TaaRey FF - #1. Life At Stake (Stake Triology)

Chapter 11:

"Taani bear" Harshad crossed d sofa and dashed on to me in a fierce hug sweeping my foot over d floor. "I'm really sorry....Please I can't take ur madness anymore" His voice quivered. Although I was angry and we weren't on speaking terms, I hugged him feeling his arms around me. There is always a kind peace enveloping me around him, my BFF. No matter what, I can't stand being a bitch around him. I missed him. I really did. Whatever may happen in my life or whoever may enter into my life, d one thing is an etched fact: I needed him every day of my life as much as he does. After all, what were BFF's for! As we broke d hug, he took my hands "I'm so sorry, Taani. I know I have been a dickhead not being there for u for d last few days.....I'm really sorry...." He closed his eyes. When he opened, his powerful grey-brownish pupils were soft like velvet. "You think I could ever be angry on u, Harshad.... It's just that I was little pissed..." I pouted. "I won't say you were little pissed...." He cracked a grin "You were all about to strangle me...remember...." Well, I remembered. When he apologized for not showing up, I had hit him in d stomach. Oh, yeah. Defense classes r paying off some serious lessons to me. Being said that, I'm not proud to say I had hit him. It only made me a dwelling bitch. "Hey, not that I'm complaining.... Well, I kind of deserved it." He frowned, letting go of my hands and locking his elbow with mine. Honestly, he didn't deserve d punch. But I'm 2 egoistic n jealous to admit it. "I'm sorry" He sighed wearing d same distant look on his face I saw d day he told me y he was here. Willing to shake all d sadness, I said "Ok....If I want to forgive u, then cook me some dinner.....I'm really very hungry" Oh, u may wonder y I made this challenge. Because, my BFF is a terrible cook! Also, I wanted to distract him from something he wasn't telling me which was eating him away. He looked like I have asked him to marry a buffalo and spawn some babies. "U r serious" His mouth hung open. "Do you think?" I batted my lashes innocently. Stifling a grin, I told "U better get on d work....I'm going to be back after a shower" I pushed him to d kitchen n made my way to my room.

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There were so many thoughts running on my mind. D things happening with me recently unnerved me. And today's incidents were fuel on d fire to prove I wasn't hallucinating d things. They were real. True. Standing under d shower, I let go of all my worries. D mild warm water helped me to ease my tensions a little. And not less than a second, memories of me and Rey kissing resurfaced. My body tingled. My cheeks burned. I could never get out of that image for d rest of life. I didn't know how we ended up kissing. One minute we were in car, then outside standing, next I was on d car hood talking n then all went to hell when his lips met mine. I was so occupied in d kiss I never realized a poking in d back of my mind. There were images. Just like a movie clip. They were all blur n hazy. Come to think of it, those images stopped d moment his lips left mine. I don't know why. Or what just happened back there. But I wasn't going to brood over these unnatural mysteries unless I had reason to. For now, I compelled to relieve in after effects of Rey's kiss. Soon after my shower, I quickly changed into my pajamas. Wearing my bunny slippers, I left to kitchen.

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I let out a loud chortle when I saw Harshad in d kitchen. His sandy hairs dusted in dough. And his face smeared d dampened flour. Dirty vessels piled in basin. Ingredients hooded in small bowls. A frying pan was on gas. His one hand held d spatula frying d dish on pan while d other was making something I'm not sure what it is. Dear Gods, he was actually trying to cook. Hearing me, he turned to me flushing a little. "Hey, I'm trying here....." He pointed to his preparations. "Sorry....U look...u look so funny" I trotted to him n ruffled his hairs.

After what felt like a decade, he finally finished up with cooking. He had actually sent me out of d kitchen warning me to shut up bitching about his talent of cooking n watch TV leaving him on his own. Since it was a dangerous challenge I had given to him. I was watching TVD-S2 where Klaus meets Caroline for d first time. That is d first time ever audience get to c a soft side of d centuries old evil Vampire. And that was d moment I fell in love with Klaus, if u may wonder. Abruptly, d arguments shared with Wahi on me loving Klaus came back to me along with d after incidents of d night. I closed my eyes leaning my head back on d sofa. "Taani" Harshad's concerned voice woke me. I fluttered opened my eyes rubbing d slight haziness. He stood there in his pajams clean n fresh. D smell of ocean drifted around him. "Were u slept?" He held his hand to me. I shook my head. I placed my hand on his letting him to haul me on my foot. "Then come on, let me serve u d most delicious Indian country food...."

I couldn't believe. I just couldn't. He actually prepared what called rotis, parathas and some spicy gravy of 5 different kinds. D moment I tasted them on my tongue I swooshed. He was waiting for my answer. "U... u did really cook this right....I mean u didn't get it from any restaurants....." "Hey, I'm offended" He made a face. I remember d day when he tried to cook Maggie for me in d past, it ended up in a ball of nasty black burnt substance. "They r so delicious, buddy" I patted him on d shoulder. "I'm really wondering where d hell did u learn it...." He gave me a cheeky-grin "There was a girl at my neighbor in Chicago from India. Sometimes when I visited her, she used to cook me her country foods. They tasted gluttony.....So, I thought u may like it.....I phoned her n got d recipe n managed to prepare...." He looked embarrassed. Gods, that was d ever sweetest thing he done for me. But I raised an eyebrow "Girl?" "Oh....don't start...It's not like u think....She is just a good friend." He flushed. I know he was saying d truth but I was just ticking him off for fun. We laughed and chatted enjoying our small moments. We had dinner then sat on d couch. I snuggled up to him. His heavy hand came across my shoulder. It felt like old times. We watched Gladiator movie. Actually, it was just Harshad. He was so typical boyish. My mind was elsewhere.

"Taani" Harshad's head slightly inclined towards me. "Hmmm..." I looked up. "What's going on with u and Rey?" He asked casually. "Why would u even think there is something going on between us?" I sprang up from his grasp, my face flushing in a good way, probably. "Whoa...." He threw his hands up. "Maybe ur answer is in ur reaction" He paused. His lips tipped in d corners "Keeping secrets from me, Taani bear?" I flushed to d roots of my hairs. I wanted to tell him everything. "Is there something to say?" He hardly suppressed a giggle. Oh, I wish to smack him. Instead I answered "We kissed". I think, he stared me for God knows how long as if I told I had sex with Rey and lost my precious virginity. Yeah, u heard me right. I'm still a Virgin doll. OMG! My imaginations are running really wild. I hoped he didn't notice my ears turning pink. Then he grinned...giggled...laughed....smiled....Gods, I thought he lost his mind. When he spoke, I hardly resisted my heart coming out of its socket. "He's a good guy, Taani" He spoke seriously, facing me. "In fact, he's very good guy. But I really do hope u won't get hurt by d end" His words annoyingly similar to Swayam but he had put in a different way. May be he is d first guy to praise Rey since Rey have a minion of rivals against him in d college, family n maybe even in d supernatural world if I count d pissed off vampire, Dhruv. "So...u did finally get ur first kiss...." Oh, I was so not in a mood to discuss d details of my kiss, though I may have if he hadn't blasted d bomb of me getting hurt by d end. "There is something else I want to say, Harshad" Then I told him everything. I mean every damn thing starting from my abilities, tingle on Rey's presence, Wahi's painting, my nightmares, Old man I saw in street, who, in turn turned out to be Wahi's dead grandfather n most importantly today's mayhem including my conversation with Rey in d car about supernatural world. When he heard d last part, a muscle flexed his jaw. He was grinding his teeth. "U r telling me all this now" His voice was calmly harsh. "Was there any better time?" I glared him. Then his face softened pulling me into his arms. "Taani....I believe u" He said. And that's what I wanted to hear from him. He believed me. He trusted all my crazy things just on my word. But d next sentence he said clearly warned me I was not d one holding secrets from everyone "You have to tell ur father, Taani." I stared him in mild annoyance. If I wanted to tell my dad, I would have done it already. But I feared dad would again change d place thinking it may cope me to deal with my problems except he knew about d fight I saw in d heady night. I wasn't ready to leave Love lock. Harshad cupped my cheeks "I'm repeating again, u have to tell everything to ur father, Taani bear. He's d only one who could answer ur suspicions....." "Harshad....U can't be se...." I trembled under his hard determined gaze. "I'm very serious, Taani. Trust me, there is so much more u don't know. I wish I could tell u. But I can't" Rey said d same to me. He can't tell. What was going on here? Then his lips tipped up as his hands fell away and held me through shoulders. He tipped his head to my side "Never the less, I don't think one can even surpass ur shadow in d presence of ur Savior." I opened my mouth but nothing came out. Savior.... "What do you mean?" I finally asked. "Well, save d question for ur father." Well, I did.

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