20 | Beach Memories
The fresh smell of the beach is like an air freshener. The light breeze hits my bare arms and face and I totally love the soft touch of nature.
As I walk I can feel the soft and smooth sand under my feet, I look at my footprint on the sand and I can't help but grin because as a child I enjoyed having my imprint on the sand.
It's crazy how things change, how simple things that made us bounce in glee just make us smile now. That's the difference between childhood and adulthood, we change even though we are the same person.
There are evergreen plantations both along and inside the beach. Palms trees stand tall along the beach and dance to the tune of the breeze springing from the waters of the sea.
I feel mesmerized gazing at all the beautiful creatures on the beach. When I was a schoolboy most of my solutions came from sitting near the window, staring outside, and thinking about it.
I was maybe supposed to talk with my parents about all the ridiculous arguments I had with my friends or that I wasn't the one who got first place in the class test but I couldn't.
It's not easy to sit in front of your parents and open up about your wrongdoings or failures.
I don't think I look like one but I am a very private person about the things I value and want to treasure.
Avni and I are compatible but we are incompatible at the same time. I wouldn't go post our wedding photos on social media to grab attention and seeing her doing that makes me a little anxious. I don't want us to be a topic and all because of what I am Leo Young's brother-in-law.
This morning before I switched off my phone I had a text from DD sending me a link to Avni's post. I think Bebe made it clear I wasn't going to contact my mother but I decide to drop her a message that I won't be able to contact her before turning my phone off.
When I made the bet about kissing I didn't have anything on my mind except that I will make her promise me she won't tell anyone about my contract proposal if our conversation didn't go well but that changed when she was being so understanding with the situation.
And then I thought I would keep this and use it when required because one year is no joke. Meeting all of her family and friends and seeing her shed tears there's just one thing I realized and that is she doesn't have a good relationship with most of them.
I heard she has had a quarrel with Nora and it's clear nothing is good between Alice and her. I am no one to judge her or anyone here, I am sure everyone has their own reasons.
The only reason I am asking for no arguments, no phones, no past, no future is we both are going to deal with a lot of drama this year and I want all of it to be worth it which will, I am sure. But I think we both deserve a little break away from everyone so that when we go back we do our best as Mr. and Mrs. Khanna.
This is for both of us and I am glad I don't have to explain it to her because I don't want her to feel like I am trying to do a favor here.
Things get a lot better when the opposite person doesn't ask for an explanation and that's something I love about Avni.
I look down at my watch and I realize it's almost 5:30 and I am sure Avni is up by now. I like that we are both similar in this. Last night when she left me on the couch and went to take shower I used another washroom and took shower.
I had a few texts from my old friends who contact me in months but seeing Ruby's Congratulations just reminded me that I had to let Avni know I have Rose and Ruby working at Khanna Headquarters because I don't want that to come as a surprise to her.
She was sleeping when I went back to the room and when I woke up she was still sleeping.
I am looking at the beach thinking about everything that's been happening in the last few weeks and I close my eyes wanting to feel the tranquility of this spot when I feel a pair of arms go around me from behind.
A smile instantly arises on my lips, I know that touch, these hands were all over my body last night. I look down as Avni clasps her hands on my torso and I look at the sticky note in her hand that I left for her before leaving the room this morning.
"Good morning," I say as I keep my palm on her hands.
"Good morning." I hear her say softly against my back. "You still seem to have your mind on last night."
I chuckle slowly, she pulls back and faces me. She is wearing a solid purple full-sleeve crop top with leggings and white running shoes.
She raises the pink sticky note in her hand as she smiles at me then she looks down at the note and reads it out.
"On a scale of one to ten, I would rate last night as an eleven."
"I would." I shrug with a smile.
"I know I am amazing." She gives me a smug smile and I raise my eyebrows at her then we both laugh.
"What are you doing here?" She asks as she looks around. "It feels so amazing here."
"And that's why I am here," I say. "Enjoying."
We stand there and stare at the beach for a moment with the beach tone and it feels fantastic. I move my eyes to her and I feel hypnotized by her natural personality. I am sure this is the real her as she smiles and tucks her hair behind her ear.
"You have a beautiful smile." I find myself whispering and she turns to look at me.
She looks at me for a moment and then she laughs as she slaps my cheek lightly. "You don't have to keep passing sweet comments." I find myself memorizing her laugh as she continues.
"I would give you amazing nights regardless." She adds with a wink.
I look at her a little amused and then I shake my head only if she knew I was being honest and not sweet.
"You know we should remove the sim cards and take our phones. I want to capture all of this beautiful nature here and of course, my smiles." She says after a moment.
I just hum as I look at her, I am not sure why it makes me pleased to see her smile maybe because I saw how upset she was in the jet or because I just love her smile.
"Uh, I remember you had something to say last night?" She asks suddenly turning serious.
"Uh, yeah." I let out a breath.
"I am all ears." She shrugs with one arm as she looks at me.
Out of everything I can't help but note the fact that she is still holding onto that sticky note.
"Remember I said I have an ex?" I ask slowly.
"Yes." She frowns. "What about her?"
"She works at Khanna Headquarters," I say and I pause thinking about how to say that Rose is working too without hurting her. I don't want to mention her ex-boyfriend and upset her somehow.
"I can't believe you are saying this right now." She looks at me in disbelief.
I look at her feeling a little bad that I didn't mention it during the entire month we spent together but it was mostly because she never spoke about her past relationship.
"After telling me that you want us to enjoy this honeymoon to the fullest?" She asks. "Where did no arguments, no phones, no past, no future go? What about just the present, the only gift we get every day?"
"Oh!" I exclaim realizing she isn't mad about it.
"Seriously?" She rolls her eyes.
"I just thought you needed to know this," I declare.
"After meeting all of my family and friends you should know I can handle women. All of them." She begins to smile slowly. "Good for good. Bad for bad."
I chuckle slowly as I look at her face and I watch as her smile fades slowly.
"I am also bad for good people." She whispers as she looks away from me.
"No one is good or bad, it's the perspective and the willingness of how you want to be with the opposite person," I say after a moment and she looks up at me.
"I am sure most of us just see a person and don't like them, it doesn't mean we are bad or the opposite human is." I give her a half smile.
"What does it mean then?" She asks.
"It just means we are humans." I shrug. "We aren't born to be just good. It is normal to have hateful feelings occasionally."
"Right." She looks at me and nods slowly. "That doesn't make me feel good."
"I wasn't trying to make you feel good." I frown. "I was just saying."
She laughs sadly. "I mean, everyone technically hates me. And your words sort of made me feel like it's normal for them to hate me."
"That's not right." I frown. "If I am right 7.9 billion people are living in this world, I guess?"
She shrugs. "I guess, 8 billion by the end of 2022."
"Yeah. And you think all of them hate you?" I ask. "Come on, they don't. Do you hate yourself? No. Do I hate you? No."
She just looks at me so I continue. "Don't use the word everyone hates me because that's a lie and it just brings negativity. Say some people hate me and it's a good thing to have people hate you, having everyone love you isn't good either."
We stand there silently after I stop talking. I obviously have no idea why I am making an effort to show her a better side. I would do it regardless if it was her or Ruby or DD or whoever but it feels different with her.
I know what we have is more of two adults fulfilling their desire and nothing else but it counts even if there are no feelings in it. It's a moment we live together even if it's meaningless.
The silence suddenly feels uncomfortable to me and I dread if I somehow crossed the line here.
I sure did.
Fuck.
"Too deep." She smiles slowly. "I would prefer kissing over talks."
I chuckle feeling a little embarrassed but I can tell she is trying to joke as she chortles but that doesn't make me feel any better.
That's normal, I say to myself thinking I need the talk more than her right now.
She reaches out to hold my hand and gives it a little squeeze. I maintain eye contact with her as she reaches up and presses her lips against mine.
I put my arms around her as we kiss slowly wanting to dwell on the moment. She keeps her hand on the back of my neck as she deepens the kiss.
"Do you know what would I ask if I had won the bet?" She asks as we pull away.
I try to think for a moment and then I shrug. "No idea."
She laughs. "At least guess."
"It's hard to predict you." I shake my head. "I mean I never knew you had this wild side until last night."
"I never knew you had a different side too." She smiles. "I loved every bit of it."
"My father said your father is a very good person with lots of morals." She says. "And he said you were just like him."
"I believed it actually." She rolls her eyes. "Except I didn't like you coming on our first meeting with a contract before asking me."
"I apologize for that," I say. "And I mean it."
"Accepted." She rolls her eyes.
"I was mistaken when I thought you would be someone like no lying, bossy, being reserved and particular. Who knew you would do contract marriages?" She teases. "My father mentioned you were very much like your father, all good. But you aren't."
I clench my jaw not liking her words.
"Well, that's what I show them." I hold her gaze. "I am all good."
Why would I show someone I am bad too? I wouldn't. That's something I keep to myself and the only reason Avni knows about it is that she is with me in this.
"And your father said you are easygoing." I almost roll my eyes. "He said you are very specific and easy to understand."
She glares at me not liking my tone.
"Well, that's what I say to him." She holds my gaze.
I can feel the voiceless argument between us as we glare at each other.
She didn't do good by pointing out I am not a good person and I didn't do any good by pointing out she isn't easygoing or easy to understand.
"I had to give him some sort of assurance that I would work this marriage and I said to him that I am very easygoing and easy to understand if the opposite person would try." She says in a go as she holds my gaze with a warning in hers.
I know it's none of our fault that we aren't like how we tell or show our parents but that somehow turned out to be an argument between us now.
I shake my head as I let out a breath and look away from her. The sky changes its shades as the sun begins to rise.
I frown and I look down at her. "How amazing are we?"
She glares at me and I chuckle. "We switched the conversation from What- you-would-ask-if-you-won-the -bet to what-our-parents-said-to-us-about -each-other."
She rolls her eyes but she smiles. "I am amazing and you..." She gives a little dramatic pause making me roll my eyes and she laughs.
"And you, you are a little amazing." She giggles and I shake my head with a smile.
"I am curious," I say. "What would you ask?"
"Will you do it if I say?" She raises her eyebrows.
"I would want to listen first," I say as I shake my head. "Can't risk."
"I love risks." She winks. "I would ask to go Skinny Dipping with you."
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