CHAPTER 17

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We quickly had our breakfast, and made our way to the address which Ashok had given Arham. I am feeling nervous; I didn't know what to except as we climb down our cab. We stand in front of a 15-storey building. My heart beating rapidly inside my chest as we stand in the elevator. Arham looks at me fidgeting with my fingers and nervously biting my lip.

'Everything will be alright' Arham says placing his hand on my shoulder. I smile nervously. In reality I am sweating with nervousness; it always happens to me whenever I am nervous or worried or excited I begin to sweat like a pig. With Arham with me, this isn't good, it's more embarrassing.

Flat no. 501, our destination. Arham urges me to ring the bell. My fingers trembled as I ring the bell. Surprising there is no nameplate on the main door of this apartment. Soon enough the door opens and a lady comes out, she is clad in blue and white saree and has a long braided hair. She looks almost of my age. Her gaze moves from Arham to me and then back from me to Arham. She looks at us confused.

'Yes?' she asks us

'Hello, we are Aamir's friends.' Arham introduces us. My mind brainstorming as to who this lady is and what she has to do with Aamir. The word, another family, giving me weird unwanted thoughts.

'Hello, I am Anjum...Aamir's wife' the lady introduces herself smiling.

My mouth falls open, Arham nudges my arm and I quickly closed my mouth. This is what I was dreading. I knew Aamir is arrogant and a total selfish snob but somewhere I thought Aamir was better than a two timing jerk. Arham is shocked too but unlike me he didn't show it on his face.

'We would like to meet Aamir?' Arham says and I look at him. Why he wants to meet Aamir? If Aamir sees us here he will get alarmed and our plan might fail.

'But Aamir isn't home, he is gone to Delhi...he will be back tomorrow' Anjum answers.

'Oh no' Arham says faking disappointment, even in this tense situation I couldn't stop admiring him. He should try acting, he has the looks and talent. But then I would not be able to see him with other actresses.

"this is not the time to think about all this" my rational mind says to me.

We left the apartment asking Anjum to not inform Aamir that we had come as we want to surprise him. Anjum had insisted us to have some drink and snacks. I went in the kitchen to help Anjum while Aamir stayed in the living room, he gathered evidences.

Five minutes later, I and Arham are sitting in a nearby café. Arham is showing me photos he has clicked there in the living.

'Who is this, kid?' I ask looking a photo of Aamir, Anjum and a kid in centre, both of them are hugging the kid

'Can't say for sure' Arham says.

The waiter gets us our black coffee. I look at Arham, who is looking angry, I wonder if he is angry at Aamir or has his angry expression become his permanent facial expression. As I sip my coffee I look around. I see, Anjum coming out of the building. She adjusts her saree and is waiting outside the main gate.

'Arham' I say placing my hand over his, he looks up at me. I point towards Anjum, Arham sits up straight looking at Anjum.

We watch as a school bus stops in front of the main gate, the bus conductor gets down first followed by a kid, not more than five-year-old. The bus conductor climbs back into the bus while the kid jumps into Anjum's arm. I look at Arham, he is observing them for a while.

'Do you think he is Aamir's son?' I ask looking at Arham, he looks at me

'It seems so but we need to confirm...I have an idea' he says and stands, I stand too.

I ring the doorbell again, and this time it takes a little longer than before for Anjum to open the door, the kid sounded really excited on hearing the doorbell.

'Aap?' she asks looking at us confused.

'I am really sorry to trouble you again, but I think I forgot my phone here' Arham says, I just stand there like a statue nodding. Anjum smiles and lets us in.

An overexcited kid comes into the living room, he looks at us and frowns.

'Who are you?' he asks us

'Beta, they are Papa's friends.' Anjum explains her kid. I knew it! Aamir is married with a kid, it is shocking but once when Arham mentioned about Aamir having another family this is predictable.

*

'That rascal' I say punching the air in anger. I and Arham have returned to our room. Arham is sitting at the edge of the bed while I am pacing in the room muttering curses at Aamir.

'I don't understand how did your parents miss out on this?' Arham says shaking his head in disbelief. I sat next to him. I myself don't know why they didn't investigate about the family? Were they so eager to get rid of me that they didn't even bother finding details of the man with whom their daughter is to spend rest of her life? Is that one embarrassing incident above their daughter's life.

I wonder if they will break this alliance after finding out Aamir's truth or will still emotionally blackmail me to marry Aamir. Will my parents also be among those who for their reputation sacrifice their daughters? No, my parents won't force me to marry a married man.

I rest my head on Arham's shoulder. After so many years of trying to keep everything in me I reached my breaking point.

I love my parents above anyone in this world and thinking of them forcing me marrying to someone like Aamir breaks me.

In these 3 years it's first time I break down crying.

'Zahra...' Arham says turning to face me, he held my face in his palms and looks at me. I am crying like a five-year-old kid.

Arham wipes my tears with his thumb gently and places his hand behind me and rests my head on his chest. He wraps his arms around me hugging me as I sob into his chest.

'Don't cry...everything will be fine...' he says caressing my back.

All the pent up frustration for ten years finally is coming out in form of tears.

I cried for next fifteen minutes with Arham consoling me but I don't why I was so inconsolable. When I calmed down Arham separated our frames and looks at me. I am probably looking like a mess with swollen eyes, tears stained cheeks and snot leaking from my nose. Arham smiles and pinches my cheek. I am surprised.

'Get ready, we are going for site seeing' he says. I don't feel like going out anywhere but Arham is right, it will be good change, maybe I might be able to keep the negativity away from me. I nod wiping my nose with the back of my palm.

'You shower and get ready, I will go to the reception and book a cab' he informs and I nod.

I thought Arham will take time to book the cab, so I had left my clothes in the room. I took a quick shower, I wrapped baby pink towel around my petite figure. I place my wet hair on my shoulder and clenching the towel tightly against my body I step out of the bathroom.

'You ready...' I hear Arham's voice

'Ahh...' I shriek

'oops... sorry....' Arham panics placing his palm over his eyes and turning around, I turn around too.

I held on my towel tightly. I squeeze my eyes breathing heavily.

'Sorry.... I didn't know you hadn't changed' Arham says

I slowly turn and peek through one eye. I see Arham's back to me, I sigh in relief. I recollect the time when once I got caught him wrapped only in a towel and now things have reversed. I feel shy standing there alone in Arham's presence wearing only a towel.

'I... will... take my....my... clothes...' I stammer, with my head held low I walk towards the wardrobe.

'I will go freshen up' Arham says and with his eyes still closed he moves slowly towards the bathroom, I chuckle when on the way his knee accidently hits the bed, he stumbles but managed to stand his ground. He smiles.

After I hear him lock the door I relax. I search my ward robe and fish out the dress for the evening. Since it's a casual outing so I took a simple attire. A floral print halter neck maxi dress. I place the dress on the bed and fish out my inners from the wardrobe. I glance at the bathroom nervously before letting my towel drop. I glance at the bathroom again and quickly wear my inners. I bend down to pick up my dress when I hear the bathroom door unlock. I panicked.

'Are you ready?' Arham calls from inside

But I am unable to respond and stood silently trembling with nervousness. On not getting any reply from me, Arham assumed I am ready. He comes out, his eyes widen looking at me. I stand there just in my inners looking like a rabbit caught in the headlight.

Arham stares at me for few minutes before realizing what he was doing.

'What the hell are you doing?' Arham says frustrated as he turns around closing his eyes again.

'So...Sorry...'I say and quickly wear my dress, but the darn zip is stuck.

'Arham...please help me with the zip' I say. Arham still has his back to me, I roll my eyes

'I am dressed' I say

Arham slowly turns around and looks at me. He sighs in relief.

I turn around, luckily my dress doesn't expose much of my back. Arham takes like eternity to come near me. I close my eyes on feeling his fingers brush against my back, he zips my dress slowly and I smile. I tilt my head little and notice him looking at me for a brief moment before looking away.

*

Arham doesn't take much time to change into a blue shirt and jeans. I sat on bed pretending to read a magazine while he stands combing his hair, I admire him from behind the magazine.

First we go to Cubbon park. It is a lovely park with beautiful mowed gardens, varieties of flowers and trees. There are benches where young as well as old couple are seated. Once again I have a very couplish feeling being with Arham in the park. We stroll around the park, Arham also clicked my pictures through my phone. On my persistent nagging Arham agreed to click few selfies with me. I didn't have any of his recent photos, beside the photo that I had clicked from his bio data file. We sit on the bench in silence enjoying the nature. Being one with nature is giving me so much peace, it's so soothing. The serene weather adding to the bliss and the plus point is that Arham is with me, what can be better than this?

As the sun sets, Arham takes me to Orion mall, it's really popular mall here in Bangalore, it is here we spend most of our time window shopping. We had coffee and hot muffins in a café there in the mall. Arham talks this time and I smile seeing the efforts he is taking to cheer me up. I liked few dresses which I wanted to buy but then thought it will simply increase my luggage.

Arham sees my dropped face as I look at an elegant yet simple off shoulder lavender jumpsuit, it has palazzo like pants.

Arham asks me to wait outside as he takes a cab, I nod and wait. Fifteen minutes later I see Arham coming towards me and am surprised to see him carrying a shopping bag, he has gone to get a cab right? Then why has he come with a shopping bag.

'What is this?' I ask eyeing the bag. Arham smiles, 'It's a surprise' he whispers and I feel excited.

Arham has booked online cab which drops us to our hotel, I am really excited as we enter in the room. I wonder what he has got, is it for me?

Arham closes the door and hands me the shopping bag, 'it's for you' he says. I smile at him happily opening the bag. I gasp on finding the lavender jumpsuit I had so badly wanted. I look at Arham surprised.

'Thank you' I say and leap forward hugging him tight. He hugs me back. He is so caring, he got me the dress I had wanted. I separate our frames and look at the dress.

'Wait here, I will wear this and come' I say happily. Arham nods.

I quickly change into the dress, I am happy and content that the dress is a perfect fit. This dress is really beautiful and even more so because Arham has got it for me. I smile widely twisting my body slightly as I admire myself from every angle. I hope Arham likes me in this. I open the door and slowly step out.

Arham is doing something in his mobile and when he hears me come in he looks up, our gaze meeting. 

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