The Arranged One | ✔️

Chapter 31 - Best Friends Again : Part 1

His head felt like it would explode any second, he felt so tired and so completely exhausted. God! He knew that last bottle of tequila was a mistake.

He heard a stream of water flowing...god even that felt like nails being hammered right through his skull.

"Here, take the pill. It should help with the hangover."

He took the glass and the pill he was offered, not in the shape to question or argue or even think. Popping the pill and washing it down with water, he looked up at her.

She was wearing a cute t-shirt and some shorts, she looked relaxed and casual and utterly beautiful. Completely opposite to what he was feeling like right. Total shit. He winced as she set down the glass with a soft thud.

"Did I say or do something that I shouldn't have yesterday?", he asked massaging his temple, willing the throb in his head to go away, his voice gruff with sleep.

"What is the last thing you remember?" She asked, sitting down on the bed to face him.

He tried to jog down his memory to find the last lucid memory.
"I remember the party, and the car ride...everything after that seems a little blurry."

"I thought it would. You were completely wasted Abhi. That was very irresponsible..."

He had a sudden flash of her telling him off.
"Okay I remember you saying that yesterday"

"Why would you get yourself so drunk? Do you realize how difficult it was for me to lug around your six foot frame all the way to the house?!"

It started coming back to him in pieces, damn he did lean on her an awful lot. He also remembered pulling her flush against him. He remembered the feel of her body against his. God he was such a love sick puppy when it came to her.

He started to get up when he realized he was only wearing his boxers.
"Did you undress me?" He asked her, not managing to keep the shock out of his voice.

"I wasn't going to let you sleep in the business suit, was I? Besides, it's not like I haven't seen you in your boxers before." She looked positively indignant as she tried to explain why she had undressed him.

"Siya..." He tried to let her know it wasn't a big deal but she kept going on.

"It's not like I jumped you or anything. I am your wife, I undressed you for bed, what's the big deal? Besides it was your fault...you got drunk and went crazy!"

God! She looked so adorable defending her actions and accusing him of things...It reminded him of how it used to be between them. The light banter, the easy back and forth. He shook his head to focus on what she was saying, as he got up to brush his teeth.

"Did I? Go crazy I mean...did I say something? Or do something?" He asked, going to the bathroom and brushing his teeth while he waited for her reply.

"Well..." He heard her trail off.

When he realized she wasn't going to finish her sentence, he rinsed his mouth and asked, "Well what?"

"You told me about the tenth grade." She said in a timid voice.

"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion, as he washed his face.

"You told me about how you felt about me in the tenth grade." She said, her voice louder now as she had walked into the bathroom.

"I have no idea what you are talking about...oh" He stilled midway wiping his face with a towel.

She didn't respond. He thought she was allowing it to sink in for a beat or two, before she continued.

"We need to talk about it Abhi." She said, looking at him through the mirror.

It felt oddly intimate to him, standing next to her in the bathroom as his went about his morning routine, wearing only his boxers.

"I don't see why it is important, it was way back in the past. It's been what...almost ten years. I am way over it all."

"No you are not, or you wouldn't have brought it up in the first place. You said you didn't want to trust me because I broke your heart everytime you let yourself love me."

"Holy shit! I said that? Damn. I was wasted!"  He exclaimed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

He jumped slightly when she put her hand on his shoulder, his body instantly begging him to pull her to him. Yes, his d1ck was a traitor, it didn't give a damn about what he wanted. Just like his stupid heart, it wanted to surrender it's broken pieces to her once again.

"Abhi", she said, coming closer to him, urging him to look at her, as if he already wasn't, "We need to to get on the same page."

Now he was getting annoyed. Sure she wanted to talk about this. But when he tried to talk about things and clarify she would shut him down.

"Just like we did with the other morning? Just like you let me clear the air?"

"Abhi I..." she stopped, trying to think things through.

Her beautiful face twisted with worry, he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her worries away.

What the f**k!? Every organ of his body was a damn traitor when it came to her.

She seemed to gather her thoughts before saying, "I will talk about that morning. I will let you tell me everything and explain anything you want about that day, but you have to talk about tenth grade and that day...Manav's Birthday."

"Seems like an unfair bargain to me."

"Nothing about our relationship has been fair to either of us. There are things we haven't spoken about, things we have kept from each other that have messed our relationship. I want to talk it all out. I want to start from the very beginning. I want us to talk Abhi, because communication is the most important part of a marriage. We have barely acknowledged our marriage, and we need to. I know we agreed on space...but Abhi there is no reason we can't talk things through...we need that to even coexist. Please Abhi. Can we do that? Can we talk?"

A/N. I know I know!!

I know this is tooo short. It's just an appetizer of the chapter, something to engage your appetite while I prepare the main course.

I wrote, then started re-writing the chapter again. Somehow the first draft didn't resonate with me.

Anyway, do you think Abhi is going to agree to talk? Also, what do you think about Siya's change of plans? Do you think she has consulted with Divya, what is she up to?

Want to thank all of you who have voted and commented on the previous chapters. I love reading the comments and inputs.

To all my new readers, specially the ones who have binged on all the chapters in a day or two, thank you so much. You have no idea how special that makes me feel. 😘😘😘

To all my readers who have stuck with me patiently since the beginning, thank you so so much for being my strength and commenting such wonderful encouraging words! You guys are the reason I have made it so far.❤️❤️❤️❤️

To all my silent readers, if you truly like the way I write or like my story, please do provide some feedback in the form of votes atleast if not comments. But thank you for reading my story! Love you silent folks too😊😊😊

Love,
Siya