Arohi POV

After we reached home, I took a shower and was looking at myself in the mirror. I saw a happy face with big smile plastered on it. There was a glow in my face and I was also feeling it in my heart. This happens to me whenever I spend time with Yudhi. The hours and seconds I am with him are the happiest moments of my life.

As soon as I stepped into the room, I saw my mother was waiting for me.

"Arohi, I want to remind you that you are a bride now and need to carry yourself with responsibility." I felt her tone cold and with one blow she erased the happy smile off my face, reminding me of my new status and upcoming engagement.

"I know mom, why are you telling me again?"

"I don't know, you tell me. I just wanted to make sure nothing changed, as I saw you and Yudhi in the queue, from a distance and felt that you were almost in his lap."

"Common Ma, didn't you see the crowds? Moreover you were the one who asked Yudhi to take care of me."

"I know, but you both seem to be in your own world even when the queues were normal and from the looks people were giving you guys, I thought you were overdoing the whole thing." She could have rather slapped me than say things like that, though it was true.

"I was really scared seeing the crowds and felt safe with Yudhi's arms around me. I am sorry if you took it wrongly. I promise I will be more careful in future and will never do anything to make you look bad." I couldn't believe what I was saying, as it was part lie.

"Its okay Arohi, I know you well, so am giving you the benefit of doubt, but you don't have the same luxury with others and I don't want to be on the explaining end to your in-laws. So please make sure how you present yourself in public. Goodnight honey." She kissed me and left.

After my mom left, I got depressed. I forgot my current circumstances and got carried over with Yudhi. My mom was right, it had the potential to hurt my parent's reputation and our family. I should be more careful and avoid Yudhi at all costs. There is no way I can be a normal friend to Yudhi, as we are opposite poles and any small weakness on either side, we would end up doing something bad that will ruin everything for my family. Moreover nothing changed between Yudhi and Kat, so I was a fool to forget everything and fall for his charms.

I was clear on my course of action. Later that day, Yudhi tried to talk to me, but I managed to avoid him rest of the day. I couldn't sleep that night, because I felt the torture of not being able to speak to Yudhi and at the same time, keep the promises I made to my parents. So I went and knocked on my parents door.

"Ma, can I sleep with you for tonight." I asked Mom, getting into bed.

"Sure Aru, lets kick your dad out." My dad understood my situation and didn't say anything, patted me and left the room.

"I am sorry Arohi, I didn't mean to hurt you earlier." My mom apologized.

"It's ok ma, don't worry about it." I slowly drifted into dreams.

Next day me and my parents were leaving for Bangalore and Yudhi was leaving for Mumbai later with his parents. My parents were planning to reach Mumbai tomorrow after dropping me at Bangalore for my seminar. After reaching Mumbai, they were planning to prepare for my engagement ceremony with Sid.

I was almost done packing and getting ready to leave for the airport, when Yudhi barged in and closed the door.

"We need to talk Arohi." He demanded.

"Please leave the door open and there is nothing to talk Yudhi." I tried to remain calm and away from him.

"You owe me an explanation. Also how can you be like this, hot and cold. Do you have a split personality?" I knew he was going to ask this question.

"Yudhi, yesterday was a mistake and happened because of the circumstances. It will never happen again."

"Still, I told you about my feelings and I need an explanation. You need to tell me the reason you are going with this marriage , when clearly you have feelings for me."

"Excuse me! Please don't make assumptions. Also if you had feelings for me , why did you sleep with Kat? Do you have an answer for that?" I was really angry and wanted to shout at him, but I tried to keep my voice down, so that others won't hear it.

"OMG! what nonsense are you talking? Why would I sleep with Kat? Where do you get such garbage from?" He was also angry and came close and shouted at me. I wasn't expecting that.

"Oh common, Kim told me all about your v-card party with Kat, on the day you returned from Florida, and I also overheard you talking, how you much you enjoyed it and were going to repeat it after I left for vacation. Also Yudhi, I have proof." I shouted back at him as he was very close by. I picked up my suitcase and went towards the door to open it.

"Ok, there seems to be a big misunderstanding going on here. Anyway what kind of proof you have?" He reached the door and put his hand on mine to stop me from opening it.

"I have a big life size picture of a naked Kat sitting in your lap and you were enjoying her goods." Of course I added the last part to sound convincing and I didn't have the picture anymore, but he needn't know that.

My words had the needed impact, as he froze on the spot and couldn't move. I just removed his hand and stormed out with my suitcase, happy that it was out of my system.

On our way to Bangalore, I kept on replaying the scene in my head a million times. It was a very sad moment for me. I didn't enjoy the look on his face, it was something, I couldn't decode. He didn't have the guilty look, but at the same time, he didn't come out saying the picture was fake or photoshopped or something else to claim his innocence. So the picture must have been real. Though I felt there was no meaning to my life without Yudhi, I have others who love me very dearly and towards whom I have a responsibility and I need to take care of them and not make this life all about me.

After 2 days.

While I was in Bangalore, my mom called.

"Congratulations Arohi! You are now engaged. We had a very simple function, because there was no time and you were not present. So it was done very traditionally. Your fiancée decided to have a big function later, once you both get free time before marriage. We are leaving today for US. Do you want me to tell your friends about your engagement or you want to do it yourself?"

"Ma, please don't tell anyone. I want to wait for three months and then tell everyone as I want to fully enjoy these three months. Have a happy journey. I will be there in five days."

After that conversation, I felt defeated. I put the phone down as fast as I could, before the flood gates opened. I cried my heart out. After that incident, I decided to put all my energy into the seminar and to concentrate on my career and try to be a very good doctor. Just because I failed a part of my life, I didn't have to sacrifice everything else.

Even though the seminar was for a week, it looked like it was dragging forever. Everytime I stepped out, I was hoping Sid or Yudhi to magically appear. But I knew, Sid won't come, as I warned him not to show up for three months and he promised to keep his word. But I was hoping that Yudhi would show up and ask forgiveness and at least try to explain what happened that day and try to win me back.

But no one showed up. It was like I fell off the face of Earth and no one bothered to check. The realization that Yudhi just gave up and didn't even bother to talk again, hurt me the most.

Journey Day

Finally last day of seminar came and it was the day I was travelling to Mumbai and onward to US. Yudhi was supposed to join me at Mumbai airport. I thought of rescheduling my flight, so that I didn't have to travel with him, but anyway we were to live under the same roof, so it didn't matter. I have to face him sometime and if he is not interested in me anymore, much better, I can stew in my own hell without anyone bothering me.

I was sitting in the pre-boarding lounge at Mumbai airport waiting to board the long flight to San Francisco and waiting for Yudhi to show up. I spotted him coming with a girl. She looked little bit younger than me, but very close to Yudhi. Both were laughing and cracking jokes and didn't even bother to look for me.

She looked cute and once in a while was jabbing him on his shoulder. Finally they made it to where I was sitting.

"Hi Arohi, meet Shalu, my friend Mallika's sister. Shalu, she is Arohi."

"Hey Arohi, congratulations! Yudhi told me all about you. And you sir, don't talk to me. I thought I was your friend, not friend's sister." She made a pouty face, jabbed his shoulder again and crashed into a seat by my side.

"Ok, ok, don't pout too much, it could become permanent." He teased her.

"So you are coming to SanFrancisco? Is this your first time travelling to US?" I asked Shalu.

"Yep, going to do my UG there and of course trouble him as much as possible." She pointed to Yudhi.

"Don't you know that US is a big country and there are many other Universities? Why did you have to pick the one in San Francisco." He asked her raising his eyebrows.

"Because there is only one Yudhi and he lives there now." She said dancing in her seat.

I didn't know whether she knows him too well or if she is making a move on him. Either way it shouldn't be my concern, but it did hurt somewhere in my heart. I looked at Yudhi and he looked very happy and his face was glowing. Probably he was enjoying Shalu's company too much. On the other hand I was burning in my own hell, just managing to pass days without any fun.

Yudhi didn't seem to have any issues from the fallout we had and looked happy to move on either with Shalu or Kat or who knows. I got so angry thinking about it that I wanted to go and jump on him till he apologizes and begs for my forgiveness and begs me to take him back. I gripped the chair hard to keep me in my seat and just watched him having fun with Shalu. Both dumped their luggage with me and went for window shopping, as if I was their maid.

I sat there and thought about my first journey with Yudhi from Newark to San Francisco and how much my life had changed since then. Then I had Yudhi all for me, but now he is so far away that I cannot reach him. I was being punished for my ego and indecisiveness.

Both returned only after the boarding announcement. I was trying to hold my anger to keep myself in control till we board the plane and then take up the window seat and sleep, leaving the two love birds to do whatever they wished to do.

After we boarded the plane, I crashed into the window seat and closed my eyes.

"Arohi, please can I have the window seat...please..please" Shalu begged me. I gave up my window seat, but didn't want to sit in between them, so let Yudhi sit in between and I took up the aisle seat.

"Thanks guys, my bucket wish list, to sit in between two beautiful ladies." He exclaimed.

"Idiot" I muttered under my breadth.

"Hey, don't be so happy. Once I close my eyes, I have no control over my body parts." Shalu warned. I didn't like her statement. I don't like to think of any other women's body parts over Yudhi.

Since it was already late in the night, I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep as soon as we were airborne. Yudhi and Shalu were still chatting with each other. I woke up after 6 hours, feeling something heavy on my shoulder. I realized Yudhi was sleeping on my shoulder. I looked at Shalu and she was sleeping on her window side.

I felt proud because Yudhi chose me to sleep on. I was worried that my shoulder blades might be uncomfortable for him, so I moved slowly his head onto my chest and held him with my hand to make him more comfortable. I slowly caressed his face with my fingers, feeling the rough stubble on his cheeks to the smooth curve of the lips. He lips parted, giving me more access. Then I played with his earlobes moving down to this neck and chest. I was falling into his trap again.

I could never remain angry at him for long. He is like a base point to me. He can return to me any time and I will take care of him, no matter how mad I am with him. In that case, my love for him is unconditional, but I cannot spend my life with him, if he keeps on hurting me.