Chapter 17
It was 2 days since his uncle the great had dropped the bomb on them...
Sameer was sitting in his chair... sipping coffee silently... Ayesha was sitting in the chair in front of him... quietly checking the quotations...
"Ayesh"
"Sam"
both called each other at the same time...
"Woh main... you see... first you..." Sameer said and kept the coffee aside... she looked cute as she tried to untangled her mane...
"I don't want to marry you..." she pushed the words out of her mouth with extreme difficulty... though a part of her heart was disappointed with this..
Sameer just stared at her... he smiled sardonically "Obvious... tumhe toh woh Birla ya whatever ka chipku useless good for nothing ke saath dil laga diya right..."
Ayesha looked at him shocked... she stood up and glared at him... "Shut up... the problem was that the only probable man for me to have wed is nothing but a male chauvinist egoistic narcist patriarchal idiot... he doesn't care about my feelings nor about anything that we might have ever shared... he's as good as a beautiful rotten orange... bahar se jitna sundar andar se utna kharaab..." she flared at him...
"But yeh hai kaun?" Sameer asked innocently... and Ayesha gave him an unbelieveable look...
"I just want to tell you that I hate you... I would die a grieving maiden than be your wife... in fact under no circumstances do I even want my kids to turn out to be a bunch of fools... which would certainly happen if you fathered them... I would only marry you if November happens to be a month of Summer!" She glared at him...
"Looks like I am not in your good books..." he replied quietly...
"No way... and if you were to be a mere book in my library toh phir in that instant I would have burnt the entire library to be saved from you!" Ayesha told angrily...
Sameer folded his arms across his chest and walked towards her... "Is this the opinion you hold of me?" he asked bitterly... she was behaving no more than a Beatrice...
"Oh yes indeed..." Ayesha replied... failing to notice his intense gaze...
"Bharosa ya faith nahi hai mujhpe?" he asked... gritting his teeth...
"Faith! Please... you are just equal to a Benedick... what do the say about Ben... yeh he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block... toh tum mujhe faith ya bharose ke baat mat karo... jo tum kisi bhi waqt badal sakte ho!" She snarled at him...
"Oh yeah... what surprises me is the fact that you are yet living!" he growled at her...
Upon seeing her raised eyebrow he explained further... "Tum jitna kisika dimaag khaate ho... it's obvious ki koi na koi tumhe maar hi daalta! Acha hua aaj tak kisine mohabbat nahi ki tumse... else so some gentleman or other shall 'scape a predestinate scratched face." he told her...
"Agar chehra tumhare jaise ho toh scratch karne main dilchasbi hi alag hogi!" she barked at him...
He grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the wall... "Itni nafrat kyun hai mujhpe! Itni khunnas kyun! Bhool gaye... during your high school prom you were mad for me... yaha tak ki after the dance...
His voice trailed off as their eyes met... they knew what happened that night...
~*~
2007 - London...
A 17 year old nervous Ayesha romped in her little prom dress... she looked gorgeous!
She settled near the soft green grass... her fingers playing with the dew drops on them... the tiny colored bulbs around her added a bashful glow to her gaze...
Playing with the soft brown curls of her hair her eyes searched for her heartbeat ... she chuckled and decided to call him... "Sammy... oye... kitthe mar gaya tu!" she shrieked through the crowd...
Ayesha's senses perked up the minute she heard some rustling of the leaves... she stood up immediately to notice a man pushing the twigs and branches by as he approached her... she looked at her feet as a20 year Sameer came in front wearing a dashing suit... his hair swept back... he came in front of her with a nervous smile... dusting the small bits and pieces of leaves off his coat...
He was awed by his pixie... his heart stopped for a few seconds... she looked breathtaking... her tanned skin glowing amidst the candles and colored bulbs... her eyes held a softer gaze... he couldn't find his frenemy any more... rather a lady... and certainly a beautiful one...
Beautiful... that reminded him of the carnations that he held in his hand... he stumbled upon the last twing and cursed his ever favorite damn it and thumped the flowers in her hand...
"Umm... theek thak dikh rahi ho!" he winked at her...
"Shut up... I know I am looking pretty! Tu bhi thik thak dikh raha hai!" she squinted her eyes to him... the fact being that she felt her cheeks flush with her bestie cum crush looking so hot...
"Shut up... I know you are turned on... tera shakal dekh ke sama main aa raha hai... yeh sab chod... care to dance?" he asked... as a soft music played in the background...
Ayesha nodded... smiling and played with the flowers in her hand...
They had a gentle slow dance... it would be wrong to say that nothing passed between them... they were surprisingly graceful for their age... even though the party went on inside they had their own dance amidst the flowers and bushes which gave them a little sense of privacy.. and perhaps romance...
He had come closer... his eyes frequently trekking the beautiful contours of her face... her low gaze... the soft mouth... her straight nose... the loose curly locks which fell in front of her face... before he could take a step forward he hear Arjun calling for her...
Sameer parted immediately... smiling and assuring Arjun that he would drop her...
As he dropped her back home... she waited near the back door... her fingers clasped around the flowers... her heart thumped when he leaned close to her...
"Nice day today..." He said finally...
"Hmm" she nodded... looking aside... his fingers brushed off the strands disturbing her face... till a point that they were just a breath's distance away... he looked into her uncertain eyes in which it had love written in them...
He too was uncertain... but her glossy lips and dew drop eyes made him cup her cheeks and place his lips gently on hers...
He would have stopped that instant had her arms not encircled his neck... he pulled her frame tighter against himself... the soft kiss had indeed turned into a passionate one... her fingers stroked through his neck while his hands held her nape and waist tightly... she smelt of cinnamon... while he evoked a fragrance similar to that of the sea... they parted after a few minutes...
Sameer looked up at a blissful Ayesha... her closed eyes... her swollen lips...
Sh*t... he just kissed his best friend's sister!
He parted from her immediately...
A confused Ayesha looked at him... and before she knew he left with his bike...
She tossed and turned in her bed...
As she went the next day to collect her leaving certificate from her school she saw Sameer being in an intimate relation with another chick...
"Sammy!" she said aghast...
He turned around to see a flaring and tearing Ayesha...
"Ash... listen... I guess we are best as frenemies... yesterday was like... a slip... if we can forget that... you know... and anyways I have a girlfriend... so if we just can.. chuck that out of our memories..." he said... biting his lips...
"And over that you are RJ's sis... so yeah... kind of sorry..." Sameer told to a shocked Ayesha and ran off... like a coward...
~*~
Sameer looked into a 24 year old Ayesha's eyes... he still remembered the faint soft lips parting beneath his ardent ones...
But that was a childish mistake... he never meant to kiss her... after that he was always there as a good friend next to her... but she always hated him...
"Ayesha... is that responsible for our fights... for pete's sake Ayesha it was just a kiss! And not that ki main tumhara first kiss tha!" He ran his hands through his hair and looked at her silent face...
Ayesha turned aside and took in a few deep breath... this man was... was nothing like her childhood friend... who would do anything to keep her smile intact...
"Why did you kiss me that night?" she asked.. trying to control her shaky voice...
"C'mon... you were looking beautiful... you still are... so it was just a slip..." he reasoned and shrugged his shoulders...
Ayesha felt her mouth sour up... "Papa ko tum jo bhi jawab doge I am fine with that..." she said robotically...
"Oh God... Ayesha... after that night why isn't anything normal... aur ab tum itni robotic kyun ho rahe ho? Kya farak padta hai! It's not that you didn't kiss another guy after me!" Sameer said...
"Unfortunately you were the first and the last guy I had ever kissed Sam..." she barked at him and threw the files on his face and stormed out of the room...
Sameer stood shell shocked... what!
Why did she save their childhood book? Why did she not kiss another man? Why was he her first? Why didn't she be with another guy? Why does he affect her?
Sameer thought of these questions... not knowing that he actually spoke up..
"Ahem! Sir... aap kisi ke baare main itna kyun soch rahe ho ki woh kya soch rahi hai... agar woh apki soch se bahar ho toh aap uske soch main khoye hai... sir sochke batao baar baar sochne ka matlab kya hai... yeh toh sochna hi padega..." Chotu said...
"Chotu... arrey aao... sach kaha... sochna toh padega... par main kyun soch nahi paa raha?" Sameer asked as his favorite employee cum friend helped him with the files...
"Sir kahi kabaar hum dusro ke haalat dekhte hai beghair apne haalat dekhna..." he said and left the room...
Sameer pursed his lips and thought hard... why does he still remember how she tasted... why did he even kiss her? Why does her being hurt hurt him...
He pondered over these thoughts and tried to continue his work... failing over it miserably...
~*~"Bas Arjun... we are almost there..." Sakshi smiled..
"Kya Sakshi... after our private flight landed tum kabse drive kar rahe ho without a clue ki hotel kaha hai!" he grumbled...
Sakshi stopped and looked at the grumbling Arjun...
She laughed and pulled his cheeks.. "Ulle le... chutku babu ... cuto muto baby nalaaz hai... aww... my bonny baby boy... uchu guchu puchu!" Sakshi pulled the cheeks of a certain annoyed Arjun Pratap Singhania...
"Sakshi!" he glared... Sakshi removed her hands and drove again... but suddenly he heard a baby voice...
"Kya Shakshi... aftel oul plivate flight landed tum kabshe dlive kal lahi ho without a clue ki hotel kaha hai... Kya Shakshi!" she pouted and chuckled again...
"Acha... mera nakkal utaar rahi ho!" he thought silently... "Iska badla zaroor loonga..." he thought silently...
"Waise Sakshi do you want to have something to drink..." Arjun offered her water... she smiled and gulped it... then he offered her juice... she drank that as well...
"Ab hotel pohochne main kitni deri hai socha hai jo paani aur juice gatak gatak pee gayi?" He winked at her...
"Oh sh*t... woh toh aadhe ghante ke duri main aur... mujhe... susu... oh no!" Sakshi widened her eyes in shock...
"Imagine the beautiful bathroom Sakshi... sss... araam se susu kar rahi ho!" he laughed...
"Shuuttt uppp! Arrey mujhe susu lagi hai!!! Tum kitne bure ho! Susu ke liye itna liqids pilaaya aur ab susu background de rahe ho!!" she pouted and drove the car as fast as possible...
"Arrey socho Sakshi... the bathroom is welcoming you... tum araam se nature's call receive kar rahe ho... araam se susu kar rahi ho! SSS... bachpan main aise hi susu karwaate the na... sss... good babu... sss..." Arjun laughed hysterically looking at her tight red face... as if she would blast on him!
"Arjun... ab dekho kya badla leti hoon main!" she gritted her teeth and accelerated the car to high speed...
"WT*" he swore... "Arrey Sakshi marwa dogi kya!" he said worriedly...
"Shut up.. mujhe bathroom pohochna hai... agar kuch aur kiya toh phek dungi gaari se!" she barked at him and drove.. Arjun became silent like a good guy but couldn't stop laughing...
"Mujhe bathroom... haha... phew... haha!" Arjun chuckled..
Sakshi glared at him... finally the hotel reached... it was indeed one of the best hotels ever... The Athens (false name)...
She practically jumped out of the car with Arjun following her in heels... Arjun took the card personally and lingered around the lobby to spite her...
"Yeh Arjun kaha gaya!" she muttered angrily...
"Arrey Sakshi tum yaha kya kar rahi ho? Tum jao na apne hotel par... wait... woh toh yaha se 25 minute ki doori main hai na... Days Inn... right? Such a cute hotel... jao waha jao..." Arjun sneered at her... for the fact she had flatly refused his offer for her to stay in this hotel... of course for the fact that Arjun would be paying...
"Arrey kaunse janam ka badla le rahe ho... theek hai... yahi rahungi..." she said... her pressure increasing for every second... she almost started sweating...
Arjun chuckled... " Ok dear!" he said and walked to the reception...
"Arrey kaha jaa rahe ho..." she asked...
"I will book a room for you first... then you go to your room and me to mine right..." he said...
"Arjun can't I go to yours for some time... bas kuch hi minute ke baad hai... I will be quick... rest of the things later... now come.. fast.." Sakshi literally tugged his hand and walked into the lift... oblivious to the fact that the receptionist was blushing as she misinterpreted Sakshi's hurry...
Many people knew Arjun over there and passed knowing glances to a hurrying Arjun and Sakshi to the lift...
Arjun laughed at Sakshi's state... "Kyun madam... aur batavun kitna bhola bacha hoon main..."
"Shut up... tumhe toh baad main dekhungi... pehle toh yeh lift tezz jaye!" she bit her lips... her cheeks flushing...
A couple came in... Sakshi slid towards Arjun... waiting for the 37th floor...
He could see that Sakshi was too nervous... he caught her ice cold palms... "Ok sorry... guess it isn't that funny.. just wait for some time... ek baar we reach the room..."
She held on to the railing... "I can't control further..." she whispered...
"Just one minute Sakshi... hold on for a minute... we are almost there..." he said and finally the 37th floor came!
Sakshi rushed out and Arjun followed suit...
Little knowing that the couple behind had their faces painted to pink and red... thanks to the misunderstood conversation *wink*
Arjun opened the door and poor Sakshi rushed in... he almost felt guilty...
Sakshi came out relieved from the washroom... "Phew... thank God.." she muttered to find a thoroughly amused Arjun looking at her... and it had taken her no rocket science to understand the villain behind this...
"Arjun!!!" she gritted with her teeth... "I'll kill you for this!" she growled and walked towards him in a threatening manner...
"Arrey Sakshi! Chill... kyun... chutki baby ka sus ho gayi na?" he laughed and sat on the sofa... and Sakshi just crossed her arms and gave a glare towards his direction...
"Sach main yaar... you are such a kiddo... koi bhi tumhare saath kuch bhi kar sakta hai par tumhe samaj hi nahi aata! Main paani aur juice deta raha aur tum peeti rahi! Seriously... you are an easy bait for anyone!" he chuckled... not realizing how sharp his words were...
Sakshi glare dropped down and her stance stilled... true...
she had always been an easy bait for those men... it wasn't new to being used... still she believed the MLA... she believed the man at the corner of the road to show her where the highway was... she had believed the mysterious strangers in the car to drop her to her house... she believed them all... like an idiot...
Arjun stopped laughing when he noticed her stiffened stance... he frowned...
wait... what wrong did he say...
He got up from the sofa and touched her shoulders slightly... "Hey.." he said... "Kya hua?" he frowned noticing the glistening of her eyes...
"You are right... I am an easy bait for anyone..." her voice rasped out...
"No... S.." Arjun tried to reassure her to be pushed off...
She walked out of the room... towards the lift... wiping the tears off her cheeks... what was she thinking? This man had softened.. but then...
He came behind her in heels... she stepped into the lift and went...
He followed her by another lift...
Sakshi hugged herself tight... the voices swirling in her head... her screams... their laughter...
"Arrey nahi beta... aapke chacha jaan ne bheja hai hume aapko pick up karne ke liye.. sach main!"
"Arrey uncle.. gaari roko... kaha le jaa rahe ho mujhe..." I yelled... they laughed wickedly... oh no... I opened the lock and jumped out of the car...
However...
Sakshi bit back her tears and walked out... rubbing her tears off... going towards her car...
"Sakshi!" Arjun's voice came from behind...
But Sakshi walked towards the entrance... the hot wind engulfed her the minute she stepped outside...
She left the premises... panting as she reached the road... just as she was going to catch a taxi that she felt a hard tug on her elbow...
Her figure crashed against his and she looked into his angry yet semi confused eyes...
He cupped her cheeks... "Sakshi what's wrong... see I am sorry for what happened... par... iss tarah se chali jaana... you know na that you are staying here as well... just what happened... maine aisa kya kehdiya ki tum..." he looked at
her distant deep brown eyes...
"Tumne kuch nahi kaha Arjun... main hi kuch zyaada sochne lagi..." she said softly...
"Cut the crap Sakshi..." he said angrily... and Sakshi jerked off his grip... he looked at her in utter shock...
"It isn't lovely to be the bait every single time... it isn't lovely to be used every time... you friggin get that!" she barked at him and went inside a taxi and whooshed off...
Arjun stood defeated... his hands on his hips... his heart beat frantically against his chest... mused over the face that whether it was she or his run that made his heart pace...
"Sakshi... kyun main tumhe nahi jaanta..." he thought and wiped the sweat off his forehead...
As Sakshi reached the motel she walked in and settled in the room... "Main kaisi ek insaan pe bharosa kar rahi hoon jo mujhe kabhi samaj nahi payega..." she rued...
~*~Precap :
"Sameer... I am ready to marry you... waise bhi... it will be good for the families to tie up... more business profit..." Ayesha said blankly...
He caught her wrist... gently... "Is this the only reason Ayesha..." he asked her... the emotionless girl smiled a little... "Give me another reason..." she said softly... leaving him at a loss of words...
- "Show me your world Sakshi... I want to know... how it is... to be normal..." he sighed... a simple yellow flower still in his hands... for some reason Sakshi took the flower amidst her fingers and walked off... with him grinning and following her...
Edited by Armagadon - 9 years ago
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