You And I

Chapter 11

On finishing off her morning duties, Meghna sat aimless at the couch. That was a Saturday and Meghna had no work for that day. Since, Julie had a class to attend, she had already flitted off to her university. Joshua wasn't there, yet. Meghna tried calling her, a few times. All she got back was a recorded voice telling her that the phone was turned off.

On heaving a sigh, she scrambled off into the restroom for a shower. When she came back to the living room, all she saw was stale Joshua plopping herself down at the couch, dead on her feet. She was lying on her stomach, with her curly; long hair lying erratic all over her face. Meghna, the moment she saw her lying that way; wanted to drill out the information from her. Only to see her lying, not awake; She came beside her and brushed her hair aside. Meghna's eyes studied her face. She looked like she had cried a lot, all the while. She couldn't just decide anything at the moment.

On taking off the three inched, heel pump off of her feet; and trailing her legs together to a position, she swaddled her up with a warm comforter; which Joshua dragged to her sleepily.

Meghna decided to bunk at the couch and do her work. And to accost all those stuff, that's been remaining shady about Joshua, since a week. Suspicious stuff, that's been threatening Meghna since the day they went out to shop.

In three hours or so, Joshua tried opening her eyes nonchalantly. She felt a warm comforter on her, sheathing her restfully, and her eyes caught up on Meghna who was saintly, working on something on her laptop. When she tried to open her tightly shut eyes, she wasn't able to open it easily as her eyelids were stuck together due to the dried tears. She got her engaged in an enormous act of sitting upright. She struggled to do so. Slowly, on crawling along the duvet; she sat upright cambering on the sofa's backrest.

"Joshua! Are you okay?", Meghna panicked, that instant she saw Joshua cause herself to suffer to sit.

"Meghna!",She mumbled, with her eyes half-closed. She couldn't help but avoid her eye contact with Meghna.

"Hey! You.. Okay? Get up, Sit straight!", Meghna instructed her as she rested her hands at Joshua's back to make her sit upright. She did so and her eyes were wide open by now.

"Go! Brush your teeth. I will brew some coffee for us.", She tried to cheer her up. Joshua wasn't responding  with a good boost. On patting her back supportively, she yelled,"Wake up, Sleepyhead. Go!!" Joyously, and dragged her along and fostered her to push into the washroom. Joshua was advanced in, and Meghna dawdled back to the living room and on pleating off the comforter and placing it at the right place; she went to the kitchen and started poaching a fresh cup of decoction for the coffees.

Amey had taught her the relative amount of water to be added to the coffee powder, into the coffee maker to get the puree in  a strong gusto! Though they were not together now, thoughts about Amey and her memories with him would always bring up a smile on her face, followed by the aisles of tears. She was now used to everything. Tears, Pain, Love.. Everything! Let alone, A life without Amey in it.

After drawing up, two mugful of coffees, she came back to the living room; with both the mugs. Joshua was sitting on the couch, with her face off the make up mask that she had painted last night. On handing over the mug, Meghna plunked herself down at the beanbag, facing Joshua.

Meghna started to swig in her coffee.

"Meghna! I've already told you this for zillion times. Do that at first. Otherwise we're going to suffer.", Amey reminded Meghna, from the kitchen. Meghna sauntered off to the kitchen, where she found him engaging, pans and dippers.

The moment she stepped into the kitchen, her snout had started crumpling, as an aftermath of the act of smelling in the aroma of the tempting, spicy food that her husband was making her, after a whole of three weeks.

It's been a day back from Goa, at Chennai. And Amey had already exhorted her to watermark all of the photos that she had taken for the contest, in the whole of three weeks.

All those days at Goa, Amey accompanied Meghna and helped her in taking photos. She'd selected a few themes for the contests like Vintage photography, Wildlife, Everything in wide angle, Photos of people unaware. One week without Amey there was a place of condemn. She couldn't concentrate on her work, while she was away from him. And the day he came there stating that he missed her, she felt her heart all over her; swollen in happiness. She'd never seen anyone doing such things for a girl, unless it is a movie.

She was all happy. And she felt death the jiffy, Amey confessed his love to her. Casually, coolly.. Yet, the way he said would just erupt butterflies in her belly even after an entire fortnight. Those two weeks were the days, that made Amey admire Meghna. He'd never thought that she would be so devoted in her work. The loyalty and sincerity in work were the ones to trait from Sanjay. In every little way, she fascinated him. Amey started feeling proud of her, having her with him. The dignity that he had for Meghna had increased all the while. Meghna, was equally influenced with what Amey executed for her.

Traveling miles, to meet someone; throwing over all the pending works behind wasn't something that someone would do for someone, in real.

In total, a small pang of guilt hit Meghna that she had never done anything for Amey, in the way he did for her.

Meghna entered the kitchen, smelling in the wonderful aroma of the food that he was preparing, with his tensed muscles, flex and stretch while handling the pans; to watch from back. She stood drooling at him, extolling the way he did stuff there.

She was even unaware that, Amey was in front of her; flipping his fingers before her face.

"Meghna!!", He snapped slightly, shaking her out her own reverie. She was whipped absolutely, with his enthralling demeanor and patience that he had, to handle her.

"Ah! Yes. Amey!",She snapped back being shaken.

"Watermark your photos first! Otherwise we'll be at a huge point of controversy.", he grumbled at her. He did that because he didn't want all of her backbreaking work, go frittering into misuse. He knew and saw how arduous and stiff, to finish her works during the due weeks. She worked hard to get the photographs with perfection, and Amey witnessed her, working hard. And thus, he didn't want all of her uphill battle, go worthless, get shaken up and messed up.

"I will do Amey! Don't worry.", she mumbled, as she looked down at the cabinet being fettered in his snap. As Amey's eyes examined her, she was mumbling something to herself and pouting. On heaving a sigh, he moved to her. She was not looking at him, instead she had her head dropped, staring at the granite that made the commode. He placed the casserole that he had in his hands on the cabinet, and moved to her stealthily.

He went abreast her. On watching her closely, he made her look at him by raising her chin up. She wasn't looking at him, even then. It was not out of the coyness! She was actually upset that Amey snapped at her. With that, his hands travelled down to her waist, lifting her up to the cabinet; like nothing. Meghna was shocked beyond words, to see Amey do that. He made her sit on the cabinet, and lifted up her chin.

"What are you doing? Let me-", She screamed being unable to take the anonymous titillation. He leaned in, silencing her. She got her lips zipped, when Amey's lips travelled towards her's, with his left hand holding her cheeks with his cold fingers making a base at the back of her ear, and the other hand lifting her chin up. She felt all of her bones and limbs melting down, at his touch. His hot air fanning her face, his fingers making her chin look up like it was the life saver at the moment, his azure eyes trying to make her understand the true situation, making empty airbags stumble her throat.

As he contorted forward more, her eyes went powerless and incapable of meeting his azure eyes, that were loaded with a batch of sensation. Amey bent forward and kissed her eyelids, delicately. And she  went frivolous at his touch.

Only to feel a sort of void in the places, that's been making her feel otherworldly till now, her eyes fluttered open. Amey was still standing right there, in an inch gap away from her; hinging his palms on the either sides of her, bracketing her closely. His eyes weren't moving anywhere else, from her's. She gasped for air, with her heart beating counter to the chest. She really felt it abandoned to feel his hands taken away from her. His embrace was soothing, and apologizing. She felt the touch as an expression of remorse.

Meghna sucked for air! He didn't talk a word, neither did she. Making it worser, he never broke the eye contact. Slowly, as the thought of being under his plowing, mesmerizing gaze, began seeping in her heart and brain, she felt her cheeks waxing feverish. The warmth that Amey's virile lips had left at her eyelids was now felt at her cheeks. A smile started descending upon her lips, as she mumbled,"Arj.. Amey. Don't! Don't do this!"

A whimsical smile occupied his lips, making his gaze stern on her; without moving it anywhere; that made her go senseless, he mouthed,"What did I do?" His deep voice that fell in, made all the tiny hair around her neck, stand up.

As she continued gasping for air, she beckoned him that she was at a loss her air and words, she lipped,"This! You're doing this.", she stuttered with a pause in between, still panting heavily. Amey left out a sly smile. A thriving, heart-stopping smirk, leaving Meghna's bearings worsen that led to the fall off, of her hormones. He progressed in his duty of making her go screwy, out of whack.

This guy knew the knack!

Straightening up and shaping up, moving forward and inclining on her, she had her heart racing at the agility of a propeller of a zeppelin that is about to soar up and shoot high. On going into a gentle skid, making a contact with her skin, he went to her ears; leaving his exhalation, tickle her ear, he whispered huskily,"I can do much more, you know?" And all of her went cadaverous!

With a flinch shaking her body up, due to the nearness; her mouth went split open hearing him say that. Somehow, somewhere along the heart, she liked it to be that way. She really liked it, when he did an alchemy in her. It wasn't that easy for Meghna to get out from under and neaten herself from the enslaving bliss, that Amey had just shown her.  With that he had gone back, with an inch gap between their bodies. The gawk remained the same, until Meghna opened her mouth,"Make food for me then!"

As she finished telling those words, Amey bombed out laughing mad. Meghna couldn't help but giggle. She really was hungry. No one could blame her. Seriously, by now the embarrassment and the sheepishness to ask for food, had dissolved. Amey, burst out laughing; with his eyes shining because of the tears out of laughing mad. Meghna, had also laughed frenzied, all the while. On smashing his forehead on her's, slightly; he still couldn't stop laughing. What she did was a sheesh way to kill the moment! It was such a romantic, wooing moment; and she had turned it incredibly funny, in nothing flat.

With the giggles breaking open still, Amey mouthed,"You're such a moment killer! You know how to ruin a moment perfectly. Try writing a book-" Within he felt himself completing those words, she got a fistful of his shirt, tugging him towards her, making his lips crash on her cheeks! She did that because she didn't really want to ruin the moment they were having.

Making him go awe, she loosened her grip on his shirt, letting him go back to his position. On bumping his temples on her, with an invincible smile groveling on his lips, he said crashingly,"I love you!"

Meghna pressed her lips against one another, as the simper spreading on her face, was making her go out of order!

"How many times will you say this?", she mumbled going into pieces. Amey gave her a softening smile, that melted her insides! "Until you say it back!" He said and returned back to his work. Meghna sat astonished at his spunk, as she started swamping herself into this very own world , his voice fell in again and threw her off,"Or even If you don't say it!"

With that he let him cook food for her. Once they had their dinner, they were in the bed, trying put themselves to sleep. When they had slept deep, Amey's phone chimed at that hour of the night. He groaned in frustration, and struggled to reach for his phone lying on the table beside the bed. Only to see the caller ID, his slumber died out, and he jumped out of the bed, and swiped the call; with his hands racking hair, wild. Meghna was sleeping all the while.

It was Aarav, all again!

Amey had deliberately tuned out to Aarav and his annoying phone calls, while he was with Meghna at Goa. He didn't want to let him put through an underworld, all that time. He didn't want to blot out those time that he spent with her. He unquestionably knew that talking to Aarav or answering his phone calls at that time would make him get hitched to a dratted headache, which he couldn't correspond with.

He still remembered how Aarav got steamed up at him, when he disclosed about making one of his business friends, offer him a decent job. Amey couldn't think of more! With his father, standing firmly against his idea of letting Aarav into their business, that's what Amey could do. This foamed at that bloody mouth of his'! Aarav!

He was such a crook, whose ultimate, daily grind was to actively foresee, all the viable plans to cast aspersions and slurs on his dad and their family. They didn't really know what made Aarav do that! But his utmost job was to take care of the dishonors worked into lather to his family and family members. Amey was helpless at the moment.

Meghna, on finding the other half of the bed empty; had already sheered up, straight. On rubbing her eyes, sleepily; she found Amey wandering out on the other side of the glass door that coerced to the front porch. He was there, shooting an aimless walk, around the porch; letting his fingers muss his hair! She leaned back resting the pillow support her back, mushily; until he sauntered back in another twenty minutes.

On clambering onto the bed and getting themselves tangled with the bedsheets and pillows, he kissed her head ,"why are you awake? Sleep!"

"What happened? You were so tensed there! Is everything okay?", she mumbled sleepily. He brushed his fingers over her hair, and said,"We'll talk morrow! Sleep, baby!" With that, she slept off in his arms; and he did too.

The next morning, when Amey woke up; Meghna wasn't found there nearby him. Rest of the morning went in blur, until; they were in the car on the way to the office. Amey had already informed her over the breakfast, that he had to go, meet Aarav that morning. He wasn't normal, all the while. Meghna was all faint-hearted to see him like that, around her. He looked so dull and annoyed!

While driving the car, he wasn't handling it expertly as he does, usually. Today, the drive was with full of sudden jerks, and commotions. He wasn't orderly, at all. Finally, when the car came to a halt in front of Amey's office to drop off Meghna; she remained seated in the car, expecting him to talk something. Finally, when she apprehended that he would not open his mouth, she squeezed his arms scantly.

"Amey?", she gasped.

"Huh?", he responded like he had been gone out like a light. Being crapped out like that, it wasn't easy for Meghna to leave as things were.

"You're not okay. Are you?", she quizzed, looking at his eyes. "I am not!",he breathed, looking somewhere outside, at the glass window of the car.

"What happened?", she inquired, softly.

"Will you just refuse to acknowledge me? or disclaim me, If I keep on associating with Aarav?", he asked, with his eyes sincerely staring at her's. Those blue eyes had turned into an ocean that only allowed the longing waves swirl in it. She could clearly make an account of it.

Meghna let out a serious chuckle, with no humor and mouthed,"Why would I do that?"

"Is there anything that's being forced on you to make you go with the terms that I have to run behind Aarav?", he asked. His voice had also gone equally low-pitched and dim. Why was he thinking all that?

"Why do you think that, Amey? Am I not supposed to share your botheration?", she asked with her eyes getting watered. It really hurt her to hear him, saying that.

"No Megh-"

"No, Amey! Stop thinking that. You think I am under some wedlock with you? No! It is not that. Just because that I didn't utter back those words, doesn't mean that I don't do.", she gasped, with what called as tears, making their way down her cheeks. That was the first ever, Amey was making her cry! His temples went creasing to folds, seeing her drip tears.

"I really do respect the bond we share, Amey. And I obey our relationship. It had always been you whenever I feel low. It had always been you whatever I worry, it had always you to whom I pour down all my worries. At last it is only you! And why don't you consider me that way? You say me that you love me! But why would you doubt our relationship! What's the issue up here?", she started fighting against her tears, in which she lost eventually.

"Don't tell this again!", she gasped, rubbing her tears off. Amey's hands pounced upon and reached for her cheeks. He held it firmly, and swabbed away the tears off her clean face.

"I am sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you." , Amey whispered, apologizing to her. She nodded her head in negative, slowly and whispered,"Don't be! You've never hurt me! And you'll never do."

Hearing this, Amey's face lit up. This girl was f*****g trusting him, and he was there, with a dull face, telling something like a bull's s**t! How mean! This is not just!!!

Amending what he talked just before, wanting to make it right, he leaned in meeting her lips; with his left hand cupping her face, firmly; and right hand reaching for her hand. His lips played on her's whilst his fingers did on her's . Meghna loved the way the kiss happened. They'd kiss several times by now. It had always been a slow, cuddly and genial kiss. This time it seemed like with a bit more of passion and appetite!

With the kiss happening between them, and their fingers trifling together; couldn't make the moment any longing. They wanted it to last long! With all other stuff around them seem like vanishing off, with just them making their own world, coruscating alight, with the passion of the kiss burning them alive. Their lips severed, as they sucked for breath. Meghna panted heavily.

Amey rested his forehead on her face, gently; and asked,"Stay with me, forever!"

"Forever?" She gasped, with her eyes shut; helping herself to find a way to breathe properly.

"Forever!" He breathed.

"Forever!!!", she promised.

"I love you!", he hummed, looking straight into her eyes, holding her the way that his touches could even scream the love that he had for her. Meghna smiled wide, at him. Her hands ruffled his unruly hair, and she skimmed forward to peck his cheeks. "Bye!"

"Have a good day!", he muttered, as she slid down from the car, making satisfied and emboldened strides towards the office.

Amey's phone whirred, pulling him out of the muse, that he had playing in his mind. She took the phone to his hands, and his carriage went heartless and cold, forthwith.

"What the heck is your problem? Why do you keep on messing it up with me?", he yelled at Aarav on phone. And all he heard was an insensitive and callous, chuckle.

"Brother! What else would I ask for?", That thick-skinned bastard would never stop rankling, Amey. It enraged Amey further, which made him rub his temples, in fury.

"Stop this you scumbag! Will you?", Amey's bothered voice fell in.

"Amey! This is your limit. Trying to be nice with you, I asked for the least thing that you could do. When you can't even let something happen on your brother's favor, what kind of brother are you!", Aarav blustered.

Amey was on the verge of losing his patience.

"Aarav! What you're doing is growing boundless! You got what you asked for-"

"Hey! Stop. I got what did I ask for? My ass! Stop fooling me. Will you?", He clamored with his pitch high as the sky.

"Aarav! Don't play with this. You've got what you asked for-"

"You think I am f*****g playing with you! You think that's what I am up to. Or you think you're my girlfriend to play with you. You and your wife together are trying to fool me. You think I am that much of an ass?", he fumed with an extreme vengeance, evidently radiating in his voice.

"What? You didn't get those-"

"Enough Amey! Don't act. You can't fool me, anymore!", he cut Amey off in the middle. Amey was now clearly, utterly baffled and bewildered.

What the heck? He didn't get any of those!

That does that mean.. That does that mean Meghna must've also been unfamiliar with what happened?

As the realization hit him, he cut the call and dropped the phone down at his table.

Shit! s**t!! s**t!!!

The s**t was becoming deeper now.

Pulling himself out of the ugliest and an unpunctual recognition, his hands flew to the phone and dialed the numbers restlessly.

*•*•*•*•*•*•

As Julie entered the home, she felt Meghna sitting at the couch probing Joshua, probably about she going MIA last night. Only to see Julie's face with a disarray, making her face really jumble; Meghna's brows went narrowed and her lips stopped.

"Why are you looking confused?", Meghna mouthed looking at Julie. She stepped forward and took her seat nearby her and initiated to take Meghna's hand in her's. Joshua was now relieved for a while.

"What's happening between you and Amey?", Julie asked sternly. She was truly going to drill out the actual fact today.

Meghna stiffened. She scowled. "What what's happening between us?", she mumbled looking everywhere other than Julie's eyes. Julie heaved a sigh and asked,"We're not that good at lying!"

"Julie! Seriously-"

"Meghna! Please. I have been patient enough from Day one, till today. Its been a while! And now, even after seeing these divorce papers, you want me to remain shut?", her sturdy voice echoed everywhere around.

Divorce papers?

"What are you talking about ?", Meghna gulped, like she knew nothing. She didn't want to let tears take up her eyes and face, all again.

"Will you stop playing with us? Please! For god's sake. Open up, at least now.", Julie yelled, shaking Meghna's shoulders leaving her to split into smithereens, with the tears breaking down.

*•*•*•*