Samaira sounded worried and on the verge of having a breakdown. Now Aarush just wanted to embrace her in a hug and never let go. Her voice was laced with worry and it was making him anxious. 'Sam, where are you?' he mumbled to himself, and someone barged into his cabin. He looked at the door and saw Samaira, but her eyes were pooled with tears.
Out of instinct, he opened her arms, and she took slow steps, soon engulfing him in a hug. She clutched his shirt and let those tears free. She didn't speak because she wanted her to feel free enough to share everything herself. She was shivering as she held everything inside for so long. As if the cloud of her emotions was at bay and it burst. She needed comfort, and he gave her that.
It was a while later when Samaira stopped crying, but her eyes were blood red. "Wait here, I am going to bring an ice pack for your eyes. They are completely swollen," he said and left. As he returned, he saw her sitting on the couch with her head resting on the headrest. "Sam..." he called out softly. "Why me? Why always me?" She spoke and her voice carried pain. Aarush sat beside her as she shifted her head to his shoulder, and he wrapped his hands around her and mumbled. "What happened, Samaira?"
He asked, being extra cautious with his words. "Aarush, 7 months ago, dad got me engaged to Tarun because according to our parents, striking a deal is more important than their child's happiness. I was never their priority, only di was their favorite. They have always been partial to me. For them, I am just a liability, which they have to take care of until I am married off to someone." Taking a deep breath, she continued while he caressed her arm, providing her much-needed strength.
"They have always prioritized my sister and her happiness, her wishes for everything, but I was the one to compromise every time something happened. Aarush, I don't want to marry Tarun. We are just friends I know but he is an asshole, a bastard, a stupid idiot. I trusted him with my life and he hid everything from me. If I didn't see that, he would have hidden way longer than expected. And Tarun has given up on trying to convince our parents. I am just becoming a puppet for everyone. No one, not a single person, is ready to understand what my feelings are and what I am going through."
She was hurt by her parents, her friends, and somewhere Aarush realized he would have hurt her too. He wished he could get his hands on Tarun, he would have buried him alive if he stood in front of him. "Do you want me to talk to your parents or Tarun?" Aarush asked because he wanted her to feel free from every emotion she was feeling right now. He just wants her to smile and he will do anything to keep it. "It's of no use Aarush, they will never understand me."
"You know what Sam, let's go for drinks," she looked up at him as if he cracked a joke of the year. Well, he did because he knew she had never been drunk but she will be today and he was there to protect her. "Come, let's go," he said, patting her shoulder urging her to get up. "Why?" She asked, and he so wanted to kiss her but stopped himself. He had to. "Come on, it'll be worth it. Just forget everything for this one night and let yourself free. Sometimes letting it go is better than holding back, even if it is just for a night."
Aarush encouraged, and she nodded. He gave her his hand. She accepted. it, wiping off her tears, she took a deep breath and spoke. "Let's go," she said, and he dragged her with him. The drive to the club was short as it was a few blocks away from his office. After getting into the club, he placed his hand on her back. Because of the way she scrunched her nose, he realized she would be uncomfortable.
"Sam, I am here, don't worry," he whispered in her ear to which she nodded and then he guided her to a VIP booth. Soon the server came to take their orders and as Sam was new to this, he ordered something light for her while she himself ordered a whiskey. "Sam, have you tried talking to your sister?"
He asked, keeping his tone low, not wanting her to have another outburst. "I wish I could, Aarush, but she never showed me she cares. The day dad forced me to complete my studies from IIM, she stood there watching me leave but never once told me she loves me. As a kid, I always approached her, but all she did was push me back. I understand my parents hating me because my mom can't give birth to another child because of me, but why is Vydehi di so aloof from me. To be honest, it hurts. I never hated her for not caring for me but only for pushing me away." She sighed and kept her head low. Soon enough the drinks arrived and none of them wasted any other second in gulping down their drinks.
If I say that we stopped after one drink, it would be an understatement, because we didn't. We were so engrossed in drinking and letting out feelings, regrets, everything to each other that losing the track of time was easy. One after the other, and we got drunk until we lost our senses.
"Samm..." Aarush slurred as she rested her head on his shoulder, clutching his arm and he kept his head over hers. "Hmm..." "Let's gooo hoooommeee." He spoke, trying his best to keep his eyes open. He had to keep Sam safe. "Hmm... l-let's g-go." She answered, and he stood up, stumbling a bit, but got hold of himself. Holding his hand to Samaira, he pulled her up and then wrapped his hands around her waist, keeping her steady.
"Come..." he whispered, and they left the club. Instead of driving himself, he called RJ. It was difficult for him to see because of the blurry vision, but after minutes of shuffling through his phone, he succeeded, all the while keeping Samaira close to him. He was sober by the time the car arrived and had settled Sam inside, "I am g-giving you my a-address, but y-you can't c-come inside," she said all the while pointing towards RJ who was too busy to give a damn about her words.
"H-hey" *hiccup* "Y-you c-can't ignore, Samaira. D-do you k-know who I am? I *hiccup* I am S-Samaira Malhotra, CMO o-of B-Bakshi and Sons." All the way to her apartment, she kept blurting stuff, resting her head on Aarush's shoulder, and soon snaked her hands around his waist. And RJ, well, God knows how he drove for straight 30 minutes without losing his brain cells. "We're here sir," RJ spoke and the relief that was laced in his voice didn't go unnoticed by Aarush.
"Okay, wait for me, I am going to drop her home, and then we can leave," he said and got out of the car, walking to the other side, and then picking up Sam, he walked towards her apartment. "Sam, keys to your house?" Aarush asked her, as she snaked her hands around his neck and kept sniffing him. "K-keys? What are keys?" She looked at him pouting, resembling a baby. "Keys are the things that help you enter your house, Sam." She pouted and formed an 'O' as if she understood, and then patted his shoulder.
"Get me dooowwwnnn.'' He did as she said and she pointed at her left pocket. He heard some jingling sound and got that key. "Give them to me Sam, I will take you inside then." She kept looking at me, "Sam, keys?" "You take it out, I am tired." She said and then rested her body on the wall beside her apartment door. Aarush rubbed his forehead and took steps towards her, standing in front of her. He held out his hand to take the keys from her pocket. "What are you doing?" she said, holding his wrist.
"I-I am taking your keys to help you get inside," he answered and she let off his hand, once again closing her eyes shut. After fumbling through the keys, he helped her inside and then took her to her room. "Sam, I am leaving and taking a rest. We'll meet on Monday," he said and laid her on her bed. He turned around to leave, but she gripped my wrist. "Don't go..." she said with a pout. "Sit with me, please..." Aarush tried to fight her, but it was of no use. He gave up and sat beside her.
"You know that day when I dropped coffee on your shit." She started speaking, so instead of stopping her, he let her speak. Who would like to miss a chance of seeing Samaira drunk? It was indeed a scene. "Hmm, how can I forget the day I held you so close to me?" he mumbled. "You know, you had my heart beating so fast that it was ready to jump out of my chest. Gosh, you were looking so hot." Aarush smirked at her thoughts, which she was letting him know and he was enjoying every bit.
"And that day, when you were playing football for the school competition. You remember someone shouted your name so loud but no one figured out who it was?" Aarush nodded and she continued. "You know it was me who shouted your name and then hid behind the pillar, not wanting to embarrass myself." she giggled and soon a red blush tinted her cheeks. "And then at the night of our farewell party, we danced to that song what it was...."
She pouted, trying to think, and he replied. "Ishq Wala love." and she clicked her fingers. "The way you held me closer and snaked your hands around my waist, I had butterflies fluttering inside my stomach. At that moment I wanted to kiss you but couldn't" She plastered a sad face and lowered her head. She was a drunk mess, but a beautiful drunk mess.
"You can kiss me now." It was a risk he was taking, but the next moment she placed her soft luscious lips on his. He felt sparks he had never felt before. He had kissed a lot before but the spark and feelings this kiss carried were something he couldn't explain.
It was different but a kind of different he always wants to experience. He pulled her closer by her waist, strangling her on his lap. She slid her hands around his neck and had her eyes closed. She bit on his lower lip, fighting for entrance to which he gave in. Her tongue began exploring every inch of his mouth and he pulled her closer if it was even possible. She was eager, and so was he.
Soon her hands slid to his shirt, and she fumbled with the buttons. He would not take advantage of her situation to get into her pants. She is too precious to be treated any other way than like a delicate flower. He stopped her from going further and held her hands once again, placing them around his nape. A few minutes later, we pulled back, and she was panting, keeping her forehead on his shoulder. "Aarush... What were you going to say the night of farewell? I wish I could stay there to listen to everything, but my stupid friends got in the way." She asked me, but he remained silent. "Aarush... please tell."
"That night... I wanted you to be my girlfriend. I loved you, Sam." He spoke the words he always wanted her to know. "Aarush… you LOVED me? and what about now? Have you lost your feelings for me?" Her eyes were pooled with tears and he realized he referred to everything in the past tense. Shit!
"Sam, I never stopped loving you. My feelings instead of vanishing always stayed with me, stopping me from moving on ever. I always wanted you, I want you now and I will never stop loving you because you stole my heart the day I bumped into you Sam," He kept speaking but didn't hear a single word from her. He looked at her and realized she was sleeping, and he guessed she didn't hear a single word he said.
Taking a deep breath, he settled her and then felt too tired to move, so let his body drop beside her, letting sleep engulf him.