Part 3:
The royal family of Lucknow left the next day with an invite to all of them to attend Anisha's first birthday party next week. Sanam was sorry to see Khushi go, the princess had such a positive vibe. She needed a little positivity after staying with this hot and cold man all day.
As they bid the family goodbye, Sanam turned around to watch Aahil.
He looked a bit nervous, he seemed aware she was looking at him...but chose not to react. No, no, it was probably that he was up most of the night. Just tired, probably.
Soon enough it was their turn to leave. As everyone packed started off, Aahil escorted Sanam to his car and started the journey home.
Sanam: What happened?
Aahil looking straight ahead: Nothing, what should happen?
Sanam: You have been quiet all morning. Are you tired? You want me to drive?
Aahil: Aapko drive karna ata hai?
Sanam's temper rose: Don't underestimate me so much! What you think? Mujhe kuch nehi ata? Of course I can drive. Paramji se sikhi thi.
Aahil: Who is Paramji?
Sanam: My dhaba's delivery man. You know, the one you burned down?
After a little silence, he felt the need to give some explanation.
Aahil: It was just a question. I was merely curious. Why do you have to lose your temper over every little thing?
Sanam: Haan, woh right toh sirf aapka hai na?
Aahil kept his mouth shut. This was not a very promising beginning. He was trying to get a conversation going with her so that he could tell her about his feelings, but this girl...
They drove in silence for what felt like forever. The tension in the car was crackling. She huffed and puffed in indignation as he drove while trying to think of creative ways to execute what the guys had advised.
Sanam screamed: Stop!
Aahil pressed the break hard.
Aahil: What!? What? What happened!?
Sanam: I have to...uh, I want to go into that cafe.
Aahil: You have got to be kidding me! Who screams like that over nothing? I thought I had run over something on the road.
Sanam sucked in a deep breath: It is an emergency.
Aahil looked confused and annoyed as she prepared to get off the car.
Aahil: If you want coffee we can go to a nicer place. This place looks sketchy.
Sanam had had it at this point: I have to go pee, ok?
Now it was Aahil's turn to blush.
He followed her in sheepishly and bought a couple of drinks as she went into the bathroom.
God!? Why couldn't she hold it in for a little bit longer? Now Jallad Jin knew she had to go. This was sooo embarrassinggg.
When Sanam came out, she found him on his mobile. He hadn't seen her, otherwise he would know better than to talk to Nidha.
Aahil: Nidha...Nidha listen. I know you got cold feet. It is okay. Everything is fine now, ok? No hard feelings. We will always be what we were to each other.
What? Sanam could not believe what she was hearing. Not only was he talking to other women, he was talking to his ex-fiance, the same one who left no opportunity behind to embarrass her. These two would keep their relationship going even though he was married!? How dare he? How could he? What did he really think of her then? The same servant who could be ordered to wipe his fiance's shoes?
Sanam's head was spinning as all these thoughts exploded inside her head. Shaking furiously, she made her way back to the car.
Aahil eventually came out.
Aahil: Where did you go off to? I was waiting for you inside.
Sanam gritted out through her teeth: You seemed busy, so I came back here.
Aahil: Well, you could have called. I was waiting outside the ladies' bathroom. Do you know how embarrassing it is?
Sanam looked away.
He opened the car door for her and let her in.
This talk with Nidha really felt final. He finally had some closure on that mess and assured her that he had no hard feelings. And who was he kidding, this is what he wanted! His love. Sanam. He was happy with the outcome, happy to start a new life with Sanam. He couldn't be mad at Nidha even if he logically should have been.
He and Sanam had become Nawab and Begum of Bhopal now, there could be no better time, Aahil thought. This talk with Nidha really made him feel like he could embark on this new journey. And as the guys said, sooner the better. So maybe Sanam was in a bickering mood, but that's their relationship everyday. She would understand. She had said her parents were like this too.
Aahil looked in Sanam's direction. She was picking apart the plastic cover of her coke bottle with extra zeal, digging her nails in.
What was up with her? Maybe she's bored. They haven't been talking much all day. Well, he would give her something to think about now...
Aahil cleared his throat: I wanted to say something.
Sanam: Since when do you need permission?
Aahil swallowed his retort. His heart was beating at an erratic pace. This was no time to chit-chat.
Aahil: I...I love you, Sanam. (He sighed). That's all. I know this is not the most ideal situation, but Arnav and Imad thought I should tell you. I mean, sooner rather than later. They said waiting for the right moment only leads to mistakes. So before I can think of an excuse, well...I thought you should know.
He stopped. Why was he offering so many explanations? He should just stop talking. Aahil looked nervously at her direction to gage her reaction. His heart was at his throat. Waiting with bated breath for a response, he took her hand in his and brushed his thumb over her wrist veins.
Sanam's heart skipped a beat with that caress.
He had the gall to look at her vulnerably with those big, black, soulful eyes. What an actor. Ex-fiance on the one hand and wife on the other. He was good.
Sanam sarcastically: Oh. That's nice. (She pulled her hand away with a jerk). Convenient even.
Aahil confused: What's convenient?
Sanam: You would know better than me what is convenient.
Aahil took a deep breath, his heartbeat was still not steady. He was not ready to understand her mindgames.
Aahil: I don't understand...
Sanam: Biwi koh rizhah lo toh cheat karna bohot easy ho jate hai, nehi?
Aahil winced: I am telling you my deepest shame, I am telling you I love you and all you can think of is potential cheating?
Sanam: Hah, shame toh hai hi. Ek cookse aapko shaadi karke pyaar ka natak joh karna par raha hai.
Aahil, frustrated: It was just an expression. Why are you always so defensive!? Did I say anything about you being a cook?
Sanam: You didn't, but your ex-fiance did. Or should I say, your current...mistress?
Aahil snapped: Sanam!
Sanam: After humililating me together with that Nidha until just a couple of weeks ago, you turn around and tell me that you have changed your mind? Now you love me? Wasn't I the girl who was not good enough to wipe her shoes just the other day?
Aahil: I know what this is about. The phone call, isn't it? You heard us talk.
Sanam crossed her arms: I do not care who you talk to.
Aahil's chest was hurting, he had not planned on a confrontation: We were just making peace! That's all. I just confessed my heart to you and you are letting a little jealousy get in the way. (More softly to himself) I knew this wasn't the right time.
Sanam: Mein Rehan se baat karoo toh woh galat hai, lekin aap aapke ex-fiance se baat kare toh thik hai! Anyways, it is not about them. You want an answer? My answer is that I DON'T love you, and NEVER HAVE!!! I couldn't imagine loving a man who gets a kick out of degrading me with his fiance everyday. One who can still keep it up with her after marriage and expect me to melt at a sudden confession of love. I cannot! Even if Nidha never existed, I could not love you. In FACT, I consider it an insult that you love me! If that was actually true at all. For all I know, this could be one of your stupid mindgames to get the upper hand on me! What are you planning?
Aahil's blood ran cold as tears stung behind his eyes. He concentrated hard on the road. She had a razor sharp tongue and she welded it well. He knew her dismay was legitimate, he always had been rude to her. But he thought she would understand him...it always felt like they understood each other.
Aahil could hardly make out the road ahead of him. Literally and figuratively.
Aahil choked out: You have said enough now. I get your feelings loud and clear.
Sanam was on a roll: Yes, shut up, Sanam. You don't have the permission to speak unless you say exactly what I want to hear. How dare you reject me? I am Allah mian's meherbani on womanki-
Aahil's hand shot at her. Sanam screamed.
At the hospital...
Doctor: Good thing your husband thought of preventing the air bag, or else you would be sitting here with a lot of facial bruises, young lady.
Sanam's heart was hurting now. What had she thought? She thought he was about to hit her when he was only trying to save her. Now she was feeling really guilty. She would rather have those bruises than sit on his bedside like this, listening to the doctor.
She did not have so much as a scratch, but Aahil had a concussion and a blue arm.
Doctor: He should be up in a few hours, nothing to worry about. But you both should drive more carefully for next time. No bumping into trees (he smiled chidingly and left them).
Aahil had avoided head-on collision by a sharp turn toward the roadside. He had made sure they were safe, but the emergy air bags only noticed a collision and reacted automatically. It would have saved her life in a real collision, but had only threatened to bruise her at that moment. And Aahil had seen to it that she was not even touched. That's what made this so unbearable. She was raining insults on him for saying he loved her when he had only sought her safety.
Why didn't he wake up? What if something more sinister happened to him? Internal bleeding? Oh my God, she could never forgive herself if that happened! It would all be her fault for driving him into this accident.
Sanam sniffed back tears and softly caressed his bruised and blue arm as he lay unconscious. She lay her cheek against his hand and let those tears flow. There was no one to see them now. They were far from home.
When Aahil woke, he found Sanam's face softly resting on his hand. He took in his surroundings as it all came crashing back to him.
The collision. He looked at his arm, couple of bruises. A bandage around his temple. Nothing else. His back was sore. No doubt the jerk of the sharp turn. He quickly looked at Sanam. No, she was fine. She looked fine. The doctors would have checked them both.
She could never love him. His love was an insult.
Fine then.
He tried to extricate his hand from under her cheek. She woke up with a jolt and was in his arms before he knew it - hugging him tight.
Sanam was beside herself, crying and mumbling: Bohot dar geyi thi, bohot dar geyi thi mein.
She rained butterfly kisses along his jaw, his cheek, the side of his lips. Aahil was too shocked to react.
He pushed her away. Her expression alone was worth it. It gave him a sadistic pleasure to reject her back like this.
Aahil looked away coldly: I am fine.
Sanam: I am sorr...
Aahil looked away: I don't want to hear it.
Sanam's chin shook as if she was going to cry again.
No, he couldn't melt now. He had to harden himself to her. She cared nothing for him. Last thing he wanted was her pity and sympathy just because they had an accident now.
Aahil shifted away from her to get off the bed. The close proximity between them only hightened his sense of loss. He didn't want to be anywhere near her.
Aahil's head whirled.
Sanam was up against him again within a moment, holding him up.
Sanam: Rukiye. Aaj raat hume yehi raihna hai. Mein ghar peh saabko inform kar dungi. Aap bas rest kar lijiye.
Aahil pushed her hands away and sat down.
Aahil grimly: Call and tell them to take you home.
Sanam's stomach sank: But I want to stay here, take care of you.
Aahil: I have nurses here to take care of me. I don't need you here too. Call Rehan and tell him to come pick you up.
He was too embarassed to meet her eyes anymore. All he could think of was how he was fessing up about loving her and how she rejected him. Now here she was, pitying him because kindness came so naturally to her.
Sanam tried to tease him to lighten the mood a bit: The nurses aren't hot here.
That backfired. Aahil's eyes blazed at her in accusation.
Aahil: Call Rehan and tell him to drive you back NOW!
Sanam snapped: Why Rehan? Back to your old ways, are you? You want Rehan to drive me home now just because I wouldn't give you the answer you wanted.
Aahil shouted: Shut up!
Sanam shouted back: No! I won't shut up and you won't go back to abusing me just because I rejected you!
Aahil pressed his hands against his ears: I won't listen to this anymore.
Sanam: Fine! Stay here all alone at night. No one will come asking after you when you are in pain!
Aahil laughed cynically now: It is better than your pity, Sanam Ahmed Khan. Besides, I am used to no one asking after me. So go home and sleep tight.
Sanam: Fine, let's see which nurse spoon feeds you when you are hungry!
Well, how was it? Part 3 up to par?Part 4:
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/111791888 Edited by Marybarton - 10 years ago
