Chapter 1
Pune university campus
Aryan quietly slips into the dance hall, careful not to make any noise. His gazed focused on the girl who stole his heart, dance passionately. It was the only time she expressed any emotion. He smiles wrily, remembering the first time he had seen her dance a year ago, her first year at university and his third year, mentally cringing as he recalls his cocky words, "dance for me."
She had give him a cold look, one that still gave him goosebumps when he thought of, picked her things and said in a cold voice, "I only dance for Krishna", took the small statue of Krishna from the stand and walked out of the dance hall.
Unaware of having company, Aradhya is lost in her dance, pouring out all the emotions she otherwise keeps under a tight leash.
Lost in her, Aryan recollects their last conversation several weeks ago...
Having lost patience, for Aradhya would not accept his friendship, Aryan decided to be honest about how he feels. Gathering courage, he approaches her and says, "I think I am falling in love with you." Not impressed, Aradhya gives him a cold look and says, "I suppose it is my beauty that enticed you." Seeing Aryan frown, she continues in a deadpan voice, "no. Then it must be my body." Furious with her attitude, he says angrily, "do you think me so fickle. Why would you say this?" Shrugging, Aradhya continues, "is it not men's nature to blame women for their weaknesses." Annoyed over the generalisation, Aryan grabs her by the arm and says angrily, "it is not in my nature." Glancing at her arm, she gives him a pointed look and says mockingly, "of course not."
He quickly lets go off her arm, says apologetically, "Aradhya, I..."
"Spare me. I am not interested," Aradhya interrupts him coldly and walks away without a second glance.
Taking the sindoor tin from his pocket, Aryan's memories run to a conversation he has earlier in the day with his younger sister Gayatri, Aradhya's best friend.
"Why doesn't she believe me, gayu," Aryan asks his sister as he calls her by her pet name. Sighing, "they had had this conversation a zillion times", Gayatri thinks in exaggeration. "I don't know bhai. You are not exactly an angel," Gayatri says. Seeing her brother frown, she continues, "maybe it has something to do with your previous girl friends... Maybe it has something to do with your unofficial engagement... Maybe..." Interrupting his sister, Aryan asks, "how does she know about..." Feeling guilty, Gayatri quickly replies defensively, "friends talk okay... And she is my best friend." Annoyed, Aryan replies, "I don't believe this... For the last time... I am not getting engaged to abba's friend's granddaughter!", he ends in frustration. "Of course, of course," Gayatri says with false reassurance, adding, "and who is going to tell abba this?" "Gayuuu..." Aryan calls out. "Okay. Okay," she replies, then adds, "maybe you should do something to reassure her... To make her believe that you are serious about her." Smiling, Aryan places a quick kiss on the top of her head and says, "good idea" as he walks out of her room.
Taking a deep breath, Aryan walks towards Aradhya, calling out her name as he nears. Aradhya stops dancing, his gaze serious, intense, he says, "you doubt me when I say that I love you." Turning away, dismissively, Aradhya walks to her bag, takes a towel to wipe the sweat of her face... Wiping an escaped tear. Once in control of herself, she turns around to face him, saying, "Aryan I am not in the mood." Then turns back to collect her belongings, dismissing him.
Angry and hurt, Aryan storms towards her, grabbing her by the arm, pulling her towards where Krishna stood. His gaze reflecting hurt, he asks, "why do you do this? Why do you always dismiss me... Dismiss my feelings? Do you really believe that my affection for you is shallow? Is only physical? You are my sister's best friend for the past year... Do you honestly believe I know nothing about you?"
Standing before Krishna, Aryan says, "I know that the only time you allow yourself to be free is when you dance for Krishna... I know that you are passionate... Honest, brutally honest... And yet you lie to yourself... To me... Do you think I have never noticed the occasional wistful look in your gaze... Do you think I have never notice the slight tremor of your body when I stand next to you before you move away... Do you think I don't sense the awareness you feel..." He ends softly.
Searching her gaze, he continues, "I don't know why you choose to ignore it... It is okay, take your time for I am a patient man... I shall wait." Too surprised to react, Aradhya stands there mutely as he fills her maang, saying, "because Krishna means everything to you, I, Aryan Rao make this promise of my commitment to you in front of your Krishna that one day you shall be my wife. I will wait for as long as you need..."
The word wife snapping her back to reality, Aradhya bursts out laughing as silent tears fall. Automatically her fingertips graze her maang, looking at her red tips, she says mockingly, "you are too funny... Too funny... Wife... I have no time for this nonsense." Aryan stares at her walk away, too shocked and hurt to react at her mocking. His gaze falls on the miniature Krishna that she leaves behind.
Aradhya rushes to her room without meeting her mum, a first. She quickly locks her bedroom door, needing to be alone. Surprised and concerned, Tulsi rushes after her, gently knocking the locked locked door, asking, "aaru, sweety what happened?" Meeting silence she tries again, her voice hinting at her distress, "aaru, talk to me... What is the matter?". Again silence meets her. "Fine, take your time. We shall talk when you are ready," Tulsi says and leaves.
Laying on the bed, crying her heart out, Aradhya cries out to Krishna, "why is destiny teasing me like this? Krishna you know that aaji has already promised me to abba saab. The price aaji and aai had to pay before leaving... That any daughter born from aai... Her fate would be decided by abba saab."
Pacing to and fro, her gaze shifting from the main door to the stairs, Tulsi keeps praying to Krishna to protect her daughter. Seeing her mother enter the house, Tulsi rushes to her, asking, "did abba saab agree to give Aru some more time..." Shaking her head, Kumudini's says, "he refused to give a year this time. He gave us only two months." "Aai, my baby," Tulsi says admist tears. Wiping her tears, she says with desperation, "aai, let's run away. Let's take Aradhya somewhere far away."
With a defeated look, Kumudini's says, "we ran for years.. Did it help... No, naa. On Aradhya's eighteenth birthday did we not get a message from Pradyumna Rao to come back to the village and keep our promise. His instructions were very clear... Come back on your own accord or be dragged back."
"Why did he refuse us another year? My baby is only nineteen," Tulsi weeps, repeating softly, "my Aru is only nineteen. Why can't he wait until she is twenty one at least." Her gaze bleak, kumudini replies, "he does not want history to repeat itself."
Standing in front of the sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror, Aradhya's hand trembles slightly as she traces her filled maang, her gaze wistful, her heart crying, tears falling as she tries to smile, thinking, "if only this was real... A wife..." She chuckles, thinking, "a wife." Her smiles falters, shakes her head slightly. Opening the tap, she says, "I am being fanciful."
Walking up to her aai and aaji, Aradhya says softly, "aai, I think it is time for us to go to Krishnavati." Tulsi looks at her daughter, tears simmering in her eyes, asks, "why Aru? What has happened?" Smiling sadly, Aradhya replies, "nothing aai. I am tired of dreading what is to come. I just want to face it." She adds silently, "I am scared of the dreams that will Not be realised. I will not be able to bear the look of disgust I shall see on Aryan's face when he gets to know the truth. It is better to leave and never see him again."
Edited by angelpureness - 8 years ago
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