::/Like Now/::
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A/N: For Vampire Breath's birthday. Some parts are inspired by various songs.
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One of Dr. Salunkhe's favourite remarks about his assistant was that Tarika was like a human barometer for emotions. She only had to look at someone, or hear their voice, to know exactly how they were feeling at the moment.
This ability of hers, needless to say, was particularly strong in Abhijeet's case. She could identify each and every emotion that passed through him at any given time, and what was more, she always knew exactly how to handle it.
Like now. He was sitting in her house, slumped on the sofa with his head tilted back. It had been a particularly hard day at the bureau, and a surprise visit from DCP Shamsher Chitrole at the end of it all had done nothing to improve Abhijeet's spirits. Luckily, she knew just what to do- this was actually quite a common occurrence, and she'd quickly learned how to deal with Abhijeet whenever any such days cropped up. Smiling slightly to herself, she added a dash of ginger to the brown liquid that was bubbling on the stove.
When she went out into the hall with the tea mug, his favourite blue one that changed into a mixture of rainbow colours when filled with something hot, he was still sitting in the same position. His hair was slightly mussed, and he looked thoroughly drained. He gave a start and raised his head as he felt her gentle hand on his shoulder. "Tea," she said quietly, handing him the mug. He took it gratefully and blew on the tea for it to cool faster. No sooner had he taken a sip, however, than he perked up and turned to look at her. "Ginger?"
Tarika shrugged, looking innocently back at him. "I figured you needed it."
A grin lifted a corner of his mouth as he settled back, taking another sip. She came up behind him, bending over to whisper in his ear. "Feel any better?"
By way of an answer, he set his mug down on the table before him, leaned back against the sofa and pulled her towards him by the back of her neck so that her face hung upside down over his. He placed a sound kiss on her lips, and she let out a soft laugh. "Who do you think you are? Spider-Man?"
He smirked as her curls fell forward over her shoulder, hanging before him like a curtain. "Yeah, right." He kissed her again, feeling her smile slightly against his mouth before she lifted her head and slipped her arms around him from behind. "You didn't answer my question," she reminded him as he reached up to touch her cheek, which felt cool against his warm hand. "What do you think I just did?" he asked with a teasing grin, and she giggled. "Oh, shut up. And drink your tea, it's getting cold," she instructed, letting go of him and straightening up. Abhijeet mock-pouted as she moved away, and picking up his tea mug with one hand, brought her around the sofa with the other. He pulled her down to sit beside him, scooting closer to her. "You know, there's this girl..."
"Since there are billions of girls in the world, it'd be pretty hard for me to guess which one you're referring to unless you elaborate," Tarika said drily as his arm went around her shoulders. "Well," he said, his voice dropping as he leaned closer and started nuzzling her neck. "She smells like flowers and feels like one, too."
His hand, which had been hanging over her shoulder, slowly moved down her arm, and she pulled away, her face the colour of a ripe strawberry. "Stop that. And finish your tea!" she ordered, getting up and hurrying back into the kitchen. He heaved a long-suffering sigh and drank down the last of his tea before following her.
She stood at the counter, facing away from him as she chopped vegetables. His steps slowed as he approached, and he paused in the entrance of the kitchen to admire her. The long curls that cascaded down her back. The way her dark skin seemed to glow in the dim sunlight, highlighted by the sleeveless white top she had on. The outline of her delicate figure-
OK, enough, he thought hurriedly, and moved forwards. She gave a slight start as his arms went around her, and squirmed slightly as she felt his breath on her neck. "Do you have to sneak up on people like that?" she wanted to know. "Honestly, it makes me feel like a criminal sometimes."
"That's because you are one." He let out a deep breath as he caught her hand which held the knife. "You're guilty of really knowing how to distract a man."
"I could say the same for you," she mumbled, trying not to notice how his lips were lingering dangerously close to her neck. "I'm not the one who makes girls fall like ninepins just by existing." She pulled her hand out of his grip and gently disengaged herself from his arms. "I think you should go, I've got a lot of work to do." She didn't meet his eyes as she spoke.
And he left, the heat from his touch still lingering on her skin.
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She couldn't really explain it, but something seemed to change in the air, in the surroundings, in the whole atmosphere, whenever he walked by. It was as though she had been seeing life in grayscale earlier, and as soon as he entered everything was thrown into sudden technicolor. Then he went away, and just like that, all the colours faded back to grey. He came and went before she knew it, like a drizzle in the wind. Even when he went, however, it was as though he'd never left. There was always something of him, his presence, lingering behind.
Like now. No sooner had he disappeared through the lab doorway than her mobile phone vibrated, signalling the arrival of a new text message.
Looking a little too pretty today. What's new? Is it the hair? Or is that a new dress?
A deep pink flush crept into her cheeks, and she fought back a smile as she sent a reply. Keep guessing. ;)
His reply was almost instant. I don't have to. I'll know for sure this evening. Your place or mine?
Not even she knew how to reply to that. She slipped the phone back into her pocket, returning to her work and trying her best to quell the nagging feeling that hovered at the back of her mind. What was the point of criticising all the other girls, when ultimately she'd ended up doing the same? But as soon as this thought entered her mind, she knew it wasn't the same. Not at all. Everyone else worshipped the great hero, the angel of light, the battler of a thousand storms... but she'd only ever loved him. Just him.
It was raining that evening as they stood outside his house. There was something that seemed to burn slowly in his eyes as he looked at her, and her lashes shaded her eyes as a chill passed through her. One that had nothing to do with the weather.
Don't, a voice seemed to whisper in her head. It sounded uncannily like Dr. Salunkhe's when he was particularly worried. The fire was steadily building now, becoming clearer and clearer as Abhijeet took a step towards her. In her head, the troubled voice grew high and frantic. Tarika, don't...
All else was drowned out by the touch of a cold hand against her damp face, seeming to send a sort of current through her.
It was strange, really, she thought later as she watched the rain lash against the window-pane. Being someone who tended to get touchy about the slightest things and was known for having a temper even shorter than ACP Pradyuman's, it was surprising how he seemed so very different with her. It was almost like he forgot everything else for the time being.
Slowly, she turned over. The chilly air was making her feel even more numb than she already did. She curled up, hugging herself. As he shifted a little in his sleep and nestled against her, she caught a whiff of the faint scent that emanated from him.
Ginger tea.
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"What have you done to me?" he asked her one evening as they lay on the terrace of her house, the moon shining above them like a sliver of silver in the dark night sky. He raised their entwined hands, looking almost curiously at them. "I mean, I was perfectly clear about everything in life... what I wanted, what my priorities were... But then you came in, and..." He made a bewildered gesture with his free hand. "I don't know, everything just changed. Turned me upside down, practically."
Tarika's eyes shimmered in the moonlight as she looked at him, a smile playing on her lips. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Abhijeet raised himself so that he was over her, and brushed a few stray curls out of her face. "What do you think?" he murmured before bending his head to bury his face in her neck.
It was like this that most of the things in their relationship always ended up left unsaid. Even the most important things.
Especially the most important things.
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He didn't know how, and he didn't know why, but nowadays, whenever his spirits were down, it was always her he went to. She always had a way of soothing his wounds, be it figuratively or literally.
Like now. He had acquired several cuts and bruises that day- investigating the case had taken him first to a forest, then to an abandoned factory, and finally culminated in him throwing himself bodily onto the ground to catch a grenade. It was no surprise, therefore, that he was now sitting shirtless in front of Tarika, wincing painfully as she tended to his several minor injuries.
"Ow," he complained as she dabbed at a cut on his shoulder with antiseptic. She gave him a look. "Abhijeet, stop acting like a baby. You put on a brave face even when you take a bullet to the chest, but the minute I start tending to you, you act like you've been through a cement mixer!"
Abhijeet winced again, and this time it wasn't out of pain. He knew she was right. Therefore, as she continued to attend to him, he sat quietly with a very huffy expression. She smiled and turned him to face her, looping her arms around his neck. "OK. I'll make you a deal. If you sit quietly and let me finish, you'll get a kiss at the end."
He frowned sceptically. "Just a kiss? Nah. Not worth it." He instantly regretted it, for the next second she let go of him and moved back, looking like a hurt kitten. "Thanks a lot," she muttered, picking up the tube of ointment again and applying some on a bruise on his arm. As she finished up, he sighed. "Baby, come here," he said, reaching for her, but she fended him off and moved away to the far end of the bed. He tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away, and he briefly turned aside to pick up his shirt. Once it was on, he moved towards Tarika, but she merely got up and left the room. He went after her at once. "Tarika, listen-"
"I'll call you," she said flatly, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder as she went into the hall. He followed and caught her hand. "Don't go," he pleaded. She looked at him, and Abhijeet was shocked to see tears in her eyes before she blinked them away angrily and pulled her hand out of his grip. "Bye, Abhijeet."
As he watched her go, it hit him all of a sudden that until then, it had always been he who walked away.
He could still feel the dull sting of the antiseptic she had been applying on his wounds.
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The next day, she wasn't in the lab. Predictably, she would neither take any of his calls nor reply to any of his messages.
"Just say sorry," Daya told him, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which, unfortunately for Abhijeet, it was. He gave his best friend a look. "Daya, what do you think I've been doing since yesterday evening?"
"Sir." They were interrupted by a female voice, and turned to see Tasha standing before them. She looked sternly at Abhijeet. "All right, sir, I've managed to convince her to talk to you. It wasn't easy, but she agreed to let you give her a ride home after work." Her big brown eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am not doing this messenger work again, so for heaven's sake, please fix up whatever problem it is by tonight. She's really upset, and I don't like seeing her upset." With that, she walked off, and Daya shrugged. "Well, you heard the girl." He returned to his work, leaving Abhijeet gaping at him in shock. "Traitor," he mumbled under his breath.
The evening arrived sooner than expected, and Tarika silently got into Abhijeet's car without looking at him. Neither of them spoke on the way, but as soon as Abhijeet finally pulled into the driveway of Tarika's house he turned and faced her squarely. "Will you tell me at least now what the matter is?"
She averted her eyes and shook her head, and he groaned and took her hands in his. "Tarika, talk to me, please?" Reaching up, he turned her face towards him. "Please?"
When she spoke, she sounded as though she had a bad cold. "Not worth it, huh? Not worth it? A kiss isn't worth keeping quiet for? OK, then." She sniffled and shook her head to free her face from his hand. "Do whatever you want." A tear slipped down her cheek, and she wiped it away, looking like a lost little girl all of a sudden.
Abhijeet sighed and took her face in his hands, making her look at him. "Hey, look, I'm sorry. I was just kidding. I didn't mean it like that. You know I'm not that kind of guy. And I won't be that kind of guy." He looked earnestly into her eyes, taking both her hands in his again. "So? Am I forgiven?"
She looked away, and he leaned closer, his voice persuasively pleading. "Please, baby? Beautiful doll, you light up my heart," he sang, and she smiled faintly in spite of herself. "Shut up. You can't sing to save your life," she mumbled as he kissed her cheek before moving on to her lips. It wasn't long, though, before he broke away, scowling. "How come I never noticed exactly how uncomfortable this car is before?"
That made her burst into a fit of giggles, and she got out of the car, shutting the door even as he followed suit and came over to her. "So, am I invited into your house?" he questioned in a low whisper, moving close to her as she leaned against the side of the car.
In reply, Tarika merely smiled and laced her fingers through his as he caught her hand. "Lock the car."
He obliged at once. "Good thing you reminded me... cause I'm planning on staying quite a while."
~THE END~
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A/N: VB, happy birthday, and I hope you liked it. :)