Never Meant To Be

Chapter 3

"Yes" Rajveer said.
"No" Rajvansh and Ria said in unison.
I tilted my head sideways and gave a puzzled look.

Rajveer gave a little breathy laugh and said " Vash is my brother"

"Cousin" Rajvansh interjected.

"Han Han and Ria here is ...."

"Is?" I emphasized for an answer.

"Friends" Ria exclaimed "Just friends. Nothing more."

Rajvansh raised a brow and looked between his cousin and Ria.

Rajveer cleared his throat and asked "What are you doing with him Ria?"

Ria turned on her hundred watt smile as she held onto Rajvansh's arm with her both hands and said "Oh I am just here to enjoy a date with my fiance."

Rajvansh shook Ria of his hand and took a step away from her as if annoyed by her presence.

Rajveer on the other hand looked baffled "When did this happen, Ria? You slept with me yesterday!!!" He screamed.

What is happening right now?

Rajvansh cleared his throat and said "She is not my fiance. We met today for the first time."

"But no Raj, we met at you sister's birthday. And you were talking to me."

"I am seeing you for the first time, woman."

"But we talk about how you like to wax your cars yourself, remember?"

"I talked about it with Sid."

"And I was standing next to him."

Rajvansh pinched his nose between his eyes and said "That is not the same as talking to you."

"But Raj, the next day my parents talked with yours and you agreed to meet me."

" I agreed to meet a prospective match. And now that is out of the window since your fiasco with him."

Rajveer still looked agitated as he said
"Ria you can't marry him. You are my girlfriend for fucks sake."

"Then why did you agree to meet me?" I asked while feeling a migraine building in my head.

"Because my parents asked me to" Rajveer said.

"You are the problem Veer. I agreed to go on dates because you didn't propose to me in the last three years we were together." Ria accused with her finger pointing at Veer's chest.  "You just want me as your little side chick while you get married to a girl of your parents' choice."

"You know I can't do anything about that, baby." Rajveer said as he tried to console Ria.

In between this screaming match, I felt a tug on my hand. Looking down I found Rajvansh pulling me around the fight couple and towards the parking lot.

Behind us I heard someone calling me
"Asmi! Where are you going?"

"Far from you both!" I shouted without looking back.

"See Veer this is all your fault. You either marry me or leave me alone." I heard Ria's distant cry as we reached the parking lot.

I heard a small chuckle next to me so I turned towards the man to see he was laughing with his chest rumbling softly.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
This man, with his angular jaw, sharp nose and perfectly kissable lips was laughing softly causing his eyes to wrinkle slightly at the ends.
He looked angelic with the pink pastel sunset sky as the backdrop and I was awestruck.
He turned his head to look at me as he graced me with those deep grey eyes of his, turning emerald green in the centre, and rumbled a heavier laugh out loud which invited me to join him. I laughed my heart out loud with him as the ocean flirted with the sky behind him.
My eyes started to water. I did not understand why. It was too overwhelming to take in such a beauty of mankind and nature.

I begged him to stop laughing but he just continued to cackle, dragging me across the lot with him.

Finally our laugh died down to small hiccup chuckles, when we found ourselves on the beach corner further outside the park lot and far away from any people.

Somehow our hands were still intertwined as we walked leisurely for a few seconds before my haze died down and an uncomfortable feeling rose up my chest.
This is getting too domestic. We don't know each other. This needs to stop.

I stopped walking and took a deep breath. Rajvansh stopped walking and looked back at me. I tried to free my hand from his but he pulled me to him in an instant and I crashed against his chest. He enclosed his arms around my waist.

"What are you doing?" My throat was dry as I said the words out in a low whisper.

He sighed softly, his eyes raking over my face as he mumbled "What are you doing to me?" And closed his eyes to rest his forehead against mine.

I relaxed in his hold. My mind blank as I took in his serene face and brought my hands up to hold the sides of his neck massaging his jaw with my thumbs softly. He buried his face more in my hand as if my warmth gave him life and I obliged to his request by caressing his cheeks softly.

There are some moments in this continuously churning cycle called life where one wishes to stop time and soak in the peace and sanctuary that the earth has to provide. The moment when humankind after all the destruction and hate it has caused finds no victory, when realisation hits that love is all that matters. Togetherness is all that matters.
This was my moment, with this handsome stranger. Feeling the heat of the settings sun on our skin, the salty breeze of the sea and being content in peace was all that mattered.

A minute passed but it may as well have been a lifetime. The sun slept and darkness had taken over.

Ansh slowly opened his eyes, trying to indicate something I couldn't decipher. His eyes had the glimpse of hope in the midst of a storm.

His hands moved over my back slowly. His eyes moved down to my lips. I smiled softly at him, scared to ruin the moment.

But it was too late. He blinked and his eyes were blank again, all the green vanishing from them. My smile dimmed. He slowly brought his hands  up, taking both of mine in both of his, as he gently took them off his face.

He cleared his throat as he left my hands down and took a step back.

"It's getting dark. We should head back."
With that he turned around and started to walk.