You And I

Chapter 17

That was the day. That was the day, of the pageantry. Everything was entrenched. Meghna's eyes fluttered open, due to the torture of sun rays. Her head was placed on his strong chest, with his arms draped around her waist, possessively. She could feel Amey's breath cracking into her hair gaps. She dispersed her head from his chest, and raised it to check. Amey was still sleeping. She tried to coil out of his arms, for all that it was not that effortless.

She sent her arms to the bed-stand, to stretch to her phone. Only to see the time, she got in right minds. It was the day of the pageantry. And time was already 7.24. She had the pageant in another two hours. This sudden realization of she, lying with Amey lazily, instead of getting ready for the pageantry, churned her up.

She needed to wake him up, immediately.

"Amey!", she called, slightly patting his stubbly cheeks. There was no response. She started scratching his cheeks, in order to wake him up.

"Amey.. It's 7.30..", she muttered calmly, running her fingers through his hair, softly. He didn't get back still. "Amey? Wake up!!",she urged him softly. He wasn't responding, no matter how did she call. Why do you have to sleep like a pig, today? She mumbled to herself, and placed her arms on the side of his head, and called him again,"Wake up, Amey!"

Amey wasn't responding. He was deep in his sleep. As she watched him intently, it was evident that he was sleeping, beyond his grasp. As she let her eyes study his splendid features. Man, he was a fine piece of art!

A smile sprang up on her lips.

How much is she in love with this man!

As she held up her gaze at his face, she creeped forward in an upswing, to peck his lips softly. As soon as her lips brushed his, he opened an eye stealthily leaving out a smug look. She was all stunned to see him, do that.

"Aah! You were awake all the while! You evil one.", she smacked his arms, and mumbled. Amey closed his eyes coolly and murmured,"Someone had told no kissing before brushing!". This brought her back to the reality.

What had she done! She wanted to face-palm.

"I.. I did that to wake you up.. Besides that day it was a kiss, this is just... just a peck!"her eyebrows had gone furrowed, she was thoroughly engrossed in explaining her side to him. When in fact, he was closing his eyes and enjoying her flounder.

When he saw her falter, he slowly rubbed her back and muttered." Shush shush! It is okay. I won't accuse you." The murmur was hoarse and sexy and he had his eyes still closed.  She seemed to calm down with that. She , then lowered her head and placed it on him and closed her eyes.

Ten minutes into it, the realization hit her! It was the f*****g pageantry and she had to go there, to exhibit her photographs, and instead she was lying back with him idly.

"Amey! It's 7.30. We've to go...", she screamed lifting her head from the finest place, she would like to sleep. "Don't make me lazy.. Wake up!!", she screamed again, scratching his stubble. Then, when he let her go, She scrambled to the washroom, to get done with her morning duties; and then after her shower, she sauntered out and slipped into her black denims and an orange raglan, she sopped her lips with a few swishes of her lip balm, and brushed her hair. Within which Amey, was ready in his faded blue denims and plain black button up shirt, with its sleeves cockled up to his arms.

While Amey was picking up his car keys, he found Meghna standing at a corner, in front of the small statue of lord Ganesh*, that they had. She had her palms stuck together, her eyes closed, brows furrowed. Her lips were rumbling something in an undertone. He watched her closely. Her brows were knit in disquietude. He waited patiently, until she finished praying.

"Shall we go? Are you okay?", he asked, as he clutched her arms. She placed her sweaty palm on his arms and clutched it tightly. "I am just.. I don't know.. Worried slightly.." She faltered, and Amey blotted up her head warmly, and his lips stretch into a tender smile.

"Don't worry. You're just tensed because you're doing this after a few days. But you know what... You'll do a bang-up job. ", he disclosed, looking at her straight.

Mesmerized in his gaze, she could feel a breeze of confidence glide through her whole body.

"I hope so..", she whispered looking at his gaze, being on the verge to get more and more of the emotion that he made her feel. He leaned forward to peck her hair, and mumbled,"We're running late!"

"Oh yeah. Come!", Meghna scrunched her nose and walked along with him. Despite the city's peak hour traffic, they reached the venue in next forty minutes. As Amey parked the car handily, they jumped out of the car and strode in. Both of them marched in, and entered the lift; that the conveyor took them to the seventh floor of that lofty building, where the foyer of the pageantry was.

The hall was very large, with a very wide number of photo frames dangling to the hyped up walls, that were on the pure white background that gave the photos a rich look. Meghna's lips rasped out a rough sigh, contemplating that everything was fine till now, and it was going to be cool till the end. She gulped off that heavy thing that was seemingly blocked  her throat, threatening her.

Amey, was all the while lingering around with her asking her to be cool and clearheaded. She gave out a timid smile, whenever he did something to make her feel alright. Totally, she was not alright.

Both of them, were given a place to stand near by her photographs. The pageant was about to begin. All the while, Whenever Meghna switched her frazzled gaze to him, his eyes twinkled and soothed her. He was her healing pill!

In sometime, when the pageant had begun, hordes of people started to fall in. Everything was smooth. Finally, half an hour into the pageant; Meghna was normal. She felt appeased to have Amey, beside her during her challenging times. She liked to face the challenges, having Amey with her to provide her with a great optimism. She smiled as all these thoughts, wade around in her brain. Amey, on the apprehension that she was smiling involuntarily; raised his brows at her.

She smiled more, came to him and looked at him plumply. As her eyes glimmered in confidence, she asked,"What? You want the reason for my smile?"

He smiled amusedly as her smile polluted him, with his eyes carrying so much of compassion  for this woman in front of him, he said,"I don't want any reason for your happiness."

Her smile grew and now it was ear- to- ear. She hurled her hand forward, to hold his hand and intertwine her fingers with his. Her gaze got stuck with the way his fingers fit the gap between her fingers neatly. With her black orbs wondering the way, she had her fingers entangled with his', her watered gaze happened on his happy, contended, controlling blue eyes; her lips moved helplessly,"I really love you, Amey." It was a whisper.

And now, someone should probably tell him that smiling wide is against the law, so that he would stop smiling like he had conquered the whole world. The smile had now turned out into a sly smile, with his eyes cemented on her's, he raised an eye brow, "I know!"

Meghna, chuckled softly and her watered eyes let a lone drop of tear fall down. On letting out, a fanning sigh she cleaned her tears and inhaled sharply. "We should go , see around!", she suggested.

He nodded acknowledging, and disclosed;"We will. Before, we do that, Aren't you hungry?" He asked with his eye balls widened in amazement. She smiled, and beckon a nod saying an yes. Amey, snickered a laugh and grabbed her hands tight, "let's go!"

When they asked about the coordinators out there, about leaving their space void, with no people; they helped them to take care of the photographs. With that, they sauntered off to the nearby restaurant to munch on something for the breakfast. They did so, and they returned to the hall and thanked the person who was there near by their place, and they went to their seats given.

Only in sometime post-breakfast, Meghna implied him that they should go and look around. He agreed. And they started pacing around the gallery. Meghna was truly happy to keep account on all the photographs. She stopped over a few complicated frames, to analyze the way the cameraperson had worked on it. The love of her life in hand, and her passion in front of her eyes; with both what she felt was an unspeakable thrill.

As they walked through a few laps of those fabricated walls, her eyes had happen upon a few frames, that made her knees go weak. Her mouth popped wide open, with her eyes becoming inflamed, out turning the tears that was verily painful, to hold back. Her breathing took up and sped faster that she had never experienced. She felt her head whirling and she was feeling too groggy. Swallowing down those tears and bringing up the words, was that one task she had to do, to unmask the conundrum!

"Arj..Amey...", she gasped, as she squeezed his arms. Amey, who was doing something sincere on his phone, diverted his gaze to her. Only to see her eyes watered, and her face panicky, his mien annealed. Meghna, seeing him through her blurry vision, stretched her hand towards the wall to show her photographs. Those long- lost photographs, which made her life wretched and tragic, for a few days. Those photographs were hung on the wall, with no one near by.

Amey, on seeing those photographs; remained numb. He couldn't speak, anything out of nothing. "Meghna..", he gasped back as he averted his gaze to her, bewildered. Meghna's eyes had already gone transforming into a splash of water. He immediately tugged at her and dragged her to quarantined corner, inside the hall.

"How are these here?", Meghna questioned, with her face throbbing in extreme apprehension. "I don't know..",Amey breathed, shaking his head ; realizing that what he saw the reason for the hardship in their life, for a whole of two months.

"I thought you gave back these photos to Aarav, from somewhere after finding out that I didn't do that.. But how come it is here? Now? That means Aarav is here?", She stacked up all those questions, with her eyes flurrying aimlessly.

"No.. No! I didn't give the photos to Aarav! In fact, I didn't find the photographs anywhere after you flew away-"

"You didn't give away the photographs to Aarav! Then what did you give?", her eyes narrowed at Amey. He tried not to gulp and leave out a look that would make her doubt worser. His eyes had gone rolling around around her, "It is not the right time to talk unnecessarily. Lets go find out, who did this!", he descanted nervously, and trolled his phone from the pocket and dialed Math's number, to help them out. Meghna, was now half-sure that he was hiding something big from her.

In a few rings, when Math had picked up the call Amey spoke shakily,"Uncle..Math Uncle.. Amey here!"

"Amey! Tell me.", Math chuckled, from the other side.

"Uhmm.. Uncle.. There is this Pageantry taking place at one of your hotels.. This hotel.. Hotel Viridian. And I just want a help from you right away.. Can you come here? Like, now? Where are you?" Amey spoke hastily, to which Math agreed.

"Oh yeah, Amey! I am at the airport, to pick up Julie. Can you and pick me up? Because, Debbie will take Julie home! And If I have to call someone to bring me there, it'll take time!"

"Sure uncle! I will be there in sometime..."

"Come directly to the International arrivals.. Terminal two..", Math informed, and they hung up. Amey heaved out a sigh, and took Meghna to their area, where their photographs were mounted and interpreted her about bring Mathews to the spot. She nodded, weakly. He gave her an assured squeeze in her hands, and a peck on her knuckles; and rushed down to the parking.

Meghna was all addled.

What was he saying?

The way he talked about the photographs, wasn't orderly. For sure, she could realize that he was hiding something from her. What is he hiding from me? Why should he? Should I ask him about it? Interrogations were circling her,  whipping her hard. She didn't want to think of anything, or assume anything before she could affirm anything with Amey. Yet, the fact that he didn't want to talk about Aarav and the photographs from the day they met in hospital till today, didn't let her think of anything better.

Whilst, Amey put on afterburners; and reached the airport. He sped up to the Terminal number two. On driving forward a few more steps, he could recognize Mathews and his wife Deborah standing there, anticipating Julie. He stooped down, and walked towards them. Deborah gave him a warm smile, Amey smiled back nervously.

Mathews, on comprehending that Amey was not normal at all, squeezed his hand,"The flight has already arrived. Let Julie come out, And the we shall move.", Math blinked empathetically. Amey agreed. Five minutes into it, They all noticed Julie striding towards them rolling her trolleys.

After their, dad-daughter moments; Amey and Math paid adieu to Julie and her mom. Amey, just informed Math about the stolen photographs and them, being exhibited here in the pageantry. He also, asked him the permission to check over the surveillance camera, to find out who must have handed over the photographs. They reached the hotel soon. Amey and Math, hasted their pace to Meghna. And along with her, Math helped them to check through the surveillance camera.

Only to see a familiar face on the screen, handing over the photo frames to one of coordinators there, Amey and Meghna had look at each other in befuddlement.

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