🎶 Tu Jaane Naa Cover - Siddharth Khanna
(I heard this cover version today itself and I'm already obsessed)
Published on 22.06.2021
● A U T H O R ●
Aarohi was standing in the balcony alone with the mug in her hand, intently staring down at the black liquid in it. Vihaan had called her an hour back to inform that he had safely reached Frankfurt and was now heading towards the hotel accompanied by couple of men who had gathered to pick him up. Aarohi mouthed a take care and wished him best of luck for tomorrow's launch before hanging up the call. She tilted her head to the left and then to the right, her gaze fixed at the content inside the mug as if trying to figure out the world's deepest secret. Inhaling sharply, she brought the mug to her lips and took a sip.
And she regretted it.
She grimaced at the bitter taste and stuck her tongue out. "How does he even drink this black coffee daily?" She shrieked and scrunched up her nose.
She admits that she misses Vihaan, a lot maybe and it's not even a day. She missed his company, the way he used to glare at her when she said something sarcastic to him, the way he would rebuke her on the dining table over food, the way he would laugh when she would say something funny and then laugh even more when she would make a fool out of herself. She missed holding his hand and playing with his fingers, she missed how he used to randomly say something that would make her heart skip a beat and she missed the warmth that she felt when he was near her.
"This tastes so bad and he has it every night?!" She wondered to herself walking towards the railing. Having black coffee was her weird silly way to feel that he's close even when he's not and then there was no one except her so who would judge or question her behavior? It was safe. "He really has no taste," she looked up at the dark sky. "His favorite colour is black. He eats tasteless food and his favorite beverage is this bitter black coffee," Aarohi scoffed.
" I've fallen for you and that's the truth."
She remembered his words from last night and shook her head. "He said he- he likes me." A small smile stretched across her face. "That means he chose me. That's a good choice," she murmured and then chuckled. "Maybe he isn't that tasteless. In some matters, yes, but in some, not." She said to herself and then frowned, wondering if she's making any sense right now or not.
She looked over at the vast city spread in front of her, crowded with vehicles which looked as yellow spots from top. Her gaze dropped to the ground and she started wondering about the height and depth. "If I fall from here would I die or just break some bones?" She furrowed her brows thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll just break my skull. But in that case, I'm surely going to die unless some miracle happens. Breaking of bones seems like a better option, atleast, I'll survive." Suddenly as if she got hit by the realization, she stepped back, away from the railing with her eyes widened in disbelief. "Why the fuck are you having suicidal thoughts? Idiot!" She chastised herself, feeling extremely stupid. "Is it because of you?" She asked, looking at the coffee skeptically.
You have just taken a sip till now duh!
Her subconscious reminded her and she pursed her lips in annoyance. "If someone hears you, they'll definitely get you admitted in a mental asylum or take you to a therapist," she whispered to herself. Her eyes fell on the wedding ring on her finger. "It's all because of you Vihaan!" Aarohi blamed. "It's because of you that I'm feeling so irritated, it's because of you that I can't think straight and it's because of you that I'm standing in the balcony alone and drinking this stupid black coffee." She complained looking at the ring as if the source of all her problems was focussed there.
But Vihaan didn't ask you to drink-
"Shut up!" Aarohi snapped at her subconscious harshly, her hold tightening on the mug.
Painfully emptying the content in the mug and washing it, she sent a text to Vihaan and went to sleep in a grumpy mood.
Vihaan heaved a breath of relief when he reached his suite in the hotel. It had been a long, exhausting day for him. After arriving in Germany, he was escorted to the hotel where he got freshen up in his room and then headed out for a board meeting along with his personal assistant, Meera. Now, he wants nothing but to throw himself on the bed and sleep. He took a shower and got changed into a loose tee and sweatpants.
Switching off the lights, he lied on the bed and took his phone. He turned on the mobile data and his lips curved into a soft smile when he saw the notification that Aarohi had sent a message. Not wasting any time and keeping all other notifications at bay irrespective of them being important or not, he clicked on the message.
"Good night 😴🥱🥰❤️"
He giggled reading the good night text with those variety of emojis that had been sent a few hours back. It was the first time that she had sent him a red heart and that did strike a chord at his heart but he wondered about the other emojis. They looked silly and so unlike her. A part of him said not to overthink but the other part continued to overthink to the extent where he almost believed that she was happy that he wasn't around her and hence, so many emojis indicating her cheerful mood. And now, his mood wasn't as upbeat as it was when he saw the notification.
"Ofcourse she must be relieved that I'm not around to keep nitpicking over her habits," he sulked and kept his phone aside not bothering to reply anything back. He covered himself with the duvet and drifted off to sleep.
-
Aarohi sat on the ottoman in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection intensely. She felt her heart sink a little when she woke up in the morning and excitedly took her phone, directly opening the text messages in hope of a text from Vihaan only to find that he had left her on seen. It wasn't that big of a deal. By the time, he had seen her message, she was already asleep. Still she couldn't help but feel a little sad. She huffed and kept her phone away but took it after a few seconds and texted him, "Morning! Have a wonderful day :)" remembering that today was the day of launch and it was an important event for him.
Now, she was thinking deeply about the words he had said to her on that day. "He said that I need to trust myself, believe that I deserve the world, fall in love with myself first. I love myself, don't I?" She asked looking at her image in mirror who looked uncertain about the answer. "Ofcourse I do!" She exclaimed but she looked uneasy, almost restless as if her soul knew that it wasn't the truth. Aarohi sighed. "Okay maybe not entirely but I have my fears. I guess I need some time," she frowned gloomily.
And he said that you can take as much time as you want!
Her subconscious protested and she found herself in the middle of two extremes. She liked Vihaan. God! She finds herself getting pulled towards him effortlessly. Something in her urged to take a step forward, be brave, telling her that even if she fell, he'll be there to catch her, to hold her, to protect her. She couldn't help but smile softly thinking of the possibility of them together, in love, making memories. If the imagination was so beautiful, how beautiful the reality would be? Wrapping her arms around herself she whispered, "I'll try."
Aarohi felt a little giddy when during her lunch break, she checked her phone and found few messages from Vihaan. He thanked her and had even sent a couple of his pictures in the navy blue suit he was wearing for the launch. She tried hard to wipe off the creepy smile that had etched on her face but couldn't. She stared at the pictures for the whole time feeling like a teenager who's having an innocent crush. She scolded herself for her behavior but still continued to stare at him dreamily. After all who's there to stop her?
At night, Aarohi was elated when Vihaan called her immediately after she messaged him asking if he was free. They talked for a while, Vihaan filling her with the information about the lauch and Aarohi listening to him attentively, absorbing every word that left his lips. She was relieved that he was talking to her casually and nothing seemed awkward or uncomfortable between them. This was something she admired about him, he always kept her needs above his. A tinge of guilt and regret hit her making her feel bad for him. Before hanging up, Aarohi muttered a quick "I miss you" and cut the call.
--
The next day after her shift was over, Aarohi met Kiara at McDonald's. She needed someone with whom she could share her inner conflicts and the tangled thoughts. They sat at the far off corner with their meals. Aarohi was having her French fries, breaking it into two, then dipping it into the ketchup before putting it inside her mouth. Kiara kicked her from below making her yelp.
"Ouch!" She winced.
"Will you tell me what's going on or are you simply going to be lost in your own world the whole time we're here?" Kiara cocked a brow at her.
"It's about...me and Vihaan," Aarohi bit on her bottom lip, looking sideways and then meeting Kiara's eyes.
Kiara gave a nod asking her to continue.
Aarohi gulped nervously and took inhaled sharply. "Vihaansaidiloveyou," she said in one breath.
Kiara looked at her dumbfounded. "Say. Again."
"Vihaansaidhelovesme!"
Kiara gritted her teeth exasperatedly. "Slow."
Aarohi started tapping her feet. She casted her gaze down, fiddling with her fingers. "Vihaan said I love you to me," she spoke in a small voice and instantly heard a gasp from the person sitting in front of her.
"What the- That's wonderful!" Kiara shouted attracting some attention towards them and Aarohi clenched her eyes shut. "I mean that's wonderful," she repeated, this time a little softly. "What happened?" She asked when she saw that Aarohi wasn't the happiest person as she should be. "What did you reply?" She looked at her doubtfully.
Aarohi sighed. "I said then don't."
Kiara almost knocked the coke on the table as she choked on the air. "You said what?!" She screeched, looking at her best friend incredulously.
Aarohi lifted her gaze only to meet with fuming eyes which were throwing daggers at her. "I'm sorry," she mumbled meekly.
"You rejected him!" Kiara gasped with a look of sheer disbelief.
Did she reject him? Aarohi hadn't thought about it and now when she thinks, she does realize the depth of her words making her feel more regretful than she was feeling before. "When you put it like that, it does seem as if I rejected him," she clasped her fingers and pushed herself back on the chair wishing she could disappear altogether.
Kiara had the urge to pull her hair out. Why was her friend so dumb? "Do you really have no feelings for him?" She asked, trying to be as composed as possible.
"I do!" Aarohi replied immediately and then blinked, "I mean I do but- but I don't know?" she stated unsurely.
Kiara clenched her fists and then unclenched them. "Are you going to spend your entire life in this 'I don't know' state?" She air quoted it.
Aarohi looked at her feeling offended.
Kiara sighed tiredly. "Aarohi, I know you're scared but take a leap of faith. Trust your intuition. Don't let yourself be trapped in a life void of love when love is right there in front of you," she gave her a sympathetic smile. "Why are you so unsure of your feelings? It's not something new to you?"
Aarohi shook her head. "It's not the same Kia. To be honest, I even question if what I felt for Harsh was even love. Being with Vihaan makes me forget literally everything else. It has been just two days without him and there's not a single second when his thoughts have left my mind. I don't even understand what's going on with me!" She huffed before continuing. "This was never the case with Harsh. We would go days without talking to each other if one of us was too busy and I never felt odd about it. I find myself grinning like an idiot on receiving a text from Vihaan. It's like I've no control over myself and no matter how much I tell myself that it's better if I keep a distance from him, I can't. I don't have a constant desperation to make myself feel mattered because he does that for me," she looked down at her lap, her eyes glazed with fresh tears. "He- he's amazing. What I feel for him is just so fucking different. I- I don't even know how to describe it. Every little thing about him affects me. When he's upset or angry at me, I feel miserable. When he cares or makes some special efforts for me, I feel as if I'm luckiest person on earth. Fuck! I even drank black coffee last night because I was missing him. I even- " she stopped abruptly when she saw Kiara looking at her with a broad smile, her elbows perched on the table and her chin rested on her upturned palm. "Why are you smiling? What's so funny about it?" Aarohi questioned in agitation.
Kiara chuckled mirthfully. "You're in so deep baby."
Aarohi made a face at her, confused about her reaction.
"You love him," Kiara stated grimly and Aarohi felt herself getting anxious as her lips parted to suck in a deep breath. "I don't know if you don't realize it or you don't want to accept it but in either case, the truth doesn't change. And this didn't happen in a day or two. I've noticed how you look at him, the things you do for him and the way you speak of him." She held Aarohi's hand in hers and said, "It practically screams love. Give it a chance. I promise it will be the best decision of your life."
Aarohi fluttered her eyelashes in an attempt to blink back the tears. She looked away not knowing what to reply and Kiara understood that. She gave her hands a little squeeze and left them. Nobody spoke a word after that and they ate in silence.
"I love you." Kiara hugged Aarohi as they parted ways.
"Love you too," Aarohi smiled. "Thanks."
It was evening and Vihaan and Meera had come to attend a party, obviously for business purpose. They were celebrating the grand launch of the company as well as of Marcos car. They met other reputed and important people, exchanging few words with them. Vihaan missed Aarohi when he looked at men who attended the evening with their wives or girlfriends. He asked Meera to enjoy the party and stood at the side with a flute glass of wine.
"Would you like to dance Mr Agarwal?" A lady with whom he got familiar just a few minutes ago asked, standing beside him and flashing a charming smile.
"I would have but I don't dance," Vihaan declined politely. "But you go and enjoy yourself, Miss Clara," he added quickly when he noticed how her smile fell.
Vihaan sighed in relief when the woman left. He looked at the dance floor, sipping on his wine, watching people dance with each other and a sad smile crept across his face remembering the time when Aarohi had dragged him and made him dance on the reception day.
He missed her.
So freaking much!
He wondered what she would have done if she was here. She loves running away, doesn't she? Whenever he hits a vulnerable spot, all she does is avoid him and run away. She should have been in athletics, a sprinter. He's sure she would have excelled in it after all it is embodied in her bones. And he like a fool would have still chased her. He chuckled at his silly thoughts, facepalming himself mentally, feeling like an absolute crackhead. If Aarohi was present here, she would've definitely asked him to dance. No! Not ask, she would've forced him to dance with her even if he didn't want to. And who knows, she would have spilled the wine in the flute over his blazer if he refused, not that it matters since the colour of his blazer matched the colour of the wine. Throwing things at him has to be her favorite and he doesn't doubt it. He smiled to himself when the memories flooded his mind. The day when she had thrown sand on his shirt and then ran carelessly making him follow her. He had fallen deep for her and there was no going back, not that he wanted to though.
Vihaan's trance was broken when he heard the clinking of glass. He moved his head towards the source and immediately replaced his smiling face with a straight one when the person stared at him with a frown.
"Good evening, Mr Mark," he said hastily and cringed internally since he had already greeted him half an hour back.
"All okay? You were smiling to yourself," Mr Mark asked in concern.
"All good. I just remembered something," Vihaan answered nonchalantly with a tight-lipped smile.
Mark chuckled. "I assume it has something to do with your wife," he said playfully and Vihaan's flustered face confirmed that he wasn't wrong.
Vihaan shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Can't say you're wrong," he commented making Mr Mark laugh.
The two talked for a while as the party continued.
--
The next day, to add to the list of crazy weird things done by Aarohi because she had lost some brain cells in Vihaan's absence, she found herself sneaking into his bedroom after having dinner. She didn't have to be sneaking around since she was alone at home yet she did as if someone would catch her red handed.
She closed the door behind her and switched on the lights. Her eyes roamed around the room where almost everything was in black and she inhaled deeply feeling content with a goofy smile. Her fingers traced the guitar that hung on the wall, reminiscing how he played it and sang a song for her on her birthday. They had even danced and laughed and smiled and enjoyed. Sending a prayer up, she made her way to his closet. She opened his wardrobe and grinned happily looking at his clothes which again were mostly in shades of black and white. Oh! How much she missed looking at him in white shirt or black suit.
Carefully, Aarohi picked up a white shirt which was neatly folded. She unfolded it, hoping she doesn't ruin the ironing or else Vihaan would come to know that someone invaded his room in his absence and she dreaded the consequences. She put it in front of her body, examining its length while standing in front of the mirror. She tittered at how his shirt almost reached her knees. She tried to sniff it, wanting to smell his scent to feel as if he was close to her but scrunched up her nose when she couldn't, considering the shirt was washed. Disappointedly, she folded the shirt and put it back in its place.
Aarohi leaned against the cupboard and sighed. She had been extremely cranky the whole day and the fact that she hadn't spoken to Vihaan for the whole day didn't help much. Not only that, he hadn't even checked her messages. She had called Meera to enquire about his well being who replied that her boss was busy and assured Aarohi by saying that he'll get back to her when he'll be free. She had decided that when Vihaan would return on Friday, the first thing she would do is throw herself upon him and crush the life out of him by hugging him so tight.
Or maybe just grab his collar and kiss him.
Fuck all the logics. Fuck all the 'I don't know's'. Fuck all the fears, all the insecurities and just let her heart take control. With each passing second, she regretted telling everything that she told him that day. Here was someone who didn't want to give up on her, wanted to shower her with unconditional love, who doesn't has any expectations from her and instead of grabbing it and locking it up forever, she rejected it?! She knew she was a little slow but this was a whole new level. She missed him. So damn much and it drove her crazy. She didn't even want to listen to any song because whatever she heard somehow reminded her of Vihaan. She wanted to throw a fit, crib and complain and she could have done that to Kiara or her brother but she didn't want to. She wanted Vihaan. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry. She wanted to let him know that she's ready to hold his hand and step forward, she wanted to say that she trusts herself and she trusts him even more, she loves herself and maybe even loves him.
Aarohi moved towards his bed and sat down on the edge, removing her slippers. She brushed a hand over the soft covers and laid down on her back, staring at the ceiling. Vihaan won't come to know that she slept on his bed because there's no one to tell him. She did a quick prayer for his well being and happiness and pulled up the duvet, drifting off to sleep with a feeling that he was close to her.
***
Hello! Hope y'all still remember me lol. I genuinely don't know how this chapter has turned out and I don't know why the hell it took me so much time to write this one but finally it's here. Praying that y'all liked this one and once again thank you so so so much for all your support. Means a lot.
Vote and comment ❤️
• Thank you for reading •