Chapter 6 - After Party
The guests were starting to leave and Sharon was really tired so she excused herself. She went to her room. She was taking off her earrings when someone covered her eyes with their hands from behind. She touched the hands of the person thinking who it could be. Her first though went to Swayam but it was way out of his character to do something like this.
Her body tensed and she removed the hands from her eyes and turned to face... Vicky!
"What the hell?" she shouted at him, "How dare you!"
Vicky staggered a little and smiled at her. He was drunk.
"Get out!" Sharon screamed at him.
He didn't move. In fact he took a step closer to her. "Don't be so uptight. I'll be more fun than Swayam, I promise," he slurred as he moved his hand to touch her face.
Before he could do anything, Sharon slapped him across his face.
This shook him. He placed a hand lightly over his left cheek which had reddened.
"Big mistake," he said and grabbed her wrist.
Sharon gathered her nerves and with all the force in her body, punched him on his face.
Since he was already drunk, he fell on the floor. He looked at her in shock.
"If you don't leave now," she hissed, anger pouring out from each word, "I will kill you."
Vicky slowly lifted him-self and walked out of the room.
Sharon panted as she sat on the bed. The knuckles of her right hand, with which she had punched Vicky, were red and bruised.
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"This can't happen due to falling," Neha stated as she rubbed an antiseptic over Sharon's bruises.
Sharon had come to Neha's room. It was a small and cozy room with very modest furnishing on the 1st floor of the Shekhwat house. She didn't call Neha to her room because she didn't want to risk Swayam finding out about what had transpired between her and Vicky.
"Actually... I punched someone," Sharon replied.
Neha's eyes widened, "What! Why?"
"Oh, it's not that big. This guy was kinda troubling me... so-," Sharon was saying when Neha cut her off, "You were attacked!!"
"Neha!" Sharon shushed her, "Calm down. Someone will hear you. And no one attacked me."
Neha was mortified, "We need to tell Anjali Ma'am right now, or Swayam Sir."
"No," Sharon said immediately, "We will not tell anyone. I took care of the situation."
"But this is serious," Neha replied.
"No it's not. He was drunk and he tried to make a pass at me. I punched him. Story over. Okay?" Sharon looked at Neha.
Neha was unsure, "Who was it?'
Sharon took a deep breath, "Vicky."
"Vicky?" Neha's eyes widened again, "Vicky Shekhawat, as in Swayam Sir's cousin?"
"Unfortunately there is only one Vicky I know," Sharon replied, softly blowing at her bruises.
Neha stood up and stared pacing in her room, "Are you sure?"
Sharon furrowed her eyebrows, "Of course, why would you ask me that?"
Neha hesitated before speaking, "I don't think... Vicky... he could... do something like that."
"Excuse me?" Sharon stood up angrily.
Neha apologized, "I am sorry Sharon, I didn't mean that. Maybe you were mistaken..."
"Neha," Sharon's voice was stern. "He was at a distance of a couple feet from me. How can I be mistaken, unless I am blind?"
Neha slowly nodded, still confused.
Sharon placed a hand on Neha's shoulder, "What is it? Tell me."
Neha stammered, "Sharon, I... for the past few months... Vicky and I... we are..."
Neha didn't need to complete the sentence. Sharon looked at her, shell-shocked, "You and Vicky?"
Neha nodded and immediately pleaded, "Please don't tell anyone. I know there is no comparison between us. He is way out of my league. I don't know when I fell for him. I couldn't even believe when he reciprocated my feelings."
Sharon squeezed Neha's arm, "I think you have got it all wrong. Yes, you are not a good match, and that's because Vicky is a jerk. He is not the guy you think he is. I have interacted with him a couple of times and I can tell for sure he is not worthy of you. You deserve someone better Neha."
Sharon glanced at the wall clock. It was close to 3. She bade Neha goodnight and returned to her room, processing Neha's words.
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"Where were you?" It was Swayam. "I have been texting and calling you since the past 1 hour only to find your phone on the couch."
Sharon raised a quizzical eyebrow at him, "Why? Did you need something?"
"No," Swayam replied immediately. His gaze felt on her bandage covered right hand. He walked up to her and took it in his palms, "What happened?"
"Oh this," Sharon mind started to race to think of a lie, "Ummm... I was... closing the wardrobe when I accidently put my hand in between the doors."
Swayam looked at her, unsure of what he was hearing. "We need to take you to a doctor."
"I am a doctor," Sharon replied.
"I meant a real doctor," he answered.
Sharon scoffed, "Real funny Mr. Shekhawat. Any way I am fine."
Her hand was still in his light grip.
"I am tired," she said pulling her hand.
He let go of it right away.
Sharon changed to her night dress and lied down on the couch. Disaster averted, she thought to herself and fell asleep.
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Disaster was, however, far from being averted because the next day, Vicky came back. Sharon was having evening tea with Taani when he came strolling in.
Sharon gritted her teeth as he talked to Taani.
"What happened to your face?" Taani asked him. The slap and punch from last night which had reddened was now turning into a purple hue.
He looked at Sharon and smiled, "A cat, slightly out of control, but tamable."
He was disgusting, to say the least. What did Neha see in him? That was another issue she was still wrapping her mind around - forbidden love. It almost made for a good entertainer only till you realize the supposed hero is actually the villain.
Sharon made a mental note of having a full-fledged chat with Neha regarding the same. She had to knock some sense into her. Neha was innocent and Sharon felt a need to protect her. In the past one month, she had grown to be an ally. Another friend that Sharon found was Taani who was slowly opening up to her.
Taani got up from the sofa, "I need to finish writing an assignment. Will you stay for dinner Vicky bhaiyya?"
Vicky glanced at Sharon who pretended to look busy, reading a magazine, "I think I will."
"Okay," Taani chirped, "Will see you at dinner." She then left Sharon alone with Vicky.
Sharon didn't want to spend even a second in his company so she stood up ready to leave. Vicky came in front of her blocking her way.
She glared at him, "Are you crazy? Did you forget last night?"
He touched his cheek, "Last night I was drunk, today I am not."
She pointed a finger at him, "If you try anything, I swear I will-"
He interrupted her, "I am not into you Sharon. I can't even stand you Singhanias. I just thought," he eyed her from head to toe; "you'd be a good game - feisty, just the way I like my girls."
Sharon started to boil in anger. She raised her hand again but Vicky caught it at once.
"What's happening here?" came a voice.
Sharon and Vicky both sprung around to see Swayam standing at the doorway. Sharon's wrist was still in Vicky's grip. He immediately let go.
Swayam walked towards them. He looked at Sharon first, who averted his glance and then at Vicky, "I asked you a question."
Vicky let out a nervous laugh, "Nothing."
"Didn't look like nothing," Swayam's tone was grim.
Vicky got more nervous, "I have to go. I just remembered dad asked me to meet him in his office."
Vicky started to walk away when Swayam put his hand on Vicky's shoulder. "We are not done here."
Vicky stopped in his tracks. Swayam turned to face Sharon who was seething in anger. Her eyes had started to water up. Then it all came tumbling out - the truth about last night and what happened this evening.
Swayam turned to face Vicky. Vicky began speaking, "Sharon is mistaken. I was drunk... I thought she was someone else-"
Before he could finish, Swayam slapped him tightly.
Vicky looked at him in shock and Sharon gasped.
Swayam slapped him again. This time Vicky collided with a coffee table nearby and came crashing down with it. Specks of blood appeared on his forehead.
"Swayam," Vicky trembled, "She is mistak-"
Swayam grabbed his collar and lifted him on his feet. "How dare you lay a finger at her?" Swayam's fist collided with Vicky's stomach and he coughed up a little blood.
Sharon immediately ran to his side, "Swayam, leave him. He is bleeding."
"Not enough," Swayam said and punched him in the gut again. Swayam was about to land a next blow when Sharon caught his hand, "It's enough," tears were rolling down her cheeks.
He grabbed Vicky by the neck and dragged him to the main door. Vicky fell on the floor as Swayam pushed him, "This time I am sparing you, but if I ever see you again near my family, you'll not be this lucky." He spat the words and went inside.
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Sharon started to pant as she finally caught up to Swayam in the bed room.
"You could have gravely injured him, broken a rib or something," she reprimanded him.
He looked at her intensely, "Why didn't you tell me last night?"
"To avoid this very drama," she replied, sitting on the bed, "I thought I had it under control."
"You should have told me. I would have taken care of it," there was anger and hurt in his voice.
Sharon held her head in her hands, "I didn't know how to tell you. The last time Vicky spoke rudely to me, you made it very clear that he was using me to target you."
"There is a difference, Sharon," Swayam said. He sat beside her on the bed. She looked at him in surprise. "That day he was trying to get under your skin but last night or today is completely different. I don't want you to think that you can't approach me. If something bothers you, I want you to tell me."
"How do I approach you? We are not even friends," she uttered.
Swayam didn't say anything.
Sharon went on, "I don't want to be your weakness, which people can manipulate to get to you. I understand these things are important for your image. You'll do anything to protect yourself."
"I didn't do it for me," Swayam replied.
Sharon gave him a confused look. She clearly remembered what he had told her on the first day after she had thanked him for the Vicky episode. I didn't do anything for you. I did it for me. His words were crystal clear even today.
"For you," Swayam whispered as he stood, "I did it for you."
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