Tere Mere Dil
...
Tarika woke up with a bad headache. Sitting up she looked around to find herself in Abhijeet's apartment. Her heart skipped a beat without any specific reason. But when she found herself in Abhijeet's T shirt and track pants she literally cried in shock.
'No, you need to calm yourself down Tarika. No overthinking. " She talked to herself.
Abhijeet entered with a glass of lemon juice.
"You will feel better." Abhijeet's hands were shaking in nervousness which worsened Tarika's fear.
"Why are you nervous?" Tarika asked.
"'Cause you look calm." Abhijeet tried to joke around.
Tarika took the glass and finished the juice in one go.
Abhijeet took the glass from her hand and placed that on table. He stood there silently and waited for Tarika to speak.
"You.. changed.. my clothes?" Tarika asked, directly.
"I... am... so-"
"I didn't ask whether you are sorry or not. I asked, did you change my clothes?" Tarika looked at him directly.
"Yes, I did." Abhijeet said firmly.
Tarika held her hair in a fist and took deep breathes.
"You know.. you shouldn't have done this." Said Tarika.
"You vomitted on your clothes... i tried to clean it off but your dress got wet... and within a few seconds you started sneezing. I knew you would be angry and I am okay with it. But I couldn't just let you see like that." Abhijeet explianed.
"Tum kisi se madat mang sakte the na..."
Abhijeet sighed.
"There's a journalist living down my apartment. The last thing I would want to make you famous with my unfamous rumours." His voice was calm.
Tarika didn't answer for a while.
"I need to leave. My shift starts within 2 hours."
"I will get your clothes. I have washed them in washing machine and also have dried them." Abhijeet left hurriedly to get her clothes. He returned within a minute and gave Tarika her clothes.
Tarika left the bed to go to bathroom when Abhijeet stopped her.
"Tarika..."
She lookedat him.
"Just so that you know... I didn't touch you inappropritely and also I didn't see anything which I wasnt supposed to see... I mean.."
"I know." Tarika nodded. He didn't undressed her totally. Just the jeans and top.
"You know!" Abhijeet was curious. "You are not mad at me!'
"You tried to help. And I appreciate it."
Abhijeet breathed out and smiled broadly.
"You are so unpredictable. I thought, you would never talk to me again."
"And still you took the chance."
"Yeah.. I mean.. It was worth enough."
Abhijeet was so happy. He doubted when was the last he felt so happy!
Without thinking anything he hugged Tarika. That wasn't a tight hug. It was a comfort hug. A friendly hug.
To Tarika it was unexpected. But the hug was so short and distant that before she could react it was done. Nevertheless the shock was clearly visible on her face. When Abhijeet took a hold of his overflowing happiness he realized what he did just now but then he felt like he shouldn't apologize every single time.
"That was just a friendly hug." Yet he explained himself.
Tarika chuckled and moved towards the washroom not wanting to get late for her shift.
Abhijeet was so happy and excited at the same time. It was damn unexpected. All the night he was calculating how bad would Tarika react and how he gonna make it up to her and here she was not even angry a bit. This girls was unpredictable! And Amazing! And breath taking! Beautiful! Oh, he needed to hold a break of his emotions. Almost jumping in excitement like a teenager he headed for the kitchen to make her breakfast.
Tarika came out of the room and found Abhijeet standing by the table with breakfast.
"Breakfast?" Abhijeet asked
"I am getting late.. sorry."
"Here.. eat it in car." He handed Tarika sandwitches wrapped in foil paper.
"Its not needed..." Tarika said but took the sandwitches anyways.
"It is.. for me."
"Okay... bye."
"My driver is waiting outside with the car. He will drop you to your apartment."
"It... Abhijeet..."
"I thought you would be angry... toh maine arrangements kar rakhe the.. pehle se hi."
Tarika smiled at him fondly. She nodded and left his apartment.
She got into the back seat of the car and sighed. What was that? Why wasn't she mad at him? Okay, he tried to help so that's understandable but why wasn't she even embarrassed? Was she giving into him? Was she taking the chance unknowingly.
Thinking about the incident she reached her apartment. Nidhi and Rakhi started questioning her whereabouts. They were both mad at her for not attending their calls. And the landlord was pissed at her too. She was about to call her parents.
"I was with Abhijeet." Tarika said shortly.
"Whole night!" Nidhi said, mischievously.
"Yeah." Tarika said without any sarcasm. "I need to take shower. I am getting late."
"Shower!! Ooo..." Rakhi whistled.
Only then Tarika realized where was her roommates taking the conversation.
"Jeisa tum log soch rahe ho weisa kuch nahi hain."
"Toh keisa hain?" Nidhi winked.
"Wo kal Abhijeet ke dosto se milne club chali gayi toh waha kisine majak mein drink mein kuch mila diya... mujhe ulti ho gayi and I fainted... So you see... kuch nahi hua tum dono jeisa soch rahe."
"Tch.. bad luck... " Nidhi acted like she was bored and left taking her apron.
"Okay.. chal.. tu fresh hoke aja.. main bhi chali." Rakhi left too.
Freeing her mind from the recent incident Tarika headed towards the bathroom.
Tarika was sitting at a corner table of hospital Canteen after her morning shift. Her mind was jammed with the thoughts she was trying to ignore since morning. She was in a fix of what to do and what not. It was stressing her out a lot. Leaving her food half eaten she stood up to leave. Her phone rang. It was Abhijeet.
"Hello," she answered walking out the canteen.
"Hi... done with your shift?" Abhijeet asked.
"Yeah... I am leaving now." She came out of the hospital building.
"Lunch kiya?"
"Haan... Tumne?"
"Nahi.. abtaq toh nahi... Late hoga aur bhi."
"Its already late enough."
"Yeah.. I know. Just busy.
"Busy ho phir mujhe keisey phone kar liya?"
"The stuff can wait for a while." Abhijeet chuckled.
"You shouldn't you know."
"Okay madam... ja raha hu... par..."
"Par??"
"Wo main keh raha tha... Tumhara toh ajka shift khatam na..."
"Haan..."
"Headache... thik hain tumhara?"
"Abhi bhi hain... rest karungi toh thik ho jaiga."
"Acha thik hain.. jake room mein rest kar lo."
"Tum kuch keh rahein the."
"Haan wo bas... main, around 8.00 free ho jaunga... Tum,.. I mean agar tum better feel karne lagi by then... Dinner pe chal sakte hain ham."
"Dinner?"
"Um.. Haan... aisehi, casual... restaurant mein. Jaha tum bolo."
"Um..."
"Agar tum chaho.. "
"Um... maim, bad mein batau?"
"So, its not NO!"
"For now." Tarika laughed hearing his excited voice.
"Okay... Weisey bura na mano toh ek baat kahu?"
"As a friend?"
"Haan.. as a friend hi.."
"As a friend tumhari kisi bhi baat ka bura nahi manungi.. bolo." Tarika smiled.
"You are really hard to get girl! You know your ways. You play damn hard!" Abhijeet spilled out in one go.
"You sound ruthlessly honest huh!" Tarika joked around. "And btw, you should consider yourself lucky that I am playing hard. I could have dismissed you, couldn't I?"
Abhijeet paused.
"You there?" Tarika asked, not getting nay response.
"No, you couldn't Dr Tarika. You tried... and you failed. We are destined for each other." Abhijeet whispered.
Tarika got freeze for a moment. He wasn't wrong entirely. Did that mean... but, she shouldn't.
"Bye. My break is over. Message me if you make up your mind." Abhijeet said before cutting the call.
Tarika cut the call. She was lost in her trance. Was he trying to possess her?
She bumped with a girl all on a sudden.
"Oh I am sorry." Tarika apologized.
"No its okay. You were lost."
"I shouldn't be."
"Yeah that true. Well, I am Rita."
"Oh... I am Tarika."
"You work in this hospital?"
"Yeah.. I am a Doctor here."
"Oh cool... I think I have seen you somewhere... " Rita looked a bit confused and curious.
"Me?"
"Yeah... You live in Juhu?"
"Oh no.. I live just nearby. You must have mistaken."
"But I have seen you near Aroy Colony.. may be... may be I am wrong. Nice to meet you though." Rita smiled and walked passed Tarika.
"Strange!" Tarika shrugged and headed for her apartment.
Tarika wake up at evening and after getting fresh tried to read some books. Nidhi and Rakhi entered into her room and occupied her bed next to her.
"What?" Tarika asked, looking at their questioning gaze.
"Tell me about the night." Asked Nidhi.
"Seriously guys! It's nothing. Kaha toh subha."
"Its more than that."
"No. Now leave me alone."
Tarika's phone bipped. It was a message from Abhijeet.
'Yes or No?'
"Kiska text hain?" Asked Rakhi
"Abhijeet ka."
"Kya keh raha hain?"
"Asking for dinner "
"Dinner date?"
"No... please. Just dinner."
"What's changed Tarika?" Nidhi asked, with a serious face.
Tarika sighed.
"We talked about our childhood and I got emotional. I feel connected... more than before. And I have found myself trusting him." Tarika said, slowly.
"And?"
"And I am gonna tell him I want this relationship." Tarika said and send him 'yes'.
"You serious!!" Nidhi was excited.
"Um.. yes. I will tell him."
Nidhi and Rakhi hugged her.
"But then what about your issue?" Asked Nidhi.
"Will talk about it with him."
Her phone bipped again.
'Thank you. When do I pick you up?'
'In 30 minutes.' She replied.
"Okay I need to get ready now." Said Tarika to her roommates.