AARYA SS- FROM MATES TO SOULMATES Ch 4 on pg 4 - Page 4

Chapter 5

She couldn’t believe what she saw. Was this guy for real? He took his flirting and stalking to a whole new level, following her till the train she was travelling in to Ahmedabad with her friends. It took all of her willpower not to react to his naughty grin and conceal her surprise in their presence. So she just stood up, going past him towards the washroom and he understood her discreet signal to follow her away from her friends. And her questions began flooding once they were out of earshot…..

“ What’s all this, Yash? What’re you doing here? “

“ My dear Girlfriend No. 16, I am just sightseeing alright. By the way, is this the Kutch Express that takes us to Ahmedabad? “ he said feigning innocence yet laced with his typical naughtiness.

“ Sightseeing, really? You expect to me believe that? I am sure this has become your habit over the years. “

“ You mean sightseeing? Yes. “

“ No, the flirting and stalking. Like, is this what you do with all your girlfriends in sight? “

“ Of course, since birth. But not every woman is as lucky as you are.“

“ Oh, is it? Wow, how magnanimous of you, Mr.Yash to grace this train with your royal presence. As if I can’t guess. The most you’d have done with your girlfriends is to lay a finger on them. Anyways, how did you manage to get a ticket? The train seems too crowded. “

“ Ticket? Oh, the ticket! You need one to travel, right? “he pretended to be shocked at his forgetfulness but his demeanour screamed totally otherwise. He can never be serious even in his deathbed.

“ So you don’t have one, do you? And, if you’re caught? “

“ Anything for this ‘sightseeing’, babes. A fine of five hundred is too petty a punishment. “

“ You are one incorrigible specimen! I shall let you do your‘sightseeing’ while I go, sit with my friends. Bye. “ she told and was about to leave when he pulled her towards him.

“ Don’t you dare leave. Stay here and give me company. “

“ You’re crazy? I have been away for quite long and they might come searching for me anytime. Now leave me. “

“ So be it. Let them come. Stay here till then. “

And she couldn’t refuse.

“ Alright. Let them come. “ she winked at him and they did their ‘sightseeing’ together by the entrance of the compartment during the whole journey.

Things weren’t hidden from her friends for much longer and she introduced him as a good ‘friend’ of hers. They too were very modern and understanding that they let her space to spend her free time with him. They just wanted to be constantly kept informed of her whereabouts.

Once they reached Ahmedabad, the whole of his day went following her almost everywhere she goes, well, except when she’s in the company of her mentor, learning things about architecture and lighting in buildings. That was his private time to explore the city and getting ideas for his upcoming gaming project. Things went on in pretty much the same manner for the next two days and finally their last day at Ahmedabad arrived. They had the train to catch at around 9 p.m and it was still two in the afternoon. Having nothing to do, she insisted that they visit a museum nearby to kill the time and he agreed. But once they reached there, he got to see a totally different side of hers. She seemed heavily weighed down by something as she just stood at the entrance of the museum and stared blankly at the exteriors. She was perhaps re-living some painful chapter of her life, the memories of which the museum seems to have triggered. His concern grew as she leaned over a window of the museum.

“ You’re alright? You seem quite disturbed. “

“ I am fine. I was just thinking about my father visiting this place almost everyday. “

“ What?! It’s your father’s visiting time? Should I be afraid that you perhaps took my stalking too seriously to bring me here,complaining to your father? I am sorry if….”

“ Don’t be. He is no more in this world to hear my complaints. In fact, we hardly were ever together. This was the last place he visited before he died five years ago. So, I felt like coming here before we leave. “

He was stunned at the ease with which she spoke of her father’s death. Only an immense strength to cope with the loss or a kind of resentment should’ve brought about this ease.

“ I am s-s-sorry about your father. And y-your mother? ““ In Bhopal, handling our family business. “And her reply was followed by a gloomy, deathly silence. He could make out that her sadness was more than just about her father’s death. He felt sharing her pain with him would give her some relief and he hesitantly asked, not sure if he was welcome to ask that…

“ What happened? “

“ Divorce.“

“ Divorce, but why? “

“ I don’t know. Constant fights, incompatibility issues and what not? Quarrels happened over everything and almost everyday. Things then got more violent and escalated to a level of physical abuse. Finally, their marriage landed up in court for the much-needed divorce.”Her voice began to crack and tremble as she continued further……

“ A seven-year old A-A-Aarti Khanna was asked to c-choose between… between her mother and her father. But I rather chose my resentment for them above all. I had rej-rejected both of them. They-They robbed me of my innocence. They robbed me of my childhood. They-they made me grow up earlier to choose between my parents, when none of my friends had to. I resent them for that and-and I still do. So, I chose to be away from them as much as I could.For most of my life, I had known only my friends as my true family, the hostels were my home. At least they helped me numb the trauma of hailing from a broken home. And that’s why… that’s why, I hate marriage of any kind – love or arranged whatever it is. I shall rather rot alive than to repeat my parents’blunder by getting married. “

Angry and painful tears fought hard to burst out of her eyes but she managed to hold herself together with the best of her abilities. He would’ve never guessed that beneath her bubbly, wild personality was a hurt,traumatized and vulnerable child who was deprived of all the love and perks of childhood. He too was an orphan but his life seemed infinite times better than that of hers. He at least had his brother by his side but she had none. Neither of them realized when his hand went on to be entwined with hers in support, nor did they realize that they were unwittingly revealing their unknown sides to each other as they both kept staring into the oblivion……………….

Finally got update after longtime

Beginning was really fun

Loll yash follow aarti everywhere😉

When aarti was bg in her work yash got chance to visit Ahmedabad

Oh god aarti reveals her painful past💔

It was really heartbreaking poor aarti suffered a lot💔

Yash was shocked to know abt aarti’s pain😧

Poor little aarti had to choose between her horrible parents when she was just 7 yrs old

But aarti left both her parents she made a good decision 👏

Coz of that now aarti doesn’t believe in marriage😢

Yash understood aarti’s pain he had his brother but aarti was all alone💔

Continue ur other pending stories also jodhu🙏