||~~The Brewer's Girl~~||

👼Bittersweet👼

☺Chapter 23☺

❤Dedicated to --Sumi-- for being back as my reader 😘😘😘welcome back!❤

Kabir.

Oh freak! So many texts and calls from her. Last night I didn't realize when did I slept.I hit the call back button and jump out of the bed. I expect to hear her voice after a tiring yesterday. But it keeps ringing and no one answers. I text her a quick reply and send a voice note of 'I miss you' before walking into the bathroom.

The whole day passes in a blur, getting medications for Biji and arranging errands. In the evening when I call Aashna she doesn't pick up. She hasn't replied to any of my messages either. I call her again and Kukkie answers thankfully.

"hey bhai, how are you?"

"I am good, where's Aashna? Is she okay?" I ask and frown at the few seconds of silence Kukkie took before answering.

"haan, wo actually di workout kr ke aayi na so she's taking a bath"

"oh! Okay, tell her to call me back"

"I will, how are things at your end? Aapki grandmom kaisi hai?"

"Not that bad, she speaks less now. I'll call later. Take care Kukkies." I smile at the nickname I gave her and can hear her smile in her next speech. "cool! See you. Take care bhai"

I cut the call, feeling some distant vibes from Aashna. I need to speak to her, hear her soothing voice. I wonder what's eating her, a day before she was texting me like crazy and now that I badly need her she is unavailable! Alright maybe I should not over think about it, she'll call me after shower.

But the night hovers and she doesn't call me yet.

'why aren't you picking your phone' I hit send with an angry emoticon.

'I'm studying a bit for tutoring tomorrow. DND' comes her reply with an angry emoticon as well. That fills me up. What the hell? Why is she acting so cool like she was never worried?

'c'mon ek din reply nahi kiya itna ghussa?' I send her and she sees it but ignores it. I shake my head and shut my phone off before going to bed. It's her call now, let's play her game too then.

Next morning when I wake up I have no calls or replies.

I can't take it anymore so I call her but she cuts it. I call again and again and again.

"Kabir! Whats wrong with you?" she shouts in a whisper.

"arry! What's wrong with you? Why are you not receiving my calls?" I fire back.

"see I'm in a class right now, we'll talk later."

"what's with this attitude Aashna? We seriously need to talk!"

"bye!" she cuts the call and I stare at the screen until it goes blank. Something is definitely up! Either she's irritated at something or her days are going bad.

I ring Kukkie and she answers at the first ring, "heyy!!"

"Hi Kukkie, can I talk to Aashna? Where is she? " I ask her purposely, coz I had doubts she wasn't in class. If she was she wouldn't have picked the phone at all.

"umm....haan sure she's right here" my eyes widen at her reply as I hear some commotion and whispered talks before Aashna speaks on the receiver. "hello"

"why are we running away Aashna? What happened?" I prompt.

"what do you want?"

This girl! What's got into her?

"what do I want? You lied to me Aashna. What's up with you?"

"I don't feel like talking to anybody please. Can't you leave me alone?" she speaks in a sad voice.

"Are you pmsing?" I ask blankly.

"what? No kabir!"

"then what is it baby? Talk to me." I plead. Don't she wanna know how I am? All this while she was texting me like crazy, what changed in a day!

I am met by a silence. I fist my sweaty palm trying to find a way to comfort her. but when I'm myself not getting a peace of mind I'm afraid I'll do things right.

"Kabir.....Son get ready quick we'll leave for hospital." Mom calls from the other room.

"I'm coming mom!" I call out to her but didn't end the call.

"I think you should be going now Kabir." Aashna mutters from the other end.

"listen to me Aashna, whatever it is! It's you and me v/s the problem okay? Not you v/s me."

Still silent. Still so distant.

I sigh, " okay then I'll call tonight. Cya" I cut the call frowning and thinking of a way to get her fixed.

Aarohi.

"She'll be alright Aunt, we'll go see her tomorrow okay?" I reassure my Aunt, whose mother is ill in a hospital, fighting her last days. She gives me sad smile and nods in aye.

"you coming with me will be a great help dear" she caress my hairs in affection and I return her a sweet smile. I'm gonna accompany Aunt to her home and in crucial times like these, my system's full of butterflies. For the first time in life I am thinking about my happiness or myself as a whole. I never thought there will be a day when I will also feel those invisible flowers falling off the sky or feeling the winds as a part of a romance. It all makes me giggle so much.

Sitting in a hall full of people I keep zoning out, my mind taking me back to that pleasant evening when I first saw him. Er... no I've seen him in many of the family functions and in photographs too, but it was the first time that I saw him in that light, emanating right from my heart. It has been years I've seen him since he moved abroad and when I saw him unexpectedly and so casually in front of me, I was blown away. I was at the point in my life where I thought nothing would surprise me. I had the same routine, met with same faces, had no friends to hang out with except my books. Not literature at them too, I was too occupied by my medical books and researches to think about some guy like that let alone all the romantic stuff to be felt by me.

Then my life changed, I was proposed a marriage in Aunt's family. I had no issues as my Aunt chose the Man. He is her brother's son. After my parent's demise I only confided in my loving maternal Aunt. And ofcourse I have Uncle and I met no man who's as funny as him.

My elder sister is married to a very handsome man, they are parents to my two pretty munchkins whom I love to no end. I have always loved kids, at home and at work, wherever I go I love to be in there company. There is something in them which takes away all the problems swirling in mind and invites a peaceful smile on lips. So yeah, I love kids and I think he does too. I've seen him admiring my nephew and niece.

By 'he' I mean the very man after seeing whom I've lost my mind and maybe heart too. Cheeky! From where does these things gets in my head?

I have been away at Kyrgyzstan in International School of Medicine all these years and then continued to serve my duty everywhere I could after coming back to India. Though I live with my sister and brother-in-law, I love visiting my Aunt. And ever since I gained the knowledge of my marriage to Kabir, I've been thinking a lot about him. My Aunt tells me many things about him and I absorb them all, processing each detail properly. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big head. But yes sometimes I'm really proud of my head to store all the information and making many of my fellows envious of me getting ahead of them with a mind like that. I'm not a social media's person much so unlike others I can't stalk over profiles much. My aunt is nothing less than a walking social media. So yeah my increased visits to her can be counted as my hunts for any news about him. My sister and uncle jokes around me all the time bringing up this fact but I don't really mind. I'm bride to be, what's wrong in getting curious about my husband to be?

I was happy with just a photograph I was given of him, Weaving scenarios of when and how I'll meet him in my head. All this marriage thing and hearing and thinking all day long about him has entirely taken over me, I'm consumed all but by his thoughts. And that has to result in me developing a thing for him already, without even knowing him personally. Tell me about being crazy.

But I've surpassed the crazy limit after meeting him I guess.

Upclose he was really handsome than he looked in photos. Mostly people look more prettier in pics than in actual but Kabir is perfect. Indeed perfect is the right word one could use for him.

While I was going through a pre-marriage shyness before him he was in shock. Reason being the news I gave him. My last encounter with him and I made him sad made me sad too. But remembering him always made me happy. His eyes so gay and dream like, his stance so comfortable sitting on the green grass and his lips stretched into a smile and then parting as he talked with his friend casually. I don't know what he thought about me or he even knew that I was the one who he is supposed to spend the rest of his life with, but I was happy that he remembered my name and recognized me. I blush at the memory of how he smiled live before me as I stood admiring him from afar. I had a habit of hearing heartbeats but in that moment my heartbeats were so foreign to me. Foreign in a good way. I was nervous too and my bag strap knows it all. I twisted that poor leather so much feeding my nervous self on the unexpected meeting. I feel my cheeks heat and as I touch them my eyes land on a familiar figure.

From where I sit right now I have a very nice view of my uncle's catering reception room. There in a black printed dress stand a lean girl, with goggles on her head putting her hairs in place. Can she be the girl who was with Kabir that evening?

To confirm, I run downstairs and my aunt is talking to her in a friendly manner when I reach.

She's pretty I notice. But there is a sadness in her eyes. I can tell few things exactly because I know things being a life saver. She looks tired too.

"Aarohi, this is Aashna, she'll look after business when we're gone." My aunt informs me and I acknowledge her.

"that's sweet of you, hey, nice to see you again" yes I am so sure she is the same girl I saw with him. That day I was so engrossed in watching Kabir that I probably came out as rude in ignoring her. so I smile to make up but what I get in return is a fake smile, that doesn't reaches her eyes. Am I imagining things? Why do I feel the smile she gave me was forced?

"have you girls met before?" aunt questions me and its then I realize I haven't yet told her about me meeting Kabir here.

"er...yeah I" I was going to continue but Aashna shakes her head vigorously behind my aunt, making me stop. My aunt turns to her and she opens her mouth to say, "yes I bumped into her the other day in the market" my aunt buys her lie and excuses herself to bring some refreshments for her while we talk.

I wait for her to say something on what she just did and she takes on my urge and answers, "listen .please don't tell anyone that you met Kabir, he is having so much to bother him anyways and them asking him questions would be unnecessary don't you think?"

I drum my finger pads on the counter thinking to myself that why exactly Kabir was here in Bhopal? But I didn't want to be bothersome more after being the one with sad news. So I smiled reassuringly at Aashna nodding my head in yes, "okay"

There was again this bittersweet smile that she gave me which made me confused. Did I do something to offend her? not happening. But anyways it is certain that she cared for Kabir and I am happy that he has some nice friends. Surely he is the guy who is loved by many. Would I even stand a chance? I don't really know about love, but I like him. He made me feel the butterflies and caused the rainy season appear as romantic. And for such a serious and studious nerd like me, this is a whole new and strangely good territory. I smile to myself and come out of my train of thoughts when I hear my aunt.

"where is this girl? She left so soon?"

I realize Aashna has left and mentally nudge myself for being so ignorant about my surroundings. What is happening to me? I might be going crazy.

"umm....haan" I reply sheepishly squirming under my aunt's 'why didn't I tell her to stop' glare. At last she shakes her head and leaves me alone walking away and muttering something along the lines of 'this girl has gone mad'. At this I stiffle my giggle and grin at her back. So its decided. I've gone mad. And being a doctor I have no cure for this disease called...? What? I have no name. It is not bad to feel something for someone once in a life. I shrug and take out my phone to play my favourite song these days that is 'Abhi kuch dino se'

Aashna.

Days rolled by. I kept aloof. I was hating myself every ticking second.i became moody, didn't talk to anybody properly. My schedule included waking up late in the morning, always with a bad mood, eating a lot of chips,going to bath late and then heading out to my new part time job to handle neha aunty's catering house.i skipped lunch and at home I took dinner in my room. My parents were really worried but they knew I am the one who has to accept what is really in my fate. And for all I knew, I was ill-fated. Kukkie deliberately would bring up topic related to Kabir and I was already having hard time not to run for him. So at last my anger would always transfer to him. These last days that passed, we've been in a lot of fights. From what he talked to kukkie and what she would tell me, I was able to keep track of happenings in his life. It was bothersome for me to see him like that. He tried all the ways to get me talking and share my problem, but I couldn't. I was in no mood, it was depressing to think about it all let alone share. Specially when he was already emotionally full.

After lot of arguments , I've made him angry, which was fine with me. Since this way atleast he didn't talk to me. But I didn't actually know what the fudge was wrong with me. I wanted to push everybody away, at the same time I was dying for someone to be there for me. I was dying to have him to me. But I don't want to add to his problems. I myself was trying to deal with it and was failing miserably.

I have become a mess. Real mess.

To make my miserable self worse, I got to know 'That' girl was also there where he was.

I bury myself in the pillow and cry angry tears of despair. Life is cruel and I know it now.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
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Shout out to live26chic for having a place up there in Kyrgyzstan. All my good wishes to you Anu 😘😘

Tell me how was the update in teh comments below and also, you guys can ask questions if you have any and I'll be more than happy to answer. Just don't ask about what is gonna happen next🙈🙈🙈

Time for my question. How was Aarohi?????

Let me hear 👂

Note: my exams are coming next week so I hope if there is no update next weekend you guys will understand right?

Love always,
Sue💋