"You're my life saver Sanyu, I can't tell you how much this mean to me...thank you thank you thank you so much." Rahul blabbered hugging me tight.
"You can stop squeezing me first..." I replied.
"Huh?" He asked breaking the hug.
"Your hug was not that very soothing..n yes I want this check back within a month Rahul. And m dead serious about it." I said holding my hands across chest.
"You don't worry, I will do it even if I have to sell myself in flipkart." He said giving one of his signature crooked smile and I could only glare him back.
"You better be..otherwise I will tell everything to Randhir."
"No no no..don't do that please. It would be better if you throw off the cliff than tell about this to ran. He will kill me anyway." He pleaded.
"Okay okay..enough of drama. Now leave my cabin." I ordered and Rahul left giving me a salute.
I let my head fell back on chair and sighed hard. It felt so bad, that I was lying to Randhir but helping rahul was important. I decided not to think about it and concentrated on the file laying in my table. But again interrupting my trance, my phone rang up and it was again from Vidushi di.
"Why are not picking up my call?" Di barked over the phone.
"Di, I was little busy." I replied.
"Yeah I know you are busy being doll of Randhir's."
"Di, I love him..can't you just be happy for me." I said in irritation.
"But does he too? He is not going to settle down with you. That guy don't even know the meaning of family n relation." She said bitterly.
"Di..you can't say stuff like that without knowing him. I know we both love each other and that's enough for me." I said straight.
"I will accept that he is serious about you only if you can bring him to Riya's wedding." She offered.
"Who's Riya?"
"Parth's sister. I mean Randhir's cousin.. He never attended any function in the family..now that he is ready for relation, I want to see how well your love can change him."
"Di..m not going to blackmail my boyfriend." I rolled my eyes.
"It's not blackmail..take it as a task. If he agrees, I promise I will support you in future or else I will find some other eligible man for you.. You are too young to waste your life." She said.
"Okay. When this wedding going to happen?" I asked in utter disinterest.
"Next week..I will send you the schedule later."
"Okay di, I will talk to you later. But m not sure if he will come or not."
"If he loves you..he will Sanyu." And saying that di cut the call.
I knew I was going to fail..I knew no matter how much Randhir loved me, he wouldn't ever go to family function and I had no heart to push him there where it hurt him the most.
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"Hey, what are you doing? And why all lights are off?" I heard Randhir's voice and sat up lazily on the bed, switching on the lamp nearby.
I had moved in with him that morning, there's wasn't much stuff with me so it was quick and easy for both of us to clean up everything back on my apartment.
"You're back? M just tired I guess." I said weakly.
"Why?? Are you not feeling good? Should I call doctor?" He asked panicking and checked my temperature.
"No silly, m totally fine."
"Then why did you take a day off and sleeping at this hour?" He interrogate.
"It's my women time Randhir." I replied shyly looking down.
"Ohhh...ohh..m sorry. You take rest baby..tell me if you want anything." He said like I was some sick patient in need of help.
"I told you m fine, and you know right we can't do anything for few days? I just don't want you to feel disappointed... I should've stayed in my apartment for few more days." I kept on rambling.
"Do you really think Sanyukta I asked you to move on here just because I want you to have you in my bed?" He sounded angry and hurt.
"No...but it just you were..."
I couldn't complete the sentence as he placed his index finger over my lips..
"I am still excited..still so happy. M happy like never before coz you are here. With me, under one roof. I want you here Sanyukta to settle down..to see our future together, I don't want you for a night baby..I want you for every damn night of my life and I want you to be the person who would wake me up every morning too." He said all with utmost sincerity...
It was moment of epiphany brought up those words of my sister, and couldn't help but smile knowing how wrong was she and how much right I was.
"What are you smiling about?" He asked.
"No.. I just realised you can even beat Bollywood actors in throwing such awesome dialogues.." I smiled from ear to ear.
"Oh yeah..m sure I even look better than them sweetheart." He said giving me a quick kiss on cheek and went to washroom for change.
Well, he was right. He was better than any hero painted on screen..he was better than any dream one can weave with imagination.
Later on that night when we cuddled in each other arms, I thought it was the right to ask for something. I knew he was going to angry or might be upset but I had to ask.
"Are you going to ask me something?" He asked.
God this man could read my thoughts...!!!
"How do you know that?" I asked him back.
"Coz you're nervous for some reason and I can't guess why." He said pushing stray lock.
"Hmm..I need a few days off." I said finally.
"Why so?"
"M going to Bangalore...it's Riya's wedding next week. You know her, she is parth jiju's sister and I have to be there." I said hesitantly and when I looked up to see his face, I knew he was more irritated than I could imagine. He was no longer holding me tight but sitting on the edge, looking at the empty wall.
I sat up behind him and placed one hand on his tattooed shoulder, making him flinch and I heard him asking, "Is it necessary to keep in touch with family Sanyukta? Am I not enough for you?"
"What are you saying?" I asked.
"I don't want you to go." He said straight.
"And why?"
"Coz I don't want you to meet my family." He said gritting teeth..
I made a distance from him, with a frown in my face coz I had already decided to go to this wedding whether he wants or not.
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"Vidushi di called me today, she knows about us." I spoke breaking the awkward veil of silence between us.
"So what? I guess everyone who is interested in gossip knows about us." He said shrugging off his shoulder.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance, and said a bit roughly, "She doesn't think you are serious about me, she seemed angry with the idea of us."
He immediately shifted from his position and faced me, "Does that even matter to you?" He asked.
"I love you Randhir but I also want my only family to like you too. Obviously my parents never gonna accept us but at least Vidushi di.. I want her on our side, she is only family i have Randhir." I said.
"Oh.. what she want me to do." His voice was void of any emotion.
"She want you to come with me to Riya's marriage, she wants to meet you...but." I couldn't even complete when I saw Randhir stood up and made way to go..
"M not going anywhere Sanyukta..I don't care if your sister doesn't love me. I love you..n all I want is your love. Family mean nothing to me.." He interrupted.
It hurt a lot, they way he was cold towards everyone except me. I couldn't figure out which one was actually real Randhir at that moment. That lovely guy who made me feel like queen or the guy who despises the mention of his family, who was he. I already had decided not to ask him to go with me, understanding his pain but the way he reacted, it made me wonder if he was going to turn so cold towards me too if anything goes wrong between us.
"I wasn't even going to ask you to come Randhir. I don't care what people think about us, but it seems you don't trust me enough by now." I spoke feeling hurt.
"What are you saying?" He again turned his way back.
"Tell me why shouldn't I go there. Tell me why you hate your own family tell me what bothers you Randhir. Tell me." I screamed at him...
But he didn't flinch a bit. I got down from bed and stood at his level and looked straight into his eyes.
"I knew you wouldn't say a word Randhir. I knew. And if you don't trust me enough to tell me about your family, don't expect me to listen to your demands. I don't want to lose my only family so easily Randhir, not the one who supported me at my worst state. I will go there." I said determinedly and left his side to go out of the room for some fresh air...
But before I shut the door between us, I paused and said, "Don't worry I won't ask anyone about you Randhir. I respect your privacy, and I hope you will respect my decision too".
I didn't wait for a moment longer to hear anything and sat on the swing chair up there on his terrace, it was our first serious argument and I wished he would come after me to hug from behind and kiss me until I forget why even we were arguing, but he didn't came. I fell asleep on the long chair waiting for him, and the last thing I remember was the sad moon giving up to the darkness and clouds hover over the sky indicating the strom and rain coming that night...
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Miraculously when I opened my eyes next morning I found myself back in his arm, tucked in his comfortable bed..feeling safe and sound. It means he came for me last night, well that was an awesome feeling to wake up with, only I knew how badly my heart ached thinking of him never going to come after me. I could hear rain pouring outside heavily and Randhir's embrace was too comfy and tight around my frame, I sighed and closed my eyes falling back to slumber tangling my fingers with his.
God, I couldn't feel my own head when I finally woke up. I was still feeling so dizzy and misplaced as my eyes slowly opened and found bed empty. I checked the time and my eyes flung open seeing it was 1pm already. Holy crap! I couldn't believe I slept for so long, it must some record breaking time for sure. No wonder Randhir was nowhere to see and again I felt disappointed knowing he went alone to office, when we still had an argument going on between us. I got up lazily walking out to the balcony, and felt how fresh the air was outside.
Randhir's bedroom had no window, it was like a big closet..dark and cold. It doesn't even had balcony attached, I had to walk through hallway to reach balcony and I couldn't help but feel how his heart was resembling his own room. His room had only one door and his heart had only one entrance and it was for me. He was still that man who wouldn't believe anyone except himself, he was still the guy who had heart drowned in darkness and I was afraid if one day this darkness would swallow the tiny candle I lit inside his heart.
I was so lost in my own thought that couldn't realise when Randhir was there behind me, it was only when I sense his cologne in my breathe and turn around to found him leaning against the wall, looking handsome as hell in his office suit..
"When did you came??" I asked in surprise.
"When you were adorning the stupid rain as if it was some very interesting thing." He said sneaking his hands around my waist.
"Don't call rain stupid, I love rain..."
"Oh yeah I love rain too when I imagine you getting drenched there and just wearing a sari, like that night." He said teasingly nipping at my collarbone.
"You are incorrigible Randhir.. seriously." I rolled my eyes at him.
"I know, but you tell me what are you doing here and why m feeling you haven't even have breakfast." He asked.
"Blame it on your room Mr. Shekhawat, I couldn't even realise the time once I get inside."
"Good, at least you slept full."
"No..it's not good..you left without waking me up." I pouted complaining.
"I might be idiot enough to argue with you, but m not heartless to wake you up when you were sleeping so soundly." He said with guilt in his tone.
It pinched my heart how his voice was heavy with grief, and I couldn't help but say, "I argued too Randhir. It's okay..couples fight. That's normal"
"No, I don't like to argue over stupid things which have nothing to do with our life. Something like family n all, I don't want it to come between us at all. I have you and its enough." He said without any emotion dipping.
"But Ran.."
"Shh..but I respect your decision. You were right, it's not my place to order you to do things which relates to your family. You can go to Riya's wedding if you want..I already talked to Parth about you, he will come to airport to receive you. You'll be fine." He said massaging my nape and I didn't know why my throat felt so heavy to even reply him back.
I placed my head against his chest turning around and hugged him tight..
"M so gonna miss you..." He said kissing my hair.
I knew I shouldn't have ask him, I knew it was not right but I was only human being, I too had emotional breakdown and in a such weak moment I asked him, "Can't you just come with me?"
Randhir didn't answered anything but lightly pushed my hands from his body and distanced ourselves, I looked at him at that cold expression on his face send chill down to my spine..
"Don't ever ask such thing Sanyukta...just don't."
He said without looking at me and walked way just like that....not even once looking back at me.
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