A New Vibarth FF (Chapt 5 (continue),Sept 2 pg8) - Page 2

He hadn't planned on keeping her out this long. Actually, come to think of it he hadn't really planned very far. In the heat of his emotions, all he had planned was the take her with him. He didn't know how to make everything right again. He didn't even know where to start. However, as unplanned as this night was, it turned out that it was need for the both of them. He needed to be reminded that she had loved him as much he loved her. There were moments that it didn't seem possible that she felt the same way, especially considering that she had seemed beyond his reach. And she needed to be reminded that she wasn't the only one in this relationship. He needed her to know that he would do anything to make sure that he was right by her side, even if it seemed out of his hands,.

He knew he wasn't very talkative and that it sometime didn't work in his favour. And even though he couldn't find the words to tell her so, he hoped that she knew.

He looked over to her.

She was staring at the sky. He would have thought that she was again miles away again, but her constantly rubbing small circles in his palms reminded him that she wasn't. She just seemed to be relaxing. But they had already taken too much time. They needed to return.

"Vibha, we should get goi..."

"You know, I still don't know you"

"Huh?"

Parth was confused as to her train of thought, but more afraid of where she was heading with it. Was she trying to distance herself again?

"You know more about me than I do about you. You know what I used to do in school. You know my likes and dislikes. But, I don't know what you like or don't. Do you even like chocolate?"

"Sometimes, it depends."

"That doesn't even make sense. How can someone not like chocolate and what do you mean it depends?"

Vibha had always had two sides to her. She played the role of that responsible and caring teacher. And to the core, she was the childish and light-hearted girl that was beside him now. So he expected her teasing, and her aimless conversations. But this seemed way too normal. Parth pulled her hand to have her slide closer to him and held her hand to his chest.

"This isn't about my like or dislike of chocolate. What is this really about?"

He heard her take a sharp breath and felt her grab his shirt.

"I am afraid that I may not get another chance to ask you these questions"

"What do you mean?"

"It already seems we had to steal this time. I don't know how much more time we will get and am afraid I won't get another chance to ask you"

He began gently running his hands over her hair trying to sooth her and hoping that she wouldn't break into tears. They both had cried enough.

"All of my time, it belongs to you. I am not going to let anyone steal it away from you. I found a way today and will find one tomorrow and the days after that. You know after a year, this dilemma will be over, but I still won't let that year go just like that. You will get time to ask me all the questions you can think off, although knowing you I pray you won't ask them all in one go."

She smiled.

"Maybe I will ask you all those questions in one go. Just to see how long it takes before you get tired of answering"

Parth jumped of the jeep. He picked her up and carried her to the passenger's side before getting in himself. The entire ride was spent in silence again. As Parth drew closer to her house, the pounding in her chest increased. They had managed to escape for a few hours, but now the reality seemed to crashing around her. The worries that she had placed in the back of her mind, were now forefront and seeping into everything.

Parth parked in front of her building and got out to help her out. But she made no notion of getting out and instead sat with her arms crossed.

"How am I supposed to back home?"

"The way we came. Up the pipe"

Vibha turned to glare at him.

"Parth! It was different climbing down, but going up? Couldn't you bring a ladder or something?"

"I hadn't planned this. What do you propose?"

"You climb up the pipe first and then pull me up"

Parth sighed. She had turned a normal man into a circus monkey. He started to climb while Vibha disinterestedly started playing with her phone. When Parth was half way up the pipe, he heard commotion coming from the ground. He looked down to see dadi coming out and talking to Vibha.

Then it clicked. She had just tricked him. Here he was half way up a stupid pipe, while she just messaged her dadi to come down to get her. He spotted her smirking as she headed inside, leaving him still hanging on the pipe. He shook his head as he climbed back down. When it came to her and her mischief, he would have to take each step with great caution.

As he was driving off, he spotted her standing in the balcony watching him leave. He hated watching her grow blurry in the rear view mirror, but at least he would get to see her tomorrow.

Vibha had watched him drive away until she could no longer make out his jeep. Still afraid that as he disappeared from her sight, he would also do so in her life. But she settled the pounding in her chest by continuously reminding herself of the promises he had made to her. And she would keep reminding herself of those words until the next time she saw him. Whenever that would be.

Parth had driven straight and fast again. He wanted to catch as much sleep as he could before he would drive back. He entered his room and crashed right after setting his alarm of three hours later. Though, he woke before the alarm even went off and rushed to get ready.

"Ma, I am heading out"

"Wait! Have some breakfast"

He wanted to avoid her husband as much as he could. But it didn't seem like today that was possible. So he unwillingly took a seat at the table and half-heartedly ate what little food he could digest.

"Go directly to the shop. You are working while you are staying here"

Parth looked up from his food and found the man in question staring right at him. His stare may have frightened him before, but now it just seemed to anger him. So he left his food and stood up the leave.

"No, I am not"

"You have to earn your keep if you are going to continue to stay under my roof"

"You don't pay me remember!"

Parth didn't know how he managed to control his voice, but he could feel that control leaving.

"I let you stay here!"

He raised his hand and though Parth could have stopped him, he let him hit him. Then Parth grabbed his stepdad's collar and backed him into the wall.

"This is my father's house. That store you pride yourself on was bought by my father's insurance money. Nothing here belongs to you."

But before Parth could continue, his mother pushed him off and slapped him. He stood shocked. Her slap had hurt more than his stepdad's. He could feel the sting starting to build in his eyes.

"Yeah, this right here, this is right"

He spat the words at her. He didn't understand how someone could have such blurred definitions of right and wrong. And he didn't wait for her to respond. He turned to leave, but before he looked up at his stepdad.

"Next time, I dare you to hit me"

Parth was driving back to see Vibha. He had forgotten to get her cell number and didn't even know if she was expecting him this early. But he really wanted to see her as soon as he could. He could still feel the sting on his cheek and in his eyes. There was so much in his life that he didn't understand. At times, it felt unfair to bring her into his life, especially after this morning. She didn't deserve his types of life, she deserved better.

As badly as he had wanted to see her, he observed that he had unintentionally slowed down his speed. Maybe if he arrived a little later then the redness in his eyes and cheek would disappear. He could hide the events of this morning from her and allow himself to forget about them himself. As he drove a little slower, he kept replaying every word said by each of them, trying to find a way to calm the storm raging within. He hoped that by the time he stood in front of her house, his mood would be better.

Vibha had been awake for the past two hours and slept only a few hours. She had been trying to recall every word of last night in detail. He had said that he would find a way and find time to spend together. He had said that, but had he mentioned that he would be coming today as well? If so, then had he mentioned when he would be coming?

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't recall him mentioning a time. It frustrated her that she had no clue when they would meet gain and hadn't even bothered to ask him last night. But it made her even angrier at herself for finding the time to ask him if he liked chocolate. She knew that she shouldn't expect him to be here so soon, especially considering she had been checking her balcony every 15 minutes for the first hour. He had after all left this morning and taken a four drive back. It would take him that much longer to get here, that is if he was even planning on coming.

She groaned into her pillow. Everything seemed to frustrate her, especially the waiting. She had tried distracting herself by having breakfast with her family, then doing countless chores. She had even organizes her books at least ten times, and the last time by the number of pages each book had. Still, nothing seemed to pass the time. It wasn't even ten in the morning and already she was out of ways to distract herself. She had decided. She wasn't leaving her room today. Or else, no one would be able save the outside world from her mood.

Dadi, aware of her granddaughter's mood, had wisely chosen to stay out of her room. She had always been able to protect and help her granddaughter with all her troubles and a lot of the time she had been the only one that Vibha had shared her problems with. But even she knew to stay out of Vibha's way, as there was no telling what the girl would do. Dadi didn't even dare open Vibha's door after she heard the groaning and frustrated sighs coming from her room. Dadi decided to make herself scarce and went to the balcony to enjoy her morning tea. But as she gazed at the view, she almost dropped her cup in shock.

Parth had reached her building relatively early in the morning. The streets had been abuzz with shopkeepers opening for the day, milkmen and postmen running their daily errands and kids awaiting their school buses. He had always pitied people that had to be up even before the sun, but now it seemed his pity was a waste. There was something serene about the mornings. It was like for a few hours, the streets were rid of the days rush and the Indian summer heat. The city was instead covered with light morning fog and coolness was present in the air. He finally felt the events of this morning leave him. But another problem stood in front of him, in the form of a large storey building.

Last night, he was able to sneak in without alerting her parents. But today was different. He had been looking at her balcony for the past hour and she still hadn't come out. He could climb through the balcony again, but he was pretty sure that was not the way she wanted to him to meet her parents. So instead, he just sat in his jeep waiting to catch sight of her. He figured that since he was parked right in front her building, that when she came down she would spot. So he just had to wait until she came down. In the meantime, he figured there was no harm in closing his eyes for a few moments.

If Dadi hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed. The only sign that Parth hadn't slept here all night was his change of clothes. But he must have only had a few hours of sleep and was catching up on it now. Here he was waiting of her granddaughter and there she was demolishing her room awaiting him. Dadi shook her head as she cautiously headed towards her granddaughter's room.

"Vibha beta"

"Kya hai Dadi?"

Dadi flinched slightly, but remained at the entrance of her room.

"You haven't been out all morning. Why don't you go to the market? Or meet some friends"

"Mood nahi hai"

"Vibha! Understand, na! Go to the market"

Dadi would have told her clearly, if it weren't for her parents sitting in the living room and listening to every word.

"Dadi, please na, mood nahi hai"

God, her frustrating granddaughter. She would have to be slightly stricter.

"Vibha! Go!"

Vibha was startled at the tone her dadi had taken. She had enough of her grandmother's scolding in the past to know that she shouldn't test her patience any longer. So frustrating she picked up her bag and stormed out of the house.