Forever? ||

29.

Her face was solemn as she entered the bus . She sat and went to the last single seat and plugged in her headphones. She was tired now . All her life she had kept herself away from actors because she knew it would never end good. She had limited friends in the industry , According to her most of them were prentious and fake. She went to award functions rarely because it meant more people , more interactions ,more heartbreaks and more jhamas. She couldn't handle that.

So she guards her heart from the possible heartbreaks. She had a small circle , they were her world and she was happy in her small enclosed world. That is until he came along  shattered those walls , walked past the guards and made his place in her heart and managed to know the real her , know her insecurities , her vulnerabilities and what did she get inreturn ? Her heart broken ?

God , why the fuck was she so naive ? Sweet talking , flirting that's what all guys do right ?But then why did her heart say he was different ?

She closed her eyes and looked turned her head when she saw him climbing the bus. He entered and saw her sitting on the single seat. He sighed before going and sitting on the sear opposite to hers facing her

" Laddoo " He said but she ignored him
He looked at her expectantly and then nudged her, she still didn't react

" Do you want something to eat ? " He asked and she opened her eyes

" No thanks " she said curtly without looking at him

" Can you please look at me ? " He asked hopefully but she didn't

" Laddoo please .. look - "

"I don't want to talk Karan and i guess i have made it pretty obvious then why are you even trying ? " she said rudely

" Teja i can explai-

" There is nothing to explain Karan. And you don't even have to , it's not like i am your girlfriend afterall " She cut him off.

" Atleast talk to me .. Tell me are you angry, are you upset , disappointed? " He said his voice laced with pain . She looked up to stop her eyes from brimming

" Nothing karan... please " She held herself from choking in front to him

" Let me explain teja .. it wasn't what you think ..  i didn-

" You know what ? I don't care what you say and to whom.. Infact i just wa- actually  leave it , I don't even want to have this conversation with you " She Said in a low voice .

His heart clenched and once again the feeling of failure tiptoed inside him. Why was it that people always ended up getting hurt or disappointed from him . Why was he such a failure . The more he tried to keep relationships , the more they seemed to break. He always ends up being messed up.

" It was lovely knowing you Mr Kundrra " She whispered and restwd her head on the window turning to the opposite side. He scoffed silently. Wow ! Is this what they had come to now

"Fine . But can you atleast have this ? " He asked and she looked from the corner of her eye to see a roll in his hand.

" I don't want to " She said sternly

" Khaane me gussa nhi dikhate teja.. have it " He tried to convince her

" I am not angry , i am just not hungry " She said a little loudly

" You haven't eaten breakfast, have it. You don't have to talk to me .. but please " He begged and she sighed

" I do not want that . Have it yourself . Also don't act like you care " She gritted

" What do you mean acting ? I am not acting , i genuinly care for you ... can't you feel that ? "

" Feel what ? Jo feel hona tha higya karan... I don't want to talk to you ... Please go to your friends .. Because at the end of the day tujhe mil jate hai tere log , but  it's me who is left alone... You jnow why ? Kyuki mai teri tarah jake logo se tere baare me baat nahi krti hu... " She spat out and he stared at her dumbfounded

" So just leave me alone please. Can you atleast do this ? " She asked and he nodded

He turned on his seat and sat straight . Resting his head on the seatrest he massaged his temples. He hadn't expected this to go like this. The more patience he tried to show to her the more she she was becoming rude. He couldn't take this. None had talked to him like  this before and once agaim he realised why he liked her. She keeps him in check.

***

" Mom jante hai kya hota hai ? " Rohit sir said in a serious tone.

" Wax " Rohit sir added looking at the serious faces of  the contestants. 

" Yeh stunt khatron ke khiladi ki history me pehli baar hine wala hai . Aur yeh stubt krenge tejasswi aur Amrutha " And everybody let out gasps

" Jo dar gya woh seedha elimination stunt krega. Toh last chance hai . Ab , ek demo du ? " He said . He called karishma and dropped two drops of wax from a candle to which she screamed in pain . Everybody looked at each other

" Socho wax ki baarish ho body par toh kya hoga ? "

Teja closed her eyes seeing how much it pained with juat two drops. Karan's eyes were only on her the whole time .

" Ab mai btata hu ki stunt hai kya. Apko udhar litadiya jayega  aur chain se bandh diya jayega " He said pointing to the setup .

" Mere go kehne par pipe me aag lgegi , udhar 50 kilo ka wax hai , toh jab woh jalega toh wax ki barish hogi , jo apko 1 minute tak sehna , uske baad woh jo stick rakhi hai usey use krke 4 off ke signs rkhe hai , unhe apko push krna hai . Jaise hi aap woh krte hai   apka stunt khatam hota hai  " He explained

" Deva "

" Oh godd

" Shitt "

Everybody gasped . The stunt wasn't going to be easy. Karan looked at Teja who was silent all this while. She hadn't even chanted ganpatti  bappa like she always did .

" Tejuu  come on... All the best " Everybody  said as she was the first to go

" Teju , will powere ka stunt hai .. shanti rakhiyo ..juat focus on pushing the signs " Everybody explained her . He stood at the side

" All the best teja " He wished her . He didn't know what else to say. He himself was so scared for her It felt like the first day all over when he had wished her while others were mentally prepping her

Karan turned his head away as the pipe was lit and the wax started melting . He closed his eyes shut as she writhled , screamed , growled , moaned in pain. Her screams were enough to haunt him . He couldn't see her in pain.

If it was in his hand he would have gone and stopped her or done it on her behalf.

" Ahhhhhh "

" Mummaaa "

" Umphhhhh "

He clenched his fists as her screams grew more and more louder , making him feel more and more pain.

" Go tejaa "

" Achha kar rahi hai tejuu "

" Very good "

" Bas hogyaa "

Everybody cheered as the one minute passed. She took the stick.She was quick in pushing the signs but the scream didn't stop.

The fire was astinguished and the room went silent. Then her cries were heard. Everybody gulped while Karan's heart sank at her sight . He quickly ran to her as the medics  untied her chains .

She almost crashed in his arms as he took her away from the set up to her vanity along with the medics . he shouted her name in panic as she was about to faint but her cries didn't subside

  "  Laddoo"