When I Met Him | fin.

Six

It was past midnight. Rishika's sleep broke and Devansh wasn't present in the room. She got up from the bed and began looking for him. When she entered the balcony, he was standing there. With a cigarette between his lips. That scene was enough to make her furious. She moved forward and took the cigarette from between his lips and threw it away. Without uttering a word, she left from there. Devansh went inside the room after her in a panic state and tried talking to her. But she didn't want to hear anything from him.

“Rishu, listen to me.”

“I don't want to listen to anything.”

It soon turned into an argument and in the heat of the moment, he promised her, “I won't smoke again.” It was a hasty promise. He said so because he didn't want to see hate in her eyes. And he didn't want her to leave him. So he made that promise that night.

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The next morning, Rishika was still angry with him. In Devansh's words, she was frowning and anger was sitting on her nose. He tried talking to her but she gave him a cold shoulder.

She was making breakfast in the kitchen when he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. It would have been a very romantic moment. Only if Devansh wasn't sweating from the workout in gym. He smelled very bad and she pushed him away. He chuckled and kissed her cheek, making her blush. He hugged her to his chest but still she was resisting. He kept hugging her and at the end, her heart melted. She peeked at him from his chest, “You will leave smoking for sure?”

“For sure.” He promised.

✿ ✿ ✿

Later he went to the office and Rishika stayed in the apartment. Devansh returned early and they went to a restaurant for dinner. There he made her try the Kannadiga Thali which consisted of small portions of all authentic Kannada delicacies. Then he had a peg in Rishika's presence. And another three when she wasn't looking. A perfect recipe for disaster.

They had a walk on the road after having dinner and then they went back home. That night they again made out and then slept on the same bed while cuddling with each other.

✿ ✿ ✿

That night again he had an urge to smoke. He got up and went to the balcony to smoke. That night again Rishika woke up and began looking for him. And once again, she saw him smoking in the balcony. Again she threw away the cigarette. But this time his reaction was different.

While drinking those three extra pegs, he thought that they will go and sleep. Nothing will happen. But what happened was a disaster. Something he will regret all his life.

They got into an argument. The alcohol in his system brought the worst out of him. Her words filled were with disappointment and heartbreak and his head was bursting with pain. So he used the words for her that if any other man had used for her, he would have beaten the hell out of him. He pushed her and she ended up on the floor. Her back got hurt from hitting the side table made of glass.

Devansh would agree with me if I say he was behaving like an absolute asshole at that moment. So much of an asshole that he ignored her cry and went back to sleep. So much so of an asshole that he didn't got up when she tried to wake him up for bandaging her injury.

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Next morning, he woke up with a severe headache. Rishika was nowhere to be found. There were blood stains in the living room and her t-shirt from previous night. He phoned her and she picked the call.

“Where are you? Are you a little girl to go anywhere.”

“Sorry, I'm with Bhaiya.”

“Why?”

“He was alone for two days, that's why.”

“Where are you? I am also coming.”

“No, you should rest.”

He asked her the same question again and she told him the name of the hotel Arjun was staying at.

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When he reached the hotel and entered the hotel room, Rishika was sitting on the bed alone. Arjun was out to buy fruits for her. She wasn't wearing a t-shirt and was covered in a blanket. He asked her to turn around.

“No, it's fine.” She refrained.

But then he turned her body himself and saw that her back was bandaged and had a small stitch.

Scenes from previous night flashed in front of his eyes. Tears brimmed his eyes and he hugged her. Rishika left the blanket and he saw bruises on her shoulder too.

“I'm so sorry.” He cried.

“Dev, it's fine.” She consoled him.

Devansh didn't had the courage to ask her why she wasn't angry at him. But the answer wasn't that hard to guess. Isn't it what girls are taught to do? To compromise. She did the same.

When Arjun returned, he punched Devansh. Rishika quickly wrapped a shawl around herself and came between them to save Devansh from Arjun's wrath. Arjun gave him an earful before Devansh and Rishika left.

✿ ✿ ✿

That day was spent resting on the bed. Both of them were silent. Her stitches were fresh so she wasn't wearing a t-shirt. Her head was resting against his chest and she was caressing his skin lightly. While he caressed her hair and back.

Rishika noticed that his skin was in a bad condition so she offered to do his skincare. She applied moisturizer, toner and serum on his skin and also told him to start using sunscreen. Then Devansh did the same for her. For Devansh, it was her way to lighten up his mood, to get him out of the guilt. It was a Sunday so Skincare Sunday came into existence from that day.