A few minutes earlier:
Abhimanyu moved towards the kitchen with two takeaway boxes both unsealed. He kept them on the counter and moved back to the living. He slowly slumped onto the sofa and began to think about the stuff he has been brushing off since the last day. The things she was unaware of and the things he thought she should know.
"What if she walks out of the marriage?" He continued thinking about all the probabilities that would happen once she gets to know about the deal. Becausearly mentioned she is totally against such things.
"First let me adjust the mood, then I'll blurt out the truth." He marched towards her room practising the breathing technique trying to calm his nerves and knocked on the door. She looked at him with shock because anyone would be. It was an odd time at the night and they were anything but normal during the trip.
"Akshara, can I sleep in your room?" Abhimanyu as soon as she walked outside her room. He moved almost into her room without waiting for her reply, with his mobile and a water bottle.
Akshara on the other hand was dumbstruck seeing this sudden development. The man is making her more confused every single day. One day he was the most charismatic man whom she want to wrap in her arms and the next day he would turn into a smug bastard who would give no flying fuck to her and hug his ex.
The butterflies which were calmed down now made a comeback. She looked at him with a small smile and signalled him to come inside totally. Abhimanyu followed reluctantly, trailing behind her and maintaining a little distance between them. They finally settled on both sides of the bed, Him looking at the bedsheet and Akshara playing with the pillow.
Abhimanyu wore a white scoop-necked tee which would make him look like a rockstar if paired with his fancy jacket. Akshara on the other hand sat on the other side examining him almost checking out him. He gazed at her and boom, she looked away awkwardly as if anything ever happened.
"Let's sleep." She announced as she was convinced Abhimanyu wouldn't utter a single word even if she wait the whole night. They both took both sides of the bed and lay there. An awkward silence followed for the next who knows what period. Finally after gazing at the beautiful ceiling for god knows how much time, Abhimanyu finally cleared his throat to start talking.
"Akshara What do you think about love?" Abhimanyu asked with a tone serene but intense, while he leaned on his side of the bed with his arms folded under his head. He again gazed at the ceiling for good 30 seconds then looked at Akshara, who was busy lost in her thoughts and smiled at the ceiling.
"There is timing for each person's destiny. When that time comes, someone will find me.. and I will too find that someone," Akshara smiled at herself in a tone with a tinge of excitement and a lot of hope. "You believe in stuff that even kids these days don't," He shrugged off her words carelessly. Before she could say anything more he resumed, "Waise I'm your husband anyway so I dare if you would ever find your someone," He turned to her with a look she tried hard to understand but couldn't crack.
Akshara got weird out looking at him "Stop looking at me so weird!" Abhimanyu calmly answered, "That's just how I look!" he said, in a shut-up-and-let-me-talk voice. "You look like these movie dudes who kiss after every 2 minutes when you do this." She complained mirroring the emotions his eyes conveyed at that moment.
"What are we?" Abhimanyu asked without waiting for another instance. "Husband and wife," she answered placing her fingers on her lips, but suddenly she realised they were anything but normal, so immediately responded with a big "Nooooooo,"
"Not husband and wife...So what are we?" Abhimanyu looked at her intently, who by now came out his skin according to the mood of the room. Playful and maybe romantic.
"Friends?" Akshara replied turning her eyes sideward and looking at him. He was already looking at her without blinking, 'Ugh what a creep' she screamed mentally smacking him but the smile was still plastered on her lips. 'What's wrong with her?' He thought seeing her emotions varying from smile to Annoyance to nasty looks.
"Can you take me seriously for once-" Abhimanyu sighed looking at her. Akshara smiled at him with the probably fakest smile one could flaunt and pulled up her comforter. "Good night," She covered herself from head to toe, he slowly wrapped his arm around her waist which is now covered with the thick blanket on her, he slowly removed the one from her face and leaned onto her in a mood to kiss, screamed her inner parts.
Akshara opened her mouth in protest but he placed a finger on my lips and looked down at her, the smile present before was now turned into an intense look. His eyes glistened in the darkness. Akshara could feel his hands trembling like hers, just a little. And then, very deliberately, he lowered his head to her forehead and gave a flying peck on her forehead.
He pulled Akshara a little closer and buried his nose into my hair. 'Nice shampoo,' he smiled against her ears making her toes curl. "You want that?" She asked looking at him with a tender smile for which he nodded a no with a smile plastered on his face immediately bringing one on her face too.
"Good Night Akshu," Abhimanyu rested his head on her nape and muttered in her ears grabbing her close to him.
***
NEXT MORNING
"If you wanted to talk. we could've talked earlier." Akshara smiled looking at him as if it was not a big deal.
"You barely spoke at breakfast. What was I to think?" He looked at her worried to make sure she is okay. But her heart on the other hand was thumping out of her ribcage due to this man.
"I figured if you wanted to meet me, you could call. God knows a million thoughts ran through my mind." His rant just went on. Of course how he couldn't, after being all soft and intimate before night, he couldn't see her face as soon as he woke up. He searched all through the house only to see her return after an hour and just leave after finishing her breakfast.
"You just overthink," She rolled her eyes and moved towards her newly designed cabin which Harsh advised her to take as a present from his side.
"Sir you look great today," Rohan who passed through the cafeteria complemented Abhimanyu, "I had a good sleep well after so many days," He said eyeing Akshara whose cheeks now turned to crimson blush by now. Before they're highlighted, she would feel embarrassed she smiled at them and excused herself.
Abhimanyu and Rohan walked further with their black coffees and settled in the seats opposite each other. Abhimanyu before he could take his first sip he listened to something he shouldn't be listening to.
"This beautiful girl, joined the music department today." A man sat next to Abhimanyu's table announced.
"Oh yeah, I listened too," The other guy beamed. The guys further continued with some gibberish and finally after 5 minutes they're back to the beautiful girl topic.
"Maybe she's close to trustees but still I like her already," The third guy screamed in joy. "She's pretty sings well and..." before the second guy could continue, the first one interrupted. "What if she's committed or has someone?" The second one continued with his questions.
"She will be mine within a week, No matter what. period." The guy proudly announced to his gang who cheered him.
On the other hand, Abhimanyu who heard this convo was nothing less than a raging bull. He didn't know what to do, neither wanted to create a ruckus and make a big drama or that.
There's a fragile thing called male ego, which switches itself on in such situations. Akshara or not this was wrong but Akshara being the topic of someone's pervert discussion. He left his coffee midway and rushed towards her cabin not so far from the cafeteria.
Akshara's mobile beeped before she could walk inside, it was from Abhimanyu. She sighed thinking about the man and the nonstop complaints he does every day.
"Come out and hug me once;" She looked at the user from which the message was delivered twice. Abhimanyu Birla, the name was right and he's officially MAD.
"What?" She wondered looking at the text, "Did he lose his last two brain cells last night?"
"Faster," The phone beeped again.
She slowly moved towards her door, and as soon as she opened the door she saw him standing at the juncture of the hospital where almost everyone could watch them.
"What are you up to?" She hugged him, who almost held her choking her. "A peck and you are free," he whispered in her ears as If she has only option to obey
"peck kyu french hi karenge" Akshara laughed off with a sarcastic remark. Abhimanyu gripped his hand tightly around her waist and whispered with a naughty smirk. "That's kind of the idea," He finished making her drop her mouth in 'O'.
"No way, " She ground her teeth while replying to him in his ears, still not breaking the hug.
"One peck,"
"No way."
"Only one, mere assistants dekh rahe beizzati hogi." Abhimanyu's voice was now lost and turned pleading. She noticed though no one is gazing at them directly she could feel eyes on them.
"Fine," She broke the hug and smiled at him as fake as possible. She moved towards him in the direction of his cheek, but Abhimanyu was quick enough to crash his lips upon hers first. He slowly held her carefully by her shoulders and once he was sure he felt her lips totally under his he withdrew.
"Have a good day, Akshu." Abhimanyu smiled in a soft tone but audible to everyone mainly his targeted audience.
Akshara was just flabbergasted by the proceedings, just nodded thinking something and left for her cabin.
Abhimanyu's mobile buzzed as he slumped in his chair with a broad smile with his hands still on his lips.
You said peck but what was that?
The reply came back to Akshara within a minute, without much wait.
I asked for a peck, not a kindergarten one.
"He's so hopeless," She sighed with frustration and moved forward to her work.
AFTERNOON :
Akshara looked at Abhimanyu, who was almost peeping inside her room with two boxes in his hand.
'he's gonna give me a heart attack someday.' She screamed internally and moved towards the door.
"Stop trying to see across the room, people are starting to believe something's up." Akshara sighed in frustration looking at him with a weird look. Things started feeling so new for akshara that she didn't even have time to soak in these changes.
"Well, let them think that for all I care. At least they know to keep their hands off of you." He announced proudly, looking at her who was seeing with an absolute he-couldn't-figure-out look.
"Mmm...Excuse me? Don't say you're being jealous of a 10-year-old kid."Akshara complained giving him her best weird look.
"I am, I know it's not something sane to do. But it was uncontrollable." He replied calmly making her choke the air and started coughing badly. "Water?" Abhimanyu rushed towards the table and almost shook the shelve he was leaning on before. Making the box which was placed on the top land almost to the ground with a thud making the papers disperse here and there along with some files.
Akshara reached out to take files from him and in the process, The things in that file fell onto the ground tangled by the wires present in the room. Abhimanyu bent down to help her pick them and they knocked their heads together hard.
Akshara broke into unstoppable laughter as soon as they hit each other. Abhimanyu pulled back and looked at her, rubbing his forehead. "What is wrong with you?" he asked exasperatedly. "Sorry," Akshara whispered and giggled at the same time looking at his annoyed expression.
'We should bang our heads together again, Nahi toh you'll get horns." she chuckled mentioning it, He raised his eyebrows at that. "And who's being superstitious now?" he asked. "It's just something mimi says every time we hit our heads." she shrugged not giving in to his blame.
"Maybe she just likes to bang your siblings and your heads together,' he said, while still busy rubbing his own. 'Maybe that's how she satisfies her soul after all the pareshaani you people do at your house. Ever thought of that?" He chuckled looking till he noticed Akshara who was glaring at him like she would kill him with bare hands.
"Well, I have cases to attend to." He smiled awkwardly and ran out for his life. He knew FURIOUS AKSHARA IS SOMEONE WHO SHOULDN'T BE MESSED WITH.
***
"And, Your Highness, how was your first day?" Asked Abhimanyu with a smile as he watched her walk through the hospital toward the exit with a much too heavy bag in her hand. Abhimanyu immediately took the bag from her and laboriously retraced her steps.
"Everything was super perfect," she exclaimed with joy. "There's so much energy here," she said, jumping ahead as they made their way to the parking lot. "And my colleagues, they're like from dreamland. Unbelievable!" She started talking about each of them, which irritated him for no reason. That would be the last thing he wanted to listen to, the team which consisted of 8 guys and 3 girls, where the women would barely speak anything.
"Stop sounding so excited," he said sardonically. "Stop being so salty about everything." She slapped him on the shoulder as they moved. "I'm always like this, every day." He knew he was especially sour that day, for
"So you made good progress today?" Abhimanyu inquired further, to which she nodded happily, "Tum?" She asked casually, "No," he replied within a snap with the rudest of tones he'd ever use. Yes, how could he, for all the energy directed toward the work he spent all day guarding it? He hated that feeling, but he didn't try to tame it or get rid of it.
"Why?" Akshara asked him straightforwardly because just last night he was all clingy and acting like a giant teddy bear. A million thoughts flashed through her mind, chief among them how she could crack this wallflower's head and figure out what was going on inside him. Is he on his period? she thought to herself and decided not to mess with him anymore.
Abhimanyu looked surprised that she didn't bother to ask why because he was determined to tell her it was because of YOU. After a few minutes, he calmed down a bit and continued to ask her, expecting an answer, "Don't you know why?" Akshara shrugged and walked to the car with a cheeky smile on her lips. "Maybe I don't know," she replied, trying to play the ignorant, which irritated Abhimanyu even more.