I took a long bath, taking the time to think...
Was life always like this? Full of twists and turns... It should be.. Because mine was so smooth till about a couple months ago... And then I climbed the rollercoaster...
It was true when people said that a shower was always the best place to think... You were free of everything... Even your clothes... Nothing heavy clinging onto you.. You had privacy..
And then there was the water.. pouring down on you like the rain.. Washing away all dirt... Cooling your overheated head.. This was the only bathroom in the house and it was in my room.. But I'm not going to let anyone inside this.. This is going to be my paradise..
But now was not the time.... I wanted answers.. Answers as to what my life was now..
So I slowly exited the shower, and after getting ready, opened the room, descending to the dining room where there were four pairs of eyes watching me...
The table was set... Dadaji was sitting at the head, the two men on both sides of him, discussing.. The nurse standing behind them, leaning on to the wall...
There was only one chair remaining in the four seated make over dining table. And I gently took the seat... Suddenly there was an old lady at my side who placed an empty plate in front of me... A steel plate... I could see my reflection in it.. And I looked calm.. Like the calm before the tempest.
She proceeded to serve me food, but I stopped her. The lady smiled, I knew her.. She used to be a maid in Grandpa's house.. What was she doing here now??
I slowly opened each dish and took a spoonful of everything. It was rice and dal, and all those common dishes.. It felt ironic that the last meal I had was a five star lunch.. It reminded me of Naveen, and I looked at him, and saw that him, like the other two, was already staring at me, face filled with so much emotion, it choked me...
I slowly began eating, and found the three men getting impatient...
"Beta.." Dadaji asked, and I looked at him slowly, through my lashes, not even trying to raise my head... Call it disrespect, but I just had a rough evening..
"Jaan.." Another voice sounded, and my face clenched in anger. I gave him the next look, and saw his face full of sorry and pain.. My eyes caught sight of blood and I looked at his biceps to find him having a bandage wound, which was now red. So that explains the nurse's presence.
I resumed eating.. not bothering anything..
"You didn't take the hot water... " The nurse asked this time. And I started to ignore her too.. but why her? She has done no harm... She didn't deserve, my cold behaviour..
"The cold felt more appealing.." I answered her, and she smirked.
Soon, I was done eating and slowly got up..The old lady, whose name I remembered as Bhanu was once again near me asking for my plate. I gave it to her and went to wash my hands.
As soon as I was done, I turned to my room calling it a night.. I was still tired.. But before I could reach the door, I was stopped.
"You and Us all know that you are dying for answers... And we have to talk..." It was Cherry, no.. Charan.. I was not surprised.. I knew only he had the braveness to confront me with this.. But I wasn't expecting it this sooner..
"Do we? After all this was all your plan.. So why should we?" I asked still facing the door and continued to walk.
"Dhruvika.. He is right, we have to talk.. And it wasn't his plan... Come sit, please.. Listen to me.." It was Dadaji this time. Dadaji was defending him?
This time I turned.. I had to.. I glared at all the three men, The nurse was now seated on the floor, about to be entertained..
I heaved a sigh and spoke.."Yes I want answers... But I'm just so disappointed that I don't feel like asking for it.. And Dadaji... aap bhi? (You too, Grandpa?) I mean, how could you do this to me? You knew them for what? A month, and you take their side? Wait till papa and amma gets to know about this! What lie have you told them?" I threatened Dadji, feeling angry.
If Papa and Amma knows about this, then hell was gonna break loose...
But their face told me something else...
"Wait, they know about this too? Of course, they do.. Don't they?" I was shocked. Disappointed, to the core.
I watched the three men one by one, all three with their heads down. Were these the same people who just asked if I wanted answers... I was glad I was away from the dining table, or else a lot of glass was going to get shattered.
I shifted my eyes from them and looked at the nurse, she seemed to be escaping my eyes too, but still she heaved a sigh a gave me a small nod.
My hands went up to the air, and dropped in despair.
What the hell is happening?
I swiftly turned without a word, and was about to shut the door at them, when Charan started speaking.
"Gunaa wants you..." He said, and I stopped dead in my tracks. "He has met you before.. and he wants you now, and it is not just to sue me.."
I slowly turned... Gunaa wants me?.. He has met me? What? Why?
"What do you mean?" I asked, as I eyed him carefully.
He wasn't looking at me, his eyes were closed. His fingers pinching his nose bridge.
"I will tell you everything.. But first take a seat.. please..." He pleaded, and I slowly went to the table, and took a seat at the empty chair.
I waited for him to speak, and he seemed to be in distress, as he slowly rubbed him face, and looked at me. He looked old, exhausted. That is when I remembered his face when I went to his flat.. when I slapped him.. Wasn't it yesterday?
Did he ever sleep after he was discharged.... I knew I shouldn't, but my heart ached for him.. If he had not pushed me away, I could have taken care of him...
But no... He pushed you away.. And he doesn't want you..
My subconscious reminded me, and I gritted my teeth at the sudden anger I felt towards him.
"Speak.." I spitted at him, but didn't fail to see the flash of hurt his eyes held at my harshness.
"Okay... " He said, before taking a deep breathe.
"Gunaa... He wants you.. In a different way.. He wants you to be with him... To..."He struggled for the words, but I understood what he meant. He wants to take me down..
"He has met you before.. I don't know when.. but you might remember... You slapped him once." He said, his eyes now searching mine..
As soon as the words registered in my mind, my mouth flew open.
What????
I have never slapped a guy.. except Charan.. I haven't sla-
The whole thing came down on me like a huge blow... I had slapped a guy once, for the first time... It was the day I had gone to the hospital to visit Che-Charan.. And heartbroken I had left the place in an auto and found this pervert looking at me... Who later crossed my way, and yanked me by my arm..
You pervert.. Just because the girls look weak doesn't mean you can do anything with them..
That was what I had told him before I slapped him...
That was Gunaa... I shuddered as I tried to recall his face... But I couldn't.. I was in turmoil that day, I wasn't thinking well.. And now he wants revenge on me for beating him publically that day..
"Yes I did... but he was.. he was misbehaving with me.. And I.. I just lost it, and I... It was because of you.." I was losing it again, and his eyes widened in horror.
"Its because of you I hit him.. Because you broke me that day, you broke me too much, and I put all my hurt and anger on him, and I slapped him.." I was crying hard now as the memories of the day rushed towards me.. The day when he said that everything between us was a mistake...
He knelt down beside me, holding me tight as I cried harder. And harder. His arms felt good, and I broke down on his arms, the room getting filled with my sobs. I had missed his arms.. I had missed how he could make me feel better.. How I could easily cry in front of him without embarrassing myself..
But then reality dawned on me... What I was doing dawned on me, and I shrugged his arms off me. He looked dejected, but understanding the situation, he slowly held back and leaned back on the chair, dropping his face in his palms, his elbow on his knees.
As soon as his arms left me, I felt cold. But then there was another hand holding my arms, squeezing it.. I didn't need to look to see who it was, I was sure it was Naveen. He didn't hug me like Charan, but he just held my hand, reminding me of his presence, reminding me that I could always depend on him.
"This is all because of me... He misbehaved with you because he knew what you meant to me.. Because if he hurt you, it would hurt me too.. I shouldn't have dragged you to this.. But I have, and I was a stupid to let you go.. I've hurt you so bad.. But not again.. Not again Jaan.." Charan spoke, his voice filled with sorry. He looked at me, his eyes pleading, begging for me to punish him...
"Just tell me what happened after .. after that incident.." I spoke rubbing my eyes, and my nose. I must look like a wreck, but I didn't mind and I just didn't care.
"He had his men following you for a while.. Your phone records were taken.. They wanted me, and they were using you to get me.. They thought you would come after me.." He said. Dadaji had his arm on Charan's back, patting him.
"Dadaji had come to visit me on the day of my discharge, and I.. I told him everything.. How I had to hurt you.. How I still loved you, How much it hurt me to stay away from you.. " He said, still looking down. From the way he was avoiding my eyes, I could see that he wasn't happy with Naveen holding me.
"And.. After talking to him, I just missed you and I got drunk and wasted, and I felt like seeing you.. So I..." He was struggling for words now.
"So you came to me.." I finished it for him, as another memory came down to me. "And you left before I woke up.. You left without a word.." I continued, my voice calm, but cold.. and saw him flinch in his seat.
"I was happy to be with you.. I really was.. to have you once again in my arms.. to hold you close.." This time it was Naveen's time to flinch.
"But.. but after you slept, I got an email on my phone.. there were many photos and files.. photos of you, Rithu, Shika, you parents, dadaji, dadiji, and even Naveen.. and the files, they were about you.. all details about you.. Wherever you went, all your contacts... You full life history.. and.. and I was having a bad hangover, I didn't what to think.." He said, and I froze.
Oh My God.. My family.. My parents.. My friends..
"I was wasted..And all I could think of was that I should stay away from you..far away from you.. and I left.. I just took the car and drove off.... and When I woke up, I was somewhere in a street dozed off in the car, and I got another text then.." My breath got stuck in my windpipe.. The way he said it, I was sure whatever he was going to say next wasn't good..
"It was another photo.. Of..of you and me taken the previous night.. And It wasn't a good photo..." He said, and I looked at him, my nose flaring.. He gulped, and licked his lips before continuing..."It was a photo of us kissing in the bed.. and It was taken from your window.." I felt like my head was dizzying.. Naveen squeezed my hand tight, and I let him..
"After that I went home, and I broke everything I could see, and that is when you came.. and... " He sighed.."After you left, I was shaken, and realized that you will never be safe without me.. Gunaa will attack you since he knows that I contacted you.. and Naveen was there.. and I told him everything.. I had to.. and together we brought you home.." I looked at Naveen, and he smiled apologetically at me.
"It was my idea to take you away safe, but we couldn't get the men following you become suspicious.. so we planned to take you and make it look like someone kidnapped you.. And the men that were following you joined us thinking we were send my Gunaa.. And Dadaji said we could bring you here.. I know we should have told you about this.. but I was worried that you wouldn't listen to us, and that you were not ready to come with me.. so...we had to do it this way.. " He said, and some part of me appreciated him to bring up with such an idea.. Thought like a true police..
But that doesn't mean I'm not angry at them.. This much happened and he just kept me blind.. if he had just told me about this the time he was in the hospital, maybe things wouldn't have gone this bad.. maybe I would have at least been happy.. But now I'm away from my family... My family.. Oh my God.. My family..
As if he was reading my mind, Charan said on cue.. "Your parents are safe.. I've got police protection for them, and for Shika.. Kiran is at your house now.. They are safe.." He said, and I blew out a sigh..
Everything was too much to take in, and also due to crying.. I was too tired..
"Jaan.. I'm so sorry.. I'm so very sorry.. And I hope you will understand me, one day.." He said, his eyes pleading..
I studied his face once again... Exhausted, worried, dark circles under the eye... But I didn't say a word.. instead I looked at the nurse and said that I wanted to sleep. Naveen, though hurt, slowly removed his hands off me, and with the nurse's help, I slowly walked into my room..
"You know.. I'm really sorry that I had to be a part of this... But I guess you can understand what Ram sir is going through.. And I even hope we can be friends.. The name is Sophie in case you didn't know.." She said, smiling at me.
"Yes.. I hope too... and where do you sleep?" I asked back, smiling at him.
"Me.. well.. this is the only bed in this house, so I'll be sleeping at dadaji's house.. Naveen Dr. will drive us to there and will came back here.." She said, as we together made the bed.
"So, I'll be sleeping here alone with the boys?" I asked as I stopped midway, the sheet still in my arms.
"Yes, I am afraid.." She said, as she took the sheet from me and laid it down on the bed, before continuing.. "And there is no lock on the door, Goodnight." She said, with a wink, and left the room, while I was trying my best to stop the groan that was threatening to escape my mouth.
Great, just great...
I slowly shut the door, and laid back on the bed, covering the sheet up to my neck.
"Last night was the best night that has ever occurred to me."
"Making love to you was the best thing that has ever happened to me.."
Charan's and Naveen's voice entered my mind, reminding me of the dream I had today.. And I shuddered...
Suddenly, there was the sound of a car starting and moving away... So Dadaji and Sophie left.. along with Naveen..
Leaving you alone with Cherry...
Something inside me tightened..
Just sleep Dhruvika.. he doesn't want you... I scolded myself, willing myself to sleep.
NO.. he still do.. he just confessed indirectly that he still loves and he still wants you..
As if on cue, the door creaked open, and I shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep...
Cherry walked in slowly and stood there for a few minutes.. And I remained still... After heaving a sigh, he stroked my cheek with the back of his hands and whispered.. "I'm sorry Jaan, but I'm going to win you back..", and with that, he left.
Does he know I'm awake?
He usually does... He always does..
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Hey friends... so how was the update... So how do you think Dhruvika is coping with all these new turns.. Poor thing.. That was really too much for her, but what to do..
And ha, I suggest that you guys go to chapter '46. You never asked me to wait' once to recall the day Ruvee had gone to visit Cherry, had her heart broken, and also the encounter with Gunaa... will take just five minutes..
And yeah.. I've updated a longer chapter this time...
So do you justify with Charan's confessions.. do comment on it.. And I really love inline comments..
With love..
@maira.. :* :*)