Shot - 4.
Dinner was just as it was supposed to be. Laughing, Chatting, Pulling Each Other's Legs, just like when they were kids.
To say that Tia wasn't fond of food or Indian Cuisine would be appropriate.
She was more of a white wine, filet mignon and a light dessert say, a pie kind of a person who was just habitual of all the fine, posh things in life.
But Rahul was amazed when she held up her plate for a second filling of bhindi masala and paneer along with 2 more rotis.
"What?" She asked Rahul chuckling at the cute dumbstruck face of his.
"Who are you and what did you do with my friend, Tia Malik?" Rahul asked her cutely making everyone laugh.
"Shut Up!" She bumped him on the shoulder playfully.
"It's delicious, I just can't stop! Sunita Aunty, you're just amazing!" Tia spoke up, her mouth full.
"Thank you Beta, Im glad you loved it so much." Sunita smiled at the girl.
"Tia, tumhare paas woh hai jo vilayti auratein beach par pehen kar jaati hain?" Dadu spoke up this time, with a chime of naughtiness in his voice.
"Dadu!" Rahul and Arjun groaned together while Aarav chuckled and Sunita shook her head.
"You mean swimsuit and bikini Dadu? Haan hai na, aur meri kuch friends naa uske liye modelling bhi karti hain!" Tia spoke up, cutely naughty.
"Oye Hoye!" Dadu rubbed his hands excitedly.
"Dinner ke baad, main aapko pics dikhaungi. I have them in my I-pad." Tia added, giving him a fist bump.
The dinner was concluded by Sunita's world famous apple pie which had praises going up for her again, loud ones from her three sons and even Tia tossed her calorie count aside, digging in.
Rahul gave the last plate to Sunita who was cleaning up after dinner, washing the dishes. It had been his habit, ever since he had been little helping his mum clean up, though she continuously told him that she could manage on her own.
"Maa, green tea banaa dengi please?" He requested her.
"Green Tea kabse peene laga tu?" Sunita mused keeping the half filled pan to boil on the burner when her son forwarded her a beautiful casket.
Surprised she opened it only to find, a pair of beautiful diamond earrings.
"You like it? I thought aapke liye ek chota sa gift leta chalun." Rahul smiled at his mum.
"It's Beautiful." She replied overwhelmed and engulfed her son in a hug.
"Thank you so much, Beta." Sunita smiled making her son smile too.
The Next Morning..
Aarohi came in through the wooden gate only to be greeted by an over enthusiastic Geishu as the golden retriever licked her up and down, making her laugh.
"Someone's in a good mood today!" Aru cuddled him, scratching him beneath the ear lovingly.
Arjun came out, behind the dog to pick up the morning newspaper.
"I can't believe it! Aru?!" He walked down the porch steps, happily.
"Arjun!!" She squealed as she ran towards him and the latter engulfed him a bear hug lifting her a few feet above the ground while Geishu barked and ran around them happily.
"Tu kab aayi?" He asked his brown eyes twinkling, as he put the girl down.
"I've been here since the last three years, kal bhi aayi thi but guess you were in the shower!" Aarohi smiled at him, as both walked inside with Geishu at their heels.
"Aru Di!" Aarav ran into her arms and she hugged the teenager lovingly.
"Kaisa hai Mera Champ?" Aru ruffled his hairs, lovingly.
"Perfect! Meri practices are going amazing." He spoke up excitedly.
"Good Boy!" She gave him a Hi-5 as Arjun adored their bond.
"Arjun? You got the tomatoes?" They heard Sunita speak up from behind, holding a crumpled white shirt in her hands.
"Tomatoes!" Arjun smacked his forehead, "Sorry Maa. Bas abhi laaya. Yeh Aru mil gayi thi toh bhool gaya." Saying so, he ran outside with Gieshu running behind him much to Aru and Sunita's laughter.
"Kuch nahi ho sakta iss ladke ka." Sunita shook her head at her son's hopelessness.
"Aunty, yeh shuru se aisa he hai. Bilkul nahi badla." Aru replied, smiling fondly.
"Maa? Meri shirt iron ho gayi?" A husky voice could be heard coming from the room just in the extreme left of the corridor. Aru need not to be told who it was. Rahul Kapoor!
"Bas kar rahi hu." Sunita replied before turning to Aru, "Aru beta? Tum Rahul ki shirt iron karke usse de dogi? Mujhe papa ko dawai deni hai. Woh khud toh khaane se rahe."
Before Aru could even reply, Sunita handed over her the shirt, mumbled a thank you and left hurriedly. Aru looked at the shirt in her hands and sighed. She had no way out.
Walking inside Sunita's room, Aru kept the shirt on the iron table before plugging in the iron. She had just spread out the linen shirt on the table when a crazy thought came into her mind. She didn't knew what she was thinking but keeping the iron aside, Aru brought the shirt to her nose and sniffed.
But there was nothing except the strong smell of detergent. Of course, there won't be and she's a fool. What was she expecting, really?
Shaking her head, Aru began ironing the shirt, trying not to think about it. Only if memories were so easy to forget.
"Arjun, this is for you and this one's for you Neerav." Aru smiled as she handed over them a packet each, wrapped in beautiful shiny golden paper.
Both the boys unwrapped their presents or better say, ripped open the packaging paper and wide grins spread across their faces.
"This is MY FAVORITE HOT WHEELS CAR!!!" Arjun exclaimed happily, "Thank you so much Aru."
"You're welcome, Arjun." Aru chuckled a bit at his cuteness.
Neerav too was exhilarated to find a plastic cricket bat for himself and thanked his Aru Di is in his cute broken English before running away to show Sunita and Harsh their presents leaving new lovebirds behind.
"So you've got me a gift too?" Rahul asked her, wriggling his thick eyebrows while his mocha eyes shone with a excitement.
"Oh shit!" Aru smacked her forehead, her doe shaped eyes wide yet apologetic "I'm so sorry Rahul. Maine Arjun and Neerav ke liye bhi bahout jaldi jaldi mein gifts khareede the. I completely forgot to buy a gift for you."
"Err.. It's.. umm it's okay Aru." Rahul assured her, trying his best to hide his disappointment, "I'm just glad you're back. Late night calls were tedious and a risky business." He added, smiling weakly.
"Ikr! Only I know how I used to steal my Mumma's mobile in night." Aru replied, leaning against his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Yeah." Rahul mumbled, pulling out a handful of grass, feeling disappointed and somewhat angry at his girlfriend.
After a while of silence, "Kapoor?" She spoke up.
When Rahul merely hummed in response, she looked up at him, resting her chin on his shoulder, "Will you help me with the Trigonometry homework? I just can't get a few concepts right."
"Sure."
"Thank you so much. You're the best." Aru replied happily as she kissed his cheek and Rahul gave her small smile before looking away. Aru smiled at adorable goofball her boyfriend was. Taking out a small box wrapped in cute wrapping paper with red hearts from her bag, Aru placed it in Rahul's lap.
He looked at it as his mocha eyes twinkled with happiness, "You were lying?" He asked her with a wide grin.
"Of course I was Buddhuram. Did you really think I could forget to bring you a gift? That too when I was thinking about you only throughout the trip?" She replied, hitting his forehead lightly.
"Right. Sorry." Rahul rubbed his forehead cutely, "Main kholu ise?" He looked at Aru, excited.
"Yes." Aru chuckled softly.
He carefully unwrapped the gift and was sweetly surprised to find a bottle of cologne.
"Try it." Aru smiled a bit nervously.
Rahul sprayed some of it on the back of his hand and smelled it while Aru looked on anxiously, her fingers crossed.
"This is perfect! I love it!" He exclaimed happily, "Neither too strong, nor too subtle. What is it?"
"Musk!" Aru replied, smiling widely, "Mujhe laga tha you would love it." She added, tucking a few hair strand behind her ear.
She snapped out of her trance when she absentmindedly touched the iron making her yelp in pain.
"I deserve it for daydreaming!" She muttered under her breath trying to erase that painful tingling on her finger but no use.
Miffed, she carefully ironed the shirt trying not to get burnt again, and eased out all the creases, folding it carefully.
She walked out of the room, holding the shirt and looking around for Neerav so that she could hand him the shirt and escape as soon as possible but that hurricane of a boy wasn't seen anywhere!
Guess, she had to do it.
And for how long could she ignore him anyways?
Quietly she walked to the room in the extreme left and knocked on the slightly ajar door gently but there was no response.
Cutely, she peeped around the room from the door. No one was to be seen, the coast seemed clear.
She just had to go, keep the shirt and walk out as if none of this ever happened.
Walking in on her tiptoes, to be precise Aarohi kept the shirt on his bed.
She could hear the shower going on in the bathroom and knew that he was in there.
One of his t-shirts lay discarded on the bed on the neatly folded comforter. Hasn't he always been like this? Neat. Orderly and she has been this messy, clumsy person who can't even iron a shirt without getting burnt.
Before she could stop herself, Aarohi had already reached out for that t-shirt when she was supposed to walk out of that door.
Holding it, she sniffed, and a very familiar scent filled her senses.
Musk! She mused, smiling to herself.
She recognized his scent as if it had been engraved in her senses.
Musk with a clean male scent of his own, he smelled like of the rainforests washed down after the first rain, that faint yet lingering scent of the earth.
The latch to the bathroom turned and before she could even think of walking out.
Rahul tucked the knot that held the towel around his waist securely and walked out running a hand through those damp hairs but he didn't expect someone to be in his room, and that too without knocking and he didn't had to ask to know who it was.
"What are you doing in here?" He asked, running a hand through his hair again.
Aru quickly kept the shirt back on the bed and turned to face him, only regretting why she did after all?!
There he was, Rahul Kapoor standing there in his shirtless glory with just a towel draped around his waist.
Needless to say, he was fresh out of shower, for she could spot those little water droplets gleaming in his hair which had turned darker than his usual luxuriously black and fell upon his forehead in damp bangs.
Water traveled in thin rivulets from his chest, that was as dense, masculine and iron crafted.
His arms were well defined and muscular now, nothing of that lanky arm strength of Rahul Kapoor when they were teenagers.
His lips slightly caramel and unashamedly sensuous, not to mention those eyes, a beautiful shade of mocha and so deep, she often found herself lost in them when he explained her some crappy concepts of Trigonometry.
Wait! What was she even thinking?! Aarohi Snap Out Of It!
Her mind chided her as she looked at him somewhat blankly as he looked at her expecting a reply.
"Yeah... Umm.. Actually.." She fumbled cursing herself. What was it? Hasn't she seen shirtless men before?!
But you haven't seen a shirtless Rahul Kapoor before!
Her heart chuckled naughtily at her, making her shake her head cutely to get rid of all these thoughts.
"Actually, I came to give you your shirt. Aunty Dadu ko dawaai de rahi thi, so she asked me to iron your shirt. It's here on the bed."
Aru finally managed to speak without fumbling.
"Thank you, Aarohi." He smiled at her and she wondered when did she became Aarohi from Aru?
Guess, things change.
They have been apart for 5 years!
She didn't call him Kapoor like she used to, did she?
Aru managed to give him a small smile politely.
"I'm sorry for barging in like that, I didn't even think that Tia could be here.." She trailed off not knowing what to say.
"Tia? Why would she be here?" Rahul looked at her in confusion when it dawned on him.
"Oh No, No. Tia isn't my girlfriend nor my live in partner. We're just friends, good friends who happen to be living in the same apartment but in different rooms!" Rahul cleared it out.
Aarohi could feel her heart jump up with some unconstrained ecstasy.
What The Hell Was That?!
"Oh Sorry, my bad." She smiled at him, and wondering what the hell is she doing here when she should be walking out of the room now that she has given him the shirt!
He shook his head, smiling at her and Aru decided that she needed to leave.
"I'll leave, Sunita Aunty must need my help for breakfast. She spoke up and took four steps towards the door when she felt a grip on her wrist and was pulled back.
A soft gasp escaped her lips and then she found herself in his arms. Though the pull had such an impact, that Aru stabled herself putting her palms on his chest which she regretted, for his damp skin sizzled her palms.
"Rahul.." A soft whisper escaped her lips before she closed her eyes as his rugged fingers tucked away a few loose strands of her hair.
"You still have these?" Rahul spoke up, his fingers touching those dangling silver earrings before looking into her black eyes. Aru could see a strange happiness twinkling in his mocha eyes and she was surprised that he still remembered it.
Delicate silver leaves with red beads woven together into a loop, it was undoubtedly a gorgeous piece of jewelry and his first present to her when their friendship had blossomed into something more deeper and precious.
Aru wasn't sure what she was thinking when she wore them this morning but now, she was happy that she did. Before she could even stop herself, "They remain to be my favorite earrings, till date." She spoke up softly.
"Really? But they aren't that fancy." Rahul couldn't hide the surprise in his voice, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.
"Maybe. But they have so many memories." She replied, loving the feel of that ruggedness of his thumb after so many years.
"Do those memories still matter to you?" He spoke up, his fingers gently trailing down to her neckline and she sighed.
They had been away for many years but the way their proximity still affected her was rather amusing. It was still a mystery why her heartbeats picked up pace whenever they were close, like right now. That strong smell of his lime soap was filling up her senses slowly making her mind go all hazy.
Pulling up her chin towards himself, he leaned in to brush his lips on that column of her neck and Aru's hands went up to his shoulders, feeling those well sculpted abs under her fingertips, sighing. When did he get so hot?
Rahul took in a deep breath and let the her tantalizing rose perfume drug his senses. Didn't he always loved the soft fragrance of her perfume? It wasn't before this moment Rahul had realized how much he had missed her in all these years.
"You didn't answer me? Do they still matter to you? Memories.." Rahul whispered against her fragrant skin.
"What if I say yes?" Aru managed to reply somehow.
"I would say, me too." Words came out of his mouth before he could even realize.
Aru looked up into his mocha eyes and knew he wasn't lying. He could never lie to her for she would see it in his eyes, if he did. Seems like that hasn't changed in all these years.
Her eyes sailed over that handsome face, so many memories rushing past through her, good and bad, happiness and sorrows. She gently touched his forehead where she could still the faint marks of stitches he got when he fell off the hill once while teaching her how to ride bicycle. He had been 10 and she, 5.
He held her hand before bringing them close to his lips, "You've got more beautiful in the last few years."
Aru could feel warm blood rushing up to her cheeks, tainting them in softest hue of crimson as he kissed the back of her hand. He still thought she was beautiful.
When his eyes found those luscious pink lips, Aru blushed harder for his eyes turned multiple shades darker with passion and desires.
Will He Kiss Me? Aarohi's mind pondered on the question as he stared at her lips for a while, her lips quivered unintentionally in anticipation.
Would it feel like it had did, all those years back when it just had been the softest brush of their lips? That sweet parting was hidden in the depths of her heart.
"Th.. Thank you." She managed to smile, trying to diffuse that thick tension that could be felt between them.
"If I dare say.. You became hotter." She added and then realized that it sounded stupid.
"I mean.. Handsome. Yeah, handsome" Aru mumbled cutely and Rahul chuckled.
"You're still so cute!" He pointed out adorably.
He was still holding her hand but he didn't knew what happened when Aru yelped in pain again.
"Did I hold it too hard?" Rahul asked her concerned to which she shook her head, cutely.
He turned her hand to find a fresh blister on her index finger.
"Shirt press karte waqt.. haath jal gaya.." She trailed off sheepishly as Rahul shook his head.
"You didn't change a bit did you?!" He smiled at her and then walked towards his chest of drawers to take out a tube of burnol.
While Aru took this time to admire that perfectly sculpted back that had beads of water lining it, and her gaze traveled down where just for a wild moment she wanted to trace his spine, feel that skin beneath her fingers.
That towel was drenched enough to give a lethal view of what hid down his waist.
"It's fine.. Really.." She tried but when had he been the one to listen?
"That's what you used to say back then too!" Rahul smiled as he squeezed the tube to take out a pea sized amount.
Hadn't she remembered and it always left a smile on her face.
Aru used to hate early school mornings and more the fact that her mum in order to make her responsible gave her the task of organizing her school belongings herself.
She used to oversleep and then rush for school getting hurt on numerous occasions.
Aru remembered grumbling about how she managed to iron her school uniform in 5 minutes and got burned to Rahul during lunch break, and had yelped in pain when he held her hand just for some romance.
And then being the best boyfriend that he was, Rahul used to drag her home after school and apply Burnol on her burn.
Aru smiled seeing him applying it so gently on her finger just like he always did.
Change Is Constant, But She Was Glad Something's Never Did.
"I hope it's not hurting." Rahul spoke up, looking at her with concern.
Aru shook her head softly making a few loose strands of hairs come up on her face beautifully. Almost involuntarily, Rahul's fingers went ahead to push them behind her ear just like he always did and smiled warmly.
"It seems stupid now that I didn't recognize you yesterday." He spoke up, huskily.
"I guess we just weren't expecting to run into each other like that." Aru replied, smiling. She had been thinking too much about it since yesterday.
"Though, I'm sorry. I just dunno what I was thinking when I called you a gardener." She added, somewhat embarrassed at cute blunder she had made.
"It's fine." Rahul laughed softly shaking his head and Aru couldn't help but adore that husky sound.
"Rahul?" Tia came in unannounced, holding up two dresses and halted right in her tracks when she realized he wasn't alone.
That thumb which was caressing the curves of her beautiful hands stopped as he pulled his hand away.
Why? Aru couldn't help but wonder.
Tia looked at both of them in turns before facing Aru with a small smile. That smile took a great effort.
"Hi. You're Aarohi, right?" She asked. Tia didn't knew what it was but the repulsion she felt for that doe eyed girl standing next to Rahul was profound.
What is she doing here?
"Yes. Hi." Aru replied, reciprocating the smile. Aru wasn't sure but she saw hints of apprehension flash in Tia's eyes when she saw them together.
"Good Morning Handsome." Tia turned her attention to her best friend as she went ahead to give him a tight hug. Rahul hugged her back, dropping a loving kiss on her hairs.
Even when Rahul had just told her that they weren't anything more than just friends, to see another woman in his arms made her uncomfortable.
It was when they broke the hug, Tia wrapped her arm around him before turning to look at Aru, "So.. you've come to have breakfast with us?" She asked her, trying to be friendly.
"Oh no. I just came by to meet everyone. I'll leave now." Aru replied with a polite smile.
"Why?" Rahul was instant in his response surprising both the ladies.
"I.. I mean, it would be great if you stay. It's been so long since we all sat down together for meal." He tried to cover up, cutely embarrassed. He didn't wanted her to leave so soon.
"Some other day Rahul. I'll get late for my dance classes." Aru replied, giving him a beautiful smile.
"I won't insist then. Thanks for the shirt." He spoke up, cutely.
Aru had just turned to leave when, "Be careful with your finger Aru." She heard him speak up from behind.
"I will." She looked at him, feeling an unexplainable happiness as her face lighted up like a city.
