Posted:
~*NOT just a passionate affair*~
November 28th
OSR CHAPTER 50 PART 1 - Faith!
AMRUTHA CASTLE - ROOFTOP POOL PARTY
Then, she spotted him. Standing in the midst of it all. Mr. Jalal Muhammed. Like she'd never seen him before.
Being voraciously cheered by everyone assembled - notably, the girls of course - the young man resurfaced from within the swimming pool with a self-assured grin highlighting his fine features. While the rest watched on with bated breath, he turned around and then stationed his feet right at the edge of the last step. A firm brushing-back of the glossy locks clinging onto his wet face let the excess water stylishly slide off his wavy hair. The droplets subsequently trickling down his smooth shaven jaw onto the soaking corduroy suit, seemed to make a statement of their own too before disappearing- much like the man himself. My my - what a remarkable display indeed!
However, much to HER dismay - the show wasn't meant to end there. As though the scenes that'd been playing out at the poolside of this formal engagement dinner party hadn't been eyeball-grabbing enough, more was to come!
A second later, Jalal began unbuttoning his suit buttons - a gesture that expectedly sent a wave of soft gasps amongst the female audience. Another second thereafter and the thick suit was off his shoulders, revealing a dapper blue shirt that'd remained hidden for so long. A light blue shirt that was drenched enough to be embracing every muscle of his physique and transparent enough to leave very little to every lady's imagination.
Her jaw dropped. Literally. So striking was the sight that for an instant even Jodha Singh had been compelled into having a fan-girl moment of her own - till she heard a few gushing whispers from fellow-spectators, that is.
'Jesus... look at him na... I don't have a boyfriend... but if I ever do, I want him looking like that...'
'I do have a boyfriend yaar... but sadly, he looks nothing like that...'
'Urgh!' instantly abandoning her own mini-trance she darted the gossiping-group a very dirty glare 'I don't know why we ladies complain when men ogle at us...ladkiyaan these days are far worse... SERIOUSLY worse!'
Yes, she was pissed off. Well, on any other good day her more sportive self might have just laughed off the silliness with a 'Look all you want, but he is MINE!' attitude. However today - since her psyche had already been clouded by mini demons like possessiveness and jealousy - she wasn't enjoying the drama one bit! 'I don't understand what's gotten into him... does he think...' suddenly, her mental tirade was brought to a halt - she'd noted another development unfolding at the pool 'God' she winced, in part-annoyance and part-dread 'What is he up to now?'
Leaning forth, Jalal had stretched his arm out - and the five-odd crazed girls in the pool only looked too eager to grab onto it at the SAME time, sparking another wave of amusement all around.
'This has gotta be fun' he chuckled aloud - and then glanced at his mates standing behind, hurling them a 'suggestive' wink as he did so. Understandably, he wanted to avoid a repeat of what'd just happened.
Soon after, the chaps took the hint and joined Jalal's side - lest the lone man be re-dragged into the water following another insane tug-of-war session!
Thankfully, in not more than five minutes everyone was out.
However, as things would go - the interesting movie had to conclude with a final twist in the tale! The last person to leave the water - a dazed young lady to whom Jalal had just offered his hand - threw herself at the unsuspecting man once she was out and gathered him into a tight hug.
'Yaaay' a loud bout of claps and yells rippled all over the poolside
'Go Jalal! Go Alice!'
'Full-too entertainment yaar...'
'Mazaa aa gayaa!'
'Wah wah! Kyaa mast emotional ending hai!' she remarked on witnessing the great milaap between Hero and his Fan. Not surprisingly, the surrounding cheers for the cinematic climax weren't really helping with her deteriorating temperament either 'Mazaa aa gayaa? Both look like utter fools now... this was supposed to be a pool SIDE party... not IN-THE-POOL party!' with the hotel authorities finally making their much-needed entry carrying Turkish towels, the crowds commenced showing signs of dispersing from the area. Hastily looking away, in case some familiar faces noticed the amount of steam that was coming out of her ears, Jodha continued seething under her breath 'Was this a dare? Did he push those girls in or did they push him in? So much for a drunk, depressed and desolate Jalal that was I was prepared to meet... initially, I thought handbag se kaam chalaa loongi... but, looks like I should have stopped at a shop to buy a bat instead! Anyway, I'll make do with what I have for now... as soon as I get the right opportunity, that is!'
ENROUTE THE LOBBY - via THE POOLSIDE CHANGING ROOMS
Casting another subtle glance around her, she exhaled in half-hearted relief. She'd somehow managed to make it here 'And hopefully, just in time!'
Getting there hadn't been the easiest. It'd taken nearly ten minutes to complete the initial formalities of greeting the blissful Salim-Sana pair. Another ten minutes to answer all of Meera's concerned questions. Ten minutes to sip on a glass of cola to make it seem like she was here for the party. Five minutes to find out where exactly HE was - and another five minutes to slip away from crowds without anyone really noticing!
Yes, the entire process had NOT been easy. So, he better be there - and he better be ALONE this time!
'Damn!' she nodded fretfully. Everything else on her agenda that evening had taken a backseat. With the pool spectacle still fresh in her mind - all she could think of was clobbering him senseless first!
Adjusting her handbag straps, the preoccupied young lady hastened her steps through the dark corridors - the sounds of her heels bouncing off the empty changing cubicles lying on both sides. She peeked at her watch tensely 'I hope he's still in the lobby... if he leaves, I might not get a chance to...'
'Look who's here...'
Brusquely shaken out of her train of thoughts with that familiar female voice ringing from behind, Jodha spun around warily 'H... hi...' she hurriedly scanned the vacant surroundings to ensure Renu was alone 'What are you doing here?'
'I should be asking you that... what are YOU doing here, Jodha?' she folded her arms with a patronizing look and paced up to the junior who she never liked very much 'Never invited any of us to your engagement... or even to your wedding next month... but, you're here to attend my friend's engagement party?' she shrugged 'Anyway... nice to see you here...'
Jodha broke out into a half-smile 'Nice to see you too Renu... but I have to get going now...' her already flustered-self was so not in the mood for another showdown now!
'Wait...' the best friend wasn't done yet - she wasn't going to let her off so easily 'Going to meet Jalal? After THREE months? For what?' she sniggered 'Haven't you destroyed the guy enough? What further damage could you possibly cause him now?'
'Damage?' she briefly shut her eyes in irritation, before glimpsing back up at Renu 'Well, he definitely doesn't look like damaged goods now... and perhaps, I have YOU to thank for that ...' her sarcastic tone turned a shade more sarcastic 'Waise... you do realize that Jalal and I are adults, right? If I want to meet him, I will. But, I can't understand why I owe you any explanations for it!'
'Wow!' Renu flicked her head back, stunned by what she'd just heard. Was this Jodha Singh or was this JODHA SINGH? Nevertheless, she had to admit that the lady's 'newfound attitude' had somehow thrown her off her tracks. She couldn't find a timely retort to come back with. Well, how could she - when Jodha's argument did have a point? 'I...I...'
'Bye Renu...' she cut her short
~Wolf whistle~
The confrontation stopped. At once. The unexpected echoes of the whistle coming from one of the adjacent cubicles had grabbed their attention, in an instant.
'Who's that?' Renu hissed
'God' Jodha stared at a cubicle not far from where she was standing, immediately recognizing the source of that noise 'He's in THERE?' a second later, she drew in another sharp breath 'And he overheard our cat-fight, too? Great!'
Then, the cubicle door creaked ajar slowly
'You wanted to meet me, Miss Singh?' enquired his sultry voice from within
INSIDE THE POOLSIDE CHANGING ROOM
This was it. THIS WAS IT! This was THE big moment. The encounter. The face-off. Crunch time. The turning point that she'd been desperately awaiting for almost three months now. Time for questions and answers. For truths and facts to be spilled out. For emotions and sentiments to burst their seams. Yet, here she was at this decisive juncture - in a large family changing cubicle of a 5 star hotel - staring at his back while he casually continued fastening his cufflinks or whatever it was he was doing!
What the hell! She'd imagined all sorts of scenarios playing out during their supposed-to-be momentous first meet-up. She'd imagined feeling whelmed with guilt and relief. She'd expected his addictive gazes to be smouldering with bottled-up wrath and dejection. She'd envisaged rolled-up fists and swearing aplenty. She'd predicted intense drama, thrill and romance. Instead here she was, watching a comedy of errors! Wasn't he supposed to have a little more reaction' to her unplanned presence there? 'Argh! Frustrating men...' she grit her teeth and stepped in, before softly closing shut the door behind her.
Peeping at the former pair that'd been left over a peg to dry, she observed the crisp new semi-formals he was dressed in - impressed that he'd managed to find a perfect replacement under half an hour!
'Hello Miss Singh...' he finally ceased the silence that'd been haunting the spaces for so long, before turning around to face her 'You're still Miss Singh... right?'
'Huh?' she froze, as her heartbeats rapidly soared from naught to hundred on catching sight of his damp locks and glistening features. The flutters were unusual and different. It wasn't like she was meeting her boyfriend of a year. It was as though, she'd just had an unexpected run-in with an attractive stranger on whom she'd been harbouring a long-standing secret crush. Obviously, his composed stance was only making the flutters worse. How was he so poised? And why was he so poised? Was he seeking revenge for her behaviour during their last meeting - where she'd played Miss Cool, while he'd suffered pure agony? Was this pay-back? Well, only time would tell.
Having read the many masked comments flashing through her doe-eyes, Jalal interrupted her thoughts by tilting his head to check on the latch behind her 'Locked?' he remarked, slightly surprised 'Hmmm... Mrs. Raghuvashi-to-be... cooped up in a changing cubicle with her ex-boyfriend! Wouldn't that be quite scandalous?' he took his finger to his lips 'Anyway, I promise not to let anyone else know about this!'
'Very funny!' trying not to flare-up at his mystifying approach, she smirked at him 'Scandalous? Nah! I doubt people in this party would be interested in gossiping about anything else... after what they've just witnessed at the poolside!'
'Oh... you actually saw that?' his eyes widened, followed by the appearance of a mild disapproving smile 'Crazy stuff, I tell ya!' picking up a towel to dry his hair, he put on a sad pout as he glanced at the handsome wet coat that was hanging off the peg 'My brand new corduroy... 60 grand it cost me last week... if the chlorine from the pool ruins my jacket... I swear, I'm going to make Alice pay up for it!'
'Alice?' she frowned. Wasn't she the girl who'd just hugged him in front of the whole wide world? Another lady adding to an already long list of females openly vying for his attention? 'Ugh' At that point, Jodha had to consciously restrain herself from wringing his neck - especially when recalling the 'sweet' tone with which he'd just mentioned her name 'No wonder you decided to REMOVE your coat!' Jodha scoffed a short spell later - forcing on a fake-grin as she did so 'Just in case you had to jump in the second time around... anyway, the whole twist transformed a normal party into something quite spectacular!'
Grinning back sheepishly, a grin that he neither had to force nor had to fake - Jalal put both his hands up in mock-defeat 'Yeah... yeah... I agree... the whistles and the cheers were quite embarrassing... but hey, if I didn't remove my coat, I could have been dragged inside once again... the bloody thing weighs 10 kgs when wet!'
'What?' her frowns deepened
When she failed to come back with one of her typical fancy retorts and darted him a semi-puzzled stare instead, he grasped the whole picture immediately 'Oh... you joined us late, then? You didn't see what'd happened? Tch tch...' he teased, stylishly brushing the towel over his hair 'Arre ... those girls were so drunk, they didn't recognize how senseless their idea was... imagine lunging into a pool with your heels on, when it's barely 16 degrees outside... the minute the cold water hit their faces, they were choking for air... everyone else was so busy laughing, that no one noticed how many litres of water Alice had already swallowed...' having shaken his head in pretend-worry, he leaned close - very close. Close enough that she could notice a bead of water sliding down his auburn strands of hair 'Good thing I dived in when I did and managed to pull her up... any later and who knows... I might have had to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation...' he winked, before moving back to his spot 'Now THAT would have been more scandalous, don't you think?'
'Oh!' her breath quickened - and for a number of reasons. Had she misunderstood the whole incident? She verified his expressions twice to be sure, seeing how she couldn't understand the funny games that he was up to right now. Thankfully, after a thorough analysis she got her answers. His eyes reflected mischief, but they weren't lying 'Oh... THAT was what it was - a genuine rescue attempt!' she relented. So, the ladies hadn't been thinking of some raunchy fun when they wanted to grab onto him - they just wanted to get out of the water! Alice's dazed hug wasn't because she was smitten by Mr. Muhammed - she was just grateful to be hauled out in time. That explained the spectator-cheering too!
Anyhow, she didn't feel like praising his heroic deeds yet. Not when he was having a field day getting a kick out of riling her up 'Give her mouth to mouth resuscitation? Huh!'
Well-aware of the reasons behind Jodha's ongoing flustered silence, Jalal eventually spoke up - the devilry in his tone cranked up even further 'Waise, Miss Singh... I hope you didn't assume I was just having some lewd fun in a formal engagement party...I... I mean... you didn't think I was indulging my fantasies with a few drunk girls in a pool, right? God...' he shuddered - like he was terribly shocked by the very idea 'What am I saying? Strip teasing in public and all... making a royal fool of myself ... I'm sure a sensible lady like Miss Singh wouldn't have presumed all that!'
'Errr...no... no...' the flummoxed Jodha looked away, well aware that she was gloriously failing at covering-up her tracks 'N... no I... I didn't assume all that!'
Amused by how far her responses had given her away, he decided to hold on to his victory and move on to something else for then. He'd had enough fun with the 'pool' escapades. It was time to broach another topic now - something more relevant 'Anyway, that's enough of my stories... what about yours? Enjoying your new relationship? I admit...' he stretched his hand out to her as a peace-offering 'I was not very well-behaved in our last meeting when you broke the news of your engagement ... so let me congratulate you properly now...'
'Really?' Jodha nodded, ignoring his gesture. No, she wasn't annoyed by the dripping sarcasm in his tone. If anything, she was mighty relieved that he'd eventually taken up the subject. Her only remaining agitation was over the photo that was lingering at the back of her mind - that unpleasant snapshot of Jalal with Renu. So, she wanted to wipe the slate clean on that front - before proceeding to settle everything else 'Mr. Muhammed' she resumed 'If that's the case, do I need to be congratulating you on a newfound relationship too?'
'What?' he quipped
'Well...' she fished out her mobile from her handbag and opened the text to show him 'I received THIS photo this morning! And you appear quite happy in it...so...'
'Wow!' examining the pic, he calmly raised a brow 'How did you get THIS?' he paused 'Was it sent by that creep?'
'W...What?' she suddenly exclaimed - growing appalled by the fact that he neither seemed too shocked by the picture, nor in the mood to refute its story 'Is this real?'
'It's not fake...' he shrugged
**************************************************
Part 2 below😳
PART 2 - Faith!
'No!' she slowly leaned back against the wall for support. His answer and reactions were steadily bringing about an unimaginable sense of panic in her psyche. The fear of losing him - however impulsive or baseless - was an agony far more mortifying than she could endure. Her heart wasn't prepared to accept it 'No... no way... this is NOT true!'
'But why, Miss Singh...' flinging the towel, he suavely bridged the gap between them by stepping near her 'Why do you seem to have a problem watching your ex-boyfriend with another woman... weren't you the one who told me very unkindly that I SHOULD move on?' reclining towards her face so his lips were barely apart from her ears, he continued whispering 'Waise... why should YOU feel upset when I get close to another? We aren't a couple anymore, remember?'
Rattled by his intensifying proximity and hurt by his words, she shut her eyes tightly so she didn't have to meet eyes with him anymore. She felt intimidated. Disappointed. Anxious. Angry. Confused. Silly. What the hell was going on? Was he really implying that he'd 'moved-on' with Renu to get back at her? 'No... this can't be happening...no...' she frantically clung on to her sensibilities to stop herself from becoming mad. He wouldn't have moved on - the Jalal she knew would consider it beneath his self-esteem to do something like that. It HAD to be something else. Maybe, he was just testing her. Teasing her 'Just finish whatever it is you're trying to do and be done with it...' she quietly ranted, hoping that this nightmare would vanish soon
Unmoved by the palpable angst in her manner, he inched from her ears towards the sides of her neck 'After seeing that snap, did your mind play games?' he urged 'Did you end up imagining me this intimately with her?'
'Stop it' she grimaced at his query. This line of interrogation was mentally taxing 'Stop!'
His drifting lips halted just above hers 'And this? You imagined this too?' he asked, huskily.
'No' she quivered. Her exasperated self was now heaving for air. Her cheeks were ablaze. She dug her nails into her salwar. Her heartbeats were pounding louder than the volume of their conversation. At that point, she was at her captivating most, though she had no idea of it herself.
YET, he didn't take advantage of any of those tantalizing sights. He was nearly there. He could almost feel her. Taste her. Yet, he didn't break the spell. He didn't allow his lips to touch her skin. For HIM, this was better. Safer. Much as he was dying to, he didn't let himself get swayed into it because if he succumbed - if he set off on this route - there'd be no restraining his pent up emotions now. There'd be no coming back.
For HER however, this was way worse. With his body barely apart from hers, she could feel his fresh warm breath on her jaw. Sense the dampness in his shiny locks as a droplet or two trickled upon her face. She could smell his cologne. She was experiencing a crescendo of familiar sensations. Everything was barely a hair's breadth away from culmination. Yet, everything was still a hair's breadth away from reach too! 'God!' she fretted! Why couldn't he just be 'normal' angry with her? Why couldn't he just scream, shout and wrap it all up? Or if he wanted to be a typical 'bad boy' why couldn't he just grab her by her shoulders and ravage her like the remaining heroes in the novels did? Why torment her like this? Then again, this was Jalal Muhammed she was dealing with - who could never be 'normal' because he was 'unpredictable' - who could never be a true 'bad boy' because he was so 'well-restrained'. Isn't that why she was so attracted to him in the first place?
'Damn Jodha' she shook it off, startled by her own desperation and the kind of wild thoughts running in her head 'I need to stop this... I'm looking like a fool!'
'Is the picture making you lose your sanity?' he commented, observing the vulnerability in her body language 'Did you check it many times over hoping it's not true? Did it make you wonder if you're the one becoming mad?'
'YES!' a breathless Jodha ultimately opened her eyes, thoroughly spent by now 'Is that what you want to hear?' she glared on 'Is this why you teamed up with Renu?'
Having got his answer, Jalal shook his head in discontent 'One day Jodha...' he muttered - the mischief in his tone waning away 'ONE day and you're in this state... THREE MONTHS... can you imagine how insane I must have become?' he slowly withdrew himself from her person 'Three months of wondering if another man is getting close to you... days exhausted in fighting away depressing mental images... images of someone wooing you... touching you... trying to get intimate with you... do you know how crazy that drove me?' his pitch rose by a few notches 'Did you even care to understand my feelings when you abruptly dumped your decisions on me?'
Oh, so this was what it was. This was what he was trying to prove all along. Nevertheless; if it was revenge he was seeking, her conscience didn't let her fault him for it anymore. She understood now. After all, it was only when she'd endured such insecurities herself did she realize how much more excruciating the ordeal must have been for him!
'And THIS?' he deliberately picked up the hand that was still holding onto the mobile 'This photo was sent by the stalker, right?'
She nodded mutely.
'How long do you know him?' he asked, his bubbling rage beginning to show signs of spouting out
'Huh?' she surveyed him closely, taken aback by the abrupt surges of disappointment in his voice
'And how long do you know ME?'
'Long...' she had to swallow 'Long enough...' with the dejection in his features escalating, she began wondering where this could be going. A second later and it struck her - she'd made a mistake - about the photo!
'How could you let yourself be influenced by this snap? It's not a fake, Jodha... but, it has been misrepresented!' he bored into her soul, as he grilled her for her lack of faith in him. For doubting his integrity. For stabbing him in his already punctured heart all over again 'An intelligent lady like yourself should have caught onto the obvious signs ...were you so blinded by jealousy, that you couldn't detect it?' he indicated towards her instrument 'The picture's blurred... but, take a look at the backdrop ... it must be familiar...'
'God...' she felt crushed under the increasing weight of profound guilt, as she studied the photo again - as the reality dawned upon her. How did she miss it? How could she miss it? 'It's...' she stuttered 'It's the university grounds...'
'Did you think I'd be cosying up with Renu in the middle of the university grounds? Did you take me to be the kind of guy who'd use one girl just to get back at another?' the distressed man demanded 'And do you know WHY I'm so happy in that photo? It's because, that was the day I was wilfully giving up my precious college life, for a woman I love!' while she could do little else but avert his glares due to the crumbling pangs of remorse, he was simultaneously wrestling to get a hold on his own emotions 'You show up after three months only to point fingers at me... why do this to someone who's already shattered? I am human, you know... I can only take so much!'
Tears clouded behind her eyelids. Tears that weren't only a result of the guilt she felt on having momentarily doubted an innocent photo - tears that also streamed because she was finally at peace. It was cathartic for her sorry conscience to be able to bear the brunt of his angry tirades - to hear his repressed resentments. She was finally at peace to be able to come to face with her man's innermost feelings - and she so loved what she saw. He'd only reinstated her faith in him again - he was a flawless human who'd remained good to her, whatever she had to put him through! 'What are you made of, Jalal?' the tearful lady gazed at him in awe 'You're a marvel of nature... that's what you are...'
He - on the other hand - refused to look at her. The tremendous grief condensed inside his heart had slowly emerged to reveal itself on his face 'That snap was taken when I was having a mini-farewell with my group...' he made his final justifications, still staring into oblivion 'Unexpectedly, Renu started weeping and we guys didn't know what to do... so, we teased her to make her smile... I was possibly whispering something silly into her ears, but the angle that this picture has been zoomed in makes it ...'
'Basss Jalal...' she eventually spoke on a soft note. She'd come to nurse his wounds, not hurt him further. Yet here he was, subtly brushing off a lone tear thanks to her. But, no more! She'd do anything in her power, if it'd ensure - that he would never have another sad day in his life again 'If it's of any solace to you...' she wiped her cheeks dry, before removing the bag off her shoulders 'I'd meant to clobber you with my handbag for your antics... but since I'm the one who has erred, it's only right I suffer the same punishment... so, go ahead...' when she'd ultimately got back his full-fledged attention with that silly proposal of hers, she darted him a mellow wink 'I'm a strong girl... I wouldn't complain... I promise...'
'W...what?' he glimpsed up, his gloom gradually giving way to confusion now
'I admit I am possessive, Jalal...' she spoke up again 'But, I never went so far as to mistrust your integrity - even briefly... if I had, I wouldn't be here... showing you this photo... and hoping for an explanation to prove my insecurities wrong...I'm sorry for everything...'
'Oh-kay' he whispered, on having heard her out. He hadn't expected that straightforward admission from her. That frank apology. He said nothing for a while, but he couldn't deny that he truly appreciated it. This wasn't the callous Jodha Singh he'd encountered during their last meeting. This was the old Jo he so treasured.
It was only then that the reassured young man dared to step ahead and assess her expressions at closer quarters - FOR HIMSELF! He noted the damp traces on her smooth cheeks, the fatigue in her determined eyes and the subtle sadness in her resurfacing smiles. No doubt; he'd been incredibly angry with her till a moment ago. He'd had a mind to say the harshest of things for all that she'd subjected him to. Yet, when he noted how tired her seemingly happy spirit was, he couldn't hold onto his anger any longer.
He still didn't know the story behind their breakup. He still wasn't sure if fate intended for them to reunite. However, it would remain a fact that either way - he wished that she'd always remain proud and strong. So dousing all of his anger to cause her no further distress, he resumed the conversation on a kinder note 'If you have such faith in me, Jodha... why did you walk all over me that day and then leave me for dead? Why did you put me through all that and not tell me why...'
She smiled, with tenderness 'Do you still have some faith in me, Jalal?'
That smile melted his heart. Instantaneously. It felt familiar. Very very familiar 'I do have faith, Jodha...' he let out a gentle laugh 'Otherwise, I wouldn't be here...hoping for an explanation from you, like I have for the past three months... waiting for you to prove my insecurities wrong...'
'It's only for some time that I had to be gone, Jalal...' she lovingly clarified, as a blissful haze steadily glossed over her features 'If I left you like that so abruptly... it is only because I had very strong reasons to do so...'
'Ya Allah!' he stood still, stunned by what he just saw. Those EXACT words. Those expressions. That smile. The situation. Now he knew why it was all so familiar. It was HER. The girl who used to visit him in his dreams every other night, to reassure him of her love. It was HIS Jo. His guardian angel - telling him all he needed to hear - and all he needed to know. Ruffling his hair, he tried to understand the happy shock he was experiencing just then. He didn't really believe in miracles, but if they existed - they definitely couldn't get any better than this!
'What happened?' she enquired on discerning his noticeable signs of euphoria
'Every other night' he hastily blurted in ecstasy 'Every other night, I had a dream... where you'd comfort me with THIS exact message...this was what subconsciously kept me going...so, to see you stand here now... and tell me this message in person... feels blissful!'
'My God!' she gasped, as his words caused her hair to stand on end and her fingers to tremble. Somehow, the revelation had turned out to be just as emotional for her as it was for him. How could this be possible? Was this a mere coincidence or a divine intervention of some sort? Was Ambe Ma actually showing her some positive signs?
CRAAASH!
'Bloody Hell' a whelmed Jodha swore under her breath, while continuing to observe her boyfriend with unbroken stares 'Paralyzed by what you'd just said, I think I just let my brand new mobile phone slip from my hands...'
'Wow!' he broke out into his typical lop-sided grin, as he crossed forth the remaining spatial gap that existed between them 'That is pretty remarkable!'
'Remarkable? The fact that I've managed to destroy another phone?'
'No' he chuckled 'The fact that you just said BLOODY HELL precisely like I do...and didn't even flinch after you said it! Have been practising a lot?'
'Oops!' she bit her lip in embarrassment
Dropping his fervent tone to a murmur, he took her by surprise thereafter - eventually asking her the all-important doubt he'd been yearning to have resolved 'You're not getting married next month, are you Miss Singh?'
'Oh!' she gleamed, quite impressed 'When did you guess?'
Reading her thoughts, he answered for her 'Let's just say that the moment you'd locked yourself inside here with me... I had my doubts...but, I was frightened to be too positive too soon! So, I waited...' unable to take his gazes off her, he savoured the ethereal sights in front of him - while still reeling from the joy he was feeling at the bizarre twist of events! There were still so many questions in his mind - so many clarifications his heart sought. Yet, when he saw the re-emerging sparkle in her hazel eyes, her abashed grins and her reddening skin - there was little else he could think of apart from how much he'd missed her. Of how much he wanted to be one with her.
As his lips edged near hers, as their faces touched, as his breath grew warmer, as his pulse shot up - he couldn't wait to reclaim the numerous moments of 'love' they'd missed. His body, mind and soul ached for it. He would have kissed her senseless had he been a little more confident in his abilities to rein-in his intensifying passion. However, he didn't want to kick-off something he wouldn't be able to stop. Besides, if nothing else - he wanted her to at least explain the 'breakup' issue, before he could go any further with this. He needed that elaboration for the sake of his own sanity 'Jodha...' he smiled 'You've been silent for long enough...now, no more...'
She remained hush - thanks to the prankster in her coming alive after ages. Not because she didn't want to tell it all, but because she didn't want to break the ongoing trance. Well, it'd been ages since she'd been an object of his enticing affections - she didn't want to cave in so soon. So, she carried on enjoying the impact she was having on him and the besotted attention he was bestowing upon her.
Just then, their reverie was interrupted. Another droplet of water had trickled down from his hair and fallen onto her lips. The unplanned yet erotic turn was an instance quite arousing - for both. She viewed his shifting expressions. They no longer spelled 'mischief' - they were positively dangerous. With things already so heated-up, she instantly guessed the risque path that the whole adventure would take. Since it was wiser not to infringe upon their short spell of celibacy in that awkward place, Jodha brought the imminent intimacy to a pause with a nervous sigh 'God! This is so distracting...' grabbing the towel off the bench, she gently started to dab his hair dry 'Will you never learn to dry your hair properly?'
He let out a knowing smirk, delighted by the effects of their fascination for one another. After a brief interval of relishing the towel-rub - just as much as he was relishing the return of a flirtatious Ms. Singh, he prodded her once again 'Three months... and you have nothing else to say?'
'Where do I even start, Jalal?' she whispered, checking him out mischievously while continuing to wipe his hair
'Somewhere... anywhere...' he frowned slyly 'Like why did we breakup... and if we did, what are we doing here now?'
'Shhh!' she abruptly shut his mouth -so tightly that he couldn't even utter a single syllable further.
For a flash, he presumed that it was a joke of some sort - but when he saw the seriousness in her eyes, he realized she wasn't joking. Following a few seconds of inaction, he heard some voices outside - a group of people were walking down the corridors.
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If this made it a worthwhile read, please leave me a comment/like if time permits, as it helps the writer in me to keep going 😳
Originally posted by: ---jais---
Congo lashy and when will you give next update? I hope before saturday. If i say please...
Originally posted by: ..Tahniat..
CONGRATUALTIONS My Shraddha Kapoor🤗
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