[Before you guys give a read to this chapter, please go through the previous chapter as well. I have made a few changes in it. Thank you 😊💗]
Arjun's POV
It was the day I was waiting for. Today I will attend the event with Sunaina as my partner. I looked through my closest trying to pick the best suit for today. Her blue saree resembles her to those calm yet endearing sea- the place where I first saw her. I can't wait to see her tonight. This time I won't hide my feelings anymore. I won't wait for her to understand my feelings. I will tell her how I feel tonight. I smiled to myself, I have the perfect scenario in my mind. I don't know if she will accept me or not but this time, I won't back out. I picked out the perfect dark blue tuxedo for today. With a few finishing touches, I was ready for the event. I looked at the watch. The time displayed 7:30 pm.
"Sunaina must be ready by now." Thinking this, I went towards her room to check up on her. The door was slightly open which made it easier for me to have a look inside without getting caught. I looked inside only to realise that my heart has started to beat at an uncontrollable speed. The entire room was filled with a strange kind of wind that was twirling the curtains at a slower pace. Everything looked so magical in there as if that guest room did not belong to this world. My eyes fixed on just one person- Sunaina was looking dazzling in that blue half saree. Her hair tied up in a messy bun and her pallu falling loosely on her shoulder. I could see her tying the latkan with her hands while her face looked perfect through the reflection of the mirror. Lost in her eyes, I unconsciously entered inside her room. She turned around at the sudden noise and I could see her eyes get low at this intrusion of mine. This time I didn't care, I just wanted to completely drown in her.
"Ar...Jun...sir...what are you....doing-"
"Be quiet else people will misunderstand." Saying this, I reached for her untangled latkan and tied them up tightly. My eyes still fixed on the mirror. I could sense Sunaina breathing heavily at every touch of mine. I smiled satisfied at those reactions. I tied the knot on her latkan and turned her around. Her legs seemed to have gotten all jiggly as she lost her balance and held on to my tuxedo tightly. I held her tightly by the shoulders and we just stared at each other forgetting everything that might be around us. I could stare at her innocent face all day. Those locks of her hair seemed to be enjoying this moment of ours. I tucked her hair behind and smiled at her- this time, it was filled with love.
"You look beautiful Sunaina." I couldn't stop myself anymore.
"Tha..thanks." She smiled shyly. "let's go now." It was evident that she wanted to escape from me and she was successful in doing that for now. She coyly slid past me without letting either have a physical contact with each other. I smiled fondly at her disappearing back. "Today is the day. I will pour my heart to you."
Sunaina's POV
I ran away from my room immediately after that encounter. What was wrong with him? My heart starts to beat faster when I remember him tying my latkan. Probably, the only time when I could feel my breath being taken away. He should be discreet about his action. Afterall, he has a girlfriend right? The thought of him doing all this with her girlfriend brought a frown on my face. I decided to ignore it and went downstairs.
"Sunaina...my dear." I saw Gayathri Devi as soon as I hurled downstairs. "My god! You look stunning." I smiled profusely at her compliment.
"OMG! Sunaina!! This attire is so beautiful. Where did you buy it from?" Mansi's question threw me off guard.
"Umm... there's this office party right?" I tried to reason in.
"Right."
"So um...Arjun sir got me this." A huge smile spread on Mansi's face when she looked behind me and said.
"Waah Aru! You have got great taste in such things eh?" I turned around in surprise to find Arjun smirking at everyone intently. My face started to heat up again when our eyes met. Embarassed, I lowered down my eyes and heard him say, "Shall we go Sunaina?"
I gave him a nod in return and we were about to leave when suddenly Abhay stopped us.
"Hey brother when are you bringing that girlfriend of yours? You do know it's time for you to settle down right?" His words brought me back to my reality.
"Don't worry Bhai, I will bring her soon. Let's go." Saying this, we both left the house and headed towards his parked car. We sat down inside and Arjun started his car without wasting anymore time. The journey to the venue was kinda quiet. Arjun was concentrating on the road while my eyes stealing glances at him. He is back in his favorite colour. I couldn't help but check out those biceps that was so evident through his suit. I wanted to look away but it was too much of an ordeal for me to avoid him. I remember how I used to dream something like this. Me and Arjun together and nothing else mattered. Neither I had to worry about my work nor I had to run here and there in the hospital. Everything would be peaceful, everything would be good. I looked at him driving so peacefully. His eyes filled with something unspeakable. Is god compensating me for all the tears that I have shed so far? But what's the point? I have to leave him forever at one point and then he will forget me as well. Besides, he has a girlfriend to tend to. Why did you have to give me this pleasure, if you had already planned to take it away from me.
"What are you staring at? Never saw someone this handsome?" Arjun's sudden comment caught me off guard.
"Don't overestimate yourself." I smiled bashfully.
"Your eyes tell a different story though."
"Your girlfriend won't be happy hearing all this."
"She isn't petty." His eyes shined when he mentioned about her.
"You must have fallen hard."
"Yeah. Unbelievable right?"
"Why isn't she coming with you in today's party?"
"She will be." He said confidently. "I have planned something for her so I will execute it in the party." My heart jumped out of my chest. He has planned something for her?
"She is lucky." I gave a fake smile.
"I know." And that's where we stopped talking. A few minutes later we reached to our destination. Arjun got out of his car and came on my side. I got out of the car and he offered his hand in front of me. Smiling, I took his hand and entered the venue of the party. Everyone was dressed in western gowns and various other accessories which made me feel a little out of place to be honest. Arjun must have sensed this because he immediately put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a reassuring hug. I replied to his hug with a faint smile and we went further inside to greet Karan- the host of this party. Karan looked at me standing beside Arjun and his smile turned into a smirk.
"Arjun! Sunaina! I didn't expect you two to come as a couple." His displeasure clearly evident in his voice.
"Well..." I was about to make up an excuse when suddenly Arjun spoke in pulling me closer to him.
"She is my girlfriend."
"Wha-"
"Let's go love." Arjun cut me off and started pulling me away. "Sorry Karan...we can talk later, I really wanna dance with her for now." Saying this he left Karan stranded alone and pulled me towards the dance floor.
"What was that Arjun?" I was hella pissed at him.
"What was what?" He said innocently as if he didn't know a thing.
"I am not your girlfriend." I gritted my teeth.
"I know." He smiled with a sense of naughtiness in his eyes. "But he doesn't need to know that." I smiled at his words.
"So what are we doing here?" I looked at him curiously.
"Dance ofcourse." Arjun gave another coy smile.
"Don't be ridiculous Arjun. I am leaving. You dance with someone else." I was about to leave the dance floor when he suddenly caught hold of my hand and pulled closer. His arms spread around my waist while my hands placed on his shoulder. The music boomed near my ears while I saw Arjun staring intently at me. His eyes felt like an open letter- it holds so much inside them which I am eager to read.
Ho ajkal tanha mein kaha hu
Saath chalta koi
Uski humein adaat hone ki
Adaat ho gayi...
Woh jo mila hain
Jabse uski sohobat ho gayi,
Ek Zara masoom se dil ki afaat ho gayi....
Sun le zara...
Sun le zara...
Dil ne kaha...
Itna bas mujhe pata hain...
I am in love...I am in love...
Tu hi bata
Jane kya mujhe hua hain...
I don't know when and how but both Arjun and I were dancing in perfect sync while being lost in each other. I was staring in his eyes when he leaned towards my shoulders and started to speak slowly in his raspy voice.
"Sunaina...." I could feel shivers down my spine. "Don't leave me today please." I didn't know what was affecting me more- the music or his words?
"I won't" Was all I could reply keeping my head on his shoulders.
Os bundo mein tu hain
Bhinge mundo mein tu hain
Dishao das tu hain
Tu hi hain
Bas tu hain.
Dil ka seher tu hain,
Achhi khabar tu hain,
Fursat ki hashi tu hain,
Jo bhi thi Kami tu hain.
Tu hain mera...
Tu hain mera...
Kuch mein jaanu na.
Itna bas mujhe pata hain...
I am in love...
I am in love.
Tu hi bata...
Jane kya mujhe hua hain...
The song was coming towards its end when Arjun twirled me around and I couldn't help but follow his steps. He pulled me down and then brought me close towards himself again. The music brought us closer and I could feel my heart beating for him madly. Arjun slowly came near my lips. His eyes closed which in turn made me close my eyes in anticipation. Our lips were about to meet when suddenly the whole dance floor was clapping at us. Surprised, I looked at everyone and I knew immediately that they saw us coming closer to each other. I pulled away from him immediately and ran away towards an empty part of the hall. I was blushing hard. What did I just experience a few seconds ago? We were too close! Recalling those moment, my face instantly heated up. I wanted to hide myself or run away from here. But the most difficult part for me now is that I have to face Arjun. I was thinking all this when suddenly I heard Arjun's voice approaching me.
"Sunaina...." I heard him near me. I was too embarassed to turn around when he suddenly held me by my shoulders and flipped me around. Now I was facing him.
"Look at me Sunaina." My eyes just couldn't face him.
"Please Sunaina....please." Embarassed, I looked at him only to find a pair of passionate eyes look at me with a certain longing that I have never felt before.
"Sunaina... there's something I need speak to you about. I need to get it out of my chest." I nodded in approval and he took a deep breath before he started speaking.
"Umm...the day when I saved you, I didn't know that you will become such an important part of my life." My eyes were dilating in shock. "Sunaina...life has not been so good to me but I think your presence made me love this life a little more." His words brought tears to my eyes. All along Sunaina Mehra just longed for someone who will crave for her, hold her as if she is way too precious. She always wanted to be adored and today she is recieving such beautiful words from him.
"Arjun...." My tears started to fall down my eyes. "Please don't. I won't be able to go back if you keep saying all this."
"Then don't go na..." Arjun's pleading tone was shaking me.
"Sunaina..." He continued. "I think I ha-." He was about to say something when a gun shot suddenly echoed the room. My heart stopped beating when I realised why he stopped talking all of a sudden. My eyes encountered the same black robed man. He was standing there with a gun in his hand. The bullet freshly out of this gun which he was pointing at him. The shock in Arjun's eyes didn't let me respond to anything. He touched his back only to find his hand covered in blood. Our eyes met for one last time before he collapsed on the floor.
"Arjuuuuuuun!!" I ran towards his lying body. He was still whimpering in pain. "No no no no!!! Wake up please. Please no! Don't leave me Arjun." Tears were falling down my eyes. I couldn't protect him. My hands filled with his blood and my eyes that instead of tears are now shedding rage. The sound of gunshot brought the rest of the guest to the room where Arjun was lying. My eyes locked at the black robed man and I ran towards him in anger.
"You bastard!! I will kill you!" My words seemed to have alerted the culprit and he started running away further on the other side. I started chasing him immediately while he runs away faster avoiding all the guests that are in the way. I didn't want to lose him out today! He was about to get away and escape when suddenly someone knocked him. I looked down at the culprit and then at the person who knocked him out. My eyes became wider in surprise when I found my best friend standing there in front of me with a butler beside her.
"Preeti...you?" I was about to ask her what's going on when she suddenly said.
"Gullu now's not the time to ask all this. Arjun needs you." She reasoned out with me. "take him to the hospital. I and my butler will take care of this guy. You go Sunaina!" Her words reassured me. Nodding, I left the premises immediately and started running back to where Arjun was. My eyes still dripping tears.
"Please don't die! Please don't die Arjun!"
Preeti's POV
I sent off Sunaina to take care of Arjun. Honestly, I never intended to come in front of her but now the current situation is a total mess and she has to know that I am here. I don't know how but my computer started beeping all of a sudden and I looked at the words.
"He was standing there with a gun in his hand." Was it a boon? I don't know but I did know that I had to reach here faster to catch the culprit. Thanks to Shawarma, we literally reached here on time. I kicked myself hard because I couldn't reach here on time to save Arjun from this. If only I knew earlier but if it wasn't for the book, I would have never known that the killer is on its move. I looked at the killer with rage in my eyes.
"Milady...he has been tied down properly." I heard Shawarma, my butler speak and went closer towards her.
"No one hurts my best friend!" I kicked him hard saying this. "You have done a big mistake trying to kill Arjun." I pulled off his mask only to find out a young boy in his 20's look at me with horror.
"Speak!" I growled at him. "Who the hell are you?" My blood was boiling. He tried to kill off a character from my book. He cannot be left without a proper punishment. All was going well but before I could make him confess the truth, I saw him take a gulp. That's when I realised that he must have swallowed something.
"I will protect my boss till the end!" Saying this, he fell down on the floor. White froth coming out of his mouth and in a few minutes, he passed away. "No! No!" I punched on the ground in anger. He was the only link that could help me find the truth and now he killed himself. "oh god! No!" I was feeling helpless and this was getting out of hand.
"Milady, there's something in his hand." Shawarma suddenly pointed towards his hand where I noticed a note. I pulled the note from his hands and opening the note, I got the shock of my life. This wasn't not something I expected. The content of the note made me realise that the actual killer and the mastermind behind all this was still on the leash.
"I think it's high time that Sunaina knows your little secret. I warned you to leave but you thought you could beat me.
Let's see whom do you lose first, you best friend's favorite character or your best friend?"
"Milady, what's wrong?" Shawarma broke me out of my thoughts. My head reeling out of dizziness and I fell down on the floor beside the already stiff killer.
"Sunaina will misunderstand me." I murmered to myself. I was worried because now not only was my friendship at stake but this world of fiction as well.
Phew! 3k words. This is probably one of the hardest chapters of this book that I have ever written. We are approaching to unveiling of all the secrets. Thank you for loving this book. Help this book reach your friends and I hope you can comment on how are you liking the story. Thank you ❤️