In a distant marriage with her brooding husband, Ayan, Adira Khanna has resigned herself to a mundane life. However, fate has different plans when Ayan's childhood friends plan a week-long trip to Goa. Little did Adira know that this vacation would...
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Chapter 11
BEGIN AGAIN
ADIRA
The morning sun gently filtered through the curtains, I slowly stirred awake, my head throbbing from the remnants of the previous night's revelry. As I sat up and noticed a glass of water and a strip of aspirin. Puzzled, I picked up the note left beside it, recognizing Arjun's handwriting.
Drink this and take care, Hazelnut. See you downstairs. – Arjun
All the events of yesterday dawned upon me – the fight with Ayan, the escapade to club with Kavya, the drinks, the dance, and Arjun. I sat there, my anger and hurt simmering beneath the surface, Ayan's single word had stung so deeply, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration, loneliness and disappointment coursing through me. Suspicions ran through my mind about true nature of Ayan and Esha’s relationship. Their subtle touches, their glances, their playfulness definitely had a hidden meaning and I was a fool ignoring them. Maybe he envisioned her, every time we were in bed together. Maybe being intimate with me was just an ordeal to him.
A wave of gratitude washed over me as I realized that Arjun had actually taken care of me in my drunken state last night. I quickly swallowed the aspirin and gulped down the water, feeling a sense of relief as the headache began to subside.
After the fight yesterday, I'm grateful to Arjun for letting me stay in his room, while he and Ayan shared my previous room to sleep.
Moments later, Arjun's gentle knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. He entered the room, concern etched on his face. "Hey there, how are you feeling?"
I smiled weakly, my voice slightly hoarse. "Better, thanks to you. I'm sorry about last night, I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
Arjun's expression softened, and he approached me with genuine warmth in his eyes. "No need to apologize, Adira. Besides, you were just having some fun. Just remember to drink responsibly next time, Hazelnut."
I nodded, appreciating his understanding and non-judgmental response to my highly irresponsible behaviour of the previous day. I saw a different side of Arjun – caring, considerate, and attentive. It made me realize that there was so much more to him. Nobody cared for me like he does. Nobody stood up for me like he does.
I couldn't help but feel a spark of attraction, a magnetic pull towards Arjun that I hadn't fully recognized until now.
"Arjun, did anything weird happen between you and I last night?" I brought up the topic that had been nagging at me.
He let out a hearty laugh, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Which sappy movies are you watching, Hazelnut? Nothing weird happened between us, I promise."
I sighed, trying to shake off the unease I felt. "It's just that I drank a lot last night, and that's not like me at all."
A smirk playing on his lips. "Well, if anything ever happens, I will make sure you remember every second of it, Hazelnut.”, he teased me with a wicked grin. His remark left me momentarily stunned.
