A/N: And this is Kartik's story for you folks!
Warning: Auto corrects and typos are always behind my back so please forgive me for any mistakes. And please don't get mad at my attempt at typing Hindi, it is NOT my First or Second language so I am prone to make mistakes.
There was once a time where Kartik was happy with his life. A loving mother, a busy but caring father, a few friends... He was happy. But it was short lived. First, his mother died, saving him from an accident, causing his father to resent him. When he was seven, it became worse.
He had started expressing himself weirdly, people used to say, as he dyed his hair or did something that other boys normally didn't do. He was usually spotted around the girls, especially Devika, who was the one who stayed with him till the end. And then the shameless flirting he used to do with the boys, something which was unnatural for the people in his street.
He couldn't understand what was going on when people started sneering at him or berating him for the way he spoke with boys. 'Wasn't this normal?' he used to think as he looked at the elders around him. Then came the end. He had asked a boy to hang out with him alone and his dad dragged him home and started beating him up, trying to beat the evil away from the boy.
From then on, life was hell for small Kartik. The boys at school and home always used to make fun of him, the adults looked at him weirdly, no one wanted to play with him, except Devika and his home life was unbearable.
And he retaliated to every accusation, he lashed out at any offender and definitely sought out each and every opportunity to defy his father at every stage. He was determined to run away from home along with Devika, who was the rock of his life, the ray of light in the darkness.
But words always cut deep. And the words of one's own father telling him that he doesn't deserve to be loved? That always cuts the deepest. This thought getting repeatedly reinforced in his mind by each and every one who he had tried to love but in the end always ended up hurting him, both physically and emotionally.
It was Devika who always brought him out of these dark waters, keeping him afloat from sinking into the sea called depression. Then his escape came in the form of college, in Delhi, away from his home, away from all the negativity. Kartik was very happy. He packed his bags and left to Delhi.
And college provided him the exact weapons to rebel with his father. He was restless, always bunking classes whenever he didn't feel like it, hanging out with anyone and everyone he could get, he even got two dates with cute guys! But they turned out to be bisexuals who leaned more into girls but... oh well! At least they didn't berate him or beat him up for being a gay, so that was a plus point.
There was always full out arguments with his dad, which ended up with Kartik either getting full out drunk or spending the night ranting to Devika, who had also come with him to Delhi for higher studies. Well... better to say that she moved to Delhi with her dad as he didn't trust Devika around boys... at least her dad didn't outright hate him.
There was one point where he had got a tattoo on his neck, a black outline of a triangle, just to spite his dad and anger him it did. He had spent the whole night getting a earful from his dad about how he should save money instead of doing all these unwanted things as he wasn't going to support Kartik any longer. 'As if I needed his oh so wonderful support' he thought as he left home forever.
He rented a nice but affordable apartment, whose owner surprisingly didn't mind that he was gay after that one time he brought home a boy as a date. The guy had just told him to keep it down.
He was reasonably happy with his life and was even more proud of his sexuality, always effectively shutting up people who bad mouthed him. He got himself a nose ring, saying that it suited his personality, ignoring the comments people used to give him for that.
He got a job as a sales person for some small company, which he found a little amusing and entertaining, something not that mundane, even though he knew that he was overqualified for the current job.
It was at this point that he met Aman. He was just casually strolling out with Devika when he spotted the cute guy looking down trodden on the park bench. Devika had noticed him eyeing at the guy and nudged him. "Achcha lag raha hai kya?" she asked in a teasing manner. (Is he good looking?)
"Ek bet hai mere paas. If you manage to get him to go on a love ride with you, I'll give you Rs. 100. If not, you owe me that hundred. Manzoor hai kya?" she asks and he accepted the bet. 'That guy needed something to up his spirits anyways.' he thought as he approached him. (I have a bet. If you manage to get him to go on a love ride with you, I'll give you Rs. 100. If not, you owe me that hundred. Deal?)
"Mere saath love ride par jaaoge? Usne mujhe yeh dare diya hai" he said, pointing towards Devika. "Please haan kehdo varna mujhe usko Rs. 100 dena padega" he said with his puppy dog eyes. (Will you go with me on the love ride? She gave me a dare) (Please tell yes or I will have to give her Rs. 100)
The guy just stared at him, seeming to consider his request before saying yes. "Ek shart par. Tumhe mujhe rahne ke liye ek jagah suggest karni padegi. Main yahaan naya aaya hoon toh..." he said, sounding a little nervous. (On one condition. You have to suggest me some place where I can stay. I'm new here...)
"Theek hai, manzoor, ab chalo" he said in an excited tone and dragged the man after him. After the ride was over, the two of them got out, Kartik feeling over the moon while the other guy was panting. (Ok, I agree, now come on)
"That was fun. Main Kartik hoon." Kartik introduced himself. "Aur main Aman. Jagah doondne ke liye madat karoge na?" he asked with hope in his voice. "Doondne ka zaroorat kya hai? Mera flat main ek aur rahne ka jaga hai, anyways main kisi ko dhoond raha tha flat share ke liye. If you are ok with it, that is" Kartik said. (That was fun. I'm Kartik) (And I'm Aman. Will you help me search for a place to stay at?) (Why search? My flat has space for two of us to live, anyways, I was searching for a flat share. If you are ok with it, that is)
"Job milne tak rahne ki jaga chaahiye. Uske baad I'll get out of your hair. Thanks!" Aman said in gratitude. "Arey! Humare kaam mein ek vacancy hai! Kal aana, job shaayad mil jaayega." Kartik said, clapping at his shoulders. Aman just blinked, not believing his words. (I will stay till I get a job. After that I will get out of your hair. Thanks!) (Arey! There is a vacancy at the place I work at! Come tomorrow, maybe you will get he job)
"Main... yeh... is sab karne ka koi zaroorat nahi hai." he stuttered. "Koi baath nahi hai yaar, main sirf tumhe help karna chahta hoon, that's all." Kartik said with a shrug. (I... this... there is no need for doing this.) (No problem dude, I just wanted to help you, that's all)
And then Aman moved in with him permanently. And it was one of the happiest times of his life. Aman had been partnered up with him at work, he got to know the guy after work and it was just... exhilarating, working with a guy who doesn't care how you behave, doesn't reprimand him for being himself, a breath of fresh air so to say.
He could often notice Aman checking him out and thought that maybe he was interested in him, but then he was often talking with girls and thought maybe he wasn't. This mixed feelings wasn't acceptable for him so he mustered the courage to ask Aman about it one day.
"Tumhe ladke pasandh ya ladkiyaan?" he asked, startling Aman. "Ab kyoon yeh baath pooch rahe ho? Mujhe dekkar kya sochte ho?" He had asked, looking at him curiously. "Tum itna sexy ho ki main tumhe khaana chahta hoon." Kartik blurted out. He didn't know what made him say that but... what was done was done. "Achcha, toh tumhe ladke pasandh hai?" Aman asked in surprise and something else in his voice that Kartik couldn't identify. (Do you like boys or girls?) (Why are you asking this now? What do you think of me?) (You are so sexy that I want to eat you) (Oh, so you like boys?)
"Haan, maine batha toh tha?" Kartik asked, slightly confused. He did remember mentioning it to Aman sometime during work. "Oh... Shaayad main us samay distracted tha, tumhari soch mein" Aman said and Kartik just blinked. "Jawab do na?" he whined. "Mere saath ek date par chal, phir dekhte hain" Aman said. (Yeah, I had told you before) (Oh... maybe I was distracted at that time, thinking about you) (Give me an answer) (Go on a date with me, then we'll see)
He was stunned, Aman had just asked him out on a date! He gave him his widest smile and hugged Aman tightly while gushing out a numerous yes'. Then after a few dates, Aman had moved into Kartik's room.
It was at this time that Kartik had realised that Aman was the love of his life, his soulmate. Aman was the one who completed him, the only person who knew what he needed without the need for him to express what he needed, the only person who stayed by him regardless of what happened, the only one who holds him in his arms when he felt down, the only one to accept him, admire him... He could just go on. He felt safe in Aman's arms, safer and more content than that he felt with Devika.
He loved those small talks with Aman, he loved the way he held him when he had a nightmare, he loved the gentleness with which he held him, he loved the way he caressed him, he loved how he could determine when he wanted to stay quite and when he required the gentle talks, he just loved everything about him, from head to toe. He was the ray of sunshine in his dark mind, he was his everything and he knew that Aman felt the same way.
He had been surprised that one day when Aman had dragged him to the tattoo shop to get a tattoo of Ardhanareshwar on his forearm. "It will suit you." he had said and looking at that tattoo on his arm, he could see why Aman had suggested the tattoo for him. Shiv and Shakti, he always used to rant about how they cannot discriminate people for being themselves, just like how they don't discriminate Ardhanareshwar for being a male and a female.
"Woh toh Ishwar hai, sab usko pranam karte hai" they said in retaliation. "Deivam manushya roopena. God takes the form of a man. He resides in all of us. Adithi devo bhava. Treat your guest like they are god. Yeh sab to aap hamesha kehte hai. Par kabhi follow karte ho?" he used to curtly reply before he walked away. (They are gods, everyone respects them.) (Deivam manushya roopena. God takes the form of a man. He resides in all of us. Adithi devo bhava. Treat your guest like they are god. You say this all the time. But do you actually follow it?)
Those 3 years he had spent with Aman, those were the perfect years of his life. Yes, they had their arguments, they had their disagreements but they always made up, they never let anything split them up. But then, everything went downhill and now, Kartik was sitting at the side, watching Aman's family getting ready to get Aman married to some girl.
A/N: And this is the final part of the back stories! If you want me to add anything more like the first date, kiss, etc, please comment below! Hope you all like it. All comments and criticism accepted and appreciated! This fic is betaed by girl. with. passion! Any prompts are welcome.
On a separate note... 2 down 3 to go! *sighs* I'm really happy now that I might post my next chapter The Marriage tonight itself... idk, its nearly done writing up though...
Thank you all for reading!
Rasi10 signing off
Published on 5 March 2020