Tarun sat at his desk all worried, his friends had invited him for a weekend trip to Goa with his wife. Spending a weekend in a group wasn't an issue. The problem was his friend's reactions; they had been upset over him rejecting Sejal and decided to ignore his wedding. For time being even he was happy that they did, or they would have questioned them on choosing simple Kajal over beautiful Sejal. He had been relieved that all was over, he had plans to introduce Kajal to all of them one by one , but this sudden invitation has now given him cold feet. He didn't want them to take a dig or comment anything about Kajal.

With a deep sigh, he left his bay walking towards the smoking zone. After days he felt the dire need to have a drag. He was greeted by few smiles, some genuine and other fake ones. The popularity he had was like a thorn to many who believed he didn't deserve it. According to them, He was a product with grate packaging but mediocre contents. Tarun ignored all and stood in a corner lost in his own world. He recalled his bragging about the choice of his partner in past, he had painted a picture of nymph. Someone with extraordinary looks, his shoulder drooped. He could imagine the smug look on his friends faces, their mocking eyes had already started haunting him.

''Hey, I have been looking for you all over the floor.'' Praveen broke Tarun's thoughts giving a pat on his back

''Nothing, just wanted some alone time. Are you coming for Goa.'' Tarun asked

''No! I am not interested in spoiling my weekend over bunch of self obsessed people'' Praveen's reply was laden with distaste

''Praveen, ignore them. Come for me.'' Tarun pleaded but it had no effect on his childhood friend, he huffed, ''Okay come for Kajal. You are the only common person between us, she wouldn't be uncomfortable with you around.'' He hoped that it worked on his friend.

Praveen thought, Kajal was a kind of introvert but definitely not a damsel in distress. The girl had come out very strong every time they interacted. But then knowing the group she had to face, he decided to accompany them, not for Kajal she didn't need him but his attention seeking friend did. He didn't wanted Tarun to commit a mistake which would make him lose a girl like Kajal. With a thought he nodded, Tarun threw his hands up in air hugging his friend tight.

Tarun pressed the door bell practicing the speech to convince Kajal for the weekend trip. She answered the door with a smile on her face, she moved back as he stepped in, turning to gather all her sketches that lay scattered on the table. He watched her dark wavy layered hair dance in synchrony. She was dressed in a t-shirt and tennis shorts, looking fabulous. She turned and found him checking her out. Kajal cleared her throat making him avert his eyes. ''Coffee?'' She asked and he nodded

With a smiled she walked past him making sure their bodies don't brush. Tarun cursed his inability to move, His frozen feet from earth and his eyes from his wife. He was bothered about what she must be thinking of him.

Kajal sucked her cheeks in to suppress the laughter that was ready to escape her throat. Tarun looked as if someone caught him in a wrong act. Not that she mind him staring at her, but she was definitely uncomfortable. She frowned, nervous was the right word, yet a part of her was happy on receiving appreciative glances from her husband. She smiled, may be this was the beginning was their relationship.

She walked out with the mug in her hand and found him sprawled on the couch with an arm over his eyes. She felt bad at his exsuasted state. She watched him for a moment, her husband was indeed a good looking man, a dash of red covered her cheeks realising she too was checking him. She lightly slapped her head and leaned to touch his shoulder. He quickly stood up as if touched by a live wire, she couldn't help but smile watching his nervousness and he couldn't understand that why his mind kept behaving like a puppy.

It was during the dinner he told her about the trip, expecting her to deny. She did take a moment and agreed. She didn't wanted to appear snobbish to him, her previous doubts about absence of his friends in the wedding to seemed to be fading away as he was planning an out so that she could meet and get comfortable with his friends.

''Would you like to invite yours?''

''May be later, let me get acquainted to yours first'' She replied taking a sip from the glass

He smiled and nodded. The noose around his neck was tightening with every passing moment. He just wanted to get over with it.

***

On Friday night they boarded their scheduled flight from the Airport. He intentionally took a flight different from his friends to avoid meeting them for some time. By the time they reached, all had already retired to their respective rooms. Tarun took a sigh of relief, at least he was saved for a day.

Morning he woke to the streaming sunlight through his room. He fluttered his eyes a little to get them accustomed to the light. Turning on to his back he took a deep breath and then looked around, Kajal was nowhere to be found. There was a note on the side rack, 'Going to beach' He smiled and left the bed to freshen up.

Kajal enjoyed the morning breeze watching the majestic waves. The sea looked at if bothered with some kind of pain. Though, the weather looked beautiful but waters were agitated. As if warning her about an upcoming trouble , she admired the up and downs of waves. Taking a step closer she waited for the waves to drench her feet. She could feel few sounds but ignored, she wanted to touch real evidence of nature's power and next minute she was pulled to a hard chest.

''What do you think you were doing?'' Tarun asked, he had come there to call her for breakfast and heard the guard asking her to back out. She was at the other end of the beach all lost in her world and he knew it would take the small guard good 15 mins to reach her. He made use of his long legs and reached her before she could go any further.

''I just wanted the water to drench my feet.'' She replied

''Don't you see the unrest in waters, it just takes a second to get swept away.'' He explained politely

''Tarun relax, I wasn't going into the waters. ''

''I know, but you could have fallen when retreating water took the swept the sand below your feet.''

She shook her head, ''I am a good swimmer, plus it was just my feet.'' He smiled at her child like expression. She was so desperate to touch the waves that she wasn't even looking at him. Her brown eyes were focused on fierce waters. He frowned and then scooped her up making Kajal yelp, ''Tarun what?''

He said nothing but carried her a distance in water and then dipped her once pulling her out next moment, she gasped at the taste of salty liquid. ''Now, its just not your feet but whole of you got the feel of the waters. No coming back till the sea looks safe.'' She blinked at him, waiting for him to put her down. Her thin shirt started sticking to her body making her all the way more uncomfortable. It took a minute for Tarun to realise her discomfort, he regretted putting her in water. Placing her down gently, he unbuttoned his shirt and covered Kajal with it, ''Sorry!''

''I am not settling for it, I will have my revenge.'' She replied with a smile, he grinned in response. There was a sound of applaud and the couple blushed when they found few morning strollers whistling at them. Without a minute they left the beach.

On their way to the room, the couple collided with Tarun's friends. ''Oh Hi! Guess we interrupted at the wrong time.'' Zenab rolled her eyes at their drenched forms. Her eyes met Sejal's as they silently scrutinized Kajal, in other words the girl for whom Sejal got rejected. The distaste in her eyes was quite evident,if not for Zenab she would have confronted Tarun right away.

''Hi, I am Zenab and she is Sejal.'' Zenab introduced herself and others to Kajal, the latter greeted everyone with a smile, ''Finally, we meet here. I was so curious to know whom he married, after all we had heard so much about his dream wife.'' Zenab mocked looking straight at Tarun

'' You said Dream wife? Well I am the real one, rest assured you know nothing about me.'' Kajal replied with a tight smile. Her statement was clear warning about not to mess with. She was in habit of people turning rude at her, but she wasn't a Barbie either. Zenab blinked, the female standing opposite to her wasn't a fragile one. Her fiery eyes dared Zenab to speak another word.

Zenab's husband Saqib and few other friends of Tarun decided to take things in control.

''We shouldn't be disturbing the couple, give them some time. Tarun we will see you guys at breakfast.'' Tarun nodded and gestured Kajal to move ahead. She obliged, but her sharp eyes didn't miss the coldness in the eyes of his friends. It was just Praveen who had been warm to her. Brushing the thoughts aside, she decided to be at her best. She didn't wanted her husband to be in a tight spot.

''You go first'' Tarun said as soon as they entered the room. 

''I might take time, you freshen up and join your friends . I will join in sometime.'' Tarun nodded and went ahead to freshen up. He got ready in a casual 3/4 with a polo t-shirt. Turning to Kajal he politely requested, ''Come to the restaurant, I will be waiting.''

She nodded, picked her clothes and ran to the bathroom. Her heart was tingling with new feelings. A permanent smile seemed to have occupied her lips. She turned the tap on and pour some bubble wash into the tub. She wanted to pamper herself and look best, they were taking baby steps in their relationship and she wanted to make sure all these steps were the right ones. Little did she know that her small bubble was about to burst in a minute.

***

''My wife would be a million bucks...she would be this ..she would be that'' Zenab mimicked Tarun's past words.

''She is one of the best jewellery designer in the country.'' He replied trying to shut them off

''Even that can't make her look pretty. Didn't knew this was the choice you so fondly spoke for all those years.'' Sejal taunted

The guys in the group tried to settle the matter but the girls were not ready to give up. Zenab because Kajal snubbed her and Sejal because Kajal took the place which she thought to be hers. Just then Kajal walked in with Praveen. Tarun shifted making a place for her, he greeted her with a smile but she read the discomfort in it.

''So kajal, how much does an assignment gets you.'' Zenab asked. She had been working as a software engineer and had few patents in her name. She was a little too proud of her achievements and loved bragging about it.

Kajal took a bite of her toast, she smiled ,locked her gaze with Zenab, ''Is this a job interview or you are hiring me for new jewelry brand?'' While guys scoffed The girls tried not to lose the composure, before anyone of them could respond Kajal added, ''Well, an assignment earns me enough for 3-4 years of A class luxury and I do around 3 in a year.''

''Are you serious?'' Praveen asked, his jaw touching the floor. When Kajal nodded, he shook his head, ''You are the richest among all of us.'' That was enough to silence the others. Kajal interacted with rest of the friends at her best. She came out as an intelligent matured and fearless female.

They got the message about the arrival of their cab and the group quickly made the way to it. Sejal tried sitting next to Tarun, but he quickly got up and took the place aside of his wife. 

''You have been here before?'' he asked

''Yes with friends'' She replied her eyes on the passing greenery . A shower had washed off the dust and nature looked it best.

''Did that include guys?'' He mentally slapped himself for asking the stupid query. She turned and met his eyes. he pressed his lips, ''Sorry, that was stupid.'' She just shook her head with a smile turning her eyes back to the road. 

The group explored various places and Kajal interacted with the ones who genuinely were interested in talking to her.She royally ignored the ones who tried to put her down, infuriating them to the core.

Though, she never initiated any kind of me time need with Tarun, he would time and again pull her to get snapped as a couple. She obliged, but his discomfort and disturbed state was too evident for her to ignore.

As it turned little humid, the group decided to go back to the hotel and explore the famous beaches next day. After reaching the hotel Kajal quickly excused herself moving to her room. She didn't wanted to question the negativity directed at her. This wasn't what she expected on a all friend's trip. She felt neglected judged and to her dismay, Tarun wasn't standing enough for her.

***

''Can we talk something else?'' Tarun tried to dissuade the topic when his friends again started discussing about his choice of partner over the evening tea they were having in the open restaurant.

''Why? because finally we know all those words about your best choices were fake.'' Tarun missed Praveen deeply, since they landed the lad had been busy over the phone. How he wished Praveen was here and shut the girls up.

''We idealized you and here you are. Sorry to say, she isn't impressive enough.'' 

The heat of his decision which he had been feeling since engagement. She was not his choice, she could never be. The irrational side started kicking in and his escapist mode came to life, ''No she isn't my choice but my mother's''

''I thought so. But why did you agree, its about your whole life.'' Sejal interjected making a face at the thought of the girl they just met. Her heart still longed for him and was ready to do all to get him back.  Sejal couldn't bring herself to marry someone else.

  ''Don't be so hard. She is a nice girl.'' Tarun said trying to divert the topic, he was hating talking behind her back.  

'Nice doesn't work Tarun, its the world of awesome.'' Zenab added. Tarun closed his eyes, he had always been seen with the best and now his friends words were making him feel guilty for dragging Kajal in the mess. Yes, he didn't like her and wanted to refuse but couldn't. His mind blamed his mother for puting that thought in his head.  Kajal was a good girl, but not good enough for him. She wasn't his dream girl

***

Kajal stood shocked, pained hearing the unkind words of the people her husband of a month called friends. She stood with her back plastered to the pillar, her body shaking in betrayal. She was enraged, hadn't she asked Tarun 100 times before the wedding about his preference . From the day they had met, she had been skeptical about marrying him. She wasn't ugly but he was something out of those fashion magazines. It had come as a shock when he had said yes to the proposal. She couldn't believe and decided to be sure. It was till the day of wedding she kept asking him the same question; and now she finally had the answer

He had refused brushing her concerns off, going ahead with the wedding and now he is going all victim in presence of his friends. She wiped her cheeks , she wasn't a damsel in distress. Though she had no complains regarding Tarun's behavior, she wasn't ready to put up with a man incapable of standing for himself. He had no right to spoil her dreams for the love of his mother or whatever weakness he had. Her mind was made up.

  ''Kajal, where have you been. All have been waiting for you to join.'' Praveen asked halting Kajal's agitated steps.

''Will you give Tarun a message?'' She asked he nodded, with a sigh she added, ''Please inform him, I am leaving for my home right away. There is no need for him to worry. I will be out of his life before he blinks the next time.'' Leaving a shocked Praveen , she walked off. Rejection never pained, but being a forced option pierced her heart.... It was time handsome Tarun saw the ugly reflection of his face.

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