As Radhi was about to descend the stairs of the stage, her foot suddenly slipped, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. Out of fear, she closed her eyes. However, just in time, someone grabbed her shoulder, and when Radhi felt that she hadn't fallen, she opened her eyes to see that someone had saved her by holding her shoulder.
Radhi was about to express her gratitude for being saved when she looked at the face of the person in front of her and quickly withdrew her hand from their shoulder, saying, "Aagli baar tumhari madad lene ke bajaye mai girna pasand krungi." With these words, Radhi was about to leave when the person grabbed her hand.
(Next time, instead of your help, I would prefer falling.)
"After so many years, we finally meet, and you won't even talk to me?" the person said, approaching Radhi.
"It seems like you've forgotten what you did to me," Radhi said, looking into the person's eyes with sarcasm.
Even after hearing this, the person didn't seem remorseful, not letting go of her hand and saying, "Oh, you're still stuck on those old matters. It's been so many years, but you haven't changed; you still won't talk nicely to me."
"And you still haven't improved," Radhi replied with a tinge of frustration and disappointment.
"If you change, I'll definitely change," the person said, attempting to sound reassuring.
Radhi then hit the person's leg with her heel, saying, "I hope you improve after this. Pratik."
Pratik winced in pain and let go of her hand abruptly, feeling discomfort.
As Radhi started to walk away, she turned back once and warned, "Be careful next time because last time, you got away lightly due to not being recognized, but if you don't mend your ways this time, I won't hesitate to take serious action."
Having said her piece, Radhi continued on her path. Pratik could only watch her leave, feeling a sense of unease and uncertainty.
Pratik Mishra, watching Radhi depart, muttered to himself, "No problem, this time I'll plan better," with a sarcastic smile, masking his true feelings of frustration and determination.
Aayansh's POV
I was standing a bit away from the party area, in the midst of a conversation with Sudip, my personal assistant, over the phone.
"Okay, sir, I understand." Sudip's voice came through from the other end of the call.
"That's good, then. Next time, send me data messages from time to time instead of calling me," I remarked, caught off guard by Sudip's call.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted from behind: "What data are you talking about?"
I recognized the voice instantly; I was not mistaking it. Without a pause, I turned to see who it was, eager to put a face to the familiar sound.
Author's POV
As Radhi scanned the party for Aayansh, she noticed him still engrossed in his phone, even as she ventured a bit outside the lively area.
Her mind raced with questions: "Who could he be talking to for so long? And what could be holding his attention for this extended period? He's never devoted this much time to me in conversation, let alone with someone else," she mused, a twinge of jealousy creeping in.
Brushing aside her feelings, she reassured herself, "Let it go. He's entitled to talk to whomever he pleases. It's his life, after all."
Yet her curiosity persisted: "But he's my partner. Don't I have the right to know who's monopolizing his time? Who could possibly be keeping him engaged for so long?"
As Radhi drew nearer, she caught fragments of Aayansh's conversation. At the mere mention of his name, he swiftly stowed away his phone and turned to face her, his expression shifting to one of surprise and warmth.
With a welcoming smile, Aayansh greeted her, "Hey, what brings you out here? Shouldn't you be enjoying the party inside?"
"And what about you? Why are you here anyway? You were relentlessly urging me to come to Goa with you, and now that you're here, you're just buried in your office work. I had already objected to your coming earlier. If you were just going to be glued to your phone, you could have stayed back and continued your work there. Why come halfway and leave your tasks incomplete?" Just as Radhi starts to scold him, Aayansh interrupts, placing his hand over her mouth to stop her from speaking.
He says, "Bas kro meri maa, chlta hu mai tumhare saath aur mai koi kaam aadhura chor nahi aaya hu na hi ab mai kisi ka phone uthaunga. Ab khush?"
(Enough, my mom; I'm leaving with you. I haven't left any work unfinished, nor will I be busy on the phone again.Is that okay?)
Radhi listens intently to Aayansh's entire statement, feeling his hand still covering her mouth despite his words. She clenches her teeth, causing Aayansh to wince in pain and retract his hand from her mouth.
"Ye kya tha? Kyu kata mujhse? kutta ho kya?" Aayansh asked, inspecting his hand.
(What's this? Why did you bite me? (Are you a dog?)
"Kutta nahi kutti hota hai female ke liye! Aur bta the way mai insaan hu, tum hi hoge kutte," Radhi retorts.
(It's not 'dog,' it's 'bitch' for a female, and by the way, I'm a human; you might be the dog.)
"Why did you treat me like a dog, then?" Aayansh asks, frustrated, as he removes his hand from Radhi's mouth.
Aayansh, observing Radhi's anger, responds, "I understood.".
Confused by Aayansh's reaction, Radhi asks, "Huh? Where did you go off-topic, and what did you understand?"
Aayansh, now questioning her, asks, "Who is it? Who ruined your mood and made you shout at me?"
Radhi contemplates silently, wondering how Aayansh discovered that her mood was sour.
Radhi, registering his question, responds with a hint of surprise and curiosity, "Who told you... I mean, where did you hear that my mood was off?"
"I know you well enough to understand what's going on in your mind," Aayansh asserts confidently.
"Oh, come on, liar! You must have just guessed. It's obvious that you guessed because of my sudden decision to leave the party," Radhi responds, with a skepticism accusation.
"You probably don't even know yourself as well as I know you," Aayansh says, drawing closer, and then he gently holds her waist, pulling her towards him.
"Yeah, these are just words. In reality, no one can know me better than myself," Radhi says confidently, gently tipping Aayansh's nose.
"If you don't believe me, then try it," Aayansh says, drawing her closer and dissolving the distance that had existed between them. As the air fills with a sense of anticipation, he locks eyes with her and says.
"If you know me so well, then tell me what's going on in my mind," Radhi challenges, maintaining eye contact with him.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Aayansh inquires about Radhi.
"Sure, go ahead. It's the only means for me to grasp what you perceive is transpiring within my thoughts," Radhi replies, her tone conveying a blend of interest and anticipation.
Radhi quietly acknowledges, "No matter what, he won't guess I'm starting to like him a bit."
"Tell me, what's going on in my mind now?" Radhi asks again, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity and anticipation.
Aayansh begins with a sarcastic smile towards Radhi, then leans closer, gently whispering in her ear, "I know you're falling in love with me," teasingly yet affectionately.
As Radhi hears his words, her heart quickens, already beating rapidly from their proximity.
"I can hear your heartbeats," Aayansh continues.
Radhi, reluctant to expose her feelings to Aayansh so soon, listens and pulls away, saying, "Bas karo, kuch bhi bakwas kiye jaa rahe ho! Khuli aakhon se sapna dekhna band karo! Bhala mai kyu tumse pyaar karne lagi? Mai bhuli nahi hu ki humne shaadi kyu kari hai?"
(Enough, stop spouting nonsense! Quit dreaming with your eyes wide open! Why did I even fall in love with you? (Have I forgotten why we got married?)
Radhi's words are filled with frustration, disbelief, and a tinge of regret, reflecting the complexity of her emotions in the moment.
As Radhi's words wash over him, Aayansh finds himself disheartened. The reminder that their union is merely a tool for retribution against Yash and Visha weighs heavily on him.
With a pang of irritation, Aayansh counters, "Do you always have to remind me of this?" His voice carries a blend of hurt and exasperation, echoing the complexity of their situation.
Radhi noticed Aayansh's unusual flash of anger, a sight uncommon in their interactions. With a calm demeanor, she remarked, "I'm just stating the truth. We can't ignore it."
Listening to her, Aayansh responds, "Alright, I understand." Saying this much, he storms off from there in frustration.
Standing there, Radhi watches him leave, feeling a hint of confusion creeping in. She ponders to herself, "What did I say to him that made him storm off in anger?"
Radhi continues, "As the days pass, his tantrums seem to escalate even more than those of girls. Forget it; why should I care if he's angry? I'm leaving for my room now; that's enough for today."
Stepping into her room, she finds it empty. "Perhaps it's somewhat peaceful that he's not here," she muses softly.
However, Radhi finds it hard to stay angry without Aayansh in her room, so she once again searches for him.
After scouring every nook and cranny without success, she murmurs, "It seems like I'll be searching for Aayansh all through the night. Only the party area remains; perhaps he's there."
After much deliberation, she enters the party in search of Aayansh. Surveying the lively scene, her eyes finally lock onto the figure she's been hunting for the past ten minutes.
As Radhi moves closer, a sudden hesitation grips her halfway, causing her to veer towards the drink counter instead.
Seated gracefully at the drink counter, her eyes fixated on Aayansh with a tinge of irritation. With a mix of disappointment and determination, she murmurs, "Dekho to iss nirlaj aadmi ko yahan mai pure resort me isse dhunde jaa rahi hu aur ye aadmi yahan kisi parayi aurat se baat karne me busy hai."
(Behold this oblivious man.) While I tirelessly search for him throughout the resort, he remains engrossed in conversation with an unknown woman.
"Kon nirlaj aadmi?" Ronit inquires, his presence beside her palpable.
(Who's the indifferent man?)
"Aur kon mera pati," Radhi responds, with a touch of resignation in her tone.
(And who else but my husband?)
As Radhi becomes aware of Ronit's presence beside her, she delicately inquires, "Just a moment, you're here? When did you arrive, and what brings you to sit beside me?"
"I arrived precisely when I sensed you planning and plotting your husband's demise with your eyes," Ronit retorts, his tone laced with playful accusation.
"Let there be silence; spare me your meaningless chatter," Radhi calmly implores, urging him to quiet down.
Ronit, with a subtle gesture towards Aayansh, remarks, "Dekho lagta hai tumhare pati ne tumhare liye ek sautan dhund li."
(It appears your husband has discovered a worthy contender for you.)
Radhi, listening to Ronit's words, gazes at him with a piercing look and asks, "Kaisa rahega agar kal ke newspaper me tumhari tasveer aaye to?"
(How would it be if your picture appeared in tomorrow's newspaper as a victim of murder?)
After absorbing the conversation, Ronit falls into a tranquil silence, while Radhi's focus now gravitates entirely towards Aayansh.
Radhi observes Aayansh engaged in lively discourse with the girl, sharing laughter effortlessly.
Seeing this, Radhi thinks to herself, "
Kitna besharam aadmi hai! Zara bhi sharm nahi aa rahi, biwi ke hote hue kisi parayi aurat ke saath haste hue baatein kar raha hai."
(How shameless he is! He doesn't feel an ounce of shame laughing and talking with another woman, despite being married)
Radhi sat there for so long, simply watching Aayansh and the girl. But the moment the girl's hand touched Aayansh's, Radhi rose from her seat. The dam of her patience had shattered. She stood up and moved towards Aayansh, her resolve unwavering.
With a blend of determination and affection, Radhi approaches them. Aayansh, on the verge of standing, pauses as Radhi promptly settles herself onto his lap, gently and
To Be Continue ✒️
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