THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ROMANCE

Chapter 15

Chapter – 15

“What is your problem Eshaan? I was trying to find Pakhi and you dragged me here. Now tell me what is it that is so important that you have to discuss it right now?” Aryan was truly annoyed with Eshaan. First, Pakhi disappeared without telling him anything and now Eshaan was behaving as a hyper active patient.

 “Hell man! Can’t you see? That girl is in love with you!” Eshaan yelled, “And you are still thinking of winning the bet! She is like my sister and it is she for whom I still have Tina. Whatever is your bargain I’ll give you, but just end this game.”

“Eshaan you had it all wrong!” how was he going to make him understand that whatever he had with Pakhi was more than a bet.

“NO! ‘nothing comes in between me and my goal’ that’s what you had said. Fine, I agree, now please let her go. Everyone knows you are not a guy to fall in love! So why this act?” Eshaan always thought himself as the big brother Pakhi never had. So naturally he thought that whatever Aryan was doing it was all because of the bet.

“Aryan, for god sake don’t act in front of me. I know you very well! Tina is waiting outside and if she comes to know anything about this, you will not only lose the girl who unconditionally loves you but you will also lose your beloved sister. You agreed that you are not the Prince Charming Pakhi needs then why destroy her life? Don’t we both know that you are doing this just to win?”

“Listen to me! That is not what you think!” Aryan shouted at him.

“Then what is it?” Pakhi stood at the door of the conference room. She was sitting at the reception when she had seen Eshaan dragging Aryan to the conference room. And both of them looked serious. Without much thinking she had followed them, but had never imagined what naked truth waited for her.

A chill ran through Aryan’s body. The damage was done. Now how will he make her believe that it was not because of the bet. He genuinely cared about her.

“A bet? You used me? You took me as a challenge?” tears formed beside her eyes.

“Pakhi ---“ Aryan strode towards her and tried to touch her hands.

“Don’t! Just don’t say a word.” Pakhi moved back. “For once I thought that I had misunderstood you. But no, I was right! A man like you can never change.”

“Let me explain Pakhi.” Aryan pleaded.

“So that you could lie again just as you did all this while.”

“I never lied.”

“You vowed not to betray me”

“And it’s true. What you heard was about just a silly bet, long forgotten”

“Exactly as you’ll forget me once you are over with this relationship.” Pakhi’s tears were unstoppable. Aryan didn’t have the nerve to rub it off her face. He just stood there staring at her innocence. And he felt her comparing him with that bastard Samrat. “Tell me for once you didn’t thought of ending this relationship?” Aryan didn’t have the answer to Pakhi’s question. He had once hated Samrat for betraying her but now his own heart mocked at him, wasn’t he doing the same thing with her?

“Aryan, you are free. I think you have used me enough,” with a tearful of eye Pakhi rushed out of the conference room and from the hotel. Aryan couldn’t stop her. He didn’t know what to say that would make her come back to her. He felt an arrow piercing through his heart. His mind went blank. Somewhere he also felt a relief that Pakhi now knew about everything but the pain of losing her was irrecoverable.  “See! That’s what I was telling you about. Your madness of winning cost you your biggest happiness.” Eshaan gave a disgusted sigh and left. Aryan stood in the middle of the conference room and closed his eyes. Only the image of Pakhi’s tear stricken eyes came to his vision.