Chapter 53
◀◀ NEW YORK SPECIAL: THREE ▶▶
The rehearsal finished earlier than expected and Jiyasha enjoyed it thoroughly. Emily was crippling on her limbs yet she managed to perform her beats. Later when Jiyasha joined them for the lunch, Emily was breathing hard and her knees were aching.
"Emily, you should not pressurize much. It might affect you very badly due to more complications," Jiyasha scolded her.
"Please Jazz, don't speak my brother's words. I'm alright and I will perform in the event," Emily said biting on a piece of sandwich.
Jiyasha was seated on the opposite chair to Manish and she continued staring at him. He felt awkward, nostalgic and strange with her behavior. The other boys and girls were having fun during the break while Jiyasha's behavior kept him inattentive to their gossip.
"So guys, what are we supposed to do tonight? Isn't it the turn to Manish's house?" Ivy asked and Emily nodded.
"Yes according to our band's rule for rehearsal and practice, we spend nights turn by turn in one another's house. So it's definitely Mr. Heartthrob's house tonight," Emily approved.
"We all know that but will your bodyguard be coming over as well?" Manish taunted seeing Jiyasha's eyes fixed on him.
"Are you asking about Jazz? She may join us if she likes," Emily gestured Jiyasha for an answer.
Jiyasha smiled. "Emily, I am supposed to join you. John has specially told me not to leave you alone otherwise you will continue dancing without any control."
Everybody laughed including Manish. This was the first time after Aryan's death when Jiyasha had spoken like the old carefree girl in her.
Ryder took the cue and interrupted, "Emily, you asked me to leave the guest alone but the guest is herself not leaving you alone at all!"
Emily punched him in his stomach and he jumped off his chair. The whole group began giggling and enjoying the fun whereas Jiyasha was awaiting impatiently to meet Manish in his house this time.
****
Emily and Jiyasha drove to Manish's house while the other people were supposed to meet them directly outside his home. It was half past eleven of the night when they reached his house and were greeted by a young boy similar to Jiyasha's age at the entrance.
"You guys have bumped again late night!" the boy teased while Ivy pushed him.
"Now you move aside Mr. Rag. We are here to meet your elder brother." Emily ordered and the boy's facial expressions changed.
"Oh please, stop calling me rag, my name is Raghav, only Raghav! Big brother is in his music room." The boy expressed his annoyance and moved aside. The group made their way inside while Jiyasha didn't move. She was observing the boy carefully who had called himself to be Manish's brother.
It wasn't late either and Raghav had also noticed Jiyasha. He uttered, "If you don't mind, are you new in their gang?"
"No I'm only a guest at Emily's house." Jiyasha frowned.
Raghav moved near Jiyasha and spoke softly, "You don't look like you are from New York but you look cute."
"I'm from India. Didn't your brother tell you?"
"Who? Manish! He didn't mention any visitor as beautiful as you coming from India. What's your name by the way and what do you do?"
"Jiyasha, I'm a cardiologist by profession."
"Will you check my heart too? I feel something is missing there," Raghav continued with his teases.
Manish came out of the entrance and pushed his brother aside. "Will you stop irritating our guest, Raghav? And Jiyasha, don't you think you must have entered the house by now? They've already taken their places in the drawing room."
Having said so, Manish caught hold of Jiyasha's arm and pulled her inside with him. Jiyasha continued walking and staring at him lovingly. His grip on her hand amazed her and she wanted him to hold her hand forever.
As they walked along the length of the corridor, Manish said, "Please don't mind my brother's words. He's like that since childhood. He has just completed his college and is looking for some good opportunities. He doesn't have any girlfriend so he likes to irritate every girl but he is not bad at heart."
Jiyasha froze in her position and Manish also halted along with her. Looking straight into his eyes, she enquired, "Don't you also have a girlfriend?"
Manish laughed as loudly as he could until his stomach ached. "Oh Jiyasha! Finally you have changed your opinion against me. You have now realized that I'm not your husband and you are asking me if I have a girlfriend or not. But the way you were claiming me was fun!"
He continued laughing again while Jiyasha spoke, "Do you think I'm a fool? Why do you always make fun of me?"
He finally stopped laughing and spoke seriously, "You are not only a fool but a cute and beautiful fool! Thank God that I haven't disclosed about your claims on me to my friends otherwise they could have made fun of you in the worst way possible. I didn't intend to make fun of you at all but I wanted to warn you of the consequences if you continued. Here at New York, nobody will even care if the husband leaves the wife for somebody else and the wife will get an another husband for herself. But you are still ranting for your husband and I don't know what you found in me that you want to prove that I'm only your husband!"
Jiyasha's eyes brimmed with tears and she could not answer him. She was not yet sure who he was and everyone knew him to be Manish, the whole city knew him as Manish. She had heard of the myth that people around the world had seven replicas of themselves and Manish might be one of those replicas of Aryan. She composed herself having understood that there was no point in arguing on such a baseless issue when nobody was ready to believe her at all.
Manish saw her painful eyes and the depressed expression on her face which compelled his heart to sink. He cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears with his thumbs. "I'm sorry Jiyasha if I've hurt you but how can I accept anyone who continues claiming me as her husband without my consent?"
"You don't need to believe me but when I'll show you certain proofs some day, you will have to believe me." She shoved his hands away and walked out of the house alone. She couldn't bear to waste more time in his house without a proper reason.
****
Manish followed behind her and Jiyasha continued walking at a faster pace on the deserted street. He rushed and held her hand to stop her from walking any further. "Where are you heading all alone? Haven't I warned you that you are new here and you are still not acquainted with any of the places. Listen to me."
"No, you just go away and leave me alone." Jiyasha pushed him as hard as she could and continued to walk again.
"Please Jiyasha, listen to me. I really didn't want to hurt you. Don't leave like this, Emily will also get tensed for you," Manish continued shouting behind her and ran close to her again. He held her by her shoulders this time.
Jiyasha pulled herself out of his grip. "Please Aryan, leave me alone."
Manish felt very restless upon witnessing Jiyasha's craving for her husband. He had never seen any such true lover all his life during his stay at New York since childhood. Even no other girl in his life had ever compelled him to run after her, in fact girls at New York used to run after him during his concerts. But here he was running behind Jiyasha. He had never believed in true love or love at first sight but now his heart was slowly changing it's phase. Jiyasha seemed to be very different to him, different than most other girls in his life. It might be the spell of an Indian girl working on him, wanting to take control over his heart.
Jiyasha uttered Aryan's name again and then pursed her lips quickly. She felt confused for calling him Aryan again when she was being told numerous times that he was Manish. The whole city wouldn't lie, he was Manish and only Manish.
"See Jiyasha, you are not in your state of mind. Please allow me to at least drop you at Emily's place. It will look very bad if I allowed you to go alone. Emily will kill me," he requested and she nodded.
****
Manish drove Jiyasha to Emily's apartment and she moved out of his car rapidly. She said, "Now you can go and enjoy with your friends the whole night. Bye."
Jiyasha ran inside the apartment as fast as she could and Manish didn't fail to witness her devastated face. "Have I hurt her that much but I was only trying to explain her that I am Manish. Why isn't she ready to believe me?"
Jiyasha rushed into Emily's apartment and threw herself on the bed. She was weeping as badly as she could and Manish's face was disturbing her mind a lot. "I can't distinguish who is Aryan and who is Manish! Haven't I lived enough with Aryan's pain that I can't believe Manish."
Jiyasha opened her trolley and scattered her belongings all over the room. She caught hold of an envelope from the innermost chamber of her trolley and took out a very old picture. It was the same picture from the magazine which she had clicked with Aryan at the derby ground. She had preserved this one sole photo of him with her.
Manish followed Jiyasha to her room and felt traumatized upon seeing her weeping badly over a picture. He whispered, "Jiyasha!"
Jiyasha heard his voice and stared at him. She moved towards him and held the picture in front of his eyes. "Can you see this is my husband? Mr. Aryan Saxena!!! Will you still make fun of me? He didn't leave me for an another woman that I'll search for an another man. He has left the world. Do you understand? He's dead and gone forever!"
Manish experienced a sharp pang of pain traversing across his heart. Jiyasha's suffering in life was more than anyone could bear and he felt guilty of himself. Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she narrated the cause of Aryan's death and her own dilemma. Manish astoundingly shook his head and Jiyasha held his collar. "My husband looks exactly like you and how can this be possible?"
Manish wrapped his comfortable arm around her shoulders and she hugged him at one go. He caressed her hair while she continued weeping in his grip. After some time, Manish separated from Jiyasha and made her to face him. "Jiyasha, I can completely understand your dilemma. I'm sorry for hurting you for the past couple of days. I don't know if it is really possible but you were right. Your husband's face matches exactly with mine. I'm both speechless and helpless at the moment but this is really true that I'm Manish and I've grown up here. I'm really sorry once again."
"I think I should believe that you are really Manish because if Aryan were in your place, he could have never denied me." Jiyasha lowered her eyes.
"I'm very sorry that you came here for a work and you met somebody who resembles your husband. This is mere coincidence. I am not your husband who can claim all his rights on you and consider your happiness before anything but I promise I'll try my best to at least share your pain and mitigate it."
Jiyasha nodded. "Please leave, your friends might be waiting for you. It's my pain and I'll only have to bear it."
"Will you be alright?" Manish asked her.
"I'll be, I'm in the habit of staying alone. Don't worry."
Manish was still feeling bad to leave her alone and go away but he had to. He agreed and left the room. He had just reached the lift when he received a call from Emily. "Where are you? Raghav saw you leaving the house with Jiyasha and he just now told us. What's cooking up between the two of you?"
"I don't think I'll have to answer you everything. She was not feeling well so I dropped her at your apartment. If she feels better, I'll reach and join you all," Manish said angrily and Emily disconnected the call.
*
Jiyasha held Aryan's photo very close to her bosom and muttered, "Do you see I've got someone who looks exactly like you. He's also caring like you but more gentle than you were. You were arrogant but you loved me truly like nobody else. I exactly don't know how will I overcome the pains which you have given me forever!"
Manish returned to the outside of Jiyasha's room again. His heart was not agreeing to leave her alone at all. Raising heartbeats and the need to take care of her was all he could feel. He was unaware that he was falling in love with her for the feeling was very novice to him.
He stood beside her window and waited for her to stop crying to herself and go to sleep. He felt the urge to go near her and caress her but she was yet new to him, her heart already belonged to somebody else and he was no one to force his emotions on her. He was Manish who was different from Aryan and Jiyasha had place only for Aryan in her heart. It wouldn't be easy for her to fall for his lookalike and replace him with Aryan's place in her heart. All Manish could to do was to give his brewing emotions time and try to win her heart gradually without hurting her feelings!
To be continued...
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