CONSEQUENCES (a fiction)-updt Chapter 16 (pg 51) - Page 27

Yash sat on the sofa looking out at the city sky line with an untouched beer in his hand. It had been two months since he stopped using women as a distraction. Seeing the hurt on that woman's face the day he told her the bitter truth so bluntly made him realize the horrible person he was turning into, exactly the type of person he didn't want to become.

With a new found determination he made himself forget about Aarti and he thought he had successfully done it until he had accidently heard Mansi talking with Sameer. She sounded so excited that Yash couldn't help but listen in. He couldn't believe how those few simple words, "Aarti's coming to Nevada," had affected him.

Yash came to realize he hadn't even come close to moving on. Despite his anger, he couldn't help but feel a small hope that she was coming to see him too. But as always with Aarti, she was nothing but betrayal and pain, he realized as Mansi mentioned the friend that was coming along with her, her male friend.

Yash shook his head with irritation. How she could still affect him so badly after all these months, he wondered furious with himself and with her. He knew Sameer and Mansi had left already to meet Aarti and her friend at the airport, just thinking about him made Yash seething with unwanted jealousy. "Damn you," he cursed finally taking a drink from the bottle. He set down the bottle refusing to drown himself there and decided to get out and take a walk.

He walked around the large city in no determined direction. Yash just couldn't get her out of his mind no matter how hard he tried. Did she think about him at any given moment, did she feel sorry, any remorse? Any regret at all? Did she even care if only a little?

"You haven't been waiting on us have you Yash," Mansi teased from somewhere behind him. He turned and saw her and Sameer getting out of a taxi and he realized he was right in front of their apartment building.

"I actually just got here. I was taking a walk," he told her and noticed Sameer looked extremely pissed. "What's up man?" he asked his friend.

"Oh, he is just jealous because I think Aman is a nice guy," Mansi said waving him off.

"Wrong! It's not because you think he is a nice guy…and I'm not jealous," Sameer snapped at her and she waved him off again. "Don't you do that to me Mansi! You were all over him," he told her and Yash looked at them nervously.

"So this is your friend?" Sameer started imitating Mansi's way of talking. "Oh Aman do tell me how you two met? Oh, however did you get Aarti to let you call her Aarti Dubey? Oh Aman, you're such a great guy! Oh Aman this, Oh Aman that," Sameer went on with his imitation and Mansi frowned. Yash was suddenly uncomfortable as Sameer mentioned this Aman and Aarti's names together and jealousy crept upon him too.

"You're such a jerk when you're jealous," Mansi told him furiously.

"And you're such an irritating and crazy woman when you throw yourself at other men," Sameer snapped at her again and they both glared at each other for a moment.

"Well, I guess you won't be coming for lunch then," she asked him coldly.

"Like hell am I going to watch you drool of Professor Nice Guy," he replied bitterly.

"Whatever," she told him with another wave of her hand turning to enter into the building. Yash stood there not sure what to say or do as he witnessed them having their first fight. Sameer's jaw was locked and his fists were balled into to fists so tight his knuckles went white.

"You should have seen how she was around that ass! Acting like he was the next best thing since sliced bread," Sameer said slowly and Yash gave him a weak smile.

"I'm sure you're just over reacting. She's been crazy about you since I've known her," Yash said reassuring his friend but felt a little worried. He had never seen Sameer get jealous or have any signs of insecurity that he was showing now.

"Yeah you're right, I'm being stupid," Sameer agreed, loosening up a bit. "I bet that guy is boring as hell anyways. He is a philosophy teacher for GOD's sake! Let's go have a beer. I don't know about you but I need one," he said still angry and Yash nodded, not really in the mood to drink but he wanted to accompany his friend.

Once they were in the apartment Sameer went over to the fridge and handed Yash a beer and they both sat at the kitchen island. "Oh my GOD, you two look like a couple of big babies," Mansi said, coming out of the bed room looking at Sameer and Yash sitting there, both obviously in sour moods. Sameer glared at her and she just gave him a playful smile.

"Oh how I love my silly jealous man," she told him and gave him a kiss on the cheek and Sameer suddenly brightened and kissed her back.

"I love my frustrating and crazy woman too," he told her and Yash watched them with longing for a moment, then returned his attention to his beer. Sameer frowned slightly watching Mansi leave the apartment.

"So…" Yash started, not being able to resist. yet not sure how to ask what he wanted.

"What do you want to know about him?" Sameer asked picking up his beer and finishing it off.

"Do they look you know…close?" he asked hesitantly not sure if he wanted to really know.

Sameer was silent for a moment. "Well, I only been around them for a few minutes, but yeah, I got the impression that they are pretty close," he admitted and Yash sighed sadly taking a drink from his beer, hating feeling so jealous. "Apparently they have been friends since she started going to the University," Sameer said darkly.

"University?" Yash repeated with surprise.

"Yeah, the University of Indianapolis, been there for a few months now. Some time ago she got into a big fight with her father. From the way Mansi tells it, she finally figured out what a ba****d he was and told him to go screw himself then sold her house, left town, and hasn't spoken to him since, " Sameer told him and Yash couldn't believe what he had heard.

Bitter resentment bubbled to the surface as he wondered why the hell she couldn't have done all that only six seven months ago. Obviously, I wasn't worth it to her, Yash thought then thought about this friend of hers. Was he the reason she finally left her father, was he the type of man she wanted all along? "Did it look like they were more than friends?" Yash asked hesitantly.

Sameer shrugged indecisively. "Hard to tell, he does seem to always have his arm around her shoulders but I didn't see anything that would make me think that she is lying about them just being friends," Sameer explained and Yash couldn't believe how jealous he felt at the thought of some other man touching her, even if it was just an arm. He wanted to be the only man that has ever touched her, he thought darkly. However that only made him even angrier. He didn't want to feel jealous or want to be the man who was with Aarti. Yash wanted nothing to do with anything and everything that was Aarti Dubey, but she still somehow had a hold over him.

Damn you Aarti, damn you! Haven't you done enough, Yash cursed silently then pushed away the beer sitting in front of him. "Thanks Sameer, but I think I'm going to go," he told his friend and Sameer nodded mutely not looking up from the counter top of the island.

He walked slowly along the busy streets back to his newly bought apartment, feeling his mood darken by the minute. Changing his clothes, he started to warm up before sitting on the weight bench to start his daily exercise routine, it was the only thing he found that wasn't destructive, that helped him get her off his mind.

Yash jogged on the treadmill, his jaw clenched with determination. He hadn't been able to improve his mood ever since the afternoon. No matter how hard he trained, it simply didn't work. He couldn't keep his thoughts off of Aarti and her friend. Several scenarios played through his head, where both of them were together romantically and making him feel so angry that he felt like he would explode at any minute.

A knock out of the door broke him away from his dark scenarios. Yash looked at his wrist watch as he walked towards the door. It was nearly ten o' clock, he wondered who would be at his door at this hour of the evening. Yash opened the door to find Mansi with some guy standing behind her. You have got to be kidding me, he thought bitterly hoping to hell, that guy wasn't the guy he suspected he was.

"See I told he wouldn't be asleep Aman," she told the man behind her and the man gave her a slight smile. Yash felt his blood heat up seeing the supposed friend of Aarti's. What the hell was he doing here and why the hell did Mansi bring him to his apartment. He was going to have a long talk with Sameer about his fiance because Yash might just have to end up killing her after tonight.

"Hey Yash, can we come in?" Mansi asked and he nodded, letting them in but not taking his glare off of the man. "Yash this is Aman, Aarti's friend and Aman you already know all about Yash," Mansi said introducing the two. What did she mean by he knew all about him? Aarti went around bragging how she had made him beg? Damn you Aarti, he swore once more with bitterness, like she hadn't done enough already.

"What are you doing here?" Yash asked her coldly. She rolled her eyes at him but he ignored her.

"I wanted to ask you about Aarti," Aman told him and Yash clenched his fists together as his anger flared.

"What about her? Want to know what makes her squirm under the sheets," he smirked with a cold smile and Mansi rapped the back of his head.

"Don't be a jerk," she said glaring at him and he glared back at her rubbing the back of his head.

"No I don't, I don't need help in that area. Aarti and I are just friends, I did try once to be more than friends though," the man told him with a cool even tone and Yash clenched his jaw tightly feeling as if the man had reached inside him and was slowly pulling out his insides.

"Really, I didn't know that," Mansi chirped and the man nodded.

"Nothing really to tell, I asked, she said no, we decided to stay friends and end of story," Aman explained and then turned to Yash. "I came here Yash, because I want to know if you still love Aarti," he asked. Yash glowered at him feeling himself getting to a very dangerous level of pissed off.

"Why the hell do you care?" Yash snapped, receiving another rap on the back of his head from Mansi and she pointed a threatening finger at him and Aman gave a slight smile. GOD, he really wanted to hit that jack ass so badly and wipe that smile off his face.

"So…?"Aman asked and he glowered at the man.

"Why the hell do you give a damn?" He barked angrily, keeping an eye on the rap happy Mansi. He refused to answer a question that he wasn't sure of the answer. Aman frowned at him, looking displeased which pleased Yash just fine.

"Well Yash, Aarti loves you," Aman started sending a wave of shock run through him. "Unfortunately she is too scared of your reaction and losing you all over again, to actually have come here and tell you so herself," Aman explained but that sounded like a load of bull shit to him.

"So basically she is a chicken shit coward and sent her toy boy to do the dirty work," Yash sneered nastily not willing to let go of his anger, rejection, and indignation towards her go.

"Watch it Yash," Aman warned looking a little upset and he started to smile, enjoying seeing the other started to get pissed.

"Is that some kind of threat?" he asked, goading the man purposely.

"She is my friend and I won't stand you talking about her like that," Aman warned and he smiled evilly.

"Will you two stop it," Mansi told them, but both of them ignored her completely.

"I will do what I damn well please, in my damn house," Yash told both of them threateningly.

"She deserves your respect, you dumb ass," Aman shot back at him.

"Out of all the things that woman deserves, my respect isn't one of them," he shot and Aman was clearly pissed which made him all the happier.

"This is all your fault you know," Aman told him coldly. "You pushed her too hard when she only needed your patience," Aman finished and Yash flinched, only stopping himself from hitting the guy by a thread. Who the hell did this guy think he was, coming over to his apartment blaming something on him when that idiot had no damn idea what had happened.

"She deserves so much better than some punk ass jerk like you," Aman shot. "It doesn't take a genius to see that Aarti isn't like any other women, she need to be treated differently! But now thanks to you, she won't give any other man a chance...ever," Aman shouted at him.

"Screw you," Yash shouted, the thought of this guy or any other man with Aarti pushed him off the edge of control. He swung his fist at Aman, knocking him to the floor.

"Yash!" Mansi shouted at him but he just shrugged her off. Aman wiped the blood from his split lip and laughed at him.

"Is that all you got??," he sneered as he got up and swung his own fist at Yash hitting him square in the jaw.

"Aman!" Mansi yelled at him and Yash moved his jaw painfully, the pain fueling his anger even more.

"Not bad for such a pansy," he provoked.

"How's this for a pansy?" Aman retorted and slammed his fist into Yash's stomach knocking the wind out of him, surprising Yash at the speed this guy could move. Didn't Sameer say he was some stiff ass professor? What the hell did this guy teach anyway, and what kind of university did Aarti attend?. Growling with rage, he refused to let this guy get the upper hand. With lightening fast speed he mocked Aman's last punch and slammed his fist into the guy's stomach.

Aman groaned and sunk to his knees. "You come into my house, and start talking crap about me, and flaunting in my face about how you want to have her," Yash shouted at him raising his first to hit him again when suddenly Aman hit him in the back of the knees and he collapsed to the ground.

"You're a real idiot! I told you, Aarti and I are just friends, nothing more!" Aman repeated shoving him and Yash shoved him back with another punch on the face.

"This is not accomplishing anything," Mansi yelled at them as they both continued to ignore her.

"The only idiot here is you," Yash snapped back at Aman. "You honestly want me to believe that you are only friends with her, and that your reasons for being here is not to gloat in my face," Yash ranted tackling the man before him. Aman smashed his fist into Yash's lip busting it open. Yash retaliated by grabbing Aman by the shirt, picking him up and then slammed him on the floor.

After a nearly half an hour later, Yash sat on the floor bruised, bloodied, exhausted and feeling oddly a whole lot better. "So Ass, are you ready to honestly listen to what I came here to say?" Aman said with a half smile and Yash looked at the man before him with curiosity. What did this guy want from him? He was actually starting to doubt whether the man came there to flaunt his relationship with Aarti in Yash's face, but if that wasn't, why is he here, what the hell did he want?

"Sure, what is it you want to say pansy," Yash replied, too exhausted to get up and throw the man out of his house anyway.

Mansi glared at them both with her hands on her hips. "You two can't be serious," she shrieked at them. "One minute you're at each other's throats! The next you're acting like buddies?" She exclaimed raising her hands up in the air with desperation.

"What did you expect us to do? Cry over a cup of coffee and talk about our feelings till dawn? We're guys for GOD's sake, even if you and Aarti have seemed to have forgotten that little detail about me," Aman stated, getting up dusting himself off.

"He does have a point," Yash agreed, surprised by the fact that the guy didn't seem so bad after all. Yash slowly got up from the floor as Mansi rolled her eyes at them both.

"Well then, you men have a very stupid method of resolving your problems," she shot back crossing her arms at them.

"Anyways," Aman said turning to Yash, "As I trying to tell you before, Aarti still loves you, but she has worked it up in her head that coming to see you can only end like a Shakespearian tragedy. Mansi and I have argued with her till we were blue in the face." Aman explained and Yash frowned.

"Well it wasn't me who left her, you know. I was the one doing the chasing, since I first met her, to only have her run away every time, until she decided to play me out in the end," he snapped bitterly touching his cheek wincing with the pain that shot through him.

"Oh! I know, and the day she fought with her father, she figured that one out too" Aman started. A little too late, Yash thought bitterly. "And she has been punishing herself ever since," Aman added, surprising Yash. Did she really feel that bad about what she had done? He wondered with some slight hope, but part of him was also glad to hear she was suffering at least in some small part like he had. She deserved it, he told himself.

"She loves and needs you. Everyone who is around her can see that. Hell!, I knew it immediately after meeting her for only a few days! However, she is too stubborn by the idea of punishing herself and that you hate her, to actually entertain the idea that you might still feel the same for her," Aman told him. Yash was silent, not sure what to say or think. He was still so very angry at her, that he wasn't sure if her love, regret and guilt were enough to make him forget and forgive. There was only so much he could take, and after a long time Yash had believed, he reached and passed that limit with Aarti the day she lied in front of everyone.

"Aarti is very sure you will do nothing more, but call her every name in the book, then invent some new insult because those won't be enough," Aman told him and Yash smiled slightly. That was exactly what he had planned whenever he thought of seeing her face again.

"I don't know how you feel Yash. Is there some part of you that still loves her, and is willing to see her again, so she can have a chance to fix things?" Aman asked and Yash didn't answer him right away. He honestly didn't know if he seriously loved her anymore or his anger had eaten it all away. He also didn't know if he even wanted to see her again or even how would he react if he did see her.

"If you're willing to see her again I've got an idea," Aman stated.

"Let's hear what you have got to say," Yash replied and Aman gave him a little nod and began to explain the details. When he'd finished, Yash agreed to go along with Aman's plan. Maybe seeing her again would help him finally get rid of all the anger, bitterness and pain which is still fresh inside him. He'll tell her all the things he had so wanted to shout at her since that damn day, and if she thought she had suffered all these months, then he was going to show her just how wrong she was. He would show her what suffering exactly is...just wait Aarti.