Diamond Hearts (Volume I & II)

15. Him?

Mahil:

She seemed content in his hold and encircled her arms around his back. No signs of hesitation, nothing at all, as if they hugged every other day. I shook my head. Something in my chest constricted at the thought of another guy being this close to Kuhoo every day. Why wasn't the woman parting from him when she was the one denying me the right of a slightest touch on our first dance?

"Wait, let me see," The man pulled away for a moment to have a better look at her, head to toe and I wanted to scream 'Stay the fuck away and keep your eyes off her.' Before I could act on a whim, the guy hugged her again, "It's actually you. God, it's such a small world." As if that wasn't enough to enrage my nerves, she chuckled.

Did he also read that article in the newspaper a few days back – 'Seven benefits hugs'? I thought it was only me reading such shit.

If he really was in need of such a therapy, he could just come to me. I could give this jerk such bone crashing hugs that all his bones would break. Balling the fist, I clenched my teeth, attempting to stop such violent thoughts coming to my mind.

"I didn't know you were here. Long back I heard from Satkrit that you were planning to go for Neuro in Chicago but he never told me you actually went for it. God, I was here for the last two years. If only I knew, we could hang out all this while, like earlier times!" The man had turned into a human ball of excitement. On contrary, I felt my mind was undergoing volcanic eruptions.

"I haven't been in touch with others so, I guess most of them don't know I'm here," Kuhoo shrugged. She was about to say something further when Ms. Khurana beside me cleared her throat making the talking duo look at us.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Chaturvedi, meet my fiancée Riya Khurana," The man swung his arm in Ms. Khurana's direction as if introducing a royal princess.

"Congratulations," Kuhoo smiled raising her eyebrows in appreciation.

Continuing further the man added, "And Riya, this is Kuhoo. We were together in college, back there in India. Anyways, how have you been? And how is that joker Jyotiraditya? Let me know if he ever troubles you. We'll paint his face together like that last holi. The nickname joker really suited him that day. Never thought I would say this, but I missed him. Where is he?"

"Umm, I... Actually..." She stuttered rubbing her palms on the sides of the arms. "We... It's..." Running a hand through her hair she released a jagged breath, adjusting thin belt of the maroon purse on her shoulder.

There was something uncanny about the way she was blurting those incomprehensible words as if it pained saying them together in a sentence, as if the weight of those words exhausted her completely although they never left her mouth, probably finding a place to rest on the floor of her heart making it heavier than usual days. The Kuhoo I knew had a celestial glow on her face, like that of a nymph. Even in her sleep after that long workday, she looked beautiful. But then there were moments like these when her face would loose all its charm, as if the unforgiving night of new moon took away all the shining stars from her sky.

"Hey, what's wrong?" The guy asked before I could.

Staring at him, she swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat, "It's nothing. Rahul, actually, I... I gotta go."

Turning around, she sprinted in the direction of the stairs not wanting to wait for the lift as the elevator board showed sixth floor.

"What happened to her?" Ms. Khurana looked at her fiancée who himself seemed confused with Kuhoo's sudden departure.

"Fuck. That bastard, so it was all true. Shit. Kuhoooo," Rahul ran behind her soon disappearing from our eyesight.

"Wait! Rahul? What even? I can't believe this. He just left me hanging for some random chick?" Ms. Khurana threw her hands in air, pressing the lips in a thin line.

I kept staring at his retreating figure until he disappeared from my sight. It all happened so unexpectedly that I couldn't decipher anything. But the moment my brain processed the turn of events including him hugging her and following her when she probably looked nervous; I started climbing the stairs.

On my floor, I found them standing in front of her door with a distance of an arm between the two. He uttered something which made a fresh tear roll down her cheek and I felt like punching the man black and blue. It looked like she did not wish to be anywhere around him but then why wasn't he understanding? Blood in my veins boiled, running at the speed of lightening when another tear left her eye while she gulped a hard lump.

As I started moving closer to them, Rahul's words fell on my ears, "I can't believe he did this. The man truly loved you."

"Even I thought he did. But – Mahil?" Kuhoo ceased her conversation with Rahul upon noticing my presence. I saw it in her eyes; she did not wish to talk about whatever it was, at least not in front of me as if I was some third person. It probably seemed right; maybe I was the third person. Then why did it hurt?

Nodding awkwardly I looked between the duo, "Ms. Khurana was asking about you?"

"Right, can you give us a minute?" Rahul requested pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We'll be waiting in my living room." I walked away glancing at Kuhoo who smiled apologetically.

"No. Just a second. We'll come with you. Although I still can't imagine him doing this, let's forget that idiot. Now, as you're here, I want you to attend all my wedding functions. You can't refuse. How are you able to live here like this? The Kuhoo I know couldn't even make through a single weekend without meeting her family? Don't you miss them, that huge-ass family of yours?" He asked.

Grabbing his cell Kuhoo typed a number, "I miss them, but work makes up for most of my time. Anyways, I'll definitely be there for your wedding. This is my number, send me the details. I'll see you then?"

"What do you mean by see you then? That's not how it works Chaturvedi. When I say, you have to attend all my wedding functions; it means you are coming with me right now for the dance rehearsals. Two weeks later, it's my sangeet. And you have to perform from our side. Riya and her cousins think us doctors are no fun. I mean really they called me a Keetabi keeda?! Let's show them," He vociferated holding her shoulders.

Why was this guy so touchy?

"God! Rahul! So competitive all the time!" Kuhoo chuckled.

Cupping his mouth, Rahul said, "Hawww. I'm competitive? You always wanted to beat me in our exams. Forgot the number of times you got the second position because I was the first ranker?"

"That wasn't me! It was Adi. He would provoke me to snatch your position." Kuhoo turned her to the other side dramatically. But then she stilled interpreting the words that came out unmindfully.

"College rivalry and shit. But then you remember how we teamed up together during that 'Nrutyasamradni' event. Man, you and Adi created magic there! The fluency, the chemistry, it was like I- " Rahul paused the moment he saw the pained expression on Kuhoo's face.

"I... I'm sorry. It's just... I'm so used to seeing you guys together. I can't segregate you both in my mind suddenly. When I say the word Kuhoo, it's as if Adi is bound to roll out on my tongue. It'll take some time. But you are not going to just sulk around. Enough of 'Work makes up for most of my time.' Come with me," Rahul sauntered in my direction gesturing Kuhoo to follow him.

"Mr. Malhotra, do you mind helping my friend Kuhoo with the dance steps today? I'll arrange a partner for her soon." For the first time Ms. Khurana's fiancée did something that actually pleased my mind. Shrugging the shoulders I accepted to help the woman who had slowly started making her way into my life. 

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