Days advanced like a marathon race. Dazzlers and Dynamites were continuously practicing for their Goa fest performance. There was still a lot of tension between them except for Kriya and Surbhi as they were cordial with dazzlers. Infact, Surbhi had newfound respect for them due to the goodness she noticed in them in recent days.
On the other hand, Rithwik was busy with his music customs while Taani and Wahi had a hell lot of drama to enact. By the way, everyone were making progress as the Goa Fest dates were almost 3days far. But there was one problem. Karan wasn't coming to the fest which had upset Surbhi the most. Wahi, Rithwik, Kriya and Taani planned many things but all in vain. It was impossible to present a fashion show without a team of trained suitors. But Karan didn't mind. He was okay with it. After all, he had pending works to concentrate on. But Taani was adamant to get him on board so that everyone were included. Still, they didn't find a solution.
"Ab Kya Kare hum log?" Kriya was frazzled.
"Kuch toh sochna padega?" Wahi mused.
"Guys… ye sab Karne se kuch nahi honewala hai… hum ko kuch tagda sochna hai" Rithwik contemplated.
"Hmmm" Taani pondered not knowing what to do. Her cellphone buzzed bringing her out of her rationality. It was Hina.
"Taani… I need a help…" Hina sounded strained.
"Ha bolna, Hina… Kya hua? Sab teek haina?" Now, Taani worried. Listening at her anxious voice, others silenced.
"Everything is okay, Taani. Lekin, our show topper for the event have been met with an accident and we immediately need someone to replace him?" Hina described.
"Him?" Taani's intellect assisted her most of times. "Mil Gaya..." Taani's loud cheer surprised Hina and others at the place too. "I think we have a solution for the problem… Lekin…" Taani brooded. She could convince Karan to accept the offer but that would mean he wouldn't be able to attend Goa.
"Are… Kya solution Taani… mujhe bi bolo.. yaha… boss ko mujhe summary Deni hai… Goa fest teen din mein hai… aur humara event ko jaane ka tayari bi karna hai… n meine tumhe nahi bataya .. but yeah you are coming with us too… take a leave for three days. Ha…" Hina continued.
"Wait..." Taani stopped her. "You mean… ye event Goa fest mein ho Raha hai? Like seriously" Taani's happiness had no bounds. "Agar mujhe bi ana toh mujhe ab Tak inform kyun nahi Kiya?"
"Are.. wo… meine socha ki tu already Tera kuch college ka chal Raha ta toh .. Socha baad mein bataungi. You don't have any problem to come right?" Hina thought over her decision.
"Are… Hina… Mein waise bi Goa fest jaanewali ti as I'm participating in a drama performance... So that's great.. I can join the event too…" Taani jumped like a small kid. "And do not worry about the showstopper… as we have Karan Bhai already… wow… you know… tune humara kitni bade problem solve kardiya… I love you yaar…"
"Awe… Sachi? Taani… mujhe kyun yaad nahi Aya ki Karan is a model and we can take him into the show… wow… Taani…brilliant…" Hina did the same as Taani. She jumped up and down in excitement. "Do you think he will come?"
"Of course. He will. Tu chinta mat Kar… I'm dragging him all the way…" Taani disconnected the call.
"Kya hua Taani? Karan ke baare mein Kya baat Kar rahe te tum dono? aur tum itni kush lag rahe ho…" Rithwik had no more patience.
Taani held his shoulders and twirled him. Wahi and Kriya bartered a peek at each other. "Karan Bhai bi humare saath Goa ayenge…" Taani explained everything to them. Everyone hooted making a group hug.
******
"Ab Kya ho gaya, Sharon?" Rey slid into the wall. Dazzlers were still in the college rechecking their performance for final corrections. Sharon frowned upon them at intervals castigated often at the finishing of movements.
"Tum log na… shaayad soch rahe honge ki mein kitni bossy hu… guys… lekin tum log ek step ko itne baar miss Kar rahe ho…" Sharon rounded on them. Neha, Amar and Bharath interchanged a peep. Swayam was smiling though they all were tired like hell.
"Guys…" Surbhi came into the RH. Everyone looked at her. "Sorry for disturbing... Lekin Rey tumse kuch information chahiye ta…" Sharon smiled at her and she returned the same. Rey and Swayam exchanged a surprised glance as they weren't fighting and indeed were smiling at each other. They were still unaware of them being friends.
"Ha... pucho na..." Rey's eyes were shutting as he was sleep deprived.
"Hum fest ke liye kab kaise niklenge? Venue, accomodations? Details chahiye ta? Mujhe toh kuch nahi pata…" Surbhi told him.
"Wo… Na. You don't need to worry about it, Surbhi. Venue and accomodations… in Sab cheeze Kriya handle Kar rahi hai... Ab Hume vahi jaake pata karna hai… but hum Kal raat ko hi niklenge yahanse so that we will have one day buffer to settle ourselves… aur haan .. uskeliye Rey ne already permission le liya hai…" Sharon explained. Rey and Swayam's expressions were priceless.
"Oh is it… Thank you, Sharon… Then… Chalo... I'll go n inform my team… You guys carry on…" Surbhi waved off.
Sharon looked at others and all were staring her back like she had grown horns. "Kya hua? Tum Sab log aise kyun ghur rahe ho mujhe?" Sharon enquired.
"Tumhe bhukar toh nahi hua na, Sharon" Swayam checked her forehead. "Nahi toh Tum aur Surbhi see baat karna…"
"Smile karna… aur wo bi…" Rey continued Swayam's words.
"Guys… tum log na…" Then Sharon revealed everything happened between them.
"Accha ji… ye sab Tum ab bol rahe ho…" Rey mocked her.
"Wow Sharon… aap bi sorry bolte ho?" Neha wondered. Sharon gaped at her. "Ha… humari Sharon bi sorry bol sakti hai .." Rey imitated her.
******
They all finished the practice and left to house. Everyone were gone except for Rey and Swayam. Swayam waited as Rey tried to start his bike. But it wasn't kicking on.
"Pata nahi.. isko Kya hogaya?" Rey kicked in but it went futile.
"Chodna Rey… Ek kaam Karo... Tum mere saath aajao… aaj raat ko Ghar per hi soja… ye bike subah aake dekte hai…" Swayam suggested him.
"Are you sure?" Rey wondered.
"Ha.. toh ismein sure hone ka Kya baat hai… tu aise bol Raha hai ki mein tumhe Mera Ghar per kabhi bula hi nahi hu… ya tum mere Ghar kabhi aye hi nahi ho…" Swayam berated him.
"Aisa nahi hai, Swayam… hum dono ye tumhara itu sa cycle mein kaise jayenge Tera Ghar?" Rey asked, folding his hands sarcastically.
Swayam thought for a while. "Shayad puncture ho jaayega. Lekin dekte hai… tu aana…"
Then both left for Swayam's house in that tiny cycle of Swayam's, carrying their bromance. Thankfully, it didn't breakdown.
******
It was midnight and Rey flipped sides in the bed. Taani was no where to be seen when he and Swayam came home. Her room was dead silent. He couldn't barge into her room when Swayam was with him. So, he just followed him into the room around.
It had been two weeks, they haven't met for more than 5 minutes. He was sick of this taut programs. The last time they met, went in discussion about his dance team and her telling him about the finalisation of her designs to the event. He liked discussing about each other's work. At the same time, he was annoyed as they were just doing that. They hardly spoke about each other when they were together. The main purpose of deceiving his bike was that he could meet Taani for little longer. He had lied to Swayam saying bike wasn't starting. He knew very well, Swayam would call him along.
Now when he was here, he couldn't keep quite. He just wanted to go and meet Taani. When he heard Swayam snoring, Rey slowly tiptoed out of the room..
******
Taani was curled on the end of the bed. Laptop was on. Files were sprawled on the cot. She hugged herself feeling the chill of AC seeping in. Rey froze watching her for a second. She was asleep in the thick of her work. He sighed. Here, he was thinking he was sleep deprived because of the late night practices. But here, Taani was going through the same. He switched off the laptop and removed all the files and papers collecting it on the desk. Then, He lifted her quietly placing her head on the pillow. He tucked a bedsheet covering her entirely. She rolled over in her sleep and locked his hand feeling it as her pillow. He stilled. He was unable to remove his hands. Hence, he just sat on corner of the bed as she snuggled into him more. Rey watched her. She looked so peaceful and calm. It filled him with just pure ecstacy. This girl had stolen his heart and he wasn't willing to trade it for anything in the universe. He was also cautious of him being in her bed. Already, once he got a nice scolding from Swayam for being in her room. But he didn't care. He would take many more if that meant he had little time with her. As the clock ticked, both were dozed off.
Taani woke in the mid of her sleep feeling thirsty. When her eyes focused from the daze, she found holding someone's hands. She threw her bedsheet and sat straight in horror as the person behind her moved.
"Taani… cheeko mat… mein hun…" Rey yawned and switched on the bed light. She was about to scream but stopped hearing his voice. "Rey ..aap? Aap yaha is waqt Kya Kar rahe ho?" She looked at door hoping her brother didn't hear. She wouldn't like if he woke up and found them in her room again. She was going to snug down, if it happened. "Kya hai yaar…" He yawned again. "Mein tumse Milne ke liye Aya ta.. lekin tum toh so gayi ti…"
"Toh…" Taani remembered her not sleeping. She was just working and then slept amidst. "aap mujhe…"
"Ha… mein hi tumhe sulaya ta…" His finger touched the tip of her nose. "Aur tu toh mujhe tumhara pillow bunny samajke, itni zor se pakadke soyi ti… aur mujhe man nahi laga tumhara neend Karab Karne ka"
"Wo… mein neend mein ti na… mujhe nahi pata Chala" she pulled a face. "Waise bi Rey... Agar Bhai ayenge toh hum dono ka kand kardenge…" Taani hopped out of the bed. "Aap aao… abi jao yahase…" she tried to pull him. In return, he pulled her back on the bed and both fell on each other. Everything froze, as his upper half of the body was over her. "Sach mein jaao mein?" he asked her. She leered him for a second. She had missed him. But vocalising it just made him guilty as both weren't able to squeeze the time for each other. She didn't like blaming him. She herself was busy and probably wasn't giving him the attention she always did. "Nahi…" She said. "Nahi.."
He smirked. "I missed you, Taani…" he just hugged her in that awkward position. But who cares? He really missed her. He missed these kind of warm hugs. "I missed you too, Rey" She hugged him back snuggling her face in his neck.
"Jhooti… isiliye mujhe jaane ko bol rahi ti…" he pulled out of the hug and sat straight. "Aapna… mere har baat ko Ulta hi lete ho" She too moved into a sitting position next to him. "Mein nahi leta hun… tum aise karte ho…" he scowled. "dekho… abi bi aap mujhse lad rahe ho…" she frowned. Rey watched through tip of his eye. She looked annoyed. "Teek hai… nahi ladunga… ab toh ek jappi do…" His teeth beamed. Her serious face contorted into big smile. "Aap na…" she put her hands across his back holding him tight. He shook her in the hug, both lifting in the air. She screamed mildly asking him to stop. But he was on joyous mood. "Rey…" she giggled as he twirled her in his embrace. When he finally landed her, his wrist watch latched onto her zipper. She was wearing a back zipper tank top and the strength of their activity tore the zipper down revealing her back. Taani and Rey looked at each other.
"I'm so sorry Taani…" Rey looked aghast at the mild mistake he committed. It was unfortunate. His watch was still stuck to the zipper which hung onto her top. Taani felt so shy that her eyes met everywhere but Rey. He struggled real hard to remove the watch from the zipper but it was stuck and wasn't moving. Her bare back was exposed. And though he tried hard to avoid seeing, it peeked in front of his eyes. His fingers touched her skin as he worked on the removal of watch. She shivered at the slight contact. He stilled unmoving at her reaction. They were normal and suddenly the atmospheric had turned scorching hot. He was feeling breathless. The dim bed light was the only source of light which helped them to catch each other's expressions. She tilted her head just to see whether he was removing the zipper from watch. But he was just staring at her tilted head. As she turned back not meeting his eyes, he removed the watch from his hand, so that he could get a free access to detach it. As the zipper mouth was closed in, it wasn't possible for him to try separating it through his hands. He pressed his teeth on the zipper and accidentally his lips touched her bare skin. She breathed at the contiguity and again inclined her head to see him. Everything seemed so unrealistic. He once agin dipped his head clutching the zipper's mouth through his teeth to enlarge. The friction let watch to eliminate. Rey caught it and pushed it into his pocket.
Both just stood doing nothing. Her back was to him. She wanted to cover at the same time, she was dumbstruck to even move. She had never been so vulnerable. But she wanted to be this vulnerable with Rey. At the same time, she wasn't sure of the boundaries she had set for herself in a romantic relationship. She moved a step but Rey pulled her back through her waist. Her back hit him directly.
"Tum mujhse uncomfortable feel hote ho?" He whispered into her ear, breathing heavily as he tucked her hear on one side. Never. She was never uncomfortable with him. But she was definitely shy like anything. She shook her head. That was all he wanted to hear. Weeks of staying far away from each other craved this closeness. This proximity was required for them to let each other know how the intensity and the passion they carried for each other. He swallowed as the hotness raged inside. Involuntarily his lips moved to her back of the neck. He placed a wet kiss. Her whole body shuddered. She closed her eyes as he did. His mouth was on a trail. He let his mouth parade over her bare skin. He placed wet kisses on her back making her knees weak. His hands slid across her waist pulling her back onto him as he placed kisses all over. She wasn't going to be still if he carried on. And suddenly, she felt him drawing back.
Rey covered her placing a blanket on her. She looked at his sudden change. One moment he was kissing her and next… He stood in front of her. "Agar mein nahi rokta toh bahut gad bad ho jaata…"
She understood him. His actions. They were still young at age. And wanting these things with each other was normal. But she loved how careful Rey was with her. Though they had their moments, he never cross a line. Or crossed only with her permission. She was touched at his gesture. She hugged him tight, placing a kiss on his chest. He held her even tighter. There was a particular time for everything. He wouldn't want to scare Taani by doing things which they both were new to. He took his little time to take things easy. He pecked her hairs living in the moment.
******
"Sab ready hai na, Kriya?" Rey checked the invitation sent by Goa Fest. They were all set to leave for Goa tonight. Kriya looked him, taken aback at his sudden presence. But she held her ground. Though the love between them had vanquished, a sense of respect and friendship was still there. She didn't give much thought about her broken heart as it just made her sad. She was really trying to get through it and for instance, she was making progress.
"Ha… Rey... Sab kuch hogaya… Meine sabiko inform ki hun… sharo 6'o clock ko college campus ke pass aane ke liye…" Kriya rechecked the list of students going to Goa.
"Oh." Rey checked his watch and suddenly remembered things happened at yesterday night. He smiled for himself remembering all those romantic moments between him and Taani.
"Rey?" Kriya waved her hands in front of him. "Aap akele mein kyun has rahe ho?" She asked with a raised eyebrows.
He fiddled at the question. But his face contorted into stoic. "Are... Kuch nahi" he faked "it's already 5pm… Hume bi Ghar jaake jaldi aana hai… so shall we move?"
Kriya nodded. But before he could go home, he wanted to meet Taani. He was so sad to leave Taani back here when he would go Goa. Last year, eventhough he didn't inform her while going to Goa, she had come solely for him without giving damn to her GS post. Even for once, she didn't question him. And he had never realised the sacrifices she made for him during those days. If he has to be honest, he always took her for granted. He cared for his friends more. He actually made her to wait for him many times when he happily bounced with his friends back. At several occasions, he had been angry on Taani because of his friends. He had never had an inkling of her hurt feelings. And today and coming days, he had so much of time to rectify all those minute things.
He had informed Taani that he would be leaving to Goa tonight. She looked happy about it. But he was skeptical. He wished that she came along too.
******
Everyone were gathered in the college campus at 6.00pm exactly except Taani and Swayam. Rey hadn't got time to meet Taani since she had gone to her office in order to submit some reports. She wished him to go ahead.
Kriya notified everyone to enter the bus. "Per Taani kaha hai?" Wahi admonished asking her to wait. Rey heard him and looked befuddled.
"Swayam bi abi Tak nahi aaya hai?" Sharon announced.
At the exact moment, Swayam and Taani came to the campus. "Thank God, Taani… meine socha tu end mein haat de rahi hai…" Wahi hugged her. Swayam looked away. He was happy that she had many friends but that simply didn't calm him being a brother. Sharon noticed it.
Rey erected in the place in amazement. He didn't mind her closeness with Wahi. But, What was Taani doing, here? He didn't know she was coming. She hadn't spoken about it to him at all. She looked at him and smiled. She purposefully hadn't informed him so that he would be surprised knowing she was going to come with him. She was thankful to see the look on his face. Happy. But confused? She was also excited to see his face when she performed dramatics skit with Wahi. Rey wanted to speak to her. But everyone were surrounded and he looked really miffed about it.
Rithwik came to help Taani, taking her luggage to settle inside the bus. And that irked Rey. The things he couldn't do with Taani infront of everyone was being done by Rithwik. Yes, he was a friend. But he was irritated whenever he saw Rithwik with her. It was just that.
"Tumhe Kya hogaya?" Swayam locked a hand on Rey's shoulder.
"Wo… Taani…" Rey was unsure to ask Swayam knowing he behaved unexpected when it came to Taani.
"Ha… Taani bi aa rahi hai… Goa… tujhe nahi pata Kya?" Swayam asked him. Looking at Rey's 'no idea' face, Swayam chuckled. "Tu kaisa GS hai, Rey? Ek baar bi list Dekha hai tune? Taani aur Wahi dramatics Dept se performance represent Kar rahe hai… isiliye Taani bi aa rahi hai humare saath"
Rey looked really hurt. How could she not tell him about this? Or she thought he wouldn't be happy about it? Here, he was trying everything possible to communicate between them so that they avoided any misunderstandings. But Taani…
He looked at her. She beamed at him, excitedly. But he didn't reciprocate her smile. He was vexed at her. It was such an insult when Swayam asked him if not knowing about it. What would Swayam think of? He expected better from Taani.
Vicky, Bharath and Nil who were having a fun banter observed these two from past minutes. "Tum logon ko nahi lagta… in logon ke beech phirse shuru ho Gaya hai?" Nil asked as other watched between them. Rey and Taani were staring at each other. Rey looked furious while Taani looked confused at his sudden change of expressions.
"Kya shuru hogaya hai be…" Bharath was perplexed.
"Chemistry…" Nil and Vicky raised their hands as they always did. Bharath too observed them by agreeing and imitated them. They may have been egoistic, rude an whatnot but still they carried the humour along with them. And eventhough they weren't vocal about their feelings, they all loved Rey and they liked keeping track of him every time. They had issues with Taani before. Probably they were wrong to speak nonsense about her in her own house. But they were realising it after being apart from the group. They didn't feel the days going better without them. But their egos just invaded them too much. And they hadn't faced any problems from Taani past many days and they were actually surprised to know that they actually started liking her. If not for the misunderstandings between them and Rey, Swayam.. everyone would have been together.
Rey walked away into the bus without talking to anyone, even when Sharon tried to stop him to speak something. Taani stood dumbfounded. She couldn't contemplate what just happened. Rithwik observed these two behaving abnormal. Taani turned to Rithwik passing him a psuedo smile as they watched Surbhi squeezing the life out of Karan as she was so happy that he was coming with them to Goa. Taani had managed to convince him.
******
Author's Note:
Dear all,
Do let me know your views. Please do vote and comment. Thank you.
Love - Asha