LIES

31.THAT'S MY SISTER

Aarohi has been awoken three a
Days ago, but you can always see more than a couple of Goenka in the hospital,  as Neil carefully avoided them for the past two days, but today he was caught by none other than his buddy, vansh called him from behind,  as Neil about to enter his cabin
"Hey Neil,  where were you, man? I called you  last night," said vansh
"I was at home and didn't see my phone until it was late at the night, do you need anything ?" Neil asked while raising an eyebrow
"Nah bro, I was calling you about the key to my apartment,  couldn't find mine, but badi mumma told me, you gave her yours copy later, so it's fine," said vansh while patting Neil's shoulder
"Yeah, so you went to the apartment then, " Neil asked, wondering if vansh noticed the smell of blood, which he tried his best to get rid of
"No, just about to leave, come here to meet aaru, hey Kairav told me about how much you helped her case, thank you so much, bro, I owe you big time," said vansh while hugging Neil
Neil, on the other hand, couldn't reply to him because he didn't know what to do, since he was not for her, it was for him more
"Ohh btw, why didn't you tell me you got a girlfriend mate, why hide it from me ?" Vansh asked with a teasing smile on his face, and Neil stared at him with his wide eyes now
"Who, me, girlfriend, what are you about, dude?" said Neil with the most shocking expression he could give
"You know what I am talking about bro, I called the guard about if I left my key there, and he told me about you shacking up while you were there," said vansh with a smirk on his face
"Ohh that,  it wasn't that,  what you were thinking," said Neil while avoiding eye contact with him. What if his eyes give it away
"Ohh come on man, stop lying now, no point of hiding,  and it's fine, I am chill with you having your girl over there, as long you cleaned it after your deed, everything is cool," said vansh with a chuckle
" come on dude, stop," said Neil trying to hide his face, for two reasons, first the blush that make its way to his face and another because he is guilty of lying to his best friend
"Now tell me who she is. When I asked the guard, he said, she is familiar," asked vansh with a raised eyebrow
"Ok fine, she was just a friend of mine, we were not in a relationship or anything and I am not telling you her name," said Neil while raising a hand to gesture to him to stop
"Ohh, so now what it is friends with benefits, seems like you had fun, did I coming soon ended your fun," said vansh cloyingly
"Nah, it's fine, bro, it's no big deal," replied Neil, wanting to change the topic
"Ok, so you wouldn't tell me her name, by any chance," asked vansh curiously
"Not a chance, well I have to go, lots of work is pending, it's good to see you," said Neil
"Yeah same, let's hang out soon," said vansh 
With that,  they both went  to their tasks of the day

In the evening Neil got a text from vansh, he is asking Neil to meet him outside the garden in the hospital,  to which Neil when, and vansh replied now, Neil wrapped up most of his work so he went to meet vansh.
As he arrived at to garden opposite to parking lot,  he saw vansh standing near the fencing and watching the main road from there, he was alone there and his back was facing Neil,  by taking big steps Neil quickly covered the distance between them, and stood beside him, vansh didn't notice Neil presence, so Neil said
"Are we watching roads now, interesting," is
"I was watching the road, and now I am watching an asshole," vansh said in an angry tone while moving sideways so he could have a better view of Neil
"What?" Neil asked, wondering if he heard it right
"You heard me right, you asshole, "said vansh's angry tone, followed by a punch on Neil's face just missing his eye
"What the fuck, vansh," said Neil a little shocked and stumbling on his feet
"Yeah same, the fuck Neil,  how could you," vansh said almost yelling
"How could I,  what are you talking about vansh, I need an explanation rather than a punch before that," said Neil now straightened up on his feets
"You little piece of shit, you know what I am taking,  that's my sister you fucker" vansh yelled before hitting Neil again, this time punch landed on his jaw and Neil stumbled down on the ground
Neil  now taking his time to get up from the ground,  as he tries to understand where this is coming from, still trying to figure out what particular thing he is getting these punches for, because Neil knows he deserves it for more than one reason, that includes vansh's sister,  aarohi
"I told everyone who works in my crew, to stay away from my sisters, because  I don't trust them, but you, I trusted you " vansh still yelling, and  Neil get back on his feet 
"Vansh calm down, I can explain," said Neil in his calm voice
"What calm down, I thought you as my buddy, you did this behind my back, hell yeah behind everyone's back, saying I can explain " vansh still yelling but this time his voice is breaking a little n Neil noticed that
"Vansh, please sit down, let's talk it out, if we talk normally,  I can explain it," said Neil moving towards vansh
"Shut up Neil,  I don't want to hear your explanation," said vansh again hitting Neil,  this time on the stomach
"Fine then hit me all you want, I won't be stopping you,  come on hit me if that makes you feel any better," said Neil standing tall in front of vansh, if vansh doesn't want to hear anything then fine, let him beat me with this thought Neil come towards vansh
Vansh come forward to hit Neil, as hard as he can, but he couldn't, because if someone willingly puts themselves in front, either they are very brave or stupid, and vansh know Neil isn't either one of them, he has to listen to him, but he is so angry on him, but vansh in dilemma,  whether to listen to him or beat him to the pulp, vansh decided now, he has to give him a fair chance to explain himself,  before any punishment
"Sit," vansh said to Neil pointing towards the empty bench a little far, vansh still sound angry
They both sat on the benches, both on either end of the bench, after a Long silence,  Neil asked vansh
"How did you know this?" asked Neil to vansh
"Does it matter now, I had my suspicion since yesterday " said vansh
"But you guys weren't as smart as you think you were," said vansh not looking at Neil
" I was searching for my set of keys,  which I found in aaru's key chain, which has her other keys to the car and locker," said vansh, to which Neil can only sigh, while not looking at vansh's
"The guard told me about a familiar face, I shrugged it off that time, but coming out of the apartment, after finding other proof, I show the guard the picture of aaru, which he confirmed is her," said vansh looking at Neil's reaction this time
"What other proof," asked Neil while looking at vansh's
"You still concerned about the proof, well, in that case, I found this( aarohi's mother's watch), she never left home without this, " said vansh 
Neil cursed himself right now, how can he miss that, and that apartment key, he think this is the right time to come clean in front of his best friend,  he owe him that, and Neil is given less chance of telling truth these days, so if he gets one, he won't going to let it go easily
"I am sorry vansh, you get to know this like that," said Neil genuinely
"So this is you accepting,  you were sleeping with my sister, in my apartment, which I asked you to stay in for some days," Said vansh, getting his anger back
"I am sorry, I get that how it looks like, but it's not all that, I am gonna explain to you, just promise me you will just gonna listen to me first, without interruptions," asked Neil,  knowing well-known that he is in no place of making any requests
"I can't promise you shit, but I can try listening to you," said vansh looking at Neil
"Fair enough," said Neil, knowing well that this deal is the best he is gonna get out of this situation
"So, firstly it wasn't my first thought when you asked me to move into your apartment, it just sort of happened unexpectedly "
"And, it wasn't started recently in your apartment, me and aarohi is been sleeping with each other, for like 3 months now," said Neil, while taking in the expression of vansh, which is him getting angry
"No, not sleeping,  we been sneaking around to have sex, whenever and wherever we could,  not sleep together,  that started only in your apartment," said Neil,  noticing vansh's expression,  which looked like Neil is about to get another punch
" We been not  just having sex, we cuddle sometimes and have meals together " still looking at angry vansh's face
"The truth is we are not having sex, or sleeping together,  to have fun or something, it's more than that" still an angry vansh, but looks like ready to listen to more of this explanation
"I take care of her, during the withdrawal symptoms, I took her to the hospital to put her off the medication she is been taking,  I was the one who notified her that she needs help, I not bragging here, because she also helped me, not that she knows she is been doing that, but overthink often lead me to be overwhelming,  she help unknowingly help me in that," said Neil honestly
"So it's not just a lust story, I meant that was also involved, "said Neil still looking at fuming vansh
"It's a love story because I love her, I love aarohi," said Neil, it felt good saying this loud, not just to himself, Neil smiled before he realized, that vansh at looking at him with a puzzled expression
"You May not believe me, you have the right not to, but vansh I don't have many people In my life who care about me, and those who have been, are either in form of responsibilities, or pity, but I love bhaiya and Maa dearly,  without any condition,  same kind of love I feel for her," said Neil,  now looking at vansh, and with silence follows on
"You love her, and that's it, she ended up I'm the hospital,  while I assume, she was with you, and what about her does she loves you too, or this is something you feel," said vansh in his normal voice
"She ended up in the hospital is something beyond my control,  but she landed up here on time was in mine, and with every fiber of my existence I made sure of that, vansh you gotta trust me, I care about her a lot, I don't want her to suffer anyway, still she is suffering,  a lot and it just broke my heart," said Neil in a proper sad voice
" and she loves me too, it's not like I am imposing my love on her," said Neil,  another lie between the truth, so that vansh will understand about keeping it secret
"If you both love each other, so why didn't you tell the family,  you know they won't deny you two, they liked you," said vansh
"Because vansh it was not easy, we recently discovered that what we share is love, and right now the person I love is in hospital, she may get discharged soon but her suffering won't leave her, as much I love her, I had to let her heal by herself because I saw her in pain, I tried everything in my power to help her, even anything to soothe her pain, but I failed, that when I realized,  that it's not time for her take new relationship responsibilities,  so the point is bringing families into the mix won't do good," said Neil with a heavy voice
"So you are telling me,  you both love each other, yet not in the relationship,  you know how bad it sounds," said vansh with concern
"Precisely, but that's not it, we love each other (said with a winced), but we are not together,  she needs to work on herself, till then nothing is possible between us, and it was a mutual decision," said Neil
"So you both are happy with this decision? " asked vansh while raising his eyebrows
"How can someone be happy about losing their love? , how can I ever be happy about the loss, which was never mines in the first place" said Neil with one tear rolled onto his cheeks
Vansh saw that and Neil quickly wipe it, as much vansh dislike the idea of her sister with someone like that, he is glad that it wasn't something for time passed, if it's a real thing then vansh is ok with that, but why they have to be away from the person they love, aarohi already been through so much, going through so much, at last, she found her love, still choosing to be away from him, vansh heartache for aarohi,  at the same time for Neil,  Neil doesn't have anything in life which he could say like it's 100 percent he, and when he found love, still yearning for it, just like his father love, how fate treating Neil is worst, but how he treated him is way worse
"I am sorry,  about those punches,  you don't deserve that," said vansh pointing at Neil's face, where his punches left some marks, and a split lip
"Don't worry,  I deserve that, hiding from everyone is tough,  never thought in my dreams that, you will be the first to figure it out " said Neil with a chuckle
"It's because you think I am dumb or you two are smartasses," asked vansh with a raised eyebrow
"Bit of both," said Neil,  with a laugh, following after, vansh too laughed at this, ending up hugging and laughing together
After a while,  Neil lit up a cigarette,  and both of them are sharing it in silence,  that's when Neil again broke the silence
"Can I ask you for a favor? " asked Neil
"Yeah, you can," replied vansh
"Can you make that two by any chance?" asked Neil, hoping he agrees to that
"Okay, after changing your face map, you get to ask two favors," said vansh with a chuckle follow
"Fair enough, so the first one is, I wanted you to keep that secret,  even aarohi doesn't need to know that you know, let's not add anything stressful to her already tough healing process," said Neil
To which vansh nodded and gestured that his lips were sealed, of course, if Neil cared about her this much, he could do this for her sister
"I want to meet aarohi, alone, now, can you make that possible," asked Neil, as he needed to warn aarohi about the lie he just told
"Neil, you know na, there is ag with her, I don't know how to convince him to leave aaru alone, "said vansh
"Please, vansh, I need to talk to her, I haven't talked to her for days now," said Neil with a sad expression, in hope vansh melt at that
"Fine, I am agreeing because I owed you one, but now we are equal," said vansh
"Thanks, dude," said Neil,  while taking a puff of his cigarette, thinking about how many lies he told since now