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With that, I turn around and drag my feet to the elevator. If only I knew Aarav Raichand would be here, I would have asked Rudra or someone else to attend this conference.
I check-in in my hotel room and take a quick shower, trying my best to ignore whatever Aarav said to me a while ago. He is messing with my head and his own sanity too and under no circumstance, I am letting him weaken me. When I come out my phone is ringing. It’s Rudra’s call which I don’t miss answering.
“Where the hell are you, Khushi? I’ve been trying your number for one hour,” he shouts.
“Don’t shout. I was having a bath.”
“Oh,” his tone relaxes. “Okay. I called you to tell you that I have to fly to New York for a week. Dad has urgently called me to sign a few documents.”
“New York?”
“Yes. I don’t want to leave you alone here in India but the papers are important. I should be back in a week.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can. I am worried about Aarav Raichand. Stay away from him Khushi. I mean it. My sources told me he is also attending that conference in Bangalore. Just ignore him if you see him there, okay?”
So, Rudra got to know Aarav is here? Does he also know we are in the same hotel? I hope not. Stressing Rudra than he already is, is not something I would like.
“I’ll be careful,” I assure him.
“Good. When I return, let’s get engaged.”
“What?” I literally snapped at him though that wasn’t my intention.
“Relax Khushi. I proposed for an engagement. What’s there to be so shocked about?”
“Rudra, what is going on? We are yet to establish things between us and you want us to get engaged?”
“Why not? We could handle the rest of the issues even after we got engaged. Already people know we have been dating for six years, Khushi.”
“But we almost broke up two years ago and then I lost my memories too, Rudra. Everything has changed since then. Plus, I don’t even know what had gone so wrong that we were breaking up then?”
“I told you it was my fault. That you needed my time and I wasn’t giving you that. How many times should I repeat that same story to you?”
“Until I believe it,” I yell.
“You don’t trust me?”
My head starts spinning now. Two men… Aarav and Rudra both want me to believe their side of the story. Rudra is the one who was there all these months by my side and trusting him is easier but ever since Aarav has stepped into our lives my heart and mind are not in sync. I feel drawn towards Aarav Raichand when he so intensely tries to prove I belong to him. I’ve never felt this pull for Rudra even after staying with him for two years. What is that supposed to mean?
“Okay Khushi, listen to me. Let’s just get engaged so that Aarav Raichand stops claiming and confusing you.”
I don’t know who is confusing me at the moment. Aarav, by his claim that I am Jhanvi, or Rudra, by suddenly proposing to get engaged only to show Aarav I am taken.
“Rudra,” I exhale. “We’ll speak when you return. I am not prepared to discuss this right now. I am tired.”
“Fine. I love you.”
He waits a few seconds for me to say the same and like always I don’t.
“Bye. Have a safe flight, Rudra.”
“Bye.”
The call disconnects and I know Rudra must be hurt again since I didn’t reciprocate those words to him. I never have. I can’t. How can I when I don’t even recall what kind of relationship we had? All the photos he has of us prove we were in love and intimate too at some point but I don’t feel it anymore in me. That’s one of the reasons why despite staying with Rudra for two years I haven’t said those words back to him nor allowed him to touch me beyond a normal hug and a cheek kiss. There were so many instances where he craved for more and I’ve politely declined all his advances because I want to wait for some signals from my heart that can prove my feelings for him but unfortunately, that never happened. Rudra didn’t give up trying though. He has patiently waited, but now his patience has worn out ever since Aarav Raichand has entered into the picture. He is afraid that Aarav would snatch me but that’s not possible. I am sure Aarav is completely mistaken and his blind love for his dead wife is so strong that he is connecting the wrong dots thinking I am the one he lost. Aarav said he is looking for evidence and now for my own sanity I want him to find those so that he stops stalking me and realizes he was wrong all the time in considering me as his wife.
CHAPTER 12
