With you Forever

CHAPTER:- 7

From the childhood Aahan has got nervousness till this date. Nervousness was something Aahan got everytime just with the mere mention of result. It was nothing different back in his nursery days and it was still the same while waiting for the final call of the interviewer. During the declaration of class result back in school, he used to get same nervous feeling. He used to tell Ritik to check his results because he has not the courage to face the nervousness in his behavior. He still gets high heart beat rate, sweating on his forehead which makes him shine out of nervousness. He tapped his feet on the white marble floor - a habit he do often out of nervousness. He took out a hand kerchief to wipe out his sweating from his forehead. He sat on the nearby chair.

Suddenly his phone rang and he quickly stood up and put his hands in his pocket to find his phone like a mad man. Without taking any single second to think, he picked up the call. He did not even check for the caller on the mobile screen. "Hello, Sir." He unconsciously replied. His fingers were crossed with out his consent.

"Sir! Seriously? Is that you the-rude-and-mannerless-Aahan?" A voice full of sarcasm was heard from the other side.

"Oh, Ritik! It's you." Aahan sullenly replied after checking for the caller on the screen and realizing the voice of Ritik from the other side.

"Yeah. So you consider me as someone else. Great! I am alive only to see this day - my best friend thinking me to be someone else. And calling me sir, my goodness to be treated this way. But wait! You couldn't identify my voice. Such misery! We are childhood buddies, Aahan. I am hurt." Ritik dramatically replied.

"Alright! Enough of your drama. Now put an end to it." Aahan said, as something else came into his mind. "Hey, Ritik!"

"Yes."

"By any chance you know our HR here?"

"No. I don't have that much contact."

"Oh!" then in next second he again asked, "Then did you bribe the interviewer?"

"Which interviewer? And why will I bribe anyone?" Ritik asked in confusion. His friend surely had gone mad.

"Arey, that she-devil. No.. No.. That angel carrying a mask of devil." Aahan was finally satisfied with his choice of adjectives.

"From she-devil to angel! Woah, Bro! That's a huge progress." Ritik exclaimed.

Aahan knew why the ever-so-introvert Ritik was teasing him like Kamal. He knew that his friend was just trying to shift his worry from thinking about the results. He could understand his best friend's effort to divert his mind from the interview result things. They were friends from childhood. When there was no one for both of them, they stood together for each other. Aahan protected Ritik from every bullies like a father, while Ritik took care of Aahan just like a mother. They were each other's family. They never got to feel the absence of their presence. They were together in the joy and in the sorrows. In the joy they laughed together, and in the sorrows they had shoulder for each other to cry on. Their friendship has been same, and unbreakable since their childhood.

Then there was that hidden code in their friendship. They never expressed gratitude or apology until some unexpected situation came up. Not that it hampered their ego, but it was just their way of friendship. 'Thank you' and 'Sorry' turned everything awkward. And these extra manner of "thank you", "You are welcome," "My pleasure", etc seemed just formalities in their friendship.

"Shut up. There is nothing like that." Aahan faked anger, masking his real feelings of gratitude.

"Like what?" Ritik asked in a teasing manner.

"Like what you are cooking."

"What am I cooking? Even There is no kitchen in my office. Forget about the ingridents." Ritik tried to act innocent.

"Oh, Ritik! Stop your drama now. I am not nervous anymore. Come to the topic." Aahan chided.

"You are not nervous. That's a good news then , but not good enough to shift my attention from your she-devil aka angel." Ritik was in no mood to leave this rare chance of teasing Aahan.

"Ritik Dubey! Either talk sanely or don't talk. Otherwise you know me." Aahan almost threatened Ritik.

As if understanding the hidden warning in his voice, and seriousness in his voice Ritik immediately changed the topic. "Alright! How was the interview?"

"Good. The questions they asked matched with yours." Aahan happily replied.

"That's because I have experience. And my experience really came into your help. " Ritik boasted.

"Yeah, Mr." Aahan curtly replied.

"Come on, you won't even say a thank you?" Ritik asked in disbelief, while Aahan rolled his eyes.

"Not at all. I am an ungrateful jerk... Wait.. I will call you later."

"Why? What's..." Ritik couldn't complete his sentence, as the other side had hung up already with a beep sound, the sound that is generated in the mobile phone when the call gets cut.

"Hey!" Aahan waved his hand towards the lady walking on the street side, but she didn't stop. "Hello, Miss Ishita!" Aahan called out loudly and the girl finally halted and turned around. Aahan ran towards her. She crossed her hands in front of her chest and raised her eyebrows. "Thank you." Aahan replied rubbing his nape.

"Excuse me, Mr. Thank you! For what?" Ishita asked in a curious manner raising her eyebrows.

"Actually I am really in a need of job. And today despite of my rude behaviour, you have helped me. I mean, you asked the exact questions that I have practised or I was acquainted with. So, I thought to thank you."

"Alright Mr..." She was cut in middle as Aahan forwarded his hand to introduce himself.

"Aahan Choudhry."

Ishita just nodded with a tight lipped smile. Her hands didn't move an inch. Aahan's ego was hurted badly. He took his hands back and clenched his teeth in annoyance.

"Look, Mr. Aahan Choudhry. I haven't intentionally helped you. The questions matched because it's a pattern. Anyone experienced can guide you for this. And about the job, you haven't got it till now. So, don't be over confident. Good luck." Ishita politely replied, but her every words were mocking Aahan.

When she was about to turn, Aahan hold her wrist tightly. "Alright, Miss. I know you are the HR. But that is not giving you the right to disrespect others."

Ishita glared at Aahan and then to the wrist where he was holding her. Aahan was confused with her behaviour and suddenly she yanked her hand making Aahan stumbled on his steps. Aahan couldn't balance himself and fell on the road, causing an old man, who was walking on the road fell too. Ishita ran towards the old man and helped him to stand up.

"I am sorry, Sir. It was my fault." Ishita immediately apologised.

"It's alright, child. I am strong enough to stand up." The old man said with a smile and stood up. Ishita helped him to carry his bags, while the old man said, "I am fine. Don't worry."

"It was really my fault. I am really sorry, Sir. I will carry your bags. Where do you leave? Actually I don't have a car. I prefer public transport. Will it be fine with you? Or I can call a cab anytime." Ishita requested again.

The old man smiled and said, "Aah, I guess I am not old enough to be helped by such a young lady. Please, help that old man. He seems to be mad on you." The old man pointed his finger at Aahan, who was still sitting on floor. Instead of standing up, he was just glaring at Ishita.

"It was all due to this old man only. He annoyed me and I made a mistake. And now I am in this awkward situation." Ishita sarcastically muttered for Aahan.

"Excuse me, whom do you call an old man, little woman?" Aahan suddenly stood up.

"The man who couldn't survive a little push by a little woman and fell on other persons." Ishita replied with a tight lipped smile. Aahan was tongue tied.

Damn this woman and her comebacks!

Only if he would have known that he was special. No body ever heard more than two or three words sentences from Ishita.

"Alright people, I am getting late. I think, I should go now." The old man announced.

"No, No, Uncle. Please, wait. I am dropping you. Please." Aahan requested and the man couldn't deny as Aahan had already taken the bags from his hands. Ishita gaped the way Aahan helped him just by asking once. While she failed to convince him despite of her various attempts.

Nevertheless, she was also at fault. So she also moved along with them. It was their duty to make this senior citizen his home, with due respect and proper care.

"Uncle, shouldn't we take a cab? Is it necessary to walk at this age?" Aahan questioned.

"Well, Major Veer Pratap Singh will never get old enough to walk in the soil of India, smelling the breathtaking vibes of air." The man replied. And Aahan and Ishita looked at him in admiration. "Left to this road, and the middle house is my home." He added.

They soon reached in front of his home. "You have such a lovely home, Uncle Veer." Aahan awed at the house design.

"Well, I have. All thanks to the lovely people living with me. They make it home and they bring love and affection to it. Without them it's just a house, just a beautifully designed building, but not a home. " Major Singh replied. "By the way, what's the name of you two?" He asked while entering inside.

"Aahan Choudhry."

"Ishita."

Two of them replied at the same time and looked at each other before looking at other way.

"Oh! Lovely names. By the way, Ishita you are looking troubled. You want to ask anything?" Major Singh asked.

"No, I mean yes. No. Nothing." Ishita denied herself only and then again said, "Yes, Actually there is something." Aahan looked at her with sudden interest. "You denied my help, but not Aahan's, Why?" She asked without looking at anybody. She was feeling embarrassed.

Major Veer Pratap Singh chuckled. "That's because he called me Uncle and it sounded familiar." He said and offered both of them to sit. "Please, Sit."

"No, Sir. I must go. I have office works." Ishita said. She tried but couldn't frame a simple word, 'Uncle'.

"Ohh!" Major Singh sighed in disappointment.

"Yeah, even my interview result will be announced in some minutes. I should go." Aahan was saying, but noticing the disappointment in Mr. Singh's face, he quickly added, "But we will come again, Sir. After all we haven't met with your lovely people, whom you have credited for such a lovely home." Aahan winked and Major chuckled.

"How can this man talk with a stranger so confidently! He has the capacity to make anyone laugh. He can take anyone's pain away." Ishita thought in astonishment and some inner peace to be around such a person.

"Let's go, Miss Ishita." Aahan said and she nodded.

Both of them came out. When they were walking on the road, Ishita suddenly looked at her wrist watch and said, "God! We are so late. They must announce the results in a few minutes."

"Damn, It's all because of you. Only if you hadn't push me, we have never been landed at such a situation and would have not lost our time. " Aahan replied.

"It was you, who annoyed me first." Ishita argued.

"Oh, hello. Whatever happens, happens for good only. Look we got such a good companion - Major Veer Pratap Singh. Now I can proudly said to my friends that I have an army uncle." Aahan said, carrying a proud smirk on his face.

"Oh, wow! What an achievement!" Ishita muttered sarcastically.

Aahan didn't say anything and pulled her towards the road side. Before Ishita could say anything, she saw a truck passing by high speed. "Thank you." She uttered lowly.

"Walk by my side." Aahan said in a little disturbed tone and then walked at her side till the office.

All the way, Ishita was looking at him in a different emotion.

It was the first time, someone was protecting her. For a while she felt protected with Aahan. His little care could now win the trust of her. Her shell had definitely allowed Aahan to move inside. But she was just too confused with this newly found feelings of hers.

To be continued.