LOVE OR ARRANGED ?

CHAPTER XXIII

ARUSH'S POV

I search around like a mad person but she is nowhere to be found. I check the temple twice and ask the nearby shopkeepers, but nobody has seen Aadhya. I sit on a small bench holding my head unable to think what to do and pulled out my mobile to call dad, but then saw a call from Aadhya's number. I understood that she reached home as her mobile is in our bed and cut the call to go and see her. She again calls me and I cut and run towards our house.

I climb the stairs in just two strides and enter the room to see her safe. I keep panting and ask her if she is fine. It feels like my heart started to beat again. When she asks why I left the laptop open, at that moment I remember that I ran to search for her without thinking about the tender and see a message on the screen displaying, "The tender submission is closed and the results will be declared at 1p.m." I feel like the room is spinning and all my hard work go into drain.

I get angry with myself and also Aadhya for her carelessness, which has cost my parents' dreams. I throw the water glass that Aadhya offered me and shout at her for not being sensible enough to keep her mobile with her and shatter it into pieces. I don't even remember what I shouted at her in the fit of anger and left from the room. I walked in the garden for some time but the disappointment I am feeling right now at myself is something I never experienced in my life.

I ask Rama to inform Aadhya to come down and also get our luggage. I feel Aadhya's stare on me throughout our journey but I didn't bother to talk to her as I am not in my right sense of mind. I don't know if I am angry with her for making me so worry that she was missing or angry that her carelessness has led to me not even submitting the tender, after all the efforts my team and I, have put in this project. I am afraid if mom and dad are going to be disappointed.

When we come out of the airport, I was confused at what dad was saying. I looked at mom and she explained that we got the tender and I was shocked. I turned towards Aadhya, but she looked away from me congratulating mom and dad. I then realized that she has submitted the tender when she returned and that was why she was asking why I left the laptop open and was about to say something which I harshly stopped. I was ashamed at myself that I let my anger take control over me and I am not able to enjoy this success. 

When I heard her replying to mom, "No, Ma. There is nothing I did in this. It is Arush who worked so hard for this as he knows how important it is to fulfil parents' dreams," I realized how emotionally she was hurt by my words. When we reached home and I saw mom running towards Aadhya saying she is bleeding, and asked her how it happened, she told mom and dad that it was her mistake that she fell and broke the glass and her mobile. I realized it was because of me she is hurt both physically and emotionally.

She went upstairs alone with the pain and I tried to eat quickly and talk to her. The guilt is eating me alive and despite hurting her so deeply, she took stand for me in front of my parents and didn't even let them get a whiff of what happened between us. When I went into the room to apologize for my behavior, she was already asleep and I didn't have the heart to wake her as she is already in so much pain because of me.

I slowly went into my study room and fell on the chair, holding my head with my hands. Is this what mom was saying to dad the day we were leaving, why can't I even have a control over my anger? How did I let my anger hurt such a pure soul. Was I dwelling in the past way too much and hurting the people who are present with me? I went into the gym to get rid of the angry I was feeling at myself. After about an hour, I went to take a shower and came out wearing a track pant and t-shirt and decided to change just before the party begins. I hear mom's voice and understand Aadhya is awake.

I tell myself that I need to sort everything and was about to open the door of the dressing room when I Aadhya ask mom, "What is it that you are hesitating to ask me Ma? Please go ahead and ask me." Mom hesitantly asked her, "Did you really get hurt by falling or did Arush throw any glass in anger and it-"