "See, right when we land, there is a party in our honour." He finished with a smile that stated- surprise. Yuuma's eyes widened, as she cringed her teeth turning her body towards him. She quickly grabbed on to the collar of his shirt and yelled "what!?"

"Yes Hun, I thought, it be nice for you unwind... you seem stiff," smiling awkwardly at her "beside's you'll make friends, meet my friends, and get to know a lot about me, it'll be nice." He finished, as he placed his palms on either side of her hand, yanking them away from the collar of his shirt.

"And you couldn't tell me earlier." She blurted, while sinking down into her seat. Arhaan laughed at her sudden childish respond.

"You know, we really seem like a married couple now," He spoke, smiling at her. But Yuuma didn't turn toward him this time, instead, she sung deeper closing her eyes and trying to fall asleep.

Yuuma scanned her surrounding as she stood in front of the subway tracks. She looked to her left and saw him smiling down at her. He grabbed her hand pulling her toward the train that now stood in front of them. Yuuma glanced at the clean and proper interior of the train astonished at its colour and neatness. She looked back down to the boy holding her hand, leading her toward the corner seat of the train, as they sat side by side Yuuma started running her fingers through his messy auburn locks laughing while she did this, kissing him on the cheek for no one was around to notice them.

"You're so forward." He said, turning his head smirking. "Yuuma," he said "Yuuma." He said again.

Yuuma opened her as she felt her arms stretched out holding onto to something firm and underneath felt broad, head positioned in a tilted fashion. She finally lifted her head, trying to rub away the evidence of her unconsciousness. Until she realized it wasn't a something she was leaning on it was rather a someone, looking down at her amused when she fully gained her senses.

"AHHH!" Yuuma jumped from her seat, shocked at what just happened. Her body bolted so fast that she couldn't stop the head on collision with a flight attendee passing by. The woman Yuuma collided with was pushed to the opposite direction, on to the seat across from her, while Yuuma landed on the floor. Yuuma quickly got up from her dismay, listening to Arhann's laughter in front. He stood up, now starring at the flight attendee that had fallen arms reached out in front of her like a gentleman.

"Let me help you, beautiful," he generously stated.

Yuuma gazed at him dusting herself as the woman willingly placed her hand in his, his fingers closed around the back of her hand. He pulled her up, while turning to the direction Yuuma stood, winking at her, and then turning back to the woman in his hand. When the woman finally stood, she thanked him with a smile. Until Yuuma finally spoke up, "I'm so sorry." The attendee glanced her way with annoyance written across her face, but nodded to her apology and walked away. Arhaan stood there watching the scene for the amusement, while going back to his seat. Yuuma also followed pursuit taking the seat beside him, starring at the huge smile that Arhaan was giving her at the incident that took no less than seconds ago. Even his voice still held on to the laughter as he spoke.

"So...hun, what were you dreaming about?" he playfully asked, leaning on the armrest next to her, then continued. "I mean, I had no objection to what you were doing, it was rather comforting really."

"I rather not say." Yuuma spoke putting her head down before Arhaan can say anything more, the flight announcement came on, informing the passengers it was another two hours before they reached their destination.

"So?" He asked, looking at Yuuma's confused expression. "Your dream." He continued "Nothing... really? Then why were you holding on so tight?" He questioned innocently.

"I don't know." She fumed

He went backed to his seat, placing his arms behind his head. "No matter, I'll know by time." when suddenly his smile vanished and he looked at her then whispered the things she wished he'd forgotten.

"Why were you limping?" He asked persistently, "I know it hasn't healed much yet, because you been trying to hide it this whole time but, what I wanna know is how did it happen?... I know it's fresh." he refined, looking at her with a determined look. Yuuma turned toward him, for the first time she slightly froze. What was she going to tell him she thought, the truth? Or lie? Yuuma battled with her conscience, trying to ponder on what was right in this situation. Wasn't lying wrong, especially to your husband, what if her father found out? what is he-

"Yuuma." Arhaan interrupted her thoughts "well?" He requested

"I fell; as I was running...I didn't see the rock in front of me and tripped," She replied... partially the truth she thought. Until she contemplated on her answer, she was a lawyer bending the truth is what we do... but even so, she felt it was unjust to have to lie to him like that. It was the first time she ever had an actual normal conversation with him, where he wasn't taunting her, and she lied.

"Oh." He said.

Hearing his oh allowed Yuuma to relax and bring down her heartbeat to normal. As he looked away, he didn't say anything after that. Yuuma closed her eyes looking toward the window, happy, that she was finally back. She just wanted to go home- forgetting that it wasn't her home that she was meant to go to, but rather someone else's. An unknown place, before she knew it, she was back to her usual attitude of crude and distastefulness.