The protagonist and the antagonist,
All are waiting,
For your words to be woven.
L3 - A letter, some love and damn luck.
Chapter 16
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I tapped on the table in front of me desperately as I waited for Prisha to show up.
She wasn't late, I was half an hour early.
I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and I found that it was a call from Hardik.
“Dar-shwan, Yo-wur sist-wer was call-wing”, he spoke into the phone and I assume, he was eating something.
“Hardik, eat your food first and then talk”, I said, distressed.
“Ohh, your sister was calling”, he said now clearly.
“What? But why?”, I ask in disbelief. Is she okay? Has something happened to her?
“Apparently, she wanted to talk to you”, he informed.
“Talk to me? About what?”, I asked.
“C-wall her yo-wurself”, Hardik said again his mouth full of food.
“Okay”, I say back understanding what he meant.
It is so awkward pointing out how he should be behaving well. Doesn't he know the etiquette of eating? We shouldn't talk while eating.
I dial didi's number and wait as the rings go.
“H-wey”, she said, and I assume she had her mouth full of food, too.
What's with people today?
“Hi didi. I think you wanted to talk to me?”, I asked as polite as I could sound.
“O-wuh, th-wat? We c-wan t-walk ab-owut th-wat aft-wer yo-wu c-wome back”, she said again.
“What are you eating even?”, I asked irritated.
I hear her gulp down her food.
“I had pizza in my mouth”, she said.
“Is Hardik also there?”, I asked because, both of them behaved the same way.
“No, he isn't”, she denied flatly.
“Never mind, both of you act the same way at times”, I said out frustratedly.
I hear her chuckle before we bade each other and cut the call.
Why do I have weird people around me?
The door catches my attention as it moves back and a girl comes in.
Prisha.
I smile looking at her in her yellow frock. Mumbai winter is taking a toll on her.
She smiled looking at me.
“Oye hoye... Today you look innocently hot”, she commented sitting in front of me.
“Never mind if I look hotter than you”, I winked at her and we share a laugh or two.
“So, How did your dealing with the whole Sadhna's scenario go?”, she asked me looking at the laminated menu in front of us.
“Well, I guess it went well. She has decided to stop.”, I inform her, repeating her action.
“But you know, old habits don't die easily. I guess she needs therapy”, she suggested.
“But, you and I both know that it's not worth the therapy”, I sigh and she purses her lips together.
“I said her that if she is repeating her actions, I am going to send her to a rehab center”, Prisha says after a moment.
“Prisha, my heart says that, she won't repeat her mistakes ever again. She is not that girl”, I try to comfort her.
Even if I cut Sadhna off my life, she will still remain a best friend to Prisha and, no matter what, I can't cut off Prisha from my life.
No matter, whom I choose, both of them are bound to stay in my life.
Such is the scarf woven by the string of love and luck.
“You know, I don't want to sound rude or offensive, but it's our date, right? And I don't want to talk about her...”, I admit as I sigh out heavily.
She passes a smile at me and nods, understandingly.
What more do I need to love?
We talked. We talked for hours. About this and that. About him and her.
“Don't you think Hardik and Diya didi are kind of similar in nature?”, she asked stirring her straw through her strawberry milkshake.
“Hey, I was just thinking that. How do you read my mind everytime!”, I chortle.
She giggles.
“Really though. Both of them act the same way, like both of them are pawns to the same game”, she said tilting her head to the side.
Ugh... Why did she need to do that?
“And what game do you think it is?”, I lean ahead and wink at her.
“Maybe, that's the game of what we don't dare to play?”, she leans towards me and whispers.
She swipes of a little chocolate fudge icecream and mess it on my neck.
“Oops... You need to clean it”, she said as she leant in and literally sucked on my neck.
I had to fight back a groan.
She goes back and looks at me innocently before slurping her milkshake.
She is testing me?
Haa!
I mess a bit of ice cream on her lips.
“So, who needs to clean that now?”, I smirk and am about to lean on when she sticks her tongue out and licks her lips.
“You don't need to bother. I did it”, she winks at me as I frown at her. She laughs at me in her sweet voice.
Now, no more games.
I lean on and push my lips on her and she tries to suck on my lower lip. Not so early, love.
I playfully hit my tongue on her lower lip and ask for entrance. She opens her mouth and I grab that moment to push my tongue upon her and taste every part of her.
Mmm... The strawberry milkshake is sweet, too.
The kiss gets only heated and steamy as she gets closer to me and starts grabbing the roots of my hair. I pull her as much as I can, wishing I could mould her into my body. I run my hand up and down her neck and waist and she does the same with my hair.
Despite the futile attempt to stay this close forever, we part for the stupid need of air.
Why do human beings need air? Why can't they survive on kisses?
Right. Because that's way too selfish for innocent babies.
I touch her forehead with mine.
“Wow, that was fierce”, she chuckles and I feel the heat creep up my neck.
The phone in my pocket buzzes, ruining the moment.
At least it didn't buzz when we were kissing.
“Can you come back home?”, didi breathes as soon as I pick up the phone.
“Why?”, I ask, a bit nervous.
“Dad is going to the market for dinner. I tried stopping him... But he wouldn't. You know what would happen if he finds you with Prisha”, she informs me. Ever since dad had stepped in Mumbai, he knew just this restaurant in Mumbai. That means, he is coming here!
Shit!
I cut the call and face Prisha, “Pri, I am so sorry baby... But dad is coming here and if he finds us here.. ”
“It's fine.. I understand... Let's get to my apartment?”, she suggests and I smile gratefully at her.
As we walk out of the restaurant and to her apartment, we hug each other close and talk about anything and everything.
“You know what Sadhna told me?”, she asked from the washroom, changing her clothes as I stayed in her bedroom, getting out of my shirt.
“What?”, I casually asked her.
“I asked her if she by any means loves you”, she said and a frown etched on my lips.
“And she said, she didn't. She said that if you guys are forced to marry, she is going to run away”, Prisha chuckled.
I knew if ever it happened, it would be a 'Do or die' situation for Sadhna.
She never goes against her dad.
“Also, she said that... ”, Prisha trailed off coming out of the washroom in her shorts and a over-sized T-shirt. She came closer to me and pulled me closer to her. Mind you, I was only in my vest.
A naughty smile on her lips and it was bringing a dirty mind back.
“She said that... I should kiss you thrice a day...”, she completed and chuckled.
“So, are we kissing for her?”, I asked a bit hurt.
“No. Not at all... We are kissing because, she seems to add fuel to my already out of track mind”, she said licking her lips.
I groan at her action and seal our lips.
Tongues fight and explore. Our hands move up and down each other's body. Why can't we just be glued already!?
We part away for breath. A smirk on my lips and a smirk on her lips.
“If my mom comes in, she won't like the sight of a boy in my room”, she says in a husky voice.
“You live alone”, I pointed out.
She shook her head to the sides while laughing.
The door bell rang and I froze in my place. Her mom? Pri went to open the door.
It was a girl, I guess by the noise of excitement.
The bedroom door opened in a flash second, and Sadhna appeared.
She went blank seeing me.
“Well, Darshan, I guess... I disturbed something”, she said looking between Pri and me.
“No no... It wasn't getting that intense”, Pri was worse than me when she was nervous.
I don't want to be in between the girls.
“Well, I will just go”, I announced, flustered.
“Wait”, Sadhna stopped me, holding me by my wrist.
“I wanted to discuss something with both of you”, she said.
But, for the next half an hour, Pri and Sadhna both were busy in the kitchen, gossiping and I was impatient in the bedroom.
What did she want to talk about?
In the meanwhile I put my shirt on.
I decided to get into the kitchen. I knocked on the door and said, “I thought there was something you wanted to talk about”
“Oh yes! I forgot about you! You have no presence at all”, Sadhna commented.
“Hey, that's rude!”, I protested.
“However, I wanted to see you both kiss”, she said.
Blank.
Blank.
“What?! ”, that's what came from Pri.
“I just want to make sure I don't love Darshan because when Pri mentioned about it...i didn't feel so sure of myself. If you both are close, I shouldn't be feeling jealous. Right?”, she said.
I am going to regret this. Maybe not.
“Well, if you are sure it won't cause you any harm”, Pri said not looking at Sadhna and playing with her fingers.
“But... ”, I wanted to protest.
“So, let's get into the bedroom”, Sadhna moved ahead of us.
“You sure this is a good idea?”, I whisper to Pri.
“I don't know... If she is sure... ”, she trails off and I know, nothing good is going to come out of it.
Today she is asking to see us kissing, tomorrow she will ask to see us doing... That.
We sit opposite to each other while Sadhna sits across us to have a better view.
Her scrutinizing gaze is making it worse.
I move towards Pri and Pri moves towards me.
Reluctantly.
My fists clench together.
How do I do this?
Our lips are about to touch.
I can feel Pri nervous. Her sweaty forehead say so.
We are a string close to each other and our lips are just 0.01 mm away from each other. I can feel the tension of her lips just a few strings away from me. I pull away in an instant. “Sorry, I can't do that”, I say.
Pri seems relaxed.
Sadhna just looks at us.
“Why? Is it because of me?”, she says in disappointment.
“There's something called comfort and I don't find it when I am being told to kiss my girlfriend... Although, I can do it through an instinct... But, it's weird... Being told to kiss”, I answer... Awkwardly.
“You guys are freaking out.”, she says rolling her eyes in disappointment and takes her bag.
“You are going? You have just come, though”, Pri says.
“Dad had some work with me”, she says blatantly and goes out.
“Wait, let me walk you till the door”, Pri gets up to walk with her and I lay on my back.
Sadhna is a haywire!
S A D H N A
I walk towards the door, and Pri is with me. Making sure Darshan is out of hearing distance, she says, “Make sure you are a wife that can love Darshan”
“But, I don't love him. I didn't even feel jealous when you were this close”, I say bringing my forefinger and thumb close to indicate the distance.
“I know... But situation won't remain same forever. You and I both know that this is going to end up with Darshan and you... So, try loving him”, she said.
“You know that it's silly. Darshan loves you with all his heart, Pri”, I spit at her.
“Yeah, that is... But sometimes, if the string of love is not strong enough, string of luck takes over”, she says.
“That's non-sense...”, with that futile sentence, I storm out.
I could hear her say something, “You know the results”, I assume...
D A R S H A N
Pri comes in with a hanging face.
“What happened baby?”, I asked cupping her cheeks.
Within the short distance between living room and bedroom... A bomb might have exploded and I might not have known.
“It's nothing”, she says as she kisses me, like she has got no tomorrow.
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// What do you think? Where is it going to land in? Didn't it get super long? //