Heya people! Thank you so much for voting and commenting and adding TAO in your reading lists! Love you guys a lot!!
I am neck deep in work and assignments, your love for Abhi and Siya compelled me to write this one earlier than possible!
Enjoy! 😘
Chapter 16
It was the housekeeper Ramsingh.
"Namaste Ramsinghji", she greeted him, wanting to address whatever he had come to tell her quickly, and get back to continue her discussion with Abhi.
"Namaste Bebiji. A guest has come to meet you and Chote Saab."
Siya frowned. She couldn't very well continue her discussion with Abhi now. She'd have to go meet this guest.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Its Manav baba. I asked him to wait in the Hall and asked if he needs any refreshments."
"Thank you Ramsinghji, please ask him to wait there. We'll meet him there in ten minutes tops."
The old housekeeper nodded and went downstairs. Closing the door Siya went in her bedroom to find Abhi all comfortable on her bed. He smiled at her nervously, obviously wanting some answers.
She sighed as she spoke, "Abhi, Manav is here to meet us. I said we'll see him in ten."
Abhi abruptly sat up on her bed. "What the hell does he want now? Such a prick he is!"
"Abhi! Calm down. He is here to meet both of us. Why are you assuming he wants something? He could be here to hang out. After all he doesn't have very many friends in Mumbai"
"So? How is it my fault he doesn't have many friends? Why do I have to suffer through his company?"
"Well, thats how I feel about Natasha. But I'm putting up with her am I not?"
"You do have a point. Except I don't like the way he flirts with you constantly. He knows you are engaged but that doesn't stop the bastard from hitting on you."
"Language Abhimanyu!"
"You know what, I need to send him a clear message about us. He needs to know you belong to me and that he needs to back the f*** up!"
"Abhimanyu, you are overreacting! Okay he flirts a little, but I don't think he means anything by it."
"I don't care. We have to make him believe we are crazy in love, and that he has no chance with you! Siya, you agreed to go through with it. You can't back down now."
"I'm not backing down. We have decided to act all loved up and I will stick by it. I just don't want you to get so worked up about it. Actually I don't really understand why you're getting so upset about it."
"I'm not upset. Okay, maybe a little. The guy just has a habit of getting under my skin!"
Siya rolled her eyes at that. She started to say something when he interrupted her.
"Lets not keep our esteemed guest waiting! Come now, we'll finish this discussion later"
He held out his arm for her. Taking his arm, she shook her head at how cheesy the gesture was and burst out in giggles when he poked his tongue at her. Feeling happy that their friendship was as strong as ever, she let him lead her out of her bedroom.
*
Manav was sipping tea when Abhi and Siya started climbing down the stairs that led to the Hall. It was a huge room, with Victorian decor and a beautiful chandelier at the center. Their guest looked comfortable and at home on the plush sofa which was right under the shimmering chandelier.
"Hello Manav", Abhi greeted him, his tone dripping of hostility. Siya subtly elbowed him.
Manav looked up from the magazine he was reading, getting up to greet the two of them.
"You two love birds took your time to come and greet me! Were you two all shacked up together or did you take time before meeting each other to come downstairs together?"
Abhi clenched his fists as he replied,"That would be the former. We were so lost in each other that we couldn't tell how time flew by."
Siya gasped at Abhi's blunt response while Manav simply smirked knowingly.
"As if! Look at Siya, she looks completely innocent and untouched. You don't need to act all crazy in love on my behalf!"
Siya looked at Manav in disbelief. Then back at Abhi, who looked mad beyond measure. What the hell had gotten into these two?
Abhi pulled Siya flush against him, by her waist, so that one side of her was pressed against one side of him. He leaned in, taking her face in his hands, and kissed her cheek. Then the other and then placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Siya closed her eyes. Her heart was beating like a maniac, and so was his. She could hear his heart hammering against her own as gathered her against him. She felt his breath against her lips. Then she felt it closer and closer until their noses touched.
Someone cleared their throat. Siya came back to her senses and gave Abhi a slight nudge. Finally they broke away, both breathing hard.
Abhi looked at Manav, feeling thoroughly shaken but satisfied to have proven Manav wrong. But Manav was still smirking.
"Looks like the lady doesn't want you to kiss her", he smirked.
Before Abhi could reply Siya cut in.
"Manav stop goading Abhi. And Abhi stop getting riled up."
She pointed at Manav, "Manav I am not comfortable with PDA, and there's absolutely no reason for you to question my feelings for Abhi due to that. Are we clear?"
"Yes Ma'am we are. I'm sorry Siya, I was just messing with Abhi. Of course I think you two are in love!"
He said the last sentence while looking at Abhi. Abhi could see Manav mocking him. He still didn't believe Abhi and Siya were a love match.
Abhi looked at Siya, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. Great! Now Siya was upset with him. All because of the asshole smirking at him, in his own damn home!
"What brings you here on this fine evening Manav, or did you just come here to annoy me?"
Siya sighed at Abhi's rude tone.
Manav raised his eyebrows before answering, "Wanted to invite you two and Divya to my 27th Birthday party."
He held out the invitation to Siya, but Abhi snatched it from him.
Manav ignored Abhi and continued talking to Siya, "Its a club party and the theme is black."
Just like your heart, Abhi thought.
"Of course we'll be there! We wouldn't miss your 27th!" Siya said.
"Will it be okay if Natasha comes with us?" Abhi asked.
Manav looked surprised, "Natasha Chaterjee?!"
"Yeah"
Manav smirked at Abhi, before giving a glance at Siya's suddenly stoic face. "Sure!"
*
"Siya!"
"Save it!"
"Siya"
"Abhimanyu I don't want to talk!" Siya whirled around holding a hand up to ask him to stop following her on he way to her suite.
"Siya please just talk to me once, then you can be as angry as you want!"
"Abhimanyu do you even realize how angry I am?" She said, shaking her head, she resumed walking then stopped abruptly.
Turning around again to face him, she asked, "Do you even understand why I am angry?"
"Er...I know you are very angry...you're calling me Abhimanyu...why...I'm not exactly sure!" Abhi was trying to pacify her.
She pulled him inside her suite and closed the door behind them.
"You asked Manav if we could get Natasha along?" She said, with hands on her hips.
"Okay, that's definitely not something you should be mad about!" Abhi replied, feeling throughly confused.
He continued, "Siya, Manav and Natasha know each other. Besides with you, me and Divya gone, Natasha is going to feel all alone"
Something he said seemed to have made her even more angry.
"Oh my god! Poor Natasha! Feeling all alone in Mumbai. I wonder what she must be doing in LA with no one there!" She said, in a little girl voice.
To say Abhi was shocked at Siya's antics was an understatement. She was behaving completely out of character.
"Siya! She is our guest. I don't understand what's your problem with her. But I know she is my friend and I did what any friend would do. Why are you being so difficult?"
"I am being difficult? What was that earlier with you and Manav? You looked like you were ready to kill him!"
"I was! I swear to god Siya, that asshole is going to die under my hands one day!"
"Why-?"
"Why? Weren't you there? Didn't you hear what he was saying?"
"He was just messing with you Abhi! And you let him get to you!"
"What do you mean!?"
"You were about to...to...kiss me weren't you?"
"Siya, I...I kinda got carried away in the moment...I...but well, we are going to be married and well...you know it's going to happen sooner or later...I mean, shit Siya, I thought you weren't repulsed by me...I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable!"
"It's not that! I just...well it's supposed to be...you know...my first kiss. Call me silly but I don't want it that way, in front of some guy and to prove a point. I wanted...I want it to be special. I know it's stupid-"
"No it's not! You are right Siya. I wasn't thinking straight. You deserve a first kiss that's all kinds of special. But just so you know, the 'prove the point' part was the kisses on the cheek and forehead, then I couldn't care less what Manav thought, especially when I was...you know...going for...your lips."
"Okay"
"Okay? Do you forgive me?"
"I guess you made a fair case. I'm sorry I was being irrational about Natasha. I understand why you invited her. I just... I don't trust her. But that's my problem not yours."
"Siya, there's this one last thing I wanted to talk about"
"Shoot!"
"Both Manav and Natasha seem to have doubts about the 'romantic' side of our relationship. And I kinda know why."
"Why?"
"They think our romance looks too...new. I mean, we don't seem as comfortable as a couple in love would be when it comes to physical intimacy. For starters you jump every time I pull you closer, I start getting nervous when you're closer. It's not unpleasant, definitely the opposite for me, but it's just different than we are used to."
"That seems plausible. What do you suggest we do then?"
"I think we should practice."
"What?"
"I mean start getting comfortable in each other's spaces. Take baby steps, we'll go as slow as you need. But to be like an actual couple, we need to start actually behaving like one."
"I'm still not sure what it is that you are implying"
"Do you trust me Siya?"
"Of course!"
"Then just go with it. Let's be girlfriend and boyfriend for real. Deal?"
A/N.
What do you think? Is Siya going to agree to it? Should she agree to it? Why was Manav behaving the way he was?
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Thank you!