"I can't do this Aarav, I just can't. Take me out of my misery, please. I beg you"
These words fell on Aarav's ears and he felt himself crumble to bits inside. But he knew he had to keep himself together, because he belonged to Muskaan, and he couldn't give her a crumbled, weak man.
"Muskaan! Aise mat bolo."
(Muskaan! Don't talk like this.)
It took some coaxing on Aarav's end to get Muskaan to calm down, soon her cries turned into soft sniffles. Aarav leaned against the bathroom counter with Muskaan in his arms, giving her enough support so she could completely lean on him. He let Muskaan recite the event of the day whilst he gently took her hair out of the low bun, and brushed her hair with his fingers. With his other hand, he gently patted her back and gave her all his attention. The attention that was always hers.
He picked the girl up and sat her on the counter, before kneeling down to gently cup the back of her calf and taking off her heels. Standing back up, he wets a towel before gently taking hold of Muskaan's face. He whispers reassurances her way as he gently wipes her red eyes, removing her eyeliner streaks. He pats her skin all over her face to make s sure her ruined makeup is removed as much as possible.
"Let's go home? I don't want you to go through whatever it is that's going on outside."
Muskaan nods her head as she gazes at the man in front of her. He was giving her all the affection she had always wanted from a man. She thinks back to how foolish she was to think that every man in this world would treat her like her father and brother.
Aarav scoops his love in his arms. The arms that have always been a safe haven for Muskaan. The arms that she's spent the last week crying in. The arms, she's only now realising, are capable of holding her together.
The arms she had subconsciously craved her whole life. Aarav leaves behind the used towel and her heels, those being the last of his concerns and he walks out. Maya and Vaansh looking at the two walk out, Muskaan hides further in Aarav's chest as she feels Vaansh looking her way. Aarav holds her closer before addressing Maya.
"Muskaan's not feeling well. So I'm taking her home. Sorry, Maya. Will you be okay here?"
"Ye-yeah! Of course. Be careful with her. And call her boyfriend."
The only people who knew about Muskaan's boyfriend were Aarav, Riya and Maya. However, Maya had not met him ever. She had just heard of him but didn't know who he was. Hence, when Vaansh booked an appointment here, she didn't realise that this man was the man Muskaan was head over heels for.
Aarav's eyes wandered to Vaansh's before he says, "he's out of the picture, Maya."
Hearing Aarav's hard, cold voice Muskaan clutched onto Aarav tighter, as if in a plea to get her out of there. She didn't want Vaansh to see her like this. He had moved on, and he was clearly happy. So why should she sit and weep? Or at least show him that she was still weeping.
"Oh. Damn. I didn't know that. Anyway, I don't need to say this, but take care of her."
"Always."
Aarav brushes past everyone with Muskaan in his arms. He was focused on nothing except for the precious girl in his arms. They were almost at the car park when his car was when they heard a voice from behind them.
"Muskaan!"
Muskaan peeked over Aarav's shoulder only to see Vnash hurrying behind them. "Do you want to talk? If not, we leave and you don't even have to think about it."
Muskaan peeked back up at Aarav, she had turned in his direction, but she had to make sure the road she was walking down would be blocked and nothing from that road would try to pull her back. She needed to face that dark, daunting road one more time to finally build the brick wall and trap the demons of that road before they get too close and pulled her back.
"I want to talk."
Aarav stiffened, he let her down before turning around to face Vaansh. Aarav stood close to Muskaan, so he was ready to pounce and leave with Muskaan as soon as she said. Muskaan, on the other hand, knew that after what happened that night and after what she had to go through today Vaansh stood no chance of getting back together with her.
She would hear whatever it is he had to say, give him a nod and leave. Her heart was already broken into too many pieces, broken down so many times that it was just a pile of fine powder sitting like a dead weight in her chest. It just couldn't get worse.
"Muskaan! Look, whatever you saw and whatever is happening- the engagement, it's not what I wanted."
Muskaan scrunched her eyebrows as she stared at him, nothing made sense. But she knew that it was all rubbish. The only thing he didn't want was her.
Vaansh stepped closer, grabbed Muskaan's hands and said, "Meri jaan ho tum. Mein tumhe khona nhi chahta."
(You're my love. I don't want to lose you.)
Muskaan stared at their joined hands, and it clicked. She felt cold, anxious and nauseous. But how? These were the same hands she craved to hold, the hands she would reach for just a few weeks ago. She stared at his hands and realised that this is how it always felt, but she was in her foolish daze to notice. She realised that Aarav's hands didn't feel like this. His hands were warm, soft and safe.
Vaansh kept talking to her, telling her he made a mistake, that he loved her and he would do anything to make it right. But not once did he apologise. Not even a single time. His words, her hands in his, his engagement ring against her hand, the smell of her cologne. Everything just got too much for the poor girl to handle.
Pulling her hands out of his, Muskaan turned to Aarav and that was all it took. Aarav wrapped his arm around her, guiding her to the car. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear to filter out Vaansh's voice that was still playing in the background. Vaansh watched Aarav's arm around the girl who was his just a week ago. He watched them walk away. And there was nothing he could do.
Hearing his fiance's voice, Vaansh slowly made his way back, but he kept stealing glances behind him as if Muskaan would suddenly reappear. But that wasn't happening, because whilst he was peeking back at the now empty car parking, Muskaan was laying some more bricks on the wall blocking the road she had returned from. And soon enough her wall would be fully built. And too strong for the demons she was locking away to break.
Not wanting to take her to either of their homes, knowing there will be people with questions, Aarav took her to a nearby lake. Not many people go there in the middle of a work day. Aarav parked the car before helping Muskaan out, Soon the two found themselves sitting beside each other, looking at the calm peaceful rhythm of the lake. A total contrast to their state of mind right now.
"One week. It took him one week to get engaged." Muskaan whispered, the tips of fingers gently pressed against her feather-like lips. They wobbled ever so slightly, but Muskaan pressed her fingers firmly against them. She sniffled lightly.
"No, I'm the one who found out a week ago. God knows how long he's been with her."
Aarav gazed her way, wanting to just knock some sense into her. "I feel like a fool! A complete fool! I've lied to my parents, my brother, and Bhabhi. Everyone when I would go see him. And he....he was lying to me the whole time."
Muskaan pressed her fingers against her lips even more.
"And to-today he didn't even once apologise. Not once did he promise to stay loyal to just me, or that he'd end things with her. He didn't say sorry."
Aarav could feel that Muskaan was finally accepting reality, so he let her have her moment.
"I-I'm never turning his way again. Never again."
Muskana turned Aarav's way before shoving her face into his chest. Taken aback, it took Aarav a moment to realise before wrapping her arms around her so tight as if she would disappear if he didn't. He let her hide away from the world. Soon Aarav felt her wriggle gently out of his grip and peek up at him.
"Aarav."
"Hmm?"
"Mujhe aur dard nahi chahiye." (I don't want anymore pain.)
"Toh mujhe mauka do ki mein saare dard door kr doon." (Then give me a chance to take all the pain away.)
Muskaan blinked up at him and lightly pouted at him, "Tum mere dard door kyun krna chahte ho?" (Why do you want to take my pain away?)
"Kyunki tumse ishq krta hun mein. Jab se yaad hai, tabse tumhara deewana hun."
(Because I love you. For as long as I remember, I've been mad for you.)
Muskaan kept looking at the man who had his arms wrapped around her, "Really?"
How could she not notice? He loved her. Muskaan gazed at hims wide eyed. Aarav sighed at her before pulling back, he took hold of her hands and knelt in front of her.
"Why do you think I've been irritated by this Vaansh? Why do you think I call every minute of the day when you're upset with me? Why do you think I'm always desperate for your attention?"
Muskaan noticed how safe she felt with his hands engulfing hers.
"Why do you think I've always taken a dig at him? It was petty on my end, but why do think I've always tried to sway you away? Why do you think I was there for you that night? Why do you think I was there for you today? Why am I here right now? Is this something a good friend would do? Yes, absolutely. And I'll always be that friend if that's all you want, and I'm content with that. But, these tears of yours are killing me. And I know I can take them away. If I have the chance."
Muskaan gazed at Aarav and shook her head lightly It wasn't as easy as he was saying.
"Ishq krna kafi nahi hota. Usse mille har dard ko sehna bhi hota hai."
(Falling in love isn't enough. You have to bare all the pain that comes with it.)
Aarav took gently cupped Muskaan's face and shook his head.
"That's where you're wrong, sweetheart."
"Ishq toh har dard ko illaj hai. Jisse dard mille woh ishq hi nhi"
(Love is the remedy to all the pain. If you're feeling pain, then it's not love.)
Aarav smiled gently at his beloved, his heart aching to just hold her. But for now, he settled for just a gentle grasp of her face.
"I'm not ready for a relationship." Aarav smiled at Muskaan's cute little mumble.
"Let's make a deal."
Muskaan pouted, "what do you mean?"
"Give me a chance. For the world, we can be a couple, and I'll show you what it's like to have a man that's madly in love with you and give you all the fuzzies you want without crossing my limits. And when we're alone, we are friends. Like we always are."
Muskaan frowned, "that makes no sense."
Aarav held back a chuckle at his cutie's expression. "It does, silly. I take you out on dates and treat you the way a man should treat this woman. I spoil you, I pamper you. I give you the world. And you just let me. We tell the world we belong to each other. But we're not a couple when we're alone. That way you show the world that you're not weeping over some stupid boy. And you get the treatment you deserve. And I get to express my love. No one you don't want to tell needs to know. I promise. No one at home needs to know. And when you feel like you don't want me anymore, you tell me and I step back."
Muskaan pondered on the thought, taking a minute to herself. "All I'm doing is teaching you that love has no pain. Mein toh sirf tumhe ishq kya ha, woh sikhaoonga. Aur baki tum pr hai."
(I'm just teaching you what love is. And the rest is up to you.)
Muskaan gazed at him, weighing the possibilities. She could trust him, of course, she could. And he loved her. She could show that Vaansh that she was over him, and he was in the past. It seemed like a good deal.
"Pr tum mujhse pyaar krte ho. Agar kissi din mein tumse kahoon ki aur nahi toh? Agar mujhe tumse pyaar nahi hua toh?"
(But you love me. If one day I say that I no longer want to do this then? If I don't fall in love with you then?)
Aarav smiled her way, "I've watched you with Vaansh, If I could bare that I can bare anything. And my love is enough for me to get through life. If you decide I'm not enough, that's fine. As long as the person you find will love you more than me. Although, that's not possible. No one can love you more than I do. No one."
Muskaan gulped at the intensity of his words and how sure he was of himself. It stirred something in her chest, "So, we're basically going to be dating, but not really dating. So it's going to be fake?"
"Nothing about this is fake for me. But you're not ready for a relationship, and that's okay. So in some sense, yeah. It's a little fake."
Muskaan gulped gently, letting her entire relationship with Vaansh run through her head. If things could be different from that, then she definitely wants to experience it. Even if it's not completely true.
"Mujhe yeh ishq krna sikhaoge?" (Will you teach me how to love?)
"Shaunk se." (With pleasure.)
Muskaan and Aarav smiled at each other, one thinking about how she could show the world she wasn't some weak little girl who was going to weep over her ex-lover and the other thinking about how this was his only chance to win his love forever. Both were unaware of what the future held for them.
So guys! I've decided to make my chapters a little bit longer. By a little I mean double the length. Normally, the chapters are around 1000 to 1100 words and this one is a total of 2471 words! So I hope you enjoy this!
Leave your thoughts!
What do we think?
Do you think this semi-fake dating is a good idea?
Will it turn into something more permanent?