"You know you don't have to do this right?" The desperation was clear in Cherry's voice. He was testing the waters.
"Uh-huh" Karthika aunty replied, too engrossed in her book. From the corner of my eye, I saw my mother look at the three of us and smile.
"Mom.. I'm serious. You don't have to sit beside me like this all day. Meera aunty, aap bhi? At least give me my phone back." Yup. It was definitely desperation. But I couldn't blame him.
I let out a small chuckle, earning a death glare from my so called boyfriend. The glare soon turned into his now too frequently seen puppy face, as he begged me to talk to our mothers.
"Haa aunty, both of you should get some rest. You both have been here for too long." I tried, only to be ignored by the both of them. I sighed and went back to pretending to read an article on the magazine in my hand, just like I had been doing for the last few days.
Since that day he woke up, we never got a chance to talk in private. One of our parents always stayed with us in the room, and it was getting extremely difficult for us. And my parents were also constantly asking for me to return home, but I decided to be a stubborn kid and asked them to let me stay with him at least till he gets discharged.
It was as if our parents were trying their best keep us both separated. Since then it's been like this. Him and me looking at each other longingly and sighing occasionally.
But at least we had our phone with us to chat but that was also taken away once he began to get so many phone calls from many. Our only relief was when Rithika came or when Shivani came with the twins.
It was the worst when our fathers were here, and usually I would get out of here to go visit Kiran who was admitted in the room close to ours. But now that he was discharged and shifted to Shikha's place, I was annoyed and jealous. Super jealous.
The rest of the time, it was like this. And it's only been a few days.
"Mom....." Cherry tried. Again. But only to get ignored. Again.
"Mom..." He yelled, only to end up coughing, and the three of us rushed to his side.
"See Cherry, you are still not well. And how will that happen if you keep stressing yourself. Just close your eyes and sleep. And we both know why you want us to leave, but young boy it's not happening. The nurse told us about how that machine went haywire that day. So we have decided that it's not good to leave you both alone in the room." Aunty said, and my eyes went wide.
"What?" Cherry exclaimed.
"Shhhh... sleep." She said, and I hid my face behind the book, not letting anyone see my face. I was embarrassed was an understatement. And thinking about that nurse talking to our parents about it only made it worse.
This time he decided to let it go, and huffed, shaking his head.
The torture continued until we heard a knock on the door, and to our biggest relief, Shikha and her mom came into the room along with Kiran, and the place was immediately filled with chatter.
The mothers got together to speak, and Kiran rushed to the bedside, which was occupied by Karthika aunty before. Meanwhile, Shikha rushed to me and enveloped me in a hug.
"Where the hell is your phone? I have been trying to get you since last night." She jumped me, slapping me on the side of my face.
"I don't know. I think I forgot it at home since Cherry can't use his." I said sulking.
"What??"She asked knitting her eyebrows together, making my attention fall to her face. She was looking happy and really beautiful today. There was this glow on her face.
Getting back with Kiran must have made her this happy. Unknowingly, my eyes flashed to Cherry who was talking seriously with Kiran.
"Long story," I sighed, concentrating back at my best friend. "By the way, I must say you look ravishing." I said as I settled back in my seat.
She didn't say a word but smiled looking down, a tinge of red spreading her cheeks.
Wait.
Is she blushing? Is my best friend blushing? I never knew she could blush.
But before I could ask her, we were interrupted by Kiran's voice.
"Meera aunty, Karthika aunty, if you guys don't mind, I had to speak with Ram and Dhruvika. You know, about the events and all." He said, and I looked at Cherry, and back at the mothers, who seemed to be thinking.
As Karthika aunty was about to speak, my mother jumped in.
"Sure beta. Come on Karthika, they must be feeling suffocated. It's only for a few minutes." My mother said, and Karthika aunty seemed to think for a second before a smile grazed her face.
They both soon got out of the room, along with Shikha's mom, leaving the four of us alone.
"Bro, I will be the godfather." Cherry said as soon as the doors closed and I frowned. Did I miss something?
"What?" Kiran said, as Shikha blushed more.
"What's going on?" I asked confused, as I moved to sit next to Cherry on the bed, and his hands immediately found mine.
"You know, you can be the godmother. So we will be the godparents." He said, as I continued to frown.
Shikha blushed more and looked at Kiran accusingly.
"I swear I didn't say a word." He said pinching is throat.
"Come on.. Isn't it too obvious?" Cherry asked looking at me. Once he realized I was still blind on what was happening, he continued. "Look at them. He is talking too much, obviously happy. And he just got out of a dangerous mission. And Shikha, her face is glowing, and she has been jumping around once she saw you. Put them together, boom, they did it!"
Did What?
He looked at me, probably counting inside his head, as he waited for that tiny bulb in my head to glow. And once it did, of course, after a full 5 seconds, my jaw dropped to the floor.
I looked at them again. He was true, she was glowing, and yes a bit jumpy.
"Oh my God" I laughed and my head snapped towards Shikha, who was now hiding behind Kiran, clutching his hand tightly.
"I was trying to call you since last night. You didn't pick up the phone." Her voice was too low, and too cute. Kiran pulled her from behind and made her stand beside him.
"So as I said, we will be the godparents." Cherry said as he draped his hand along my shoulder as he sat up on the recliner bed.
"Yes, of course. God I will be an aunty then." I squealed happily.
"Guys it just happened last night. We are not pregnant yet. And we used a condom last night." Kiran smirked, earning a punch to the side from a blushing Shikha. I gasped at his openness. No wonder Shikha is blushing.
"TMI bro, TMI" Cherry said, as he pretended to be disgusted.
"Dude... come on. It's not like you guys haven't done it. Besides you two were the ones alone in that forest for days. And I've always heard that make-up sex after a fight is the best. And I know you too much to know that you wouldn't let that chance go." He said and of course, I turned into a beetroot.
Cherry's hand on my shoulder seemed to weigh a ton as I looked down at my hand.
"Oh my God... you boys are unbelievable." Shikha said as she glanced between them. "Sirf is ki chintha hai" She said, and Kiran turned to speak to her, but noting went in my head as I thought of those days at the hut.
Cherry too seemed to be thinking of those as I felt his fingers rub my back where the glass pieces had pierced my skin. I could feel his hot breath on my shoulder, but I didn't dare turn to look as I was sure what would happen once I turn my head to face him.
As much as I wanted to kiss him, I didn't want to do it in front of them. So I leaned myself onto him, making sure he won't get hurt, and tucked my head below his chin and smiled feeling his dry lips on my forehead.
And I know you too much to know that you wouldn't let that chance go.
That line swelled my heart with pride and sadness at the same time. As much as he wanted it, he was only delaying it because of me, and that thought made me happy to the core.
Kiran and Shikha seemed to be engrossed in their own world by the sofa, as I could hear whispers and giggles coming from that side. So without wasting a second, I turned my head slowly and kissed his cheek, his stubbles poking my lips.
He let out a sigh before he slowly pressed our lips together and I didn't object as I enjoyed the feel of his lips to mine. Without taking it forward, he slowly pulled back and gazed into my eyes, and I averted mine, not being able to hold the intensity of his stare.
Looking at the sofa, I realized it was now empty.
"When did they leave?" I asked turning to him.
"I don't know" He said as he finally took the kiss to the next level, while I prayed that our parents wouldn't enter anytime soon to witness any of this.
****
We both were now leaning on the bed stand, not talking much, while I played with her fingers, leaning my head on her shoulder.
It's been almost half an hour since Kiran and Shikha left us and luckily no one has barged into the room since then. And it was very convenient, as the events that took place a few minutes ago was still evident on my body, and I am not ready for my parents to see my boner yet.
The pain was much better now, and I was able to move my upper body efficiently.
But more than that, we were at peace. Finally!
I was still playing with her long fingers, counting them again and again as she called my name.
"Cherry.."
"Hmm..' I replied absent mindedly. She clicked her tongue in annoyance as she called me again.
"Cherry...."
"Haa Jaan.." I said lazily, still playing with my fingers.
"You know I've been wondering." she said, suddenly becoming serious.
"Hmm.."
She seemed to not like my response because she huffed and pulled her hand from my grasp, and started to get up from the bed..
"Achaa Achaa.... I'm sorry sorry... okay I'm sorry". I said trying to pulling her back towards me. Trying being the key word. However she got the idea because she once again huffed and came back to me, crossing her legs and facing me.
As much as I wanted to just lie there and play with her finger, I also wanted to not piss her off. So I straightened myself on the headstand and started speaking.
"Tell me what you've been wondering."
"So..... What do you think brought us together?" she asked, and her face told me that she already knew the answer and just wanted to know mine.
So as cliché as it may sound, I answered her with the obvious answer.
"LOVE"
"Not that... Love is what brought us closer. But what brought us together?"
"Um... I don't know. Our parents? Considering it was an arranged marriage." I asked, and she rolled her eyes.
"Okay... I'm getting nowhere with this. Why don't you tell me what you think?" I asked again and she signed as if she knew I was going to say that.
"You see, what if that accident never happened? The one where the bastard tried to kill you?" She asked and I gawked.
Bastard? Wow!!I am rubbing off on her. I grinned.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing... You go on." I said as I watched her begin to speak animatedly, hoping the sedatives won't work while she talked.
"So, as I was saying, I was supposed to go home early that day since you were planning to visit us in the evening. But that interview got delayed and I got late. But what if I hadn't and I reached home on time." She paused, letting the thought sink in my head.
"Go on." I urged.
"So then I would have been dressed in Maa's saree, and waiting for you to come. You would have come, of course, on time. You'd look at me and feel nothing, and then as planned you would have said no just like you discussed in the car. I would have said okay just because I was done with this procedure, and you would have left. And I wouldn't have stopped you with that jacket thing, and you would have just left. And soon I'll be dressing up for number 6, whoever that be. And we would just be some strangers who once crossed their path and nothing more. Just 2 strangers." She was speaking too fast and animatedly, her eyes watering and as she continued, she was going into hysterics.
"And Kiran and Shikha would also be strangers. And.. and I wouldn't know you anymore or your parents. I wouldn't fall in love with you or have my first kiss with you and you wouldn't be there for me when Papa had cardiac arrest and we wouldn't be together in that jungle and we would never have met Prabhu uncle and Kanchi Bhabhi. And we-"
"Hey.. hey.. hey.. its okay" I stopped her. She was getting emotional, and I hugged her with all the strength my body could muster.
"It's okay.. it didn't happen and we are together now. We met, we fell in love and I am and will be your first and your last in everything. And we are not strangers. We are together now, in each other's arms." I said, stroking her hair.
"I can't imagine my life without you Cherry.. I.. I just.." She cried, as she brought her head up to meet my eyes, and I could see the pain in her eyes as she imagined a life without me.
"Sshh... shh...You are my life and me yours. This is right. Everything else is just plain wrong. This you see, this is what was supposed to happen from the start. Ending up with you. Living with you. Kissing you. It just feels right." I said as I pulled her to me and wiped her eyes, kissing her each cheek.
"I know.. And that is what I was wondering before I got sidetracked" She said as she wiped her face. "You see, Gunaa happening in our life have only brought us more closer. Staying away from you made me realize how much you mean to me, how much I love you. And what happened in Prabhu uncle's house only brought us closer. That accident was meant to happen. I don't think it was just a coincidence that I happened to be there when it happened. All those time I thought that I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. But now I realize that I actually was at the right place exactly at the right time." She said, and as much cliché as it may sound it made perfect sense to me.
"Cherry I never believed in fate or destiny. But I'm sure that what brought us together was not a coincidence but some force, destiny or fate or a cupid's arrow" She laughed at her joke and smiled at me.
Without even blinking, I pulled the beauty sitting in front of me and crashed my lips to hers, tasting the saltiness of her tears, not giving a care in the world of anyone walking in on us.
"You were always meant to be mine." I said between kisses.
She agreed to it by kissing me more, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.
Slowly pulling away, she called for the intruder to come in.
It was Rithika.
"Dee papa is calling you." She said, her face looking tensed and left just as she came.
A sense of déjà vu washed over me as I recalled the last time this happened, and the paleness in Dhruvika's face told me she was also experiencing it.
"Ssh... don't worry. I never repeat my mistakes. I once let go of you but not again. Remember you are meant to be mine. Only mine." I said as I pulled her in for a last kiss before she went and faced our parents.
"Come back soon jaan.." I murmured to myself as I watched her leave the room.