Crossway- III #Riansh (OS Book)

Crossway- III

This shot is the continuation of “Crossway- I”.

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Riddhima looked at it and then wrote her name. Looking at it, she blinked her eyes satisfied with it. Moving to the table, she picked up the glass of water and gulped it down. Roaming her eyes around the room, she eyed the dark theme.

Vansh came out of the washroom and looked at her, she was standing in front of the door leaning close to it. He moved towards her and saw her busy looking at the blank wall with keen attention. Standing just after her he tapped on her shoulder. As soon as she turned around, her legs got entangled with his making her fall on him. 

She closed her eyes and held something tightly around her fingers. He looked at her eyes closed, fear visible on her face. A smile came on his lips. Bringing his hands to her face, he removed her hair strands from her face and tucked it behind her ears. Opening her eyes, she looked at his face close to hers. 

Vision in front of her eyes got blur and to make it normal she blinked her eyes continuously. On seeing her doing so, he holding her shoulder made her sit in front of him on the floor. She got up suddenly as soon as the cold floor came in contact with her skin. In mid she felt a tug on her dress and without looking she pulled it up.

Her being intoxicated was not helping him anyhow. He was trying to look for something that can make her normal but nothing happened. She opened her eyes and again looked at her name on the mirror. Holding his hand, she brought him towards the vanity.

Riddhima: Look, it’s my name.

She said and saw him looking at it. She smiled looking at his smiling face.

Riddhima: Wait, wr.r.r..ite yours… too.

She said feeling dizzy and held her head. Again after getting normal, she looked at him. Feeling his hands still on her shoulder, she looked at it.

Vansh: Are you okay?

She didn’t heard him and then continued with her.

Riddhima: Yeah…Ar..r..yan

She said and moving forward picked up the bottle and sprayed it there. And wrote ‘ARYAN’ with her finger. He frowned looking at Aryan’s name written just below hers. Moving forward, he wiped it which made her angry.

Riddhima: What you d…did?

She asked angrily in an inebriated form. He saw as she came in front of him. Lifting her up, he made her sit on the bed and looked at her.

Vansh: Stay here, I’m coming.

He said in a stern voice and saw her nodding. Putting her inside the duvet, he turned to leave when her hairs got entangled with his shirt’s button.

Riddhima: Aa..hh…

She shouted in pain and held his shoulder bringing him closer. 

Vansh: I’m sorry. I didn’t saw.

He said and looked at her teary eyes, while she was holding her hair strand with her hands. Gently holding her shoulder, he sat beside her and took the strand between his fingers.

Riddhima: Not a single hair should break or I’ll send you to jail.

She said looking at her hair with pain. He heard her and nodded which she obviously didn’t saw. Holding it, he pulled it out slowly but still one of the hair got stuck over there and as she moved back it came out.

Riddhima: My hair…

She said and looked at him angrily. He looked at and then took out the hair and passed it to her. She took it and looked at her brownish hair. He taking the chance got up from there and moved to the door. Holding the door knob he pulled it in to open, only to get unsuccessful. He tried again and this time vigorously but nothing happened making him realize it to be locked from outside.

Vansh: Who the hell…? Open the door…

He shouted hitting the door with his palm. He looked back at her to see her lost in some thoughts. Ruffling his hands through his hairs, he thought of his phone and took it out. He saw and dialed to Ishani, hoping her to pick it up but she didn’t. He then tried to call Aryan on which he picked it up.

Vansh: A..

He was about to call his name when he remembered that Riddhima thinks him to be Aryan.

Aryan: Vansh..? Are you there?

Aryan asked as he didn’t said anything while Vansh moved to the window and looked out at the garden.

Vansh: Aryan, actually I’m in…

Before he could complete, a loud noise echoed in his background and he turned to look Riddhima standing near the music system. Swinging her hands in the air, she was busy dancing. 

Aryan: Hello…? Vansh…?

He heard Aryan’s low voice and was about to answer back when the loud music again disturbed their conversation. 

Vansh: Aryan, I’m in my room. Can you come and open the door?

He shouted on top his lungs trying to make his voice louder than the music but still Aryan being Aryan, again he didn’t heard him.

Aryan: Vansh…you’re not audible…!

Vansh who heard his voice in a breaks. Threw his phone on the couch angrily and marched towards Riddhima. Turning off the music system, he turned her to him.

Vansh: Are you even in your senses?

He said and realized her to be drugged. Mentally calming himself, he held her hand.

Vansh: Listen, you are not in your sense. So rest here.

He said making her sit on the bed. Moving to the couch, he again picked up the phone and dialed to Aryan. Riddhima looked at his back angrily, moving to the closet she opened it and started to take out his clothes. 

Throwing them on the bed, she found his black shirt. Turning back, she kept it on the bed. Walking she again felt dizzy so she threw that shirt on the bed. Picking up another ones, she threw them in the cupboard and closet the door.

He turned back and saw her sitting on the bed while her back was facing him.

Vansh: Aryan, can you…?

He asked again and heard him humming as if he was drinking something. Feeling unsatisfied by asking Aryan, he again disconnected the call. Coming back to her he looked at her doing something with a lot of attention. A smile came on his lips, as soon as she tucked back her hair.

But suddenly his shirt came in his view, he saw her doing something on it with a lipstick. Snatching it from her he saw her name written on it.

Riddhima: What you d..did? You spoiled my handwriting.

She said and was about to take back her shirt. When he pulled it back.

Vansh: Your handwriting? My SHIRT!…

He said and looked at it.

Vansh: What obsession you have with your name…? 

He said and looked at her hand drenched in the color of lipstick as she broke it to write. As he saw her hands, he held it and moved to the washroom.

.

Keeping her hands under the running tap, he rubbed them together while holding them inside his grip. She felt his warm embrace against hers. Looking up at him through the mirror she looked at his face and a smile came on her lips.

 Riddhima: Aryan…

She said looking at him. He didn’t showed any movement. Craning her head, she came closer to his ears.

Riddhima: A..Aryan…

She said in a low voice as her breath fanned in front of his ears making him shiver. He turned and looked at her smiling face.

Vansh: What?

——————-

Daksh roamed his eyes around the pool area but couldn’t even get a trace of Riddhima. He looked in the corridor and saw it going to be in a long straight path.

Daksh: What the hell…? Where is that girl? 

He mumbled and was moving back into the party when he saw Aryan coming from front. Him being his friend was a great opportunity for him.

Daksh: Hey Aryan…

He said and stood in front of him.

Aryan: Hey…

He said in a low tone.

Daksh: Hey…what are you doing here? Come let’s go to the party.

He said and holding him took him away from there. Turning back he again looked there with a confused gaze.

.

Coming into the party, he took him back to the bar and after taking few shots with him and his friends. He silently paved out from the hall again.

Ruffling his hand in all the rooms, all he could get was disappointment. He turned back and his eyes fell on the room whose door was closed from outside. He came and stood in front of it. 

Turning the knob, he was about to enter in just when he saw the window to be open. He came and peeped in through it to see it to be empty.

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Vansh felt him looking at her and just when water droplets was splashed on his face. He turned and saw her taking water again in her hands. Holding her hands, he was about to pull her out just when she opened the shower faucet.

He turned back and saw her getting drenched in the water. Turning towards the wall, he closed his eyes. Her shuttering entered in his eyes.

Vansh: What are you doing now?

He asked frustrated by her continuous stupidity.

Riddhima: T..c…

Not able to say that it was cold water. She closed her eyes and turned off the tap. Wiping her face, she removed the water droplets. Turning she looked at his back.

Riddhima: To..Towel..

She said shuttering due to the cold air hitting her fragile body. Picking up the dried clothe from the hanger he passed it to her. 

Coming out, he again moved to the door. He tried to open to see it to be locked till now. Getting a hint that Aryan might have not arrived yet, he sat there only on the bed.

——————-

After 3 days:-

Riddhima wiped her running nose with the towel. Taking in a deep breath she sat in front of the mirror. It was the last day of Ishani’s marriage, all rituals happened almost in a time period of 26 hours that Riddhima was worried if Ishani could come to the pavilion for her marriage or not.

Wearing her earrings, she got up and looked at herself almost ready. Coming out of the room, she came to the corridor. Walking in she made her way to Ishani’s room. Knocking, she waited for her to open. Ishani did.

Riddhima saw her sleeping form and chuckled seeing her still in a sleepy form.

Ishani: What Riddhima..?

Ishani asked moving back and sitting on the bed.

Riddhima: Ishani, don’t you have to get ready?

She asked and eyed her form, sitting on the bed in her short pants and top, disheveled hairs and sleepy eyes.

Ishani: Why…?

She asked and took a long yawn.

Riddhima: What…why..? It’s your wedding.

Riddhima said and picked up the wedding dress. Ishani looked at her.

Riddhima: Get up or Aryan will find someone else.

Riddhima said trying to make her get up.

Ishani: No, he won’t. I trust him.

She said and Riddhima’s face became serious. Taking a deep breath, she kept the dress on the bed.

Riddhima: I’ll be back in half an hour. Till then get ready.

She nodded and saw Riddhima leaving.

.

Coming out Riddhima came to the hall to have something in breakfast. She saw everything perfectly arranged for the wedding out in the garden. Entering in the kitchen, she saw a servant setting breakfast for someone.

Moving in she was about to ask when he left from there. Thinking something urgent must have been there, she saw a glass of juice kept there. Walking to it, she picked it up and started drinking.

Voice: Hi Miss.?

She heard a husky voice near her ears and due to which she got choked. She looked against while coughing to see Daksh standing there. She felt his hand on her back and moved away from him. 

Riddhima: W…What the hell?

She asked and looked at him angrily.

Daksh: Nothing… Just came to show you few things.

Riddhima raised her eyebrows and taking a tissue paper wiped her mouth. He was about to take out something when they heard a voice.

Voice: Ma’am, sir? You need anything?

They turned back and saw a servant standing there looking at them. She shook her and before Daksh could do anything rushed out from there.

..

Her head was getting heavy due to thinking a lot about the same thing. So she sat on the bed and after a while heard Ishani’s voice.

Ishani: Since last 2 days what are you so tensed about?

She asked and looked at Riddhima. Riddhima shook her head in negative as she saw many girls helping her to get ready. 

Voice: Riddhima…

Riddhima heard a voice and saw Aryan’s Chachi to be calling her. Getting up, she moved to her.

Chachi: Riddhima, actually I have some urgent work. So can you go and give it to Aryan.

She said and of course Riddhima didn’t have any reason to refuse, so she nodded. Moving in the way, she reached to the room where Aryan was supposed to get ready.

She knocked and then saw Daksh opening it. Her breath hitched seeing him there.

Riddhima: Woah…Aryan

She said shuttering and passed him the perfume bottle. He raised his hands and took it from her. She was about to get back in the corridor when she saw Aryan (Vansh) in his room. Nothing resembled in her mind but the thoughts were eating her up time by time.

Riddhima: No, Riddhima… this is wrong..

She said to herself and closed her eyes.

Voice: What is wrong Riddhima…? Cheating your friend?

She heard a voice and turned back to look at Daksh.

Riddhima: W…What do you mean?

She said and saw him smirking. Taking a time, she was about to escape when he stood in front of her.

Daksh: You know what I mean…?

She saw him moving close to her. Daksh eyes fell on Vansh who was coming close to them. Holding her hand, he pulled her inside a room. 

Jerking away his hands, she glared at him angrily.

Riddhima: How dare you to touch me?

She yelled looking at him. He looked into her eyes and then raised his eyebrows.

Daksh: Well, we were not here. It was about cheating your friend. So are you?

She heard him and looked away.

Daksh: Of course, you don’t have any answer. So let me remind you of the night.

He said and saw her shocked expression, which she covered up instantly.

Riddhima: What are you saying?

She asked in a confused tone.

Daksh: Don’t play with me, Riddhima. I’ve the proofs too. Don’t forget!

He said and sat on the bed.

Daksh: So? You know of the deal, right?

She heard him and closed her fists as anger rushed in through her veins.

Riddhima: Just do hell with that. I’m not scared of you!!

She said and moved out from there.

….

Vansh turned and looked at her walking away. Her eyes held anger and he wished to talk to her but then everything about that night came in front of him. So shrugging his thoughts, he moved from there.

——————-

Riddhima entered in her room and slammed the door hard. Sitting on the bed she felt herself burdened with a lot of pain. 

Riddhima: What the hell I did…?

She said to herself and looked at the mirror in front of her. Her reflection was making her remember of the night.

Flashback starts:-

Coming out, Vansh again moved to the door. He tried to open to see it to be locked till now. Getting a hint that Aryan might have not arrived yet, he sat there only on the bed. Riddhima came out in her drenched gown. 

Riddhima: Sorry, I didn’t know how I got….

She said remembering how she was behaving with him.

Vansh: It’s ok, you are fine now?

She nodded hearing his words.

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