Love that lasts

Chapter 17

There's a thread that connects us,

regardless of what separates us,

regardless of how intent we are to sever it.

-- Leo Christopher

Aryan and Chandni slowly walked towards the lift after locking up the office. Chandni made sure she called Nargis Chachi and informed that she would be arriving home later, after finishing dinner and was thankful that Chachi didn't ask too many questions.

Chandni felt weird again, going in the empty lift, now with Aryan but the previous awkwardness at least wasn't there. But the lift suddenly felt smaller, warmer as if Aryan was taking up the whole space. Chandni moved to a corner and finally dared to look into Aryan's face.

Aryan too was looking at her keenly, and responded suddenly as if he could read her mind.

"That day in the lift was weird right?"

Chandni just nodded her head in a fluster, and turned her face away as she wondered how Aryan knew what was going on in her mind.

"Hmm by the way Chandni, Archie doesn't call me anything but Aryan!"

Chandni snapped her eyes back to him and he chuckled softly as he noticed the sudden change in expression.

"Okay we won't talk about that topic anymore. I don't want to get burnt to ashes from your firing missiles."

"What?? Firing missiles? What are you talking about?" She asked confusedly.

"Your eyes!! They have their own language and are very powerful, you know! One look and I am gone!!" He whistled and pointed upwards...

"Very funny!!" Chandni mocked back furiously, but smiled inwardly. Maybe her face and expression are too transparent. She better be careful not to get caught like that again by Aryan. But she closed her eyes in frustration after listening to Aryan's next words.

"Chandni, no matter how much you try to hide things from me, I will find out. I know you too well and for too long." He smirked at her, which only made her more mad.

"Let's see, shall we?" She challenged and got out of the lift, glad to have some distance between her and Aryan.

Aryan led her towards his BMW car.

"Just paid my last instalment for the car, so it is finally mine now." He answered her unasked question as he held the passenger door open for her. She smiled at him and sat down in the car slowly. As Aryan walked back to his side, a sigh escaped from Chandni, as she couldn't help but feel how different things could have been. But she quickly shut them out of her mind, and smiled at him as he started the car.

"Should we go to a restaurant or would you prefer to go to the local Chowpatty Beach and eat something there?" Aryan asked her, even though he knew what she would prefer.

"Beach!" Chandni answered promptly.

Chandni's tummy rumbled again as Aryan smoothly manoeuvred the car through the busy traffic and after a short time, they were at the Girgaun Chowpatty Beach, not too far away from Chandni's home.

The beach still had crowds at the late hour and Chandni and Aryan finally managed to buy some of their favourite street food and fill their hungry stomachs. Chandni sorely regretted her slipup when she mentioned that she forgot to eat her lunch. Aryan kept ordering more items from the street vendor and forced Chandni to eat, insisting that she finish all her food, even as she was protesting loudly. Only after she dumped all her food back on to Aryan's plate, did he stop. He finished all the leftovers, and ate some more, much to Chandni's astonishment.

"What?? Don't give me that look!! I exercise a lot, and so I feel hungry more too! I don't eat chicken feed like you!" He mocked her.

Chandni was sorely tempted to give him a juiciest retort but she was feeling too snoozy after eating all that yummy food, and slouched down to a resting position, pulling another chair to put her feet up. But as soon as Aryan finished eating, he dragged her out of her slumber, and pushed her to walk along the beach with him, slightly away from the crowds.

Aryan folded his jeans up and carried both their shoes as they slowly walked along the beach, the water barely reaching their feet, as the full moon cast its glitter across the shimmering waters. Neither of them were in a hurry to speak, as if they were just happy to be in the company of each other, savouring the moment. Aryan noticed that Chandni was shivering a bit and made her wear his hoodie.

They almost reached one end of the beach and there were some rocks, slightly away from the gushing sea water. Aryan turned the flash on his mobile as they chose a wide rock to sit next to each other.

Aryan kept looking at her profile, her small frame in the oversized hoodie, and it reminded him of a cuddly bear and a smile instantly warmed up his face.

"What happened? What is so funny about me?" Chandni asked.

"Nothing... you are looking like a... never mind." Aryan just smiled and refused to say anything further.

"By the way, you are looking so...hmm different with that beard." Chandni observed.

"Different? What does that mean? Why can't you say frankly whether I am looking good or not?" Aryan laughed.

"It is good but you are looking way more mature than your age, do you prefer to look that way?" She asked hesitantly.

"Hmm I frankly never thought of that. Perhaps, yes. Just the way you wanted to look more mature in that Saree of yours. By the way, you are looking so cute in this dress. It suits you."

Aryan's eyes were riveted on Chandni's face as he observed her shy smile. She wiped her face against the hoodie, just as a ruse to hide her face away from him, but felt heady as she inhaled his smell from it. A shiver ran up her spine. She slowly removed the hoodie and gave it back to him, saying that she was no longer feeling cold. She sat forward, wrapping her arms around her bent knees while Aryan relaxed, resting his elbow against the cushion of his hoodie on the rock.

Her long soft hair whipped up against the wind and almost touched Aryan's face and he enjoyed the sensation, but it evoked such strong memories of their intimate moments that he suddenly got up, flushed all of a sudden.

"Shall we go back to the car now? It is getting very windy." Aryan said and Chandni readily agreed.

Both walked quickly back to the car park. Just as they reached the car, Aryan noticed the Ice Gola Vendor. He asked Chandni to wait in the car, and got two crushed Ice on sticks in their favourite flavours.

"Ooh this is my second Ice Gola in a week. Chacha brought me here that day, and we were talking about you and your favourite bubble gum flavour." Chandni said with a happy smile, slurping and munching on her Ice Gola, as they both sat in the car.

"Oh!! Which day are you talking about?" Aryan asked casually, concentrating hard on slippery ice on his stick.

"Hmm the first day we met, when we both got so upset!" Chandni said in a low voice.

Aryan swiftly turned around and the Ice fell in a heap on Aryan's T Shirt. His regretful face soon turned into dismay, as the sticky ice slid along his T Shirt, settling into his lap. Chandni couldn't control her laugh, even in her current mood and Aryan joined her, shaking his head and doing his best to wipe the sticky ice from his lap. Chandni pulled out some tissues from her bag and bent towards his seat as she began to wipe the ice away from his shirt. Aryan's breath hitched as he admired Chandni's ethereal face, up so close.

Chandni felt his burning gaze on her and slowly looked up at him. She gulped nervously and let go of his shirt, as she moved back hastily into her seat, and looked down at her trembling hands.

"Chandni!! Is my close presence so hateful to you? Even the other day, you almost sprained your ankle trying to avoid your fall towards me when that thug attacked us. Are you ashamed of what happened between us? Is this why you avoided meeting me all these years? Did you just want to wipe off every memory of mine? I thought it was because of your parents' brainwashing and your marriage..."

His agony filled words tore her heart apart.

"NO!!" Chandni's groan sounded as if it was wrenched out of her heart. She slowly turned her face towards him as a lone tear escaped from her eye. She silently gazed at him, still unable to fathom words to express her anguish.