Ishq Junooniyat (Book 3)

52. Family's Support

"Talab hai tu, tu hai nasha
Ghulam hai dil ye tera
Khulke zara jee loon tujhe
Aaja meri saanson mein aa" Vihaan twisted Aarchi and made her bend down as he slowly raised her back in position holding her stare.

"Leave me Vihaan" Aarchi said glaring at him, fighting his hold on her.

"I didn't hold your hand to leave it now" Vihaan said turning her around, pressing his chest into her back as he traced the outline of her neck with his nose, inhaling her scent.

"Great realization but late realization. You are 4 months late" Aarchi said glaring at him.

"I was trying to protect you in my own twisted way" Vihaan said looking at her with guilt filled eyes.

"From what? Cockroaches?" Vihaan wrung Aarchi's arms around his neck and held them. She tried to pull them away but failed to do so.

"From death" Vihaan said looking away from her, ashamed of how he assumed everything on his own.

"What?" Aarchi stopped struggling and looked at him confused.

"Let's move outside" Vihaan held her hand and pulled her to private space.

"Woah dude you can't just enter like that" Aarchi shouted as Vihaan opened a random room.

"I can. I own it" Vihaan said smiling.

"Since when?" Aarchi looked at him shocked.

"From 10 minutes" Vihaan said smiling goofily.

"Why?" Aarchi asked as Vihaan closed the door, muffling the loud music.

"In your romance books, the hero buys everything where the heroine goes. I was playing by the books" Vihaan said rubbing his nape shyly. Aarchi's heart melted seeing a glimpse of her old Vihaan.

"You have 5 minutes exact to start talking" Aarchi sat on the sofa pretending that Vihaan no longer mattered to her and she was doing him a favor.

"Ari... I'm sorry, I really am" Vihaan knelt down in front of her and tried to hold her hands but she held them away.

"You have 4 minutes and 50 seconds left" She looked away from him, tucking her hands under her underarms.

"I was scared...of losing you" Vihaan confessed, placing his index finger under her chin and turning her towards him.

"On contrary that is exactly what has happened" Aarchi scoffed rolling her eyes at him.

"I...I...The day we went to the hotel from your therapy session..." Vihaan tried to find words that would reflect how apologetic he was.

"The day where we fucked each other raw and then you started behaving like an asshole? Yupp I clearly remember how good of a fucker you were" She replied sarcastically adding on to his guilt.

"I met Aparna's father that day... when I was waiting for you outside" Vihaan sat down at her feet and held her hands tightly even when she didn't want him anywhere close. He looked at her vulnerably, showing her the dark side of his.

"So?" Aarchi said frowning.

"He said... He saw you...He..." Vihaan stammered.

"I don't have much time to waste on you so it would good it you'd stop stuttering and say what you have to say properly" Aarchi said emotionlessly, hardening her shell to protect herself from hurt. Vihaan looked at her with hurt as his eyes filled with tears, hearing the soft and kind woman stand as a emotionless and heartless wife. He gulped down his saliva.

"Arii" Vihaan looked at her helplessly.

"Aarchi. My name is Aarchi. I came out here to enjoy not to listen to you. Excuse me, I've got a friend who's waiting for me" Aarchi stood up and left the room without turning back as Vihaan screamed loudly at failing to talk to her.