🎶 Ishq Di Baajiyaan - Reprise
Published on 28.06.2021
● A U T H O R ●
Distance makes the heart grow fonder. But for Aarohi, it hasn't only made her heart fonder of Vihaan but also made her mind go bonkers, her body to act disoriented and her thoughts to be all over the place.
But not anymore.
Vihaan was finally returning and she was waiting for him with bated breath. Just the thought to finally see him in front of her, to touch him, to hug him was sending her mind into a frenzy. Since yesterday, she hadn't been able to talk to him, just few general text messages. That had got her worried if something's wrong but since he was returning today, she hoped it's nothing major. He was supposed to be back home by eight pm but now it has been half past nine and still she was waiting for him. Aarohi was pacing in the living room, tapping her phone on her palm and repeatedly glancing at the wall clock and then at the door impatiently. When he arrives, she'll first jump on him and hug the life out of him and then strangle him to death for taking too long to return.
Her breath got hitched when she heard the doorbell rang. Discarding the phone on the couch, she scurried towards the door, accidentally stubbing her toe at the edge of the table and wincing. Ignoring the pain, she twisted the door knob and opened the main door, a huge grin spreading across her face instantly as her eyes took in his frame. There he was in front of her, his eyes weary yet piercing into hers intensely but something seemed off. He didn't smile. He looked uneasy as if wanting to tell so much yet couldn't form a word. Wanting to take away all that was weighing him down, she stepped forward to hug him but halted when she saw his driver Saket appear behind him with bags in his hand and a woman who came and stood beside Vihaan, casting her gaze downwards and wringing her fingers nervously. Aarohi frowned.
"Sir, where should I keep these bags?" Saket asked Vihaan.
"Just shift them to the guest room," Vihaan replied in a montone and Aarohi moved aside to make space.
Aarohi looked at the whole ordeal in confusion and then turned to Vihaan when Saket left, silently asking for an explanation.
"She's Tina," Vihaan said and Aarohi looked at the woman concerned who wore a peach colored one-piece knee length dress and gave her a small awkward smile which she returned with the same awkwardness.
"It's a long story. I'll explain you in a while. Yeah?"
Aarohi noticed how tense Vihaan looked and as much as she wanted to ask him innumerable questions, she knew it was better not to. So she simply nodded.
"You look tired. I'll show you, your room." Aarohi looked at Tina who glanced at Vihaan but sighed when he didn't look at her. Aarohi led Tina to the guest room.
"My room is just opposite you. If you need anything, I'll be there. I'll bring something to eat." Aarohi offered politely.
"Thanks." Tina smiled although the question why Vihaan and Aarohi didn't share the same room swirled in her mind.
Aarohi sighed when she came back and saw Vihaan sitting on the couch with his elbows propped on the table and head resting over his intertwined fingers. She went to the kitchen and brought a glass of water, placing it on the table, she settled down beside him. Vihaan startled when she touched his shoulder. He snapped his head towards her and without any warning enveloped her in a desperate hug. Aarohi exhaled sharply, bringing her arms around to hold him, rubbing his back with her hand in a slow pace.
"I know you might be having a lot of questions but I really don't know from where do I start," Vihaan said guiltily pulling away.
"It's okay," Aarohi whispered handing him the glass of water. "Take your time."
Aarohi didn't have a good feeling. Who is the girl? Why is she here? Why does Vihaan look so tensed? There were too many queries at the back of her mind but Vihaan just looked so vulnerable, so helpless that she couldn't bring herself to ask any of them. She badly wanted to make him feel better but didn't know how. What the fuck was even going on?
"Go and freshen up. I'll bring you food." Aarohi stood up.
"I'm not hungry." Vihaan said as he stood up and started unclasping his watch.
"It's been a long flight and you look tired. Vihaan, you- "
"I said I'm not hungry," Vihaan said loudly and cut her off. "Please Aarohi, you've your dinner and if you want offer her some. I don't care."
Aarohi flinched at his harsh tone as he just walked to his room without sparing her another glance. She felt her heart break a little. She had cooked dinner, for him, something she rarely does even for herself. Ignoring the pang of hurt at his attitude and choking back a sob, she moved to the kitchen.
Aarohi took food for Tina and left muttering a 'good night'.
Vihaan opened the door of his room when someone knocked.
"Black coffee," Aarohi forwarded him the mug. "And don't you dare deny it," she said sternly.
Vihaan cocked a brow with an amused smile lingering on his face but nevertheless took the mug.
"Where are you going?" He inquired and held her wrist when she turned around.
"To sleep. Obviously." She retorted flatly, turning around to face him and freed her hand.
"Did you've dinner?" Vihaan asked, crossing his legs, leaning against the open door as he took a sip.
He looked hot doing that small action and his grey sweats and black tee added to the hotness. Oh did she mention how much she missed him in black? Even the coffee must be hot so more hotness eh? Aarohi chided herself mentally for letting her thoughts wander off track and narrowed her eyes at Vihaan, leaning against the jamb and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Why are you being so bipolar? You first talk rudely to me without any reason and then act as if nothing of that sort happened." Vihaan continued to sip his coffee and looking at her with a soft gaze, letting her presence seep into the depths of his soul after five freaking days as she continued to speak or more like rant. "And the answer to your question is, yes, I'd my dinner before you arrived," Aarohi lied. "You come back after so many days and instead of greeting me with a hug and a smile, you bring a woman with you who I've never seen until today. Okay fine. I know you've a valid reason for that so I won't hold that against you. But I was excited to see you, I had hundred of scenarios in my mind of what would happen when we both see each other after so many days and nothing came close to this. I didn't ask you for any explanation because you just looked so done or more like as if you need a break but that doesn't mean you don't owe me an explanation. I deserve to know what's happening, why is that woman Tina in our house, why didn't you talk to me since last two days, why do you look so restless. And don't even dare ask me that why do I care! I care and I'm worried okay. Even if- "
"I finished my coffee," Vihaan cut her off and brushed past Aarohi to keep the empty mug in the kitchen, smiling to himself at the way her mouth hung open. He missed everything about her, he missed her and just listening to her blabbering and complaining to him about him makes him forget most of his worries. She was his home and he always wants to return to her.
Aarohi glared at Vihaan when he came back. She was about to go out of his room but Vihaan closed the door behind him and held her hands, leading her to the couch. He appreciated that she hadn't asked any questions to him but he was aware that she deserves to know what was going on.
"Tina needs help," Vihaan spoke settling down on the couch beside Aarohi, still holding her left hand in his.
"What happened?" She asked, furrowing her brows in concern.
Vihaan sighed and rested his head back. "There's this person whom she dated few months back and then broke up since the relationship turned toxic. He used to take money from her, ill treat her at times, be inconsiderate towards her and all that. She put up with him for long but then she gave up when he refused to mend his ways and broke up a month back. Now, since a week he has been harassing and blackmailing her. He told her to come back to him but she refused. He has now resorted to blackmailing her with her intimate pictures and demanding money. This happened on Thursday and she didn't respond to him. Tina accidentally met Smriti at the mall and desperate for help, she approached her. Tina was hesitant but later at night, two men broke into her rented apartment and threatened her to give the money. They even warned to not get the police involved. So, yesterday she reached out to me with Smriti's help. I couldn't let her stay at her place considering that the society doesn't have a strong security and she is basically alone in the city and taking her to our mansion would mean a truckload of questions and suspicions from Mom and Dad which I'm not ready to answer, so I brought her here. I thought of taking her to a hotel but I didn't know if she'll feel comfortable or not but if you don't like then tomorrow I'll make arrangements-"
"It's fine Vihaan," Aarohi blinked in assurance. "That...that sucks. The guy deserves to be behind bars and by whatever you told me, it seems he's trying to take advantage of the fact that she practically has no one to rely on. But where are her parents? She must be having friends right?" She looked at Vihaan with confusion etched over her face.
"Her mother is at her uncle's place in Delhi and her father passed away when she was a kid. They used to live in Illinois but came back to India a year back due to financial conditions. They're still struggling financially." Vihaan explained to which Aarohi gave a small nod in understanding.
"But...how do you know her? Friend?"
Vihaan dreaded this question but he knew he would have to answer it the minute he decided to bring Tina to their house. She was a closed chapter, whose pages he never wanted to open. A past that he never wanted to revisit.
"Can I lie down on your lap?" He asked in a soft voice, gazing into her eyes earnestly.
Aarohi watched for any sign of humour and then murmured a 'yes' uncertainly. Vihaan lied down and placed his head on her lap like a child and outstretched his left hand. Aarohi placed her left hand in his dubiously and he was quick to wrap his fingers around them and bring them over his chest.
"Tina is my ex girlfriend." He confessed and Aarohi's heart stopped beating for a moment. He had never mentioned her name to me before.
"Remember I told you four years ago, Di left me, she left us. Just the next day, Tina left me as well." Aarohi's hold on his hand tightened instinctively and Vihaan exhaled sharply. It felt as if suddenly the air around her had thickened and it had become difficult to breathe. "She just left, no explanations, nothing. She got a scholarship from the art academy in Chicago and she didn't even tell me," Vihaan paused for a moment and gulped down the lump that got formed in his throat. He hated reminiscing those days. It was painful and heartbreaking. He felt himself calming down when Aarohi brought her free hand to brush through his locks, moving back the small strands that fell over his forehead. "I needed her. I needed her so bad Aarohi. My parents were grieving and blaming me for what Di did. I had no one except Tina and when I went to her, she told she's leaving and we're over. She broke up and till date I don't know why. In a blink, I felt as if I lost everyone. If not for Kevin, I don't even know how would I've handled myself." He sniffled, clutching his wife's hand close to his heart. "We were together for more than two years. Everything was so smooth between us, so simple with no complications. We rarely fought and if we had some conflicts, we would not talt with each other for few days and then get back together as if nothing happened. When we used to spend time together, I used to play guitar and she used to sing. Everything was nice and plain yet comfortable. And then one day, she just said that she's breaking up. We had grown a bit distant at that time but I thought that's because we both were busy in our individual lives and there's nothing to worry much. If she wanted to part ways that's fine but I atleast deserved a closure." He added in a small smile.
"I'm so- so sorry," Aarohi's voice broke and her eyes were glazed with unshed tears.
"Don't be," Vihaan said, tapping her hand that had stopped raking through his hair. "I don't need pity. If anything then it's me who needs to say sorry. I never told you about Tina. Honestly, I never wanted to speak about her, I wanted to forget her like a forgotten chapter. All these years, I wanted answers, I deserved to know the reason behind her step but got nothing. And when I've finally made peace with it, she barges back in my life unannounced." He chuckled mirthlessly. "It's said that 'the funny thing about chasing the past is most people wouldn't know what to do with it if they caught it'. I understand this now." He let out a sigh.
"It's okay. I won't say that not knowing about a major part of your life doesn't hurt me but I understand. Also, us sharing personal things to each other wasn't something that we thought would happen when we married each other," she whispered and smiled down at him.
Vihaan smiled back. "I'm sorry for speaking rudely too earlier."
"It's okay too." Aarohi chuckled.
Aarohi tried to pull her hand from his grip but he didn't let it go. She stared down at him in confusion while he stared back at her in awe.
"Leave my hand," she said, raising her brows when he shook his head in return.
"Stay," Vihaan requested, "Please." His voice a helpless whisper.
Aarohi's gaze softened and she brushed her thumb over the back of his palm, conveying him that she isn't going anywhere. Feeling assured of her presence, Vihaan closed his eyes, the feeling of one of her hand over his heart and the other brushing through his hair lulling him to sleep.
Aarohi heaved a breath and pinched her temple annoyedly. Her overthinking brain couldn't stop thinking tonight. How is she supposed to process so much information? Her heart clenched thinking how Vihaan must have felt when he needed a shoulder to lean on and he didn't have any. She was sure that it must have taken a lot of inner strength to open up about it today. Everything makes sense now. Vihaan not playing guitar, the time when he was talking about cooking and stopped abruptly as if he was about to say something that he wasn't supposed to. It was all related to Tina and the thought made her stomach churn. She glanced at Vihaan and her lips instantly curved upwards slightly looking at him sleeping peacefully and yet even in sleep, his grip on her hand didn't loosen up a bit.
A thought lingered in her mind. Did he still love Tina? Aarohi shook her head in defiance, reminding herself that it was all in the past. People grow, they move on and didn't he say that he loves her? But what if he still harbours feelings for that woman? What if he gave up because he knew that she would never come back? If Aarohi wouldn't have come into his life then would he still be waiting for her, loving her?
Fear of losing Vihaan started to close in on her again. Her mind replayed everything that he said about Tina.
We rarely fought.
And here there's hardly a day they go without fighting.
Everything was so smooth between us, so simple with no complications.
Simple? What's that? Whatever Aarohi and Vihaan shared was anything but simple. It was tangled, somewhat messy as well. They keep pushing each other to their limits, arguing, teasing even taking a dig at each other sometimes playfully and sometimes seriously but weirdly enough, they always found a way back to each other. Was he happy with Tina or better say was he more happy with her than he is with Aarohi? She felt her body getting cold at the mere thought. Her own thoughts scared her, chained her. She felt trapped. What if her fears were true? All she wanted was to give her relationship a chance, take a step forward and now she feels everything has come to a hold. Questions she didn't think would arise had surfaced themselves. Insecurities engulfed her. Her trust and belief seemed to waver.
She couldn't stop thinking about how Vihaan and Tina's relationship was. Comfortable? Isn't that what everyone looks for? Did being with her makes Vihaan comfortable and happy? Does he look back and regret what he had lost and what he had to settle for? The constant doubt that she isn't enough clawed back at her mind. She couldn't shut her mind even if she wanted to and she hated it. She tried convincing that there's nothing to worry. Tina needs help and he's helping her. That's it! She would leave when the guy is caught. But nothing seemed to calm her down as she continued to feel suffocated in her own skin.
Aarohi looked down at Vihaan, her hand still feeling his heart beating beneath it and a placid smile stretched across her face looking at him sleeping like a baby as if all the worries had ceased to exist. He deserves happiness, so much happiness. She tenderly grazed her fingers on his cheek and giggled through her tear stained eyes when he subconsciously leaned to her touch and smiled.
Aarohi was doubtful about many things but there was one thing she was sure of. She had once said that she won't let anyone hurt Vihaan and she still stands by it. No matter what, she won't let him get hurt and she meant it.
***
Hello! I'm back. Apologies for updating so late, I just found it hard to write this chapter but low-key hoping it ain't that bad. Wil try to update the next one soon. Hope everyone is doing well and incase you didn't know, every read, every vote, every comment means a lot. Take care and you're worthy enough :)
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