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Pakhi opened the window and was relieved, not finding him in the room. Not wasting time, she grabbed her clothes from almirah and went to the bathroom to freshen up.
30 minutes later, she came out and started doing her makeup first which took her 10 minutes.
Aryan entered the room and stopped on his track as soon as his eyes met her through the mirror.
She blinked, looking at him and he felt his heart skipping a beat. Her eyes looked mesmerising with that kajal. Saree suits her so well.
She avoided his gaze and stood straight. He was about to say something or maybe apologise but she did not wait and left the room hurriedly.
He sighed, knowing she was really angry and he'll have to do something to pacify her.
He went to the bathroom to freshen up.
Pakhi touched the feet of Rajdeep and Ekta who were taken back because she did not interact with them for the past 2 days.
" God bless you, daughter."
Rajdeep put his hand on her head and she smiled slightly. Ekta cupped her cheeks and uttered with a faint smile on her lips.
" You really look like your mother. Looking at you it feels like your mother is amongst us all."
Pakhi smiled. She resembles her mother a lot. Her brother has told her everything he knew related to their parents.
" Come, let's have breakfast."
Pakhi nodded and followed them to the dining room. Shruti was already present there and talking to someone via mobile while eating her breakfast in a hurry.
" Cool down, Shruti. Food is not running away," Rajdeep teased her.
Shruti disconnected the call and put the mobile aside, " but my time is running away, papa. I need to go to university as soon as possible."
Pakhi took a seat beside her along with Rajdeep and Ekta. Maids served them breakfast and stepped back.
" Pakhi, I have booked a show tonight. Will you go?"
Shruti asked.
" Uhm, okay."
" Cool, be ready at 6," Shruti chirped happily.
Pakhi nodded. The elders smiled seeing their interaction and were happiest seeing Pakhi smiling more freely with Shruti. She was most comfortable with her but her smile faded away when the reason of it joined them.
Rajdeep and Ekta shared a look of disbelief.
" Good morning, everybody," Aryan wished them and served himself food as he was too hungry and did not want to wait for the maid to serve him.
He glanced at Pakhi and found her avoiding him. Well, there's not a single moment where she noticed him so it was not a new thing for him.
But, this time it was due to how he behaved with her last time.
" Did something happen?"
Ekta whispered to her son and he looked at her confusedly.
" You know, Pakhi seems angry today."
He shook his head, " nothing happened, maa."
Ekta shrugged her shoulders and focused on her food. Aryan decided to talk to her later.
Shruti went to university while Pakhi too stood up and started walking away when she was done. Aryan quickly ate the left out food and followed her.
" Something really happened between them," Ekta uttered and Rajdeep looked at her.
" Pakhi!"
Pakhi stopped on her track hearing his voice. He came to her and parted his mouth to speak,
" I wanted to-"
He was interrupted in the middle when his mobile rang. He sighed irritatedly and took out his mobile from pocket. He disconnected the call of his assistant and frowned as he did not find his wife in front of him.
He heard the sounds of anklets and looked at the stairs. He cursed himself for wasting the opportunity. She is going upstairs. His phone rang again and this time he picked it up.
" Stop calling me again and again," he scolded his assistant while leaving the house.
Pakhi entered her bedroom and grabbed her mobile from the nightstand. She replied to messages from her friends and went to the balcony.
She sat on the swing and tapped on instagram. She liked posts of the people she followed and couldn't help but to pass an impressed look seeing posts of famous celebrities.
She started watching reels and didn't realise how she spent 30 minutes in it while laughing and scrolling. She shut off the mobile and stretched her arms. She got down from the swing and went back to the bedroom.
....
Meanwhile,
Shruti kicked the back tier of her car irritatedly.
" Ow!"
Well, she hurt herself only. She checked time on her watch and sighed heavily before murmuring,
" God! I am getting late. I need to be there."
Today is the day of the seminar. She has to welcome the guests of the event but how can she reach before 30 minutes. She grabbed her mobile and thought to book a cab but just then a sound of a loud horn entered her ear.
She frowned and looked at the source of sound. The person inside the car opened the window and brought his head out of it.
" God!"
She mumbled seeing Jaydev.
" Need help?"
She will rather be absent in the event instead of going with him. She faced her back at him and took out her purse from the car then locked it and started stopping the auto rickshaw.
Jaydev got out of the car and walked toward her.
" Nova University. That's your destination right?"
She looked at him perplexed but soon realised that he too is invited at the event.
" I am going there only. Don't worry, I won't take a single money for taking you there."
She glared at him.
" Where do you want to go, Madam?"
An auto driver approached her.
" NUI-"
" Leave," Jaydev interrupted her and scared the driver away. Seeing the officer, the driver couldn't stay there longer.
" What the hell is your problem?"
She almost screamed at him.
" Come with me."
She scoffed, " I better not."
" Okay then stay here and keep in mind that I will not let you book a cab and rikshaw. If you want to go, come with me."
" Ajeeb jabardasti hai."
( Why are you forcing me?)
She passed him a shocked look. He shrugged his shoulders and pointed at his car.
" Shall we?"
She glared at him for some good seconds before finally agreeing. He forward his hand at her and she put her car keys on his palm.
He called his officer who was driving his car and handed the car keys to him.
" Is khatara ko thik karake call kar dena."
( Get this junk repaired.)
Her mouth hung open at the way he disrespected her car.
" Hey!"
She followed him.
" Khatara hoge tum. Khatara tumhari shakal. Himmat kaise hui tumhari-"
( You are junk. Your face is junk. How dare you-)
He opened the door of his car and went inside before closing it with a bang. She scoffed at him and walked to the back side door but he locked both the back side doors.
" I am not your driver. Come and sit here."
She fisted her hand and felt the urge to hit his ugly- okay okay! Handsome face.
She came to the other side and opened the passenger side door. She, too, banged the door closed.
" Itna tez se band na karo. Meri nahi hai, sarkar ki hai."
( Don't close it like this. It belongs to government.)
She ignored him and started wearing her seatbelt and she was not even done when he suddenly ignited the engine and started driving.
" Do you want to kill me?"
She quickly buckled her seatbelt.
" I wish I could," he did not even try to keep his voice low.
" You are a police officer not a gangster," she said,
" But I have a gun as well."
She chuckled, " so you will kill me?"
" I can try," he replied.
" Do you think my brother will leave you then?"
She raised her eyebrows at him.
" Do you think I will leave you brother capable of doing anything?"
She shook her head at him because talking to him is nothing but useless. Jaydev noticed her mobile when her screen flashed with a message from Keshav.
She unlocked her mobile and replied to her friend's message.
" Boyfriend?"
" Can't I have a guy friend?"
She asked as if he was the most stupid creature she has met till now. He shrugged his shoulders, " who knows?"
" Shut up."
She checked the time on her watch then said, " please be fast. The cyclist will ride faster than you."
He intentionally slowed down the speed, " I am the chief guest of the event so it won't start until I go there."
She sighed heavily and decided to drop the topic right there. If she continues for some more minutes, her head will ache badly.
Somehow the long drive came to an end and she did not wait a second to leave his car.
" What an insolent sister of a brat. Can't even say thank you,"
Jaydev muttered and kicked the door closed after coming out.
" I heard you," Shruti came back.
" Then say thank you now."
" Not only me, even my shoes won't say thank you. I didn't ask for help."
" You-"
He was interrupted in the middle.
" Officer Jaydev?"
He turned his head to the right and saw the principal of University coming with the dean, vise-principal and a senior teacher.
" Shruti mam?"
Principal and others looked at her confusedly. Shruti forced a smile and felt tongue tied, not knowing what to say.
" She came with me, mam, as we are relatives."
Jaydev replied in place of her and she refrained herself from snapping back because teachers and principal were present.
" Oh, that's cool. Let's get inside. We were waiting for you."
" As you say," Jaydev replied to the principal and started walking towards the auditorium with them.
Shruti quickly joined the teacher of her age.
" Didn't know he's your relative. What is he to you?"
Professor Tarun asked.
" No one. He is the brother of my sister-in-law."
Shruti replied and turned her mobile in silent mode as they entered the auditorium.
Students stood up in their place to greet the chief guest of the event who took a seat in the front row
Professor Tarun took the stage and Shruti sat down on her seat.
Tarun, very skillfully gave the speech of 2 minutes before handing over the mike to the Principal who then talked about all the guests present in the event.
Shruti glanced at him keenly listening to ex-IPS giving speeches on the stage and sharing his personal experiences and struggles with students.
" Isn't Jaydev sir handsome?"
She frowned, hearing whispers of students behind her. She turned her head behind and gestured to them to maintain silence.
She shifted her focus back on the stage. Soon, he took over the stage. Polite smile spread on his lips and this time she could hear lots of girls whispering about his beauty.
She can't disagree with them actually.
He's arrogantly, annoyingly and stupidly handsome.
He's wearing a black shirt with grey formal pants which she noticed just now. The rolled up sleeves gave the view of his arms. He's still fond of beard.
She remembers that when he used to visit her home, he would tell Aryan how he'll grow a beard as he grows up. That time they were friends.
She feels that if their friendship had continued even today, things would have been different. Both families would have lived together. Aryan also did not need to marry Pakhi forcibly.
But, a misunderstanding ruined everything. Her brother tried explaining things to him but he cut all ties with him. Aryan was so much affected when their friendship broke.
Soon, two best friends became fatal enemies and did not join hands again.
Her trance of thoughts broke when she heard clapping sounds. His eyes met her as he handed the Mike to professor Tarun.
She looked down and sighed softly. She needs to stop hoping for better when she knows that they can never be friends again.
It's almost impossible.
The event came to an end in 1.5 hours after all the students were done questioning the guests.
Shruti led all the guests to the VIP room. They all sat together with university authorities to have lunch. Shruti looked after their food and took her seat in the end.
Jaydev noticed how one of the officers was starting a conversation with Shruti. He chewed his food and stared at them without any definite expression on face.
He knitted his eyebrows and suddenly the officer turned his gaze at him. His glare was enough for him to understand what he couldn't say in words.
After that, he did not share a single conversation with Shruti who was confused but shrugged it away.
The lunch soon came to an end and Shruti followed the rest of the teachers and went to drop the guests outside.
" What were you two talking about?"
She frowned, not knowing when he came to her side.
" Who?"
" The ACP, who else?"
Shruti glanced at the officer she was talking to in the lunch then replied to Jaydev.
" Why would I tell you? It's personal."
" Nothing's personal between you and me."
She stopped on her track hearing his words. Jaydev, too, halted on his steps and waited for others to leave before going to her.
" What did you say?"
She asked with a puzzled look on face. Her eyes, unintentionally dropped down to his Adam apple as he gulped down his saliva.
He grabbed her left hand and opened her palm.
" Ye lo apni khatara ki chabhi aur hn, bhool jao use. Dimaag kharab tha mera."
( Here is the key of your junk and yes, forget that. I lost my mind.)
She blinked several times and parted her mouth slightly. He passed a glance at her before going away from there.
For a minute.
For a minute, she thought old Jaydev was back. Her eyes lightened with hope that he and Aryan could be friends but he broke that hope in no second.
....
Pakhi somehow spent her day and started getting ready at 5 in the evening. Shruti was early and took time to get ready.
Then, both departed together after taking permission from Ekta.
Pakhi fastened her seatbelt and watched Shruti driving while humming a song. She's really a nice lady with a charming personality. Anyone would love her.
" You know, today my car broke down on the way so your brother helped me. He dropped me at university."
She frowned, " did he?"
Because as much as she knows, he hates this family- especially the brother sister duo. This was a very unexpected thing. Because his brother would rather put them in trouble than help them.
Shruti hummed, " he was on his way to university when he saw me. I didn't expect him to help me but yeah, he did. I couldn't thank him so thank him later in my place."
Pakhi nodded, " okay."
No matter what, Shruti can't be less generous. She did not find it suitable to share their argument with Pakhi because she's protective and sensitive for her brother. The girl can't hear anything against him unlike her who can manage a little.
Pakhi caught the sight of her mobile screen flashing and unintentionally read the message.
Today you looked gorgeous, baby.
She hurriedly looked in front, not wanting Shruti to think of her as a creep but she already caught her.
" That's my best friend," Shruti chuckled and Pakhi was taken back because how can she tell her personal information.
" But don't tell Bhai. That great human senses strange things from him.
It's not like she shares a normal conversation with him so telling him this thing is a far topic.
" He hates everyone," Pakhi mumbled.
Shruti laughed lightly and said, " my best friend, you know, doesn't work yet. Bhai thinks he is rogue and it's not good to be with him. But I can't blame my friend as well. He's finding jobs but unable to do so."
" Do you help him financially then?"
Shruti nodded, " I have many times before but he doesn't take large amounts from me."
" Oh," Pakhi nodded and asked further, " for how long are you two best friends?"
Shruti glanced at her face, " since childhood."
" That's quite a long time," Pakhi said and noticed how a smile spread on Shruti's lips.
" So, is he coming to the theatre?"
Shruti shook her head, " he has to attend a function with his family."
Pakhi nodded. They talked until they reached their destination. Shruti bought two packs of popcorn and handed one to Pakhi.
They entered the theatre and took their seats.
" Do you like action movies?"
Shruti asked while stuffing popcorn in her mouth.
" I do," Pakhi replied.
Movie was yet to play.
" Cool. We are the same," Shruti commented and Pakhi smiled while eating popcorn slowly.
Both were different in terms of eating. Shruti was a foodie while Pakhi was the opposite of her. She was a picky eater.
The movies started and they shifted their attention to the big screen.
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