Matter Of Hearts || 18+

NIGHTMARE AND DARKNESS

DIVYANKA'S POV

What did I do to have you......why can't you shut up....you are the worst thing that happened in my life....and she, she is no less....glass breaks....vase breaking...

I woke up breathing heavily after having the same damn nightmare, the clock struck 1a.m. . This week was a hectic one for me first that bloody false firing in the streets, second Ritika Di nonstop one hour lecture about how I should inform her before going out and keep my GPS on, and third my new regular customer. I lay back staring at the ceiling....Abhimaan never says a single word, he comes to order his usual and sits in his spot working on a laptop and sometimes files. Sometimes Varun also accompanies him but I haven't seen him for days... work maybe.

The next morning I went down and the silence greeted me as usual. Before leaving for the cafe, I had to stop by Rits place....yes I call her rits well Ritika is time consuming. I entered from the back door of their office...this is the first time I came to her working place, well she tells me a lot about her work but I don't pay much attention. Like the main door is always closed and the back door leads us to a corridor....the left side is the training room stuff and the right side is the main working place. I entered the door and was greeted by Varun. "Looks like someone was missing me" he got up from his table and came towards me his table was full of papers and files. "Seems like you are a busy man here" I asked curiously and he just smiled at me and led me to my sister's table where Siddharth was sitting....well I doubt this man sometimes CHIPKU. Well moving on I know my sister she must be in a corner running her brain wheels on a case. "Well you should go to the training room" Varun told me as I was about to go to the store room where she used to spend time concentrating.

I entered the training room. It was well maintained, sunlight filling the whole large room, various equipment and weights and mattresses on the floor. And someone punched the bag. The broad shoulders and muscular back each muscle flexing with each punch. Sweat glistened his body and shined in sunlight. He turned back, facing me as I could see his toned and muscular arms, his knuckles wrapped , his breath heavy and his chest.... "Enjoying the view?" My thoughts were interrupted damn I was staring at him. "Hot" the word slipped from my mouth without any second thought. He raised an eyebrow "Excuse me?". I slapped myself in my head "Hi....hi... I meant hi" I cleared my throat and I was pretty sure he could see my fluster and embarrassed face.

"Care to explain what you are doing here?" he asked while sipping water, the way his lips wrapped around the bottle sipping water and the way his adom apple mov-- . Focus duffer I slap myself in the head again. "Varun told me that my sister is here so I came" I tried to focus on his face. There was a hint of annoyance on his face which was quickly gone. Maybe I disturbed him. "Well I...I am sorry okay I didn't know you were here....I will leave"  I walked towards the door to leave this room but the door wasn't being opened. I could feel the gaze of his on my neck and a shiver ran down my spine. Suddenly his hand was on the door knob. I was standing between the door and him, I could feel the heat radiating through his body. His hand snakes my waist as he pulled me a little away from the door and close to him. My breath hitches in my throat, when he suddenly pulls the door with a little more force and the door opens. "The door stuck sometimes" I can feel his hot breath on my ears as I just nod and he slowly removes his hand away. I walked out the door and released a breath which I didn't know I was holding, I could still feel his touch on my waist.

"What's with the look div?" Varun's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Wh-what look?" I said but my normal facecard was slipping off. "It seems like Ritika is in the store room." Varun placed his hand on the small of my back leading me to the Store room. But his touch didn't feel like Abhimaan's. The way he wrapped his arm around me the way my body was close to him the way I could feel the heat from his body. "Apne khayalo se baharo aao divyanka. Tumhara  pyara chehra koi bhi padh sakta hai" [come out of your dreamland divyanka anyone can read your pretty face] Varun smirking says a lot.

CHILDHOOD [DIVYANKA POV]

"What do you mean Rudraksh. I told you I have to go. I can't leave my career for her" mom gave a disgusting look towards me, while dad was standing in front of me while I was standing behind him holding my bunny stuff toy MR. Bunny in one hand and dad's leg with the other. "Manisha can you stop shouting she is not a baby anymore she can understand you. I am just asking you to at least postpone your work  and stay with her tomorrow." Dad went close to mom "it's her birthday tomorrow. Our girl is turning 6.". There was a complete silence mom gave me a look it was the same look when she fights with dad " No where in hell I am postponing my work for a trivial thing. It's important for me to go." Mom looked at me "You are the worst thing happened to me."

Dad yells at mom to stop overacting, tears brimming my eyes my grip on my stuff toy increase remember what ritika said don't cry don't cry strong girls don't cry. I ran in my and Ritika's sharing bedroom and sat against the wall on the floor. My palms on my ears and Mr. Bunny sitting on my lap. The voices, their voices my parents voices I can still hear them. I started counting numbers, my eyes closed and tears rolling down my cheeks.  When someone held me in their arms. I opened my eyes and saw Ritika smiling. The smile which tells everything's gonna be fine I am here you won't be alone. "Shhhh.....sab thik hai kuch bhi tho nahi hua hai." [Shhhh.... everything's okay nothing happened]. She hugged me close to her. Her presence always felt comfortable like home. But I can hear my sister's heartbeat it was racing, her lips were partially parted and dry, her breath heavy like was struggling to breathe but yet here she is smiling and stroking my hair. Humming songs helping me to avoid the bad voices coming from the living room, my tears soaking on her hello kitty t shirt but she didn't say a word, all she do is comforting me and comforting me. I lost the count of how many nights i slept in her arms on the floor while kept me in her arms the whole night because I feel her presence. The comfort and warm I always craved from mom was giving to me by my sister...MY SISTER.