Deewana

Prologue

"Tumne mehndi mein chaand aur taare kyun banaaye hai?"  Riya asked her best friend as they sat on the sofa in Riya's room. The girls were meant to get their mehndi done during the day, but both were busy with their work that they didn't get a chance. Tomorrow was Karvachauth and it would be Riya's cousin Rohan and his wife Chhaya's first one since they got married a few months ago. Rohan didn't want his wife to keep a stupid fast, but she had been adamant, saying at least in their first year of marriage she wants to experience all the sweet rituals and just be the Indian bride for the first year. 

(Why did you make a moon and stars in your mehndi?)

Muskaan looked up from the beautiful design she had made on her hand, a bright smile on her face and her eyes twinkling knowing the reason. The question also made Aarav glance up.

"Vaansh ko chand taare pasand hai na. Woh kehta hai ki chaand taaron se zaada aur koi cheez nahi chamakti duniya mein."

(Vaansh loves the moon and stars. He says nothing sparkles more than the moon and stars.)

Before Riya could reply, the sound of a snicker landed in the ears of the black-haired beauty, her brown doe eyes snapped in the direction of the snicker. 

"Why are you laughing?"

The man looked up from behind his laptop screen at the most beautiful woman in front of him, in his eyes she was an apsara.   

"No particular reason, bas...." (just)
"Bas.... kya?" (just....what?)

Muskaan tried not to get distracted by the husky voice of her best friend. Even thinking about it would be like cheating on her boyfriend. At least that's what she felt. That fantasising about another man is dishonesty for her. 

Riya gazed at Muskaan and her brother, Aarav, trying not to feel uncomfortable. She knew how defensive Muskaan gets about her relationship with Vaansh. And she also knows how deep in love Aarav was with her and how it broke his heart to pieces seeing her with another man. She also knows that Muskaan's heart knows about Aarav's feelings but is refusing to believe them.

"Lagta hai janab ne khabhi tumhari aankein nahi dekhi."

(Seems like this gentleman hasn't gazed into your eyes.)

Muskaan's breath hitched at Aarav's words, she felt like he was trying to communicate something with her through his eyes and she felt it shoot through her spine. Not knowing what else to say, she waited for the green-eyed man to finish off his sentence. 

"Kyunki agar dekhi hoti toh chaand taaron ko kab ka bhool chuka hota."

(Because if he had, he would have forgotten what the moon and stars even look like.)

"A-Aarav.... Mein..." (A-Aarav..... I....)

"Mein kya?" (I what?)
Riya felt even more uncomfortable as she squirmed in her seat, not being able to handle the intensity in the room any more she decided to break the silence by asking her brother to feed her the chocolate in front of her. Aarav looks away from Muskaan and does as he was asked.

Muskaan, on the other hand, was flabbergasted at what her best friend had just said to her. Her heart beating as fast as a cheetah. Her heart screamed at her for not accepting what was right in front of her. She didn't even realise when Aarav said things like became normal, or maybe she just never realised before. And maybe she never realised the butterflies that gently erupted in the pit of her stomach. Not wanting to bask in the strange feeling too much, Muskaan turned around and picked up her phone with the hand that didn't have any mehndi on it. 

She dialled the first person she could think of, the person who should be the one giving her the butterflies. The phone rang for a few minutes before it was answered.

"Hello, Muskaan."
"Haan! Kya kr rahe ho?" (yes! What are you doing?)
"Kuch khaas nahi. Phone kyun kiya?" (Nothing special. Why did you call?)
"Aise hi, baat krni thi. Aaj shaam ko tumhare ghar mille?" (Just because I wanted to talk. Did you want to meet up tonight?)
"Nahi mein busy hun. Phir kabhi." (No, I'm busy. Some other day.)

Muskaan frowned at the words of her boyfriend, he's always busy these days. Muskaan smiled anyway before telling her friends she needs to leave. Aarav watched her leave in a hurry before he shook his head and focused back on his work.

Aarav didn't realise when he found himself sitting on his desk in his room. He needed to get this report done. Soon the night turned darker, it was 1:30 in the morning when his phone rang suddenly. Without a second glance, he picked it up.

"Hello, Aarav Singhania speaking."

In return, he heard sobbing, a sweet voice he never want to hear in distress.

"Muskaan? Muskaan where are you? Mein abhi aa raha hun." (I'm on my way.)

Aarav didn't let the hyperventilating Muskaan hang up the phone as he sped to the location she told him. And the sight in front of him, as he turned the corner, broke his heart to pieces. He could hide his feelings for years. He could watch her with another man. He could see her do the things for him that he desperately wanted for himself. But what he couldn't do was watch her shed even a single tear. Let alone seeing her sitting on the curb of the road, struggling to breathe, clutching her chest, red eyes struggling to hold the tears back. 

It took the man a split second to pull up and rush out. He felt his heart beat through his entire body, sweat forming on the sides of his forehead, and his hands shaking as he tried to control his anger. He didn't want to scare the fragile girl as he approached her. The fact that she was sitting outside her boyfriend's apartment building just added fuel to the fire.

"Muskaan!" The sound of her best friend's voice just caused her to wail louder. As soon as he was within reach, Muskaan could help herself from throwing herself at him. Aarav was glad that she was at least responding to him. Without another word, Aarav picked her up in his arms and is about to turn away when he takes a glance up. And what he sees's leaves him fuming.

A tall, lean man standing on his balcony. Shirtless. A cigarette hanging between his fingers. Watching the two of them. Watching Aarav hold a broken angel in his arms. Disgust filled Aarav's veins as he turned away with his precious angel in his arms. He settled her on the passenger seat, gently unclutched her hands from his shirt and buckled up the now unconscious Muskaan. 

Driving away from the building, Aarav promised himself that this was it. He would never let that man near Muskaan again. And if he can help it, she would never shed a tear. Ever again. If she wanted love, he would be the one giving it to her. If she wanted sweet nothings, it would be him whispering them in her ear. If she wanted hugs or cuddles or kisses, it would be him. No one else. Not ever again would he let her sit outside, on the street of some loser's apartment building ever again. Not ever again would tears fall out her eyes because of the pain caused. Never again. He'll make sure of it. 

So! I have no self-control! So I'm uploading the prologue a little early! Happy reading.