"I am coming there" saying, she cut the call without giving him chance to speak. He chuckled seeing her all worked up.
She walked holding her head straight. Reaching near him, looked at him. Arthi's words rang in her head. 'Also, anyone would kill to go out with such a handsome man!'
His hairs combed perfectly yet a bit messy which looked so good on him. His brown eyes, how could she forget them? They looked similar to the shade of chocolate. His eyelashes. His chiseled face with the sharp jaws. He was tall. He surely was a handsome man, she couldn't deny the fact.
As she was so lost in drooling over him, Aditya had to snap his fingers in front of her to bring her back from her thoughts. And when he did, she looked all flustered. Shyly, she averted her gaze.
"What are you always thinking?" Aditya asked.
"Umm... Nothing" she mumbled.
"Let's go.... Shall we?" He asked opening the passenger's door for her to get inside the car.
Nodding her head, she sat inside placing her bag on her lap. Aditya then got himself in driver's seat. Starting the engine, he drove off away from the school.
After a good five minutes of silence, Naina started with her soft voice. "You had full day today...."
"Yes, I did." Aditya said.
"You never took leave" she then said, which was very true.
"Yes... I never did. Now that I think about that, I wish I had taken leaves." He said feeling as if he had missed so many things from his life.
"Today, you did" Naina mumbled.
"Yes, to pick you up"
"Exactly, why?" She asked finally, what she's been meaning to ask.
"What do you mean by why? Am I not supposed even pick you up?" He asked frowning.
"No, I didn't mean it like that. But you took leave for me, wouldn't that affect your work?"
"Naina, somethings are supposed to be placed above of all the other things. My family is what matters for me the most, which includes you too. Also, half a day wouldn't effect anything on my work" He said, taking the right turn.
Then Naina didn't speak anything. She knew he was doing this only for Nia and so was she. She sat in silence.
After ten minutes of drive, Aditya stopped the car near the same cliff the previous day they had come. Aditya got down the car and so did Naina. They together walked a little near to the end of the cliff.
There was a rock nearby. A small one but big enough for three people to sit on it. Aditya climbed on top of it and held his hand down for Naina to grab it.
Looking at him, she hesitated for a minute but then she placed her hand on his and climbed on top of the rock.
Now they stood on top of the rock, facing eachother. Since Aditya was tall, he was towering over Naina. She could smell the earthy cologne which belonged to him. The more she smelled, The more she felt drawn towards him like the drug, she felt intoxicated.
Aditya and Naina had never been so close to one another. It was their first time that they were standing so closely that they could feel the heat radiating from their bodies. Aditya looked at her. Her black eyes staring back at him. He felt like drowning into them. Those eyes attracted him so much that he just couldn't look away from them. He could just stand there and keep looking at her whole his life.
"Why are we here?" He heard her ask.
"Ahmm...." He averted his gaze from her. Naina did too.
"Why are we here instead of being at home?" She asked again without looking at him.
Running his hands through his hairs, he sighed. Looking at her, he said.
"To know eachother?" It came out more like a question.
"We know eachother." She said
"Yeah.... But I mean to know more..."
"What do you want to know? We know eachother's name, we go to work, we studied in the same school and we love our family. What else is there to know?" She questioned.
"Naina... Even outsiders know that. You clearly know that we don't even know eachother like a friend. So here we are..." He trailed off raising his hand in the air.
"We could have done that at home also...." She turned away from him.
"What's wrong with being alone with me?" He asked raising his voice, feeling frustrated. It was really difficult to be with her.
Sensing the change in him, she turned to look at him. "Why are you raising your voice?" She asked.
"Why am I raising my voice? Okay, I am because my wife doesn't even want to spend some time with me and is it too difficult for you to spend some time with me?" He shouted.
"Why are you yelling at me?"
"Why are you being so difficult?"
"I am being difficult? You are so unbelievable!"
"I took leave for you!"
"I never asked you to!"
"Will you stop shouting, Naina?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because I am hungry!" She shouted loudly after which there was deadpan silence. Their both face had become red because of all the shouting and their chest heaved up and down as they breathed heavily.
To Naina's embarrassment, her stomach growled out of hunger which was loud enough for Aditya to hear. At this moment, Naina wished for the ground to swallow her. Pushing her free hair bangs behind her ear, she looked away.
When she thought nothing can be more embarrassing than this, her stomach growled again. This time louder than earlier. Hearing this, Aditya laughed looking at her. Shaking his head, he got down the rock and walked towards the car leaving her to stand there by herself.
"Hey, where are you going?" She asked thinking would he leave her and go... He walked as if he didn't hear her.
"Hey wait! Are going to leave me all alone here?" She asked seeing him opening the car door.
"You can't do that! You can't leave me hear, especially when I am hungry!" She huffed and puffed seeing him getting inside the car and then looked at her.
"So I can leave you here after I give you food? If that what you mean?" He asked, with a smirk plastered on his face.
"What? No! That's not what I meant!" She looked everywhere but him. In a jiffy, he was standing in front of her making her step back .
"Then what did you mean?" He asked leaning towards her, his hands were behind.
"I - I meant - th-" she had no words speak. Him being so close affected so much that she couldn't even form coherent words.
Aditya on the other hand, couldn't help but laugh seeing her all flustered. Did she really think that he would leave her here? Seeing him laugh, she folded her hands below her bossom and turned away angrily.
Once he was done with his laughter, he asked. "Did you really thought I would leave you here and go?"
The way Naina looked at him, he couldn't help but stifle his laughter.
" Oh Naina, how easy it is to scare you!" He laughed.
She glared at him.
"Someone said, they wanted to get to know eachother! This is how you do it? By making me suffer me from hunger?! Who would even want to go out with you?" She screeched walking towards the end of the cliff.
Naina was a person who would tolerate anything, but hunger. Starving, would bring out the worst out of her. She herself was unsure of what she would say even if the other person is not at fault. But here, she had the right to be angry.
What kind of man would starve a woman and tell her that he wants to know her?! The grumbling sounds from her stomach, only infuriated her even more.
Aditya was spellbound by her sudden outburst. He had never seen her like this. Right now, she looked adorable when she was actually angry. Shaking his head, he neared to her.
Sensing him near her, she sniffed as she smelled something that of food. But from where was the smell coming, she didn't know.
Aditya stood right behind her because of which the smell hit her nostrils making her stomach growl more loudly.
Not knowing from where did the smell come from in this abandoned place, she turned to see Aditya standing right there with both his hands holding the cup noodles!
She looked at him as if witnessing something magical. While Aditya stood there grinning at her.
"Huhm... Well I don't keep ladies suffer with hunger!" He said, raising his hands in front of her showing the two large cups of Maggie.
The only thing Naina could say was, "How...?"
"Well, I am always prepared. Though I was going to offer it after a few more minutes. But someone already looks like they are very hungry!" He held it for her to take, but then raised up when she reached her hand to take.
She stood on her toes to teach his hand. She was so tempted by the smell, that she had no idea what she was doing. Aditya kept on raising it higher and higher, while she kept on jumping to reach the cup of noodles he had in his hand.
When Naina worked herself just to have a bite of it, he was enjoying it very much to see her like this. She was still the same Naina. She has not changed, only that she's been hiding herself behind this facade of being emotionless.
Naina jumped a bit higher to reach the cup and ended up falling on Aditya who had his arms stretched out with cups of noodles in each hand. He stumbled a bit but then stood controlling himself.
Naina had her hands fall on his shoulder on which she gripped for supporting herself. She was so close to him that his breath was fanning on her face. Both stared into eachother's eyes. It was like they were transported to another world and wanted for the time to stop.
But they say beautiful things always end. And so did their staring spree, on hearing the loud growl from her stomach. Though they had stopped staring at eachother, Naina was still standing close and holding onto him. Seeing that, there was a glint of evilness in his eyes. Naina's eyes widened as if realising the position they were in.
"Do you always fall? Or do you always fall because it's me?" He asked still fanning his breath on her face.
"What?" She asked as if not understanding.
Her face turned red like a tomato that looked like ready to be eaten. She removed her hands from his shoulders and took few steps back making a good distance between them. Even then there was this look on his face which showed that he enjoyed seeing her like this.
"You are so cruel!" She turned towards the cliff and sat down.
Smiling at her, he sat down next to her forwarding the cup towards her. This time, he was actually giving her. But Naina didn't make any move thinking he would again play her like he did earlier.
Aditya placed one cup bedside him and opened the lid of the cup. The steam coming from it showed that it was still very hot.
"what happened? You don't want it now? Okay, If you are not hungry anymore then no worries at all. I will eat-" he said twirling the fork with noodle, ready to bring it near his mouth.
Seeing that, Naina's mouth was already watering. After the hectic classes she had today continuously, she was too hungry now to be angry at him or bicker with him. After all he had no right to play like that with the woman who is starving with hunger. There was food infront of her and he was really going to eat it if she wouldn't grab it.
The minute Aditya brought the spoon near his mouth, Naina snatched the cup and fork from his hands.
"You brought it for me no? Why are you eating? Shouldn't you give me eat? How unthoughtful of you to eat by yourself!" Saying, she started slurping the noodles.
Watching her eat Aditya felt satisfied and then he too started eating from his cup which he had kept aside.
Amidst the trees, sitting at the edge of the cliff, in the melody of chirping birds and rustling of the leaves, they sat in silence and slurped their cup of noodles.
_______
A lot more to come!
Sorry couldn't update in the day... So for the night, before you sleep, here's the chapter for you! Please comment and vote the chapter....
Thank you :)
Dated : 22 May, 2020
Edited - 16 June 2021