*Aslesha*

"Tumne mujhe bataya kyu nahi? I'm gonna kill you" I shout at Rudra and grab his collar.

"Arre meri maa tum mujhe bolne dogi kya? Jab se aaya hu chillaye ja rahi ho" he says and removes my hands from his collar and coughs.

Then he tells me the whole thing about him and Viraj and how they started talking.

"Ussi ne mujhe bola tha ke mat batana. Mai ab tak kisi ko bataya bhi nahi. Ab tak toh mai khud Veer se mila bhi nahi. Soch raha tha pehle usse milu fir sab ko bataa dunga. Abhi uske ghar jaane hi wala tha ke tumne bulaa liya" he says and huff.

"I hate you" I glare at him.

"Moti you know I love you. Mai usse batane ki koshish kiya about your brain tumor but tera naam lete hi vo mujhpe baras gaya. Mai abhi uske ghar ja raha hu. Mai baat karu kya usse wapas?" He asks.

"NO!" I say a little too loudly. "It's my place to tell. Aur waise bhi he is engaged" I tell him and he bursts out laughing.

What the hell?

"Vo.. vo yeda.. engaged?" He says in between his laughs.

"You didn't know?" I ask. That's odd.

"Tumhe pagal banaa diya usne. Viraj aur engaged? To a girl?" He says and starts laughing again.

I slap his shoulder. "Chup baitho! Jaa ke abhi puch lo apne idiot dost se. News me bhi dekha hoga tumne. Ring bhi dikhaa dega vo" I say as the image of his ring flashes in my inner eye.

"But ye jo hua vo toh bahot mast tha ha. Kismat aisi ke tum dono mil hi gaye" he says cheekily and I roll my eyes.

"Ha kitni achhi kismat hai meri. I'm fired from my job! Yayyyy!" I say sarcastically and his smile fades away completely.

"Aashi I'm sorry that this is happening. But he's my best friend. Still is. Mera bhai hai vo. I want him beside me for my wedding. Uske bina it won't be complete" he says.

"Hey Majnu.. I understand" I say squeezing his shoulder a little. "It's not your fault. Tumhari aur Paro ke shaadi ke liye mai sab jhel lungi" I assure him.

"Listen let me tell him about your brain-"

"Nahi Rudra. Tumhe Pari ki Kasam" I say and his mouth falls open. "You can't just.. you can't.. you.."

"I can and I just did" I say and fold my hands. "Agar vo tumhara best friend hai toh mai bhi tumhare hone wali patni ki best friend hu. Carefully do whatever you do" I say and smirk. He shakes his head and starts leaving.

"Tum dono na.." he says and looks at me. "Are you now looking for a job? I can help" he says and I smile.

My friends have always been my constant support. Especially Rudra and Paro. Those two have been my side more than anybody else.

"Nope. Ab shaadi me waise bhi bahot chhutti hogi so I'll look for a job after your wedding" I tell him and he hugs me.

"Chal ab nikalta hu" he says as his phone starts ringing.

He rolls his eyes and shows me his cell phone as Viraj's name flashes on it. I purse my lips as he picks up.

"Ha aa raha hu bhai" he says.

"Kuch batana hai? Ohh I wonder what it's gonna be" he says and smirks looking at me. I shake my head.

"Pari aur tumhara plan hai na aaj ka. Have fun" he says after he hangs up.

"Ha. Aur ha meri sling bag uske ghar reh gayi hai. Please bina bhule vo laana" I say and he nods and leaves.

I close the door and lean against it for a moment. Kaash papa yaha hote. I miss him and this empty house feels like it's eating me up day by day.

Ugh!

~•~•~•~•~•~•

"WHAT" Pari screams and I nod.

"So you're saying ke tujhe tere boss ne kaha that a person liked your food, itna ke he wanted you to be his personal chef and that person was Viraj?" She says with her eyes wide open.

"Haaaa"

"Aur fir he saw you and freaked out and didn't want you as a chef and ye pata chalne pe even your boss fired you!" she exclaims and I nod.

"Oh my god Aashi. Tera naseeb matlab wah re wah. Rudra told me about Viraj but mujhe laga vo nahi aayega. I should've told you. I just didn't want to upset you for nothing" she says.

"But it's not nothing. He's here for your wedding. And it's not your fault. Koi baat nahi" I say and lie back on the bed.

"You sure don't want me to tell him the reason you did what you did" she asks.

"Didn't I tell you about his engagement?" I say and she grunts. "Aur waise bhi, if somebody should tell him, it should be me. I don't want to now" I say as sadness seeps inside me again.

"Mai agar teri jagah hoti na toh usse batati aur aisi guilt trip pe bhejti na.. Pairo me gidgidaata fir bhi nahi maanti" she says.

"Chhod jaane de. He's not here permanently. He'll be gone soon. As always" I say the last line under my breath but I guess Paro hears it and looks at me with a sad smile.

"We're gonna find you such a nice guy. Viraj will die of jealousy. Kamina. Bahot jaldi thi usse engagement karne ki" she says and I give her a pointed look-who's-talking look.

She chuckles. "Saare dates aaj subah fix ho gaye. Ab shopping karni hai dher saari. First there's gonna be a cocktail party. Fir Sangeet. Fir mehendi. Fir.."

The rest of the evening passes just like that. Pari is in her usual element. I'm happy seeing her happy. But a little part of me is sad..

Kya mujhe kabhi mera life partner milega ya I'll die alone?

~•~•~•~•~•~•

*Viraj*

"I can't believe this. Matlab aakhir kaise na kaise vo mere saamne aa hi gayi" I say and I see Rudra yawn and I glare at him.

"Tu kya bore ho raha hai mere saath saale? Paanch saal baad mila aur mere saamne tu muh faad ke yawn kar raha hai" I say.

"Aree bhai yahi puri story Aslesha ke ghar sunn ke aaya hu mai. Tu mat repeat kar ab. Tum dono na mera dimaag kharab kar diye ho" he says and I huff and sit back on the chair in the balcony as we both stare at the clear blue sea ahead of us.

"Waise ghar bahot achha hai bhai. Mast banaya hai tu" he says looking around.

I nod. My mind is still fixed on her. On what happened yesterday.

She just left without a word. I hope she doesn't know that I ate the food she made and put that blanket on her.

Rudra is going to stay the night and we're gonna catch up on everything but I don't seem to fully enjoy his company. Rudra can sense that.

"Waise usko fire kar diya uske job se" he says suddenly out of the blue and I frown.

"Kya?"

"Ha uske boss ko jab pata chala that 'Viraj Sachdev' fired her toh he felt ke usne unke restaurant ka naam dubaa diya and he fired her too".

"I didn't fire her! I just said that I didn't need a chef" I snap.

"You know it. She knows it. I know it. But her boss doesn't na. If you talk to him once vo usse wapas hire kar lenge. Promote bhi kar denge in fact tera naam sunn ke" he says.

"No" I say without thinking. Ye jo bhi hai it's her problem. Not mine. Why should I take the effort to do something for her?

Rudra doesn't say anything to that but I hear him sigh loudly as we stare ahead.

"Congratulations about your engagement by the way. Bulayega ke nahi shaadi me" Rudra says looking at me with amusement in his eyes and I purse my lips.

"Ye bhi bata diya usne" I mutter under my breath and Rudra bursts out laughing.

"Engagement? Sahi me Veer? Out of all the things you could say to hurt her tu bola ke teri engagement ho gayi hai" he says and starts laughing again.

"Itna kya unbelievable hai isme?" I ask and he laughs more loudly.

I hit him behind his head and glare at him.

"Mai bhi engagement kar sakta hu. Shadi bhi. Even I can settle down" I say and fold my hands in front of me.

"Ya right" he says.

I roll my eyes as Rudra starts discussing about his wedding plans. He's damn excited. And so happy. I can clearly see that. I am happy for him too.

But a little part of me is still thinking about how Rudra laughed on my face when I told him about my engagement.

Why do I even need a life partner. Mere liye meri mom aur cricket hi kaafi hai.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

"Tu usse nahi bata sakta ke meri engagement nahi hui hai. Kisi ko bhi nahi. Tujhe Pari ki kasam" I say.

"Tum dono ne mujhe kasam de de ke pareshaan kar diya hai!" He shouts and I frown.

"Ussne konsi kasam di tujhe?" I ask.

"Shut up" he says.

"Chal ab mujhe ferry tak chhod de" he says.

He stayed the night and we discussed so many things over beer. His career, my career. About him and Pari, our family, everything that we missed, we made up to it.

When we reach near the port, I don't remove my helmet. It's crowded here and I don't want anybody to recognise me.

"Do din baad shopping karne Jaana hai. Tu aa raha hai ok" he says and I nod.

He starts leaving but I call out to him again.

"Rudra"

"Ha Veer"

"Sorry" I say and his eyes soften.

"Koi baat nahi. Bass wapas mujhe aise chhod ke mat ja kahi bina bataye. Warna abhi I know your address, tere ghar pe aa ke tujhe giraa giraa ke maarunga." He says and I chuckle.

"Nahi jaaunga" I promise.

"I love you" he says and I kick him as he starts laughing.

"Gay saala" I say with a grin on my face.

"Bhak bey. Ladki tujhe nahi mil rahi aur mai gay? Ja ab chal" he says and walks away.

I go home feeling happy for the first time since I came here and when I reach I see her sling bag on the counter. Arree yaar Rudra ko dene bhul gaya.

Ab mujhe dena padega kya usse wapas.

Again I don't know why I open her bag and look inside. Ladki ki bag nahi check karni chahiye. It's a rule.

But I'm the one to break rules not follow them.

Her wallet with her credit card and cash. Pepper spray. Seriously? A lot of chips and chocolate wrappers. Of course. A pen jiska cap usne chabaya hai. I can see the dents that her teeth have made on it. Ye bhi aadat gayi nahi uski. Tissues. And one paper with doctor's prescription. That's what has caught my attention from yesterday. Kuch hua hai kya usse?

I sigh and stuff it inside her bag again. Whatever.

I guess I should give it to her. Rudra already sab tayyari vagera me bahot busy hai. But ye uska hai aur it's her fault ke she forgot it. Vo khud le jaaye.

Waise bhi do din Baad shopping ke liye Jaana hai tab I'll give it to Rudra.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

I miss him.

It's one of days again where I just can't stop thinking about him and everything inside me is screaming for a release. I know I'm gonna cry. These past two days have been a disaster and the volcano inside me is gonna erupt.

I remove his jersey from inside the cupboard and wear it. I take the ice cream from the fridge and sit in front of the TV.

Viraj aur maine saath me kitne ice cream khaye hai..

I switch on the TV and see that the movie Hera pheri is streaming. I remember how we watched this movie together. Right here on this couch in each other's arms. Laughing our hearts out.

"Don't worry dummy. I won't make you endure a romantic movie. I know you hate them".

"I'd watch it for you paglu".

"Hera Pheri? Isliye tum meri favourite ladki ho yaar. It's my favourite comedy movie".

"I don't know anything about this whole thing Aashi. Kaise treat kiya jaata hai girlfriend ko and all. Keep telling me okay ke mai sab sahi kar raha hu ya galat. I want this to last".

And the waterworks start. I can't believe that I'm watching Hera pheri and crying my heart out like this.

Seriously?

I stuff my mouth with ice cream and cry a little more.

Suddenly the door bell rings and I groan. Pari ne kaha tha vo aane wali hai. I wipe my tears and my running nose, not bothering to look at myself in the mirror. I'm sure I'm looking like a wet ugly mess.

I open the door and gasp.

Standing before me is none other than Viraj.

Seriously bhagwan ji?

~•~•~•~•~•~•

Sorry sorry.. I know I was supposed to give you'll an update on Sunday but I'm out of town and so this week there will be no other updates. Tab tak bye ily :)