AASHIQUI : chain bhi..dard bhi

Chapter 42

FAISU

4 DAYS LATER

I'm calling in some backup of my own. Shivangi.

Mrs. Piya's great, but Shivangi knows exactly what Jannat's going through because she recently went through it herself when she lost Jeh. I'm also hoping she'll be able to sway her to move to Kashmir, because when I broached the topic, Jannat locked me out of her bedroom for twenty-four hours.

"You know what to do, right?"

Shivangi nods. "I'll try my best to complete the mission, but I make no guarantees."

"Samjana usse k mai yha Bombay m hi naya ghar leluga...agr kashmir ni jana toh" I rub the knot of tension forming in my neck. "I'll do and give her anything she wants."

I just need to get her out of here.

"Got it." Squaring her shoulders, she heads up the staircase, and I call Faiz

He picks up on the third ring, sounding out of breath. "Emergency?"

That's when I remember he's fucking his way through Los Angeles because Dadi is still in Kashmir for a few more days.

"Nope. You carry on"

After hanging up with him, I dial Mohsin. Unlike Faiz, he sounds...bored.

"Hey," he drawls. "I was just about to call you."

"Why? What's up?"

"Nothing." He makes an irritated noise in his throat. "Aside from dodging the camera crew because they're filming today."

I stifle a laugh. To be a fly on the wall of the Barclay mansion right now.

As if on cue, he snaps, "Get that thing out of my goddamn face. I told you not to fucking film me."

"Calm down, babe," Gwyneth whines in the background. "It will only be for a minute."

There's a loud crash. "He just broke my camera!" some guy shouts.

"You're lucky it wasn't your fucking face," Mohsin bellows before a door slams shut. "Sorry about that, man. I'm back."

I grin. "How's engagement life?"

Two weeks ago he popped the question and just like Shivi said, it took some of the heat off me. I owe him.

He snorts. "How's newlywed life?"

Touché, motherfucker. "Mai Jannat ko kashmir chalne k liye mana raha hu Or rather, shivangi is."

"Shouldn't be an issue." I hear him light up a cigarette. "Shivi is good at this usse jise jo krvana hota hai krva hi leti hai...chahe fr humari marji ho yaa naa ho"

I don't miss the venomous edge in his tone. Opening the back door to the patio, I light my own cigarette. "You two on speaking terms yet?"

"Only when we have to be." The edge in his voice intensifies. "Suna hai vo Kalp se kuch jyada hi baat krti hai aajkl"

No surprise there. Mohsin doesn't strike me as stupid. Far from it—given the way he tends to sit back and observe shit—but maybe he doesn't realize what I do.

"Kalp ko shivangi pasand hai"

"Yeah..what..No shit."  He goes silent for several beats...and then. "I don't give a fuck,"  he barks, which means he definitely does. "Mai baap bnnevala hu, Engaged hu and Usse jo krna hai kre yrr apni life m."