The Stigma Called Love - Chapter 20

Aparna was taken aback hearing his tone. Suddenly the atmosphere inside the car had changed. She could see Nishant gripping the steering wheel with effort. Not knowing the reason for his annoyance, she turned towards the window and closed her eyes.

Nishant cursed inwardly as he saw her turn away from him.

Goddammit! What’s wrong with you?

Shaking his head, he gulped in air trying to control himself. It would still take them another hour to reach Bilaspur and till then it would be better if he kept to himself. He sighed regretfully as he saw Aparna plugging in her earphones.

If only she knew that he could read her silence.

******************

After a couple of turns, they reached a fuel station at Bilaspur. Aparna got out of the car, the moment it stopped. Somehow the silence in the car was too deafening for her. She went and stood beside a wooden bridge and looked beyond at the mountains. Their silhouettes against the twilight sky were breath-taking but somehow the joy of all of this did not reach her. Hugging herself, she tried to shake off the disturbing desolateness slowly settling inside her.

Was the whole trip going to be like this?

Nishant looked at her and felt like kicking himself. Not able to take it anymore, he turned away and looked at the fuel meter. If only he could summon the courage to say sorry. He flicked a glance at her as he paid for the fuel. Silently, he came and stood behind her.

“I am sorry.”

Aparna closed her eyes hearing him apologise. Thank god, he had. She was not able to bear this hard silence between them. Turning towards him, she smiled.

Nishant suddenly felt a heavy load being lifted off his heart as he saw her smile. Returning her smile, he guided her towards the car but, he still had plenty of things to tell her: about him, about his life, about his engagement.

After several unbearable moments of silence, Nishant finally had the words he wanted to say.

“I am really sorry. I should not have shouted on you.”

Aparna looked at him and placed her hand on his shoulders. Squeezing it a little, she said with a smile, “It’s ok. Happens to the best of us.”

Grabbing her hand, he sighed and said, “It was Rushali.”

The moment she heard the name, Aparna felt silent. It was almost like a splash of ice cold water on the face to wake her from the unrealistic dream she had been dreaming.

Understanding her silence, Nishant stopped the car middle of the road. Getting out, he breathed hard taking in as much air as his lungs could sustain. He had wanted her to enjoy this trip but now it was going on a complete wrong track.

He heard the car door open and felt Aparna as she came and stood beside him. Suddenly his heart and mind was adamant to not let Rushali ruin everything. He turned and took Aparna’s hand and placed it on his heart.

“You are the only woman I want. I don’t know what’s happened in the past and I don’t want to know what’s going to happen in the future. I just know that right now I don’t want to be with anyone else other than you. Do you believe this?”

Something in his eyes, words and the heart beats drumming against her palm made Aparna nod her head while her fingers clutched his jacket front hard.

Nishant felt himself drowning in the emotion flashing in her eyes. As the pressure of the fingers increased on his jacket, he started to lower his head uncontrollably towards her. Only inches away from her lips, he could feel the heat of her ragged breathing on his skin.

He circled his arm around her hips and pulled her a little up towards him, and just then a glaring light from one the cars behind his own shone straight into his eyes. Sighing and cursing, he let her go.

God, when would they be alone?

Nishant slipped on his seat and started the car, and noticed Aparna giggling to herself.

“What?”

“Nothing!” she said laughing.

Without controlling himself, he also started to laugh hard.

*********************

It was almost past 8:30 when they reached Mandi. After a round of steaming hot tea and taking in the starry view of glowing lights along the mountain ridges, they were again on the way. On the way to Mandi, Nishant told her about his college life, his rebellious nature and eventually his inclusion in Naik Builders.

Aparna looked at him while he tried to manoeuvre the car along the mountain road. He did have a stubborn streak in him, she observed. After college he had been adamant on studying architecture but his dad had wanted him to get into business management. Trying to find a solution, he had come here to his favourite mountains and then had suddenly gone back, and studied MBA in architecture.

Quite a story, thought Aparna.

Rushali had been his family friend and yes, a college and MBA batch mate. Being closely linked with the family, their engagement had been inevitable. Looking at the empty right ring finger, she thought that although he had accepted his fate then but now he had opened his heart for her.

But, was she ready for him?

“Where are your parents?” Nishant asked breaking her silent observation.

Hearing the mention of her parents almost bowled her. All these years there had been many moments when she had longed for her mother’s presence. Aparna looked out of the window closing her eyes as images of her childhood flooded her mind.

“Aparna?” Nishant called in a concerned tone.

Shaking her head to clear out the memories, she said in a grave voice, “It has been almost 10 years I have met them.”

“You have not met your parents for 10 years?”

Nodding, she replied looking at him, “Last time I saw them was when I was leaving for my friend’s wedding.”

Nishant did not need any more details. The whole equation was clear to him. They had abandoned her when she had run away with Kavin.

“I contacted them when I was leaving Kavin but what my father said was enough to make me understand that I was no longer a part of them.”

He reached out and took her hand in his.

“You know what he said? He said that he did not have a daughter and if he did then she was long dead for him.”

Her pain reverberated to him as he saw tears roll down her cheeks.

“Please don’t cry.”

Brushing off her tears, she looked outside and saw the road signs indicating them entering Kasol.

Come on, girl, cheer up! Don’t think about the past. Feel the present.

*******************

Nishant turned the car towards the hotel they were booked in. Finally they will be alone. Although, he knew Aparna would be tired but still sleeping next to her, hugging her would be enough for him. He wanted to take all her tears away because every time she cried something primitive erupted inside him.

The bell boy was taking out their luggage as Nishant took their keys and guided Aparna towards their rooms.

Once Aparna was settled in her room, Nishant excused himself to freshen up. They were to meet for a light dinner in Aparna’s room after 30 minutes and he was as excited as ever.

Aparna quickly took a bath. The hot water felt great after such a long drive. The thought of having dinner with Nishant alone in her room was suddenly sending pulses of excited energy everywhere in her body.

She had just come out from her shower and was still wiping her wet hair when she heard Nishant call her name from outside the door.

“Come in!”

“I took the liberty of ordering the dinner. Hope you will like it,” she heard Nishant say from the drawing room of her suite.

“I’ll definitely like it. Don’t worry,” Aparna replied coming out of her bedroom.

Nishant smiled and turned towards her, and froze.

Aparna was standing in front of him wearing a skin fitted night gown with her hair forming wet ringlets all around her face.  

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