Chapter 40: #33: dont hate me

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Aarohi didn’t want to go to the party, but as always, Jiya insisted, so she got ready. They both came out of the cottage, waiting for the others. Aarohi noticed Rudra approaching them, his face still upset, but he looked striking in his black suit. Rudra’s eyes met Aarohi’s, and Jiya remarked, “You look handsome, Rudra.”

Rudra responded, “As always. And you too, Jiya.”

Jiya laughed, “As always.”

A moment later, Vicky appeared and exclaimed, “Oh my god, Jiya, you look gorgeous! And you too, Aarohi, you both look stunning.”

Aarohi smiled and replied, “Thank you.”

Jiya added, “You also look very handsome, mister.”

As they were about to leave, Aarohi noticed Ravi wasn’t there yet. She said, “Ravi is still not here.”

Rudra, trying to hide his frustration, said, “He’s late. We can’t be late because of him.”

Aarohi retorted, “If you want to go, then go. I’ll come with him.”

Clearly, Rudra wasn’t about to leave Aarohi behind with Ravi. A few minutes later, Ravi arrived. He praised Aarohi, “You look beautiful, Aarohi. You picked the perfect dress.”

Aarohi thanked him, “You look handsome too, Ravi.”

They all left for the party, which was held in a grand hall filled with many people. Despite the crowd, Rudra’s eyes were still on Aarohi, who kept talking to Ravi. His heart ached with jealousy and sadness as he watched them.

The party was in full swing. Jiya and Vicky were dancing on the floor, surrounded by a sea of people moving to the rhythm of the music.

Rudra, however, made a beeline for the bar and started drinking, his eyes frequently darting towards Aarohi.

Aarohi was offered a drink by Ravi. She took it, her eyes wandering around the hall until they landed on Rudra. He was already staring at her. Feeling a bit uneasy, she turned away and accidentally bumped into a boy. The boy quickly apologized and left, but her drink spilled all over her dress.Ravi immediately pulled out his handkerchief and offered it to her. "Here, take this," he said."Thanks," Aarohi replied, taking the handkerchief. "I need to go to the washroom."She hurried off, leaving Ravi behind.

Rudra, seeing his chance, followed her.Aarohi reached the washroom and started dabbing at the stain on her dress. A moment later, Rudra walked in, closing the door behind him. She looked up, surprised.

Aarohi looked at Rudra with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "This is the ladies' washroom."

Rudra, undeterred, replied, "I know. I just followed you. I need to talk to you."

As he moved closer, Aarohi tried to push him away. "Just leave," she insisted, "I don't want to talk to you, okay?"

But Rudra was persistent. "I want to, and you have to," he said firmly. Aarohi attempted to leave, but Rudra gently pulled her towards the wall, locking her hands above her head.

"Let me go," she pleaded. Rudra's gaze was intense as he touched the mark on her neck and pressed it .

She moaned with pain, its hurting.

"How did you get this?" he asked.

Aarohi, defiant, responded, "That's none of your business."

Rudra's grip tightened. "I asked you, how did you get it?" he repeated.

"I told you, it's none of your business," she replied coldly.

Anger flashed in Rudra's eyes as he rubbed his face against hers. "Just tell me I'm wrong. Tell me what I'm thinking is wrong," he urged.

Aarohi, with a mix of exasperation and sadness, sighed, "I don't care what you think."

Rudra's voice rose, "Just tell me you didn't sleep with him!" Aarohi, shocked, looked at him. "What? What did you say?" she asked.

Rudra repeated, "Just tell me you didn't sleep with him and I'm wrong."

Aarohi laughed bitterly, "I don't think you should care if I'm sleeping with someone or not."

Rudra's anger turned to desperation as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Answer me, Aarohi," he whispered

Aarohi's anger flared.

"Just tell me, Aarohi," Rudra pleaded, but she remained silent. Desperate, he kissed the mark on her neck, tears welling up in his eyes. He brushed her lips with his thumb, attempting to kiss her, but she turned away. Holding her chin, he tried again.

"Stop it, okay? You are forcing me," she protested.

"Just let me kiss you," he begged.

"You are drunk, Rudra. You don't know what you're doing. You'll regret this," she warned.

But he didn't listen. He gave her a peck on the lips and whispered, "I don't care." He tried to kiss her again, but she tightened her lips, refusing to give in.

"Unlock your lips," he murmured, but she shook her head.

He was still trying .

Suddenly, her phone rang, interrupting the moment. They both looked at the screen; it was Ravi.

Rudra's anger intensified. "If you were so desperate, you should have asked me. I wouldn't have disappointed you," he spat out.

Aarohi understood the implication and slapped him hard. "You are disgusting. I wish I had never met you. I hate you," she shouted before storming out.

Left alone, Rudra collapsed on the floor, tears streaming down his face as he began to cry and slap himself, consumed by regret and despair.

Aarohi returned to the party, where Ravi was waiting for her. "Where were you?" Ravi asked.

"The stain wouldn't come out, so it took some time," she replied.

"Oh, okay. Let's go," Ravi said, leading her back inside. Jia and Vicky were there, and Jia immediately asked, "Where did you go, Aarohi? Let's go grab something. I'm starving."

"Yeah, but I'm not in the mood to eat anything right now," Aarohi replied, but Jia took her along anyway.

A while later, Vicky was searching for Rudra. He tried calling him, but Rudra didn't pick up. "Have you seen Rudra?" Vicky asked everyone, but the answer was always no. Aarohi remembered seeing him in the washroom but hadn't seen him since.

"Maybe he went back to the cottage," Ravi suggested.

After the party, they all headed back to their rooms. Aarohi changed and sat quietly on her bed. Jia noticed and asked, "What happened to you? You've been so quiet since the party."

"Nothing," Aarohi replied.

It started raining, and Aarohi went to the balcony, where she saw Vicky trying to call someone. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"No, Rudra isn't picking up, and nobody knows where he is," Vicky replied, sounding worried.

Aarohi's concern grew. Despite her anger towards Rudra, she still cared for him. "Have you checked the party venue?" she asked.

"Yes, of course. I asked everyone, but nobody saw him. The watchman told me that when I showed him Rudra's photo, he said Rudra left during the party," Vicky explained before going back inside.

Aarohi remained on the balcony, staring at the rain and worrying about where Rudra could be.

Aarohi was still sitting in the balcony, long past midnight. She glanced inside to see Jia already asleep. Her eyes kept returning to the gate, hoping to catch sight of Rudra. Around 1 a.m., she saw a man approach the main gate, pause, and then continue walking. Aarohi recognized him—it was Rudra. She wanted to shout but held back to avoid waking Jia or disturbing anyone. Quietly, she left her room and grabbed an umbrella from the reception area before heading in the direction Rudra had gone.

Spotting him, she called out, "Rudra, stop! Where are you going?"

He didn't reply and kept walking. Aarohi followed him. As they walked further from the cottage, Rudra finally shouted, "Go back! It's late, it's dangerous!"

Ignoring him, Aarohi continued to follow until they were both lost. She held the umbrella over them both and asked, "Are you crazy? What are you doing?"

Rudra, now sober, replied, "You shouldn't follow me. Just go!"

"Why should I listen to you? Did you listen to me?" Aarohi retorted.

"Just go!" Rudra insisted, but Aarohi stayed.

They kept walking until Rudra slipped on a muddy road. Aarohi laughed, "You deserve it because you didn't listen to me!"

Removing mud from his face, Rudra shouted back, "Happy now? Just go!"

Aarohi extended her hand to help him up, but Rudra pulled her into the mud, laughing, "You deserve it because you didn't listen to me and followed me!"

They both laughed, and after a while, the rain stopped. Aarohi said, "Oh, shit, we're all muddy. We don't know where we are, I don't have any money, and we can't take a cab. I didn't bring my phone. Do you have yours?"

Rudra checked his pockets but found nothing. "I must have left it at the party."

They stood up and started walking until they saw a house. Knocking on the door, an old lady eventually answered. She was initially scared, seeing their muddy appearance. "Who are you?" she asked, startled.

They quickly explained their situation, that they got lost in the rain. She allowed them inside to spend the night.

They both entered the house, drenched and muddy. The old lady took one look at them and handed Aarohi a sari and Rudra a kurta and pajamas that had belonged to her husband.

Pointing towards a room, she said, "Go take a bath, change, and sleep."

As they were about to head to the room, the old lady stopped them. "Wait," she said, "Are you both married?"Aarohi and Rudra exchanged glances. Before Aarohi could respond, Rudra quickly said, "Yes, we are married and came to Shimla for our honeymoon."

The old lady smiled warmly. "Well then, make yourselves comfortable. You can use the bathroom down the hall."

Aarohi and Rudra entered the room, trying to shake off the awkwardness of the situation. They took turns in the bathroom, changing into the clothes the old lady had provided.

Aarohi emerged from the bathroom in the sari, feeling a bit out of place but grateful for the dry clothes. She found Rudra already changed, looking equally out of his element in the kurta and pajamas.

As Aarohi stepped out of the bathroom, she felt the cool fabric of the sari clinging to her skin. She had never worn a sari like this before, and it made her feel both elegant and self-conscious.Rudra looked up as she entered the room, and his breath caught in his throat. The sight of Aarohi in the sari took him by surprise. She looked stunning, the simple elegance of the sari highlighting her natural beauty. The light from the small lamp cast a soft glow on her, making her look almost ethereal.For a moment, Rudra forgot where they were, lost in the sight of her

They settled into the small, cozy room. Aarohi sat on the edge of the bed, still processing the events of the night. Rudra sat beside her, the reality of their situation sinking in."I can't believe you told her we’re married," Aarohi said quietly, breaking the silence.Rudra shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It was the easiest way to avoid any more questions."

Hmm...

After a while, Rudra said, "You sleep on the bed."

Aarohi looked at the bed. It was a single-person bed, old and creaky. "No, I'll sleep on the floor," she replied.

Rudra stood up and insisted, "You sleep on the bed. I'll take the floor."

They began pushing each other toward the bed, each refusing to take it. Suddenly, Aarohi lost her balance and was about to fall, but Rudra caught her. In the process, his leg slipped, and they both tumbled onto the bed together. The bed’s legs gave way with a loud crack, turning it into a pile of broken wood.

They both burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation. Aarohi stood up and said, "Now we both have to sleep on the floor."

They gathered the blankets and other bedding and spread them out on the floor. Aarohi lay down, turning away from Rudra. A few minutes later, she turned back and found him already looking at her. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, it felt as though nothing had changed between them.

Rudra moved closer to Aarohi, gently placing his hand on her cheek and brushing it softly. Aarohi felt a spark run through her body, goosebumps forming under his touch. The rain outside intensified, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Aarohi, startled by the thunder, moved closer to Rudra, who instinctively wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

He pressed a small kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Everything is okay."

After a while, Rudra broke the silence. "Please, don't hate me. You can regret meeting me, loving me, even think I'm disgusting, but please, don't hate me."

Aarohi saw the pain in his eyes and the tears he was trying to hold back. She pulled away from him, turning to face the opposite direction. She started crying, and though Rudra could feel her tears, he only whispered, "Please don't hate me, Aaruh."

They lay there, side by side, the weight of their emotions heavy in the air. The rain continued to pour outside, a soft backdrop to their silent turmoil.

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