Royal Arrangement

40) KABIR~ A bold Move

It's been whole two days, and all I had done was go an outing with Akshita, Abhishek and Nalini. Between me and her, it wasn't even awkward. It was clear that a thick wall of tension lay between us. I had been keeping my distance from her. I was mad at her, I was so pissed. She needed time, and I would give her that.

I tore away my eyes from Nalini. She stood there with a small smile as she had a talk with Abhishek. Akshita was standing at the ice-cream stall, waiting for the order. I stood beside her. I had realised that Abhishek and Akshita behaved way normally for the look in both their eyes. The way Abhishek looked at her was so much more different than he ever looked at his girlfriends.

I could feel the way he would stop smiling when he was looking at her. I could feel why he would eyes her so often when she was gleaming, smiling. I knew why exactly he went silent around her. I knew why he didn't even bother making silly comments about stupid things when he was with her. He was himself, purely himself. The Abhishek very few knew. I smiled slightly at the thought.

Akshita turned her head to me. "Which flavour did you order Jiju?" She raised a brow.
I sighed. "Strawberry and blueberry yogurt." I said.
"Why?" She said casually as she passed me my cup.
"It tastes like Nalini." I muttered randomly and she choked on air.

"Ew." She made a face as she slid the chocolate cup towards me. "Do your wife a service."
I chuckled gently. Well it kinda did match with Nalini's love. Sweet and sour all at the same time. I walked to Nalini and handed her the cup without a word. Her hand brushed mine gently. But I didn't bother looking at her, because that's all I did all day.

We rarely talked. All I did was steal glances at her while I maintained my distance. It was frustrating and so beautiful in itself. Abhishek held Nalini's arm and he pulled her to a side. "So as I was saying earlier, I think it would be fun." Nalini tore her eyes from mine and she smiled again.
Akshita eyed his hand as dangerously as I eyed it. We shared a look and Akshita composed herself when she realised I had caught her.

"Since when do you know him?" I asked her, trying to get my mind off of Nalini.
"We were once good friends in Highschool, shit got fucked up. I left. Here we are again." She said as she took a small bite of the ice-cream.

"Just good friends?" I asked. It didn't seem so. Why would she look at him that way then.
"Maybe more, but we were never exactly lovers." She replied with a small smile.
"That's not on you to decide." I remarked as I stepped forward.

"What about you." She paused before she smirked. "I know you want to punch your own brother and pull Nalini in your arms." She eyed me.
"Well, I do. There's no doubt in that." We both chuckled at the same time.

"You really love her Kabir." She said. I paused in my steps even when I clearly knew I did. If others could see it, why couldn't Nalini?
"I do." I smiled at the thought as my eyes found Nalini. She was a few steps away from us. She turned her face to look at me and our eyes met. I looked down, back at Akshita.

"I wish you two can make up again. So that I can finally enjoy my own wedding. It's stressing to see you both being so egoistic." Akshita sighed. I did too.
"It's not me, it's her." I said.
Akshita smiled after a few seconds. "She just wants to hear it. That's all."

"Why?" I asked frustrated enough. I had been trying to know the answer since I saw tears in those eyes.
"That's Nalini's part to tell. But it means the world to her Kabir, I can tell you that." Akshita answered shortly before she sprinted forward and grabbed Abhishek's hand.
"I have something important to discuss." She said and pulled him forward. Nalini paused in her steps and I didn't stop walking.

I intentionally picked my pace and I walked straight towards her. Her body collided with mine and I put a hand on her stomach to hold her from falling forward. She looked back at me, surprised yet expecting it to be me. She closed her eyes slightly taking a breath. My hand remained where it was. "I swear Kabir, if my ice-cream fell, I'd have been so mad." She said as she put a distance of a few inches between us.
I smiled. Her scent, her closeness, the irritation on her face was enough for me. For now.