Chapter 33:
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Jhanvi could not believe it....
She couldn't believe that her Maya baby would do this to her...
But her Ashwin too wouldn't lie to her, no, he wouldn't lie in this series matter.
Maya had been giving her different medicines than of what the doctor had been prescribed her for..
Jhanvi's doctor had told that she was getting better but Maya had been giving her a high dosed medicine, making her recovery impossible..
So that Jhanvi might remain weak mentally and Maya could keep her all the time..
What a cunning child....
Ashwjn had always told her that Maya was unstable, an evil child ever since she was born. But Jhanvi didn't really believe that but knew her Maya too was mentally a little unstable but she never thought her Maya baby would make her ill purposely. Jhanvi had checked with the pharmacy that Maya was giving her a high dosed medicine..
One part of her was glad that Ashwin had been following her medical results as he had warned her off Maya's manipulation of the dosage and other part of her was reeling in shock of what her Maya had been doing with her..
She who stood with Maya through everything..
Betrayal ran deep through her at the thought of this that pain staggered her..
Jhanvi had always a place with Maya.. No matter what the world seemed Jhanvi as, a drunken women, a mental, a unstable patient, a stupid woman, a burden but Maya had always been with her and took care of her.. To think Maya betrayed her was unimaginable.. Yet with the proof she had seen, she could not believe that Maya would stoop this low to keep Jhanvi with her..
Jhanvi looked at the medicine in her hand, her Ashwin had given her.
“Let her too know what it means to take a different dosed medicine..", Ashwin saying that had given her tablets for Maya's depression, a high dosed one..
Jhanvi didn't want to but this time, Maya had gone too far..
What Jhanvi didn't know was that the doctor was lying that she was getting better because Maya didn't want her to know that and lose confidence in herself..
Maya was just following the doctor's prescription and as usual no one understood even her mother. Just like usual Jhanvi fell for Ashwin's manipulation and didn't even check what the tablets were in truth..
Just one wrong step.....
And that one step would change everyone's life so drastically even Jhanvi's life..
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Maya had came to the hotel at morning five, leaving her home and had told Arjun to pick her up from the back gate.. If Ashwin or anyone was watching her moves, she didn't want them to lead it to Arjun.
Maya changed her fashionable clothes as it drew too much attention and changed into a normal chudi and of course it was white..
It felt uncomfortable to wear chudi since it had been years wearing dress like this..
Arjun didn't know why she had told him to pick up from a hotel and that too from back gate..
Maybe it was because she might not famous like other celebrities, but she still was someone famous.
Arjun had woken up early in five and got ready because he said he would pick her up at six. His step mom and Suman Aunty looked so surprised that he got up so early. When they asked where he was going, Arjun just said work and gotten out to take his car..
At first he wanted to take the jeep but Arjun knew Maya felt vulnerable with open space and everyone staring at her.
Arjun even took med kit, water bottle, umbrella, extra dress, an overcoat in a bag just in case. As he knew nothing went right nowadays for him.. Just in case..
Arjun had never been thoughtful like this and it surprised even himself that his mind was becoming paranoid.. Well, if he was prepared for every situation and that protected her then so be it..
Arjun checked again to see if he had taken the gift he had planned to give her then drove the car to the destination she had texted him..
Arjun parked the car and moved towards the back gate, he had to hurry up if he wanted to see the sunrise with her.
Arjun's steps flattered when he saw her in unusual attire...
She was looking so vulnerable, waiting for him, glancing the surroundings to check if anyone saw her even in this early morning.
Arjun knew she was beautiful...
But today, she was even more beautiful than yesterday.
Arjun moved towards her and she smiled at him after seeing him, he grabbed her hand tightly and dragged her to the car while she didn't protest when he dragged her..
“Where are we going Mr. Sharma?"
“Maya... You have to obey everything I say for today do call me Arjun.."
“Arjun... Where are we going..?"
“To see the sunrise.."
Maya just looked out of the window and willed her heart to stop racing like this.
The way he looked at her.....
That look he gave her....
It was embarrassing....
Maya didn't know if he looked at her like that or her mind was playing tricks on her..
After Arjun parked near a meadow, he pulled a blanket and put in on the grass for them to sit and watch the sunrise..
It was his favourite spot if he wanted to see the sunrise.. It calmed him and grounded him that how beautiful and big the world was..
Maya sat beside him, their shoulders brushing and Maya had never known how beautiful and peaceful, a morning could be...
It was always like getting up by beaten up by a belt or slap from her father till she became twelve, then getting up with nightmares had became an usual way to wake up till she became nineteen..
Then Maya suffered from insomnia and couldn't get up in morning like a normal person do because she rarely slept in night..
Maya had spent her morning always with worries.. It had never been this peaceful..
After watching the sunrise for a while in a comfortable silence, Arjun took her hand and lead her to a path nearby which was narrow and full of trees and plants..
“Come on, it's a shortcut to my favourite daba.. Let's eat there. It's just a fifteen minutes walk.."
Maya moved together with him while Arjun asked her about things she liked, favourite color, actor and all the stuff.
After what seemed like five minutes of walking...
“Hey... You know... I haven't done my exercises because I picked you up this early.."
“But you were the one who wanted me to pick at six.."
“I know... So help me exercise.."
Maya looked at him as if he had gone crazy..
“Here..? And how can I help..? I am not an exercise machine Arjun.."
“Be my weight for weightlifting.."
“What..?"
Maya was startled when Arjun suddenly lifted her...
Maya's arms automatically circled his neck...
What an excuse to have her in his arms. Arjun loved her like this. It was an absolute bliss to hold her like this.
Every step he took with her in his arms filled him with such happiness that it felt his heart would burst..
He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her..
To his irritation and disappointment, they had arrived at daba and Arjun put her down reluctantly but not before squeezing her hip a little tightly..
Arjun then watched her fumble with plates and arguing with him about hygiene and healthy foods but as soon as she took one bite, she even forgot about him and started enjoying the food..
Arjun chuckled ignoring her glares and enjoyed the food along with her. It was one of his favourite place he used to visit whenever he came to see sunrise here..
The daba owner opened it early and was very friendly.. As he paid for the food despite Maya's protests to pay..
He then pulled her cheeks teasingly and started running and made her catch him by running after him.. They played tag all the way back to car.
Arjun had never seen Maya like this, so free and filled with childish laughter as she finally caught up to him and pulled his cheeks as revenge...
She always put herself in a cage of expressionless life so he was glad he took her to a date like this..
Maya gulped when he moved so close insisting to put a seat belt and caressed her hands..
Maya's heart beat raised when he came even more closer and caressed her hair muttering there were leaves in her hair.
Was he really looking at her like this..?
Or was she imagining it...?
Then he drove her to an orphanage all the while singing loudly along with the radio, making her laugh at his antics..
As soon as he parked near the orphanage, he made her play with those children there.. He even made her play in the swings and sea saw..
Maya had always, always wanted to play like this when she was a child. No one had came near her when she was a child saying she was a mental patient. None of the parents in their neighborhood allowed any children to play with her either..
It was heart wrenching to play like this because the child in her always wanted to play with friends, but as she grew up things changed so was her feelings.
Arjun looked at her playing and felt his heart clench because he could see in her face, in her eyes, in her expression that she was experiencing it for the first time.
The main reason Arjun brought her here was because of a hunch he had that she as a child never had any friends and nor played like this, it was just a hunch but it seemed like he was right..
She taught the younger children things like alphabets and numbers and she even donated money with a cheque after playing with them. Arjun and then told her that she should cook something for the noon and she readily accepted and cooked them lunch all the while laughing and teasing the children..
Arjun was blessed enough to eat her cooking second time.
At twelve thirty, they bid bye to the children and orphanage staffs. Maya looked disturbed after leaving the orphanage..
“Why does parents abandon their children like this Arjun....? If they didn't want us, they should have just aborted.."
Arjun hugged her from behind and held her tightly....
Damn it.... She didn't notice but she said ‘us'
God... Her words hurt....
Arjun never wanted to see Maya like this.
“Come on.. Let's go to the next place.."
Arjun wanted to see a movie with her. At first he planned this for the evening but he had another place to take her to at evening..
Maya seemed terrified looking at the dark, and because of that Arjun was not wealthy enough to book the whole theater but he did book an entire row..
Arjun pulled her on his lap, startling her and whispered in her ear...
“Relax Maya... I am here so enjoy the movie."
Arjun realized she would have never gone to a movie theatre seeing how afraid she was of dark...
How did he expect to see a movie when he was holding her like this...?
Arjun's hands on her waist made it possible to let go of her fear temporarily but it was distracting.
After sometime Maya sat beside him not wanting Arjun's leg to cramp. But she leaned on him heavily so that she wouldn't remember the bad days with Ashwin and Arjun made it possible by distracting her with all kinds of junk food he brought and insisted her to try everything..
She didn't know that watching a movie in theatre could be this enjoyable and she didn't leave a chance to lean closer to him taking the chance of being afraid of darkness..
Arjun clenched his fingers when her whole body leaned on him.
This was such a terrible idea...
Self control... Arjun.... Self control...
After the movie ended Arjun sighed in relief. Man... How he wanted to push her into his lap and kiss her senseless..
After that Arjun took her to the theme park, they roamed around watching the street stalls and trying out hats, shoes and even played videogames.
It was already evening and he dragged her towards the water games...
This was not the day for him...
This was the day for her so she enjoys things she never had a chance to..
As soon as they played water guns, they went to play the water slide..
Maya was terrified at first not wanting remember all those times Ashwin pushed her head into a water tub..
But despite her fears, Arjun made it seem fun as they both splashed the water at each other childishly and made fun of their hair sticking oddly because of the water..
Arjun couldn't take his eyes off her laughing face as she seemed so happy with everything and two more water games later only Arjun realized the problem..
Every male around them was looking at her..
Her white dress....
It was clinging to her body from how wet she had became after playing with water and it started to become transparent too..
“Let's go Maya..."
Arjun got the outer coat from the counter he had left with before entering water games section and pulled it over her shoulders and dragged her towards the exit.
If he stayed one more minute, he would have blinded every one of them so they wouldn't see her like that..
How dare they..!
He would burn their eyes for staring at her this way..
She was his and his alone..
Damn it... It was getting difficult to not turn around and beat the shit out of them..
Arjun again drove in anger to the meadow in where they had spent their morning and parked the car...
It was already six...
Thank God that this place was isolated so he could let her out..
Arjun told her to go out and dry her hair, giving her a towel.. Arjun locked the car door and changed the extra dress he had packed and put his wet clothes away..
He should have told her to pack an extra dress too..
Arjun after changing the clothes somewhat uncomfortably in the cramped space of the car, took another towel and got out of the car, only to stop right there..
She had taken the coat he had put over her, drying her hair and Arjun could see how that white chudi was clinging to her and how transparent it was as he could clearly see the outline of her slip..
Without any thought Arjun moved towards her, grabbing her waist and sucked the water droplets on her neck.
“Arjun...."
Ahh.. The way she said his name did nothing to stop the fire ignited in him.
He wanted to lick her all over, making her moan his name alone, leaving her writhing beneath him with glazed eyes but soon came to his sense when she pushed him away..
Maya averted her eyes, not able to look at him in eye because he was looking like he wanted to eat her up..
This was too much....
She was just a friend to him, right...?
Why was he rising her hopes...?
Arjun too with another towel dried her hair and his breath stuttered when she leaned towards his chest, clutching his shirt...
“I have never been this happy Arjun... It's like I am living in a dream... You told me you will take me to your world for one day and your world is so beautiful Arjun.."
I don't deserve you Arjun...
Arjun smiled at her and asked,
“You are staying in the hotel room, right..? Let me drop you so you can change your clothes else you will become ill.. The day is almost over anyway.."
Maya wanted to stay more with him but nodded slowly and hopped on the car, felling relieved that her dress was not that wet anymore.. It was becoming colder and her wet clothes didn't help at all..
As soon as she reached the back gate, Maya looked at him with a beautiful smile and thanked him..
“Thanks for today Arjun.."
“What are you saying Maya..? I said the day's almost over not that it's over. I picked you at six and I have time till tomorrow morning six.."
Maya nodded happily and told him to come and wait in the room she booked till she changed her clothes before they go.. Arjun followed her taking his bag and moved towards her room..
But as soon as they reached her room, Arjun locked it from inside and pulled her against him...
“Now undress Maya...."
Wait.... What...?