Chapter-19

Abhimanyu walked through people.

Even surrounded by hundreds of them, he felt alone.

The sun is blazing hot and he walked to wherever his legs took him.

He reached the dead end. The lake.

It was summer so it is a little dry.

He was about to sit on the rock when he heard soft giggles.

He turned to see Aarohi and Vishal laughing sitting on the other corner of the shore. They didn't watch him.

Why is Vishal with her? He is his friend and he already know that he is in love with Aarohi.

But he didn't want to doubt on Vishal's loyalty.

As if sensing his presence Aarohi looked up at him. Straight into his black orbs.

He stiffened.

She got up and dusted her back. She held her hand out to Vishal which he took smiling.

Abhimanyu didn't like it. Not a bit.

They walked towards him. A grin adorning her face.

"Hey Abhi! You know what? Vishal scored 9.8 GPA in his board! Can you believe it? It was the highest mark among the people I know! How much did you get?"

She asked.

That sure was an innocent question.

But his state of mind is messy. It felt like she is mocking him.

But no! She is Aarohi. His best friend. His love interest. She can never do that.

"He must have gotten 10 Rohi." Vishal said with a chuckle.

His blood boiled.

Only he gets to call her Rohi.

"I failed." he said with no emotion. Aarohi's smile dropped. Her eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief.

"Stop joking!" she said and hit him with her palm.

"Well I am not!" Abhimanyu said shrugging.

"Abhi..."

"Dont pity. I hate it." he said.

Vishal sympathetically placed a hand on his shoulder but for some reason, it burnt his soul.

Abhimanyu for the first time didn't like his presence. He didn't like it that he is being sympathized and that too by whom?

Vishal is his friend but at that moment, his facial expressions didn't tell that.

Maybe he is thinking all this in grief or may be he is not!

Abhimanyu just gave them a small smile, not letting his emotions out. He slowly removed Vishal's hand.

Giving Aarohi one last look and giving a intense look at Vishal he walked away from there.

From then, that place never gave him the solace again, which it did once.

"Aarohi, Saket is asking for the file you were working on last week."

"That Diren's file? Here." Aarohi gave the red file to her colleague who came to fetch a document.

Aarohi wrapped her work and then left after recollecting the given file.

The tiring day is not as tiring as it should be.

She never thought she can stay away from all the burdensome and tiring some things even after marriage.

All alone. All to herself. She must appreciate whatever that ass Abhimanyu did.

She sighed and then started her car. Driving and humming to a song.

Marrying Abhimanyu gave her two safe things.

One her mother directly can't compel her to do something without Abhimanyu's actual interference, cause now he is her husband.

Two, no random guy is going to hit on her as she made sure she wore everything a married woman should. Still some asses do, but then again she know how to handle them.

Abhimanyu said she can remove if she want, he don't mind. But she knew it would profit her in keeping random assholes away.

People praise Abhimanyu for what he did saying how he allowed his wife to stay in another city for work.

Nowadays the bare minimum men do are becoming sensation for no reason.

Why can't people see that they are humans and that is something a bare minimum a person can do? Respecting his/her partners wishes and getting praised for that. Shouldn't we do that as part of our nature? Understanding them?

Abhimanyu, it's been over fifteen days since she talked to him.

And fifteen days ever since she started her work here again.

Her mother is forcing her to take a transfer to Hyderabad to stay with Abhimanyu. But she don't want to enter into the lion's den again.

Aarohi entered her car in the basement of the apartments and as she parked her own, she saw a new car right beside her's.

A Creta, black colour is standing proudly beside her's and she wondered whether it was the new tenant's the owner mentioned a week back.

She shrugged her shoulder and picked her bag and left to her apartment through lift.

All the while her thoughts are in another in planet and she in her own world walked to her apartment.

She looked at her Apartment's front and saw it without a lock and wondered who might be the new people are.

Just as she was wondering the door clicked opened right on her face and her gaze collided with a brown orbs.

Her cheeks tinted pink out of embarrassment, she gave a tight lipped smile and immediately turned to her apartment and quickly unlocked the door.

She hurriedly removed her foot wear.

"Hey!" she heard his voice and stopped right in her tracks. It is so gruff!

She turned back to him and smiled.

"Aarohi Ramaswamy right?" he asked as she watched the man casually check her out from up and down. Her grip on her bad tightened.

"Aarohi Abhimanyu Varma actually"

Yikes! she never thought that she would be using that jerk's name but it oddly felt right to show this man that she is taken! Aarohi thought as she watched the man smile at her with amusement.

"My name is Jaideep Tiwari." he said forwarding a hand to which she shake it with a nod.

"What do you?" he asked leaning against the door frame of his home now.

" I work in finance department of Digital India company." Aarohi said with a smile.

"What do you do?" she asked with a curious look.

"Oh! Iam singer." he said with a small smile followed by a shrug.

Aarohi smiled at that.

It absofuckinglutely getting awkward! She thought and sighed.

She glanced back at the guy who is again looking at her with kind of amusement? She isn't sure.

She quickly bid him bye and escaped to her safe she'll freaking out with the behaviour of the weird human right across her door.

Sheeh!

She got freshen up and cooked herself a small meal while talking to her mother. The evening chill already making its way to her home.

She switched on the T.v and opened Netflix, switching to Lucifer she started eating.

Even with the T.V on, her mind can only think of one person right now.

How would it had been with her and her husband if she never met Vishal. Would she have fallen in love with Abhimanyu?

**********************

The dusk is falling on the sky. The vibe of the night have started in the busy Hyderabad.

"So, how is married life treating Mr. Right?" Nidhi asked sipping her coffee as Abhimanyu watched her intently.

"My ship is sailing nowhere. You know how it is with her. She hates me." He said exhaling.

"Well, if you ask me, I would say it is wrong to marry her. I have to hopes for that girl. She is dum-"

"Dont speak ill of her." The warning came out stronger and sooner than Nidhi expected. She smiled at him.

"It isn't her who is dumb. It is you." She said shaking her head.

"Tell me something I don't know." They watched as Atharva settled himself beside Nidhi and gave her a cheek kiss.

"Come on stop ganging up against me. Maybe she hates me but... I do hate her but... She is Aarohi! My Aarohi. She is immature, stupid, dumb, self-centred I know! Trust me I do! But she is Aarohi. My first and only love. Maybe she didn't love me and I know she might not never love me ever but she is mine... She is not ready for commitments, you tell me how can I watch her getting forced to be with someone and forced to abide by his rules, her family's rules and forced to make a family and live an artificial life?

My Aarohi is broken. Either I will heal her or let her stay broken if she wants to but I won't let her face anything she don't want to. I won't let her go through anything she don't want to. Aarohi's decision is mine. Even if she leaves me again in future for anyone I will let her go, not because I don't love her because I love her so much that I only want her smile, a real genuine smile, a smile from her heart and for that smile I will do anything. Anything!" His speech left Atharva and Nidhi stunned.

Abhimanyu closed his face with his palm. The only image in his eyes was the little two braided Aarohi laughing carelessly...

Years may pass, but Abhimanyu Varma can never un love Aarohi Ramaswamy. That's for sure!

********************************

The next was quick to roll in.

A new morning with sunrises beaming into the souls of people as freshly made coffees and teas are being served with a delicious break fast on the tables as they laze around the home while soft romantic music is playing in the back ground with a perfect rom com in hand is a indeed a perfect definition for a perfect Sunday.

Aarohi exhaled loudly as she stopped near a bench in the park as she concluded her Sunday routine of running in the park.

She opened the bottle of her newly purchased water bottle and poured some water on the ground before finishing it to the half.

She was closing the cap when she felt someone's presence near her and turned her side to see her new neighbour. He smiled brightly at her and she gave him a small smile.

" I didn't knew you also come here."

How will you? Dumb. Stupid. Idiot. You only shifted yesterday.

But she just smiled in return at him.

"I love being a fitness freak. I do cardio in the morning and strengthening in the evening. I mean, all other work outs you know-"

"Oh! I know, my husband used to be a boxing champion! He is also a fitness freak and follow healthy routine. He is top in his academics and games since young and always used to pester me to come along him." Aarohi spoke with a sigh as the man infront of her looked taken aback.

What? He is barging isn't he? But she still don't know why she is taking that jerk's name again infront of him.

"I really want to meet your husband. Where is he by the way? Out of town?" he asked as the walked side by side.

"No, we are actually in a long distance relationship now. He have his office in Hyderabad and I have my job here. We are recently married." Aarohi said .

"So you are practically living single by being committed. Wow!" Jai said chuckling to which Aarohi had own chuckle.

"Well, you can say that." she said and they walked together in silence.

"Are you single?"

Shit, shit shit, that came out in a different way!!!

"Hmm, it isn't like you will ask me out if I am." Jai said looking at her intently and she stopped walking and looked at him like he had grown two horns.

That absurd man had a hearty laugh immediately making her sigh and roll her eyes.

"You should have seen your face! It was hilarious."

"Haha. Nice one." Aarohi said with a straight face as she rolled her eyes but smiled nevertheless.

"I am single. Recently gotten my heart broken. She thinks that my singing career is not serious blah blah blah. That's why I am here for a new recording for my upcoming album and my maternal grandmother stays here. I am planning to shift her here from my aunt's place after few months, after I completely settle everything in my apartment." he said.

Aarohi just nodded.

The rest of the journey back to their apartment which is barely few turns away from the park was in silence.

They entered the apartment block and went to their floor in lift. Still silent, both lost in their own world.

As soon as the lift stopped Aarohi was the first to get down and walked to her apartment.

As she was unlocking the door she heard Jai calling her name.

"Aarohi." she turned towards him and raised her eyebrows in question.

"Have dinner with me."

That's it for today! Hope to meet you all soon.

What do you guys think about these characters now?

Abhimanyu

Aarohi

Chandini

Atharva

Nidhi

Jaideep

Please vote ⭐ comment💬 and share📤

Love-Anya ❤️