💙

|Hawaon ka mukh mod liya hai dekh suroor deewane ko aisa chada hai. Samandar bhi bas thehr gaya, jo deewane ne sath uska diya hai|

by medicallymessedup

•present•

The wooden ceiling of the room was making me play in a loop. The scriptures of pahari significance were intricately carved on the fine-piece of wood, fairly distinctive fish-shaped elongated eyes, oval faces, receding foreheads, round chins and prominent noses along the bold figures that were carefully laid against the monochrome backgrounds of red and yellow. The decorative coniferous trees suggest the feeling of a major perspective while the blue sky is indicated only by a narrow strip on the horizon.

The literature intrigued me but this beautiful craft of handiwork had rendered me sleepless. Most of the unsettling restlessness I felt was driven by Aryan Mallik who was soundlessly cherishing his dreamland leaving me to lick upon the wounds caused by his words.

The truthfulness in his statement had shaken my mind. Each and everything he said was true, be it the denial to my crush on him or my lucid approach towards my relationship with Aakash.

His faint presence of myself in this alliance was negligible. I do not know what I am thinking by stepping into the pool of uncertainty. My emotions and aspirations seemed vague whenever I pictured myself as Aakash's wife. My heart contradicted my mind each time I tried to defend my actions.

But was I really signing up for a compromise with Aakash?

I admit that I do not love him but every relationship does not begin with love. Some bloom with friendship which wasn't very clear in the case from my side. I liked Aakash as a man who my father admires but I couldn't bring myself to watch him in a different light. I respected him but taking him as a companion was a far-fetched scenario. Aakash ticked off all the boxes in the criteria of becoming Papa's suitable son-in-law, he was independent, responsible, sincere and lively but why didn't he match my standards of a prospective life partner.

If by any chance I refuse to marry him then what will be the result? What are the possible chances that I may find my happily ever after?

This marriage is my obligation because I have a promise to keep. The behest of my family which I can't deny for my selfishness. My mother had already done nonrefundable damage by hurting Papa's feelings and the family's prestige.

How can I betray the trust they had shown in me when I promised to respect their wish.

I cannot do it, Aryan.

I mumbled, staring at his calm form sprawled on the bedding spread on the wooden floor by Anand.

I should just reach back home as early as possible because living with him can be dangerous for me and my frail heart.

I had completed my morning chores earlier than expected and was ready to leave for the day when the realization seeped through me that Aryan Almighty Mallik was trumpeting like an elephant, which would end up delaying our voyage. He had often turned and twisted throughout the night and I couldn't help but feel guilty. He wouldn't have been used to such circumstances but he had to accommodate due to me.

I watched on as his provocative lips parted like a new-born who's innocently gulping big bouts of air careless of his surroundings.

What am I thinking!!

I scolded myself and reached out to wake him up but he hardly budged even after five loud wails. God! I want to reach home asap.

"Aryan!!" I started again slightly nudging him on his shoulder.

"Please wake up, boy! We will be late."

"Aryan! Wake up, yaar!!"

"What do you want this early?" He mumbled sluggishly, "Let me sleep, Baby!!"

Nine in the morning is not called early, stupid.

"Don't you want to go back to Delhi and meet your girlfriend? She must be waiting for you. C'mon, get up now!!" I hissed pushing him up but he was too heavy for me to move an inch.

Oomph!! Dekhne mein to tilli jaisa lagta hai.

[He appears like a matchstick.]

You need a check up for your eyes, Baby!! He is a geek-model without an ounce of fat but enticing lows and highs at the right places.

"I don't have a girlfriend, Baby." He grumbled back and hid his face in the pillow.

Yes and Geetika is your little sister!

"Whatever.." I goaded roughly, "You just get ready because I want to reach home."

"You really whine like a toddler or infant has to be the better word in your regard." He groaned, sitting up straight on the bed with closed eyes and then he called me a Baby!

Yeh zalim duniya hi dogli hai!!

[This cruel world is hypocritical!!]

"I warned you to not mess up with me over and over again." I quipped austerely, "So now get up your lazy ass and be ready for showbiz, princess Aryan." I bossed shooing him off.

"Sote huye ko uthaya hai, paap lage ga tumhe!!" Aryan mugged in plain anger, "Control freak!" He muttered before dashing towards the common restroom.

["You've disturbed a sleeping man, you'll be charged for this sin!!"]

I smirked satisfactorily and mentally praised myself acknowledging the feat. Aryan happens to be the first person who actually stomached my wails temperately. Mostly people had either gotten angered or had simply cut me off whatever I am ranting upon charging it for nuisance.

This extravagant man hikes up my expectations.

A clack on the door perplexed me while I was busily folding the quilts and setting up the room in its original shape. Someone might have come to fetch us to leave, I thought. But what stumped me was Ananda plumbing against the door with a dreamy smile on her lips.

My mood dimmed instantly. I do not like her even a bit!

"What do you want?" I spoke brusquely.

"Uh..I had come for Aryan-"

"He is sleeping." I lied effectively, "Come later or better we need to leave so we will ourselves come down."

"I brought him my brother's clothes. He can wear it after he takes a bath." She moved inside the room without any second thoughts.

Do.Not.Lose.Control. You're in her house, Baby.

I chanted.

"I am not carrying my clothes either. Mere liye bhi le aati aap apne kapde, Ananda." I deemed with a plastic sneer lined up on my profile.

["You should have brought your clothes for me too, Ananda."]

"You won't fit in my clothes."

Yeah! As if I want to...

"Baby! Let's go, I am ready." Aryan indicated, rushing inside looking refreshed but stopped in his tracks noticing Ananda. "Oh, Ananda, you are here! Do you want something?"

"Yes. You!" My tongue delivered my mind without a filter. Aryan googled me while Ananda's face reddened in embarrassment. I cleared my throat to not sound bonkers, "I mean to say that she came to get you."

"Baby-!!" Aryan was bemused. That's definitely not a good sign.

"I brought you clothes, Aryan." She shot her goal, "You must've felt uncomfortable wearing your old ones for so long. You are my guest and being a good host I should cater to your needs."

"You can't meet his necessities, Ananda. His needs are off-limits." I remarked and she was going to retort, "Am I right, Aryan?" I battled my eyelashes and compelled him to respond accordingly.

Aryan nodded his head with a knavish glint sparkling in his eyes.

"But, Aryan-" She tried to protest, "How will you go out like this?"

"I will manage." Aryan convinced while his eyes remain rooted to me .

"Let's not waste time." I implied walking outside, "We should go now. C'mon, Aryan!"

"Thanks for your welcoming hospitality, Ananda." I told politely while she just gave me a fake smile.

Oh! I cannot help her either.

The man she had her eyes upon wasn't interested in her even before I jumped into their conversation.

We were ready to go and Ananda's mother was kind enough to pack us some food we could consume on our way out. The whole village was present to give us a parting farewell making us feel important. We thanked them and Ananda's family who looked out for us when we're in grave trouble. His men offered to help us out to the main road from where we could go our way safely.

In the course of life, we come across some people who we are not related to but when we talk to them for a few while, spend some time together then we happen to develop an unforgettable bond. Such pious relationships do not have a name but they're complete within themselves.

And this was one of those moments in my life.

My injury had comparatively healed from the medicinal paste given by Ananda's mother. I had used it the other night and was finally able to walk on my feet without any pain. She was a really sweet woman.

"You can find the bus stop after an hour from here, Sir." The men informed us and we carefully notified the directions in our mind before parting away and starting the journey further on our own.

"This is heaven." I murmured, "The purity of the sky is sacred just like the soil of this land." My words might fail to express the view but my emotions came bare to feel the beauty of this place. "I wish that I could stay forever." I drawled, getting lost in the religious air of these snow-capped mountains and being numb in the devotion of nature.

"You ruined my sleep to get out of here and now you want to stay here." He pointed around before mewling up into a dramatic sigh, "What great double standards you have got, Baby!!"

"So what?" I reckoned him, "Both of them are two different things yet it doesn't count and anyone would love this except you. You're so choosy."

"Did that Aakash teach you these things? To speak something else and mean the other? That guy is manipulating you too much."

"Why are you dragging him in every problem and conversation?" I was irritated now, "I know you don't like him but that doesn't mean that you can say anything wrong about him. He doesn't need your approval."

"Just like you had brought up Ananda in our every conversation!" He responded. "Fine! He doesn't need my approval but for sure yours does. He's in-line to get engaged to you so do you approve of him, Baby?" He inquired and I was bereft of speech. Why is he so much interested in my equation with Aakash?

He was insane and made me one too.

"I approve of this alliance and I suppose that it is enough." I dictated, "I won't hear you talking ill about him or be it anybody. And when it happens to be you it doesn't even matter, Aryan."

"Yeah!" He slurred, "Why would I matter to you?"

"You think that you should?" I blurted in disbelief.

Aryan glared at me and I too matched his gaze back which was unwantonly getting intense with each passing second.

Why shall I back off?

I have not done anything wrong to him.

Our staring contest was broken by someone else's voice puzzling both of us. We spotted a few public vehicles, motor transport, hotels and local houses. By God's grace, all of it got me relieved. But the noisy honking of the vehicles was too loud for my liking.

"Hey! What has happened? What is all this commotion about?" Aryan asked a local passer-by who was riding on his bicycle. The man replied to us with a sigh, "A landslide took place early morning due to the heavy rains and it looks like it will take an entire night for the congestion to get over."

A loud cuss word escaped from Aryan's unfiltered mouth leaving both me and the stranger disgusted. Also, a disappointed groan erupted in my mind because this was the only road in use to reach Manali as per what the village head told us.

"Isn't there any other way to reach Manali from here?" I queried.

"This was the only road other than this there is a shortcut in the forest, I had heard from some-" Even before he could finish off his sentence both of us shouted in horror. It took almost two days to get out of there so we can't be risking our lives again.

"What shall we do then?" I prompted and eyed Aryan in a dilemma who looked back at the man.

"Do you have any idea about some good hotel or lodge nearby?" Aryan inquired, "There are a few on the next road. You can rent there for a night and hire a cab or something once the way gets cleared."

Aryan actually thanked the man as a sign of gratitude which was difficult to digest as much I had seen this compassionate behavior of his.

"What shall we do even if there would be a lodge or not? We don't have a single penny for paying the rent and they won't even let us in even for pity." I concluded, imagining that we would have to spend the night on the pavement. "Aaj to sadak pe rehne ka bhi adventure bhi paa lungi main toh.." I voiced out.

["Today, I'll gain an experience to live on the road too."]

"Intelligent head!!" He poked my head, "I have my cards. So we can easily get rooms for ourselves."

I chewed my bottom lip, bowled out by my stupidity but still I found myself raged at this newfound information. "Why didn't you say that earlier? I thought both of us were stranded empty-handed in an unknown place. Tumne mujhe kyu nahi bataya, stupid!?"

["Why didn't you tell me, stupid!?"]

"You need a brain to ask and a mouth to say which you clearly lack, my dear." He leered, holding my hand and walking me to every decent looking hotel but most of them were pre-booked or accommodated due to the tourist season on the calendar.

Aryan had made me run almost all the way down to the streets and still wasn't appearing a bit tired unlike me who was panting like an animal on board.

He was a walking robot.

"Aye, Mr. Mallik mind slowing down a bit." I shrieked, "Not all of us can cope up with you." I complained about earning a chuckle from him along with a cheeky reply which I responded with a perfect eye roll, "I don't even want everybody but only you to cope up with me."

Aryan halted once we were inside the final hotel on the street and the guard outside passed us a kind smile.

I hope there are rooms here or we have to sleep on the road while bathing under the drizzles.

"Welcome to our hotel, Sir." The receptionist greeted Aryan with a saccharine smile and ignored me. It's not that I mind. "How can I help you?"

"We need two rooms for the night."

"Sure Sir, One second." Rosy said as I read her name plate. She continued to ogle at him a little more while I nonchalantly shrugged my shoulders keeping myself at bay. One Ananda was enough, I don't want to have a tiff with someone else for today.

Out of the blue, Aryan wrapped an arm around my shoulder pulling closer to his side which ultimately confused me. When my peripheral vision noticed a shady man looking at me creepily but turned away when he received a glare from Aryan. I made a mental note to thank him for that.

"I'm really sorry! Sir, we only have a couple suite as all the single rooms are already occupied by the guests."

"We can look for some other alternative then. We should leave." I whispered in Aryan's ear while his eyes held disagreement.

He turned back to the receptionist, "We will like to take that."

"Sir, but you are not together, right? Then how will you stay in one room?" She purred, twirling her blonde hair in between her long red painted nails, "She's really not worth it, Sir." She beseeched innocently while her eyes castigated me openly. She looked like a witch who practiced black magic and right now I was her target. The malice in her tone set the unusual fear to strike my nerves and the impulse to hide myself became stronger.

"Aryan-" I whispered but again he cut me off with a dangerous change in his otherwise playful equilibrium.

"She's my lady."

Aryan's voice thundered, nearly making me jump on my spot.

The intensity in his roar was something I hadn't seen or characterized with his character. The primitive umbrage undulating in his charcoal galaxies ashamed the universe and nursed my bleeding vanity. It was like a feeling of monsoon swing in serenity amongst the thunderclap of hailstorm. It didn't scare but thrill my being.

"How can you use such demeaning things for your guests? This is what you're getting paid for? Is this toxic behavior the welcome note for the visitors?" He simmered without any mercy, "Where's the manager of this damn hotel? Let me introduce the authorities of such shitty comradeship."

"I didn't mean it that way, Sir." She cowered back in fear not expecting Aryan's impugnment but still she tried to act contemptuously, "She doesn't match up to your standards so I had assumed her incapable to afford being with you?"

Aryan let out a mirthless laughter, "You thought so?" His eyes darkened in fury.

"I'm sorry, Sir." The receptionist stammered.

I did feel embarrassed when she misjudged and badmouthed me. Of course, I didn't do any makeup to cover up for my bedraggled appearance while our clothes were dusted and crumpled but I wasn't poor. Even if I was one, beggars too were meant to be respected. A human's financial footing wasn't the benchmark to manifest a person's dignity. Humanity was a mirror to kindness without any ounce of malevolence.

Rosy has failed to do her share of goodwill and that's our call to take over. Even if Aryan's resentment was justified I personally think that we should forgive her.

"She is a much capable, deserving and independent woman but she doesn't need to prove her worth to anyone, Ms.Rosy." Aryan censured, "You may better watch your tongue before you end up losing your job." He almost yelled and unfortunately gained the attention of a surplus crowd.

"Let it slide, Aryan." I muttered. "People are watching us." I apprised, grasping the lapel of his cashmere jacket when he glanced at me under his incredibly dark eyelashes while his charismatic orbs held anger, apprehension and sorrow in them unlike mine who was begging him to get past the issue.

"What's the commotion here, Rosy?" A man in his early fifties rushed to the scene and looked worried due to the commotion.

Aryan cradled me close from the side while I sought his embrace to acquire normalcy. His benevolent camaraderie consoled my dreadful heart.

"Is there any problem Sir-Ma'am?" He divulged, "I am the manager of this hotel. Can I help you in some way?" The manager approached.

"This is what your hotel offers?" Aryan trilled, "This worker of yours is passing suggestive glances all over and questioning me and my friend's association? This deed is downright absurd. I'm going to get this hotel sued for sure." Aryan's threatening mode was turned on without a warning bell.

"I'm so sorry on behalf of our worker, Sir." The manager apologized, turning back to the receptionist, "Rosy, I had warned you earlier about your diabolic behavior with the guests. Do you want me to fire you?"

"No Sir, I am really apologetic for my mistake." Rosy urgently appealed to us with the constant fear of being thrown out of her job, "I am really very sorry, Sir-Ma'am!!"

"It's okay. Don't sack her from the job." I requested the manager who nodded at my words.

"This is the last time I'm hearing complaints against you, Rosy. The next time you'll be kicked out of the hotel." He cautioned. "Now leave from here and work in the pantry." He articulated, "Gurmeet will handle the front desk from now on."

"I sincerely apologize for the mishap, Sir." The manager said after Rosy had left and someone else had taken over her place, "I shall provide you the keys sir for our beautiful couple suite and until then you can wait for a few minutes till I get the formalities done." He offered in hope to calm down Aryan but it looked impossible to do so as he was spitting fire through his eyes and mouth.

Once I had established a control over myself, I looked up at Aryan and rubbed his arm trying to ease his tricked nerves. He squeezed shut his eyes facing a hard time to seize his fury.

"Let's leave this here." I mumbled, still caressing his arm.

He looked at me briefly for a moment before turning to the manager. He shouldn't go mad on this poor manager because he wasn't at fault.

"We are going to walk in the market for a while till then I believe you'll make arrangements for us." Aryan proposed.

"Sure, just in a while, Sir." The manager was relieved, "You can shop around with Madam. This town has beautiful handicrafts and-"

Aryan didn't wait for him to complete, which was in a way, absolutely rude. He brought us out of the hotel taking gulps of air to suppress his foaming wrath.

"Why do you never answer back such derogatory people? Are you that gullible, Baby? She was spouting nonsense about you and how can you not react??" Aryan demanded, staring at me reasonably irked by my dormant mechanism.

"We can't express ourselves to people who don't understand us. We can't go about clarifying everything with everyone when they're bent on not believing us." I published with an experience that will never let me forget my tectonic journey.

"There's a big difference between hearing a story and wanting to read it."

Lots of Love,

ANKITA