He punched a nearby tree trunk and held his head in his hands trying to find relief in the rain but to no avail.
"Jaanta hoon! Ke meri maangni Nida se hui hai!" he bellowed.
"Jab aap kisi aur se band gaye ho toh mere jazbaton se khelne ka koi haqq nahin hai aapko!" she retorted and began to walk away from him.
Aahil put out his arm in front of her.
"Nahin aaj nahin Sanam," he stopped her. "Aaj tum sachayi se nahin bhaag sakti. Aaj tumhe pura saach sun ke faisla karna hoga."
Sanam stared at Aahil in confusion. He stared back. Both getting soaked in the rain.
"Kya faisla?" Sanam asked finally breaking the silence.
"Humari zindagi ka faisla Sanam," Aahil stated as though it were the most obvious thing.
"Aap pagal toh nahin hogaye? Hatiye aur mujhe jane dijiye! Mujhe bohut tand lag rahi hai!
"Nahin. Nahin jaane doonga Sanam!!
"Mujhe jaane dijiye!" she screamed. "Ye kaisi zidd hai aap ki? Kya saach aur konsa faisla? Mujhe kuch samaj main nahin arahaa."
Aahil pinched his forehead in frustration. "Yehi to problem hai tumhari Sanam. Ke tum kuch samaj nahin paati ho. Why don't you understand? Agar maine kuch kaha nahin to tum samaj nahin sakteen thi?" He pinned her against a tree, again.
"Mujhe samajna kya tha? Aap saaf saaf batayengay?" she gritted through her teeth.
"Pyaar! Mera pyaar samajna tha Sanam! Kya tum waqai main nahin jaanti ke main tumse kitna pyaar karta hoon?!!"
He turned away from her and looked at the sky as she stood frozen to her spot.
"Ye upar walah bhi jaanta hai ke jabse tum meri zindagi main aayi ho, mere seene main jo dil hai woh darakne laga hai. Tumhare liye fikar aur jazbaat jagne lage hain. Sothe jaagte sirf tumhara chehra hi nazar aata hai! Tume dekhe baghair ek pal sukoon nahin milta!"
He grabbed her by the elbows again, "Kya ye sab tum nahin samaj payeen? Kya tum ye nahin dek payeen ke Nida se engagement karne se mujhe thori bhi khushi nahin milee? Ke sare functions main meri nazar sirf tum pe thi? Bolo Sanam! Tum chup kyun ho?" he let her go in frustration and turned away from her.
This was too much for Sanam to take in at once. She stepped forward to turn him around to face her. But dizziness took over and she fell to the ground.
Aahil heard a small thud and turned around to find her lying unconscious on the ground.
******************************************************
Aahil had immediately picked her up and had rushed to the barn. Fifteen minutes later he was hovering over her, trying to wake her up.
"Sanam apni ankhen kolo! Come on Sanam get up!" he pleaded. "Sab meri galti hai! Na main aisi baat kartha aur na tum bahar jane pe majboor hoteen! Please Sanam utt jao!"
He threw water droplets on her face and shook her face slightly but she didn't stir.
"Kya tum mujse itni nafrat karti ho?" A tear drop fell from his eye and landed on her right cheek.
"Main aap...se nafrat nah..in ka..rti hoon," she croaked.
Aahil almost hugged her out of relief that she had woken up, but realized that she still seemed disturbed; so he just brushed her hair out of her eyes and helped her sit up on a haystack. He helped her drink water and then quickly asked her if she was okay.
She nodded in response. He then brought over his coat and handed it to her.
"Sanam tum ye change kar lo, tumme bukhar ho jaye ga." she accepted his coat and placed it on the cart again.
"Pehle aap apni shirt utarriye."
"What?!!" he exclaimed. "Ye kaisi larkhi hai? Abhi bahar kuch aur thi aur andar athehi iske irade badal gaye?" he thought.
"Arre utarriye warna aap bhi bimar ho jayein ge." She shook him out of his thought. He obeyed and took off his shirt.
Sanam blushed as she took in his perfectly sculpted abs and turned around in an attempt to look away. She hadn't realized how gorgeous he actually was.
She wrung out his shirt so that it'd be less wet for him and handed it back to him as he stepped away from lightning the fire a second time that night.
"Thanks," he took it from her and their hands brushed. They stole a glance at each other and then looked away.
Aahil buttoned his shirt but left the two top buttons undone. Sanam took off her dupatta and hung it above the cart to make a makeshift curtain so that it'd be easier to change.
"Woh main bahar ki taraf chala jaata hoon. Tum change kar lo," Aahil offered and made to leave.
But Sanam reached out and grabbed his arm. "Nahin. Aap yahin ruk jaye. Bus doosri taraf dekiye. Main change kar loon gi."
So Aahil walked to the door of the barn and waited until she was done.
Sanam cautiously took off her kurta and glanced behind her to make sure he wasn't looking. Then she felt guilty for doing so. Because she knew that Aahil was a perfect gentleman and he wouldn't misbehave with her. He had had many opportunities in the past. But not once had he wronged her.
She pulled over his coat and took in his scent. Surprisingly it wasn't too big for her. She buttoned it all the way to the top, making sure that nothing showed and then walked around the cart to meet him at the door. But halfway there she tripped over something and almost landed on the floor but like always a strong pair of arms grabbed her.
Aahil caught her but his right hand accidentally slipped under the coat and contacted her bare skin as his hands encircled her waist to protect her from the fall. Aahil's fingers tingled as his hand touched her velvety skin; but he instantly pulled them away and over the coat as he picked her up and carried her back to the cart. He placed her in the cart and hurried over to see what she had tripped over.
It was a black shiny object, her phone. Aahil looked at it and pressed a button.
"Tumhara phone tho dead hai," he told her handing it over.
"Aur mere phone main abhi bhi signal nahin hai," he tapped his phone furiously. "Humme subah tak yahin intezar karna paredga. Kyun ki ye baarish tham he nahin raee. Tum so jao Sanam, waise bhi tumhe kamzori ho gayee hai."
He walked over to the doors of the barn and pulled them shut. He noticed a latch on the door and also secured it to somewhat lock the doors. He still wasn't entirely sure that this barn was safe.
Then he sat down on the haystack closest to the cart and rested his head on the wall, shutting his eyes.
"Aap wahan soyein ge?" Sanam's asked quietly, a hint of concern in her voice. Aahil didn't answer. She thought for a moment and then decided, "Aap yahan, upar ajaaye."
Aahil opened his eyes. "Nahin main yahan theek hoon," he answered. He didn't want to complicate matters further.
"Aapki kamar dhuk jaayegi. Yahan ajaaye, please." She scooted over to make room for him.
Aahil didn't think this was a good idea. Her closeness would drive him crazy but he reluctantly climbed into the cart after her fifth plea.
And then they laid side by side, staring into the ceiling...
Here it is!! Comment away Quboolians!
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