Cigarettes & Peonies

43

In the evening, maahi and vaishali were inside a small pizza parlour. Karanvir had dropped maahi inside the parlour and unknown to her he had already paid for them both, even before she had ordered. Now Karanvir had a problem. He just couldn't see maahi paying for anything. And hence he made sure that the girl of his dreams was having dearth of nothing no matter where she is. The amount that he had paid to the pizza parlour, it was so huge that both maahi and vaishali can eat for the entire month in the same parlour without spending any money from their pockets. Karanvir was an overprotective boyfriend, and overpossessive and over obsessive. The list just goes on and on.
"I love this pizza. Don't you." maahi asked vaishali. Vaishali nodded, pizza in her mouth.
"Vaishu...." came a timid, though boyish, voice from around them. They both looked to their left and discovered Uday's slightly unkempt frame marching up to them. Vaishali rolled his eyes. Maahi was scared, therefore she secretly typed a message to Karanvir to come in the pizza parlour ASAP. Uday's eyes were red. Had he been crying?? She wondered.
"I was just trying to eat a pizza in peace." vaishali muttered irritated. Uday came up to them.
"What are you doing here??" asked maahi insolently. Uday looked at her and frowned. She shouldn't interfere.
"I'm not here for you." he fired back. Maahi gasped loudly as this turned vaishali livid.
"Ofcourse you won't because unlike you, her boyfriend has enough guts to rip off your neck had you came to see her." vaishali fumed. Uday's eyes began filling up with tears. Vaishali had never spoken so disrespectfully to him ever. He knew he himself was the reason why she was acting so insolently towards him. He deserved it but......he just loved her so much. And he will always love her no matter what.
"I'm sorry..... please listen to me once." he whispered meekly, desperately watching her face. Vaishali literally was done with everything.
"What the hell is your problem Uday?? You yourself asked her to leave and she did, now what else do you want." maahi yelled at him. The other people inside the parlour were watching them in shock. Somebody whispered 'She's karanvir's girlfriend' and that's how the people didn't peep no further. Better to mind your own business than to sacrifice your heads to Karanvir Roy.
"Vaishu I don't want you to go away from my life. I know I told you to do so and I even thought that I will somehow get over you but....I can't. I can't live without you. I love you so much. Please.... please don't leave me please...." he wept bitterly. Maahi felt bad for him in a way but having seen her friend cry over him, she just couldn't bring herself to even empathise with him. Vaishali looked at him in boredom.
"Why don't you just go and lie on your mother's lap, I am sure she'll sing you a lullaby and you'll sleep.  Like why the hell are you even here?? Can't you see me happy?? Does that hurt you in some way??" she asked blankly. Uday's heart sank.
"Please don't say like this vaishu, I can never think like that. I want to see you happy.....I want to see us happy together. I just couldn't do anything when mom said she'll set herself on fire if I don't leave you. She's my mother, what can I do???" he confessed vulnerably. Maahi don't know why but now she was feeling empathy for him. You can't just let your mother immolate herself no matter how big a vamp she is. But vaishali wasn't any ordinary girl. You betray her once, she'll fucking show you hell. Main reason why Karanvir was so averse to arguing with her, she's a witch to be honest.
"I understand. I understand you love your mother more than me and I am fucking nothing to you which is why you chose to save your mother and let go off my hand. I went away from your life, what else can I do?? Now your mother is safe, she's fine she's healthy. Go and do tango with her. Why are you even bothering me?? You chose your mother right?? Than go to your mother. You've already lost me." vaishali told him blankly. Uday's heart broke. She wasn't even understanding how much he loved her. Neither do his mother.
"Don't say like this vaishu. You matter to her more than anything. I don't want you to go away from me. Please....." he sobbed pitifully, so pitifully that everyone inside the parlour (including maahi) was feeling bad for him. Except for vaishali. You just can't expect vaishali to fall for your tears once you wrong her.
"Uday!!!" entered Karanvir, head to toe soaked in sweat. He had been practicing when maahi texted him urgently. Uday turned to him and the little brother in him just came alive.
"Bhai!!!" he whispered with tears.
"Thank God you came Karanvir. Why don't you just ask your annoying brother to leave already?? My pizza is already cold." vaishali said blankly. Karanvir walked up to Uday, the latter crying bitterly.
"You want this girl right??" Karanvir asked Uday, the latter nodded immediately. Maahi and vaishali gasped loudly.
"I'll help you marry her but before that you have to go and tell your mother that you're only marrying her and no one else. Can you do that??" asked Karanvir sternly. Uday fell silent. He feared his mother will try to set herself on fire if he even brings that topic in front of her. Uday's silence perhaps spoke everything to vaishali.
"Huh!!! He won't ever do that. C'mon maahi, let's go. I don't even want to see his face." vaishali said hatefully as she stormed outside the parlour. Maahi hugged Karanvir, the latter kissed her affectionately on her cheeks, before she too left. Poor Uday sobbed inside the parlour infront of his elder brother.

In the night maahi and Karanvir were sitting on a bench, enjoying the cool night breeze. Maahi squirmed a little on his lap.
"What happened hmm.." he asked wrapping his arms tightly around her small frame. Nuzzling his face deeper into her neck he left quick, fervent kisses all across her collarbone.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I feel bad for Uday but I can't go against my best friend. I've seen her cry over him and I know Uday won't ever go against his mother. And he isn't even ready to leave vaishu. Oh God!!!" maahi whispered, distressed by whatever happened in the pizza parlour. Karanvir kissed her cheeks softly.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. You don't need to bother about them. You think about us. We'll marry soon after all." he said proudly. Maahi looked at him and frowned.
"I'm not marrying you." she told him flatly. He chuckled and kissed her pink lips.
"Too bad, I'm not Uday. I'm going to abduct you from your home if you don't marry me on your own." he declared, pulling her in his arms. She didn't like the prospect but his arms were so warm and cosy that she reserved the protest for better occasion.
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