The Inmate
Chapter 10
Happy Birthday Sangee….i know, I am late….well, that makes it Happy Belated Birthday. Sorry!
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Please ignore my typos and grammatical errors and do let me know how it was.
Enjoy.
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Sometimes, you mistake an infatuation for actual attraction. But that doesn’t make it wrong…..its actually one of the stepping stones to finding your true love. Infatuation is like illusions. It may hurt when its broke, but trust me , as time passes…it will be that one experience you are most thankful for.
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As soon as neil pulled off, arjun blasted. Arjun spat venom, “what the hell, does this guy think of himself? Always around my radhika. Who the hell gave him the permission to grab her wrist like that? Who the hell is he, anyway? Her dad? I swear, I’ll…..”
Sam cut him short by placing her hand on his mouth….her eyes glared at him, “don’t you dare to talk nonsense about neil…..atleast, the guy had guts to stand by us through thick and thin….unlike you,who ran away at the first opportunity available. You have no rights to say a single words against him. Who ever and whatever he is, he is mine and radhika’s best friend. Get that clear.”
Arjun’s eyes widened, first at her sudden outburst…moreover, there was something different about her when she defended him. She was fierce, more than he had ever known her to be. It was almost as if her aura sparkled. Her eyes twinkled at his mention. But then, all his observations vanished when she mentioned him as their best friend, “was he the guy, who radhika met in jail as well?” he demanded.
He shook up sam by her shoulders, “answer me, damnit.”
Sam’s expression softened, “yes he was….” She answers slowly.
Arjun left her shoulders, and appeared to be in deep thought.
Sam broke in, “you didn’t answer my question though, do you still love her?”
Arjun kept mum. And sam gave a smile, “ by the way, you reacted just now…..even a blind person can see how much in love you are with her….why are you hiding? She asked.
Arjun shook his head and sighed deep.
“because, she deserves better. I am damaged and broken….and now, due to my jail stint, I am even tainted. Why in the world, would she want to be with a guy like me….you understand, what I am trying to say here?”
Sam took his hand and led him to the footpath, making him sit. She made herself comfortable besides her.
“because she loves you. and that’s a far greater reason for her to be with you. than anything you said.”
Arjun tried to speak, “but…”
Sam cut him off again, “stop finding excuses for making her go away, and start finding reasons to make her yours. You love her and she loves you. nothing else matters.” She said firmly.
Arjun nodded like an obedient kid and smiled at her with grateful eyes.
Sam punched his hand, open hers wide open, “now what are you waiting for idiot?”
Arjun instantly pulled her into a hug. His tears finding no barriers. But sam didn’t console him, she let him be, ribbing his back constantly. She knew it was important for him to get all that agony, pain and fear he had from the past two years, buried deep within.
On the other hand, neil drove rashly, honking unnecessary and at a speed which made radhika nervous. She realized, the route he was taking, wasn’t going to her apartment. Rather, it was the route, taking them out of the city. Her nails dig into her palm.
“neil, where are we going?” she asked softly, almost in a whisper.
Neil didn’t answer, he kept mumbling to himself. Trying to calm his anger. He didn’t want to do something, he may regret the next morning, especially not with radhika. She was his best friend first, and then his crush. And he was sane enough to realize that.
Radhika understood the situation. And kept quiet. But considering the neck breaking speed, they were travelling in, the silence wasn’t meant to last a long time.
“neil slow down…” she requested. But he wasn’t the one to listen.
“neil, please slow down.” She tried again, without any success.
“neil…” she started off a third time, only to be cut off by him.
“woman, can you just shut up and let me drive?” he growled in a rude menacing tone.
Radhika had enough. This of the height of his suspicious, forever taking all the decisions on his own, behavior. She couldn’t stand it any longer, neither was she going to make any effort to. She understood that he was upset. But that didn’t give him any right to impose his will on her. She wasn’t the one at fault. But he, he didn’t even give a chance to explain. She was trying hard to understand his feelings and coaxing him out to talk to her, tell her about what was going on in his mind. But he had made it crystal clear, that he had not intentions of letting her in.
“STOP THE GOD DAMN CAR RIGHT NOW.” She screamed in an authoritative voice.
Neil was taken aback, he hadn’t expected this. The car came to a screeching halt. He turned to her, and saw the sight he despised the most, her eyes glistening with tears.
He lost all his anger, his ego. Seeing her crying.
“neil…” she said, as she moved her hands to her eyes to wipe the tears.
Neil at once, noticed the red finger marks on her wrist, which had seemed to pull an entire layer of her skin along with them. And instantly, he felt guilty, his mind replayed the flashed of his grabbed her wrist in a bout of insane anger, not caring about her shrieks and her pleadings. He felt disgusted at himself.
He suddenly caught hold of her hands, gentle as a feather this time. he gently stroked her wound. Tears begin to form in his own eyes as a sort of a repentance for his action. He pulled out an ointment from the first aid kit of his car. And gently applied it, blowing warm breath at her smarting injury.
“I am sorry radhika, didn’t mean to hurt you….i am so sorry.” He said in a heavily emotional voice.
Radhika pulled her hand of his grip and wiped the corner of his eyes.
“its okay…..neil, you need to speak up. I wont understand whats going on within you, until you speak up. If you have a problem or a objection with something, you need to put your point across. Neil, I am your chashni and not your Sammy, who god knows how just simply understands everything you want to say before you actually do…….for making me understand something, you actually have to make an effort.” She spoke gently.
Neil nodded.
The next second, she hardened her voice a little, “neil…I trust you…but the stunts you pull every now and then scare me…and I am very serious when I say this, if you try to do something as crazy as what you did now. I wont think twice before slapping you.” she threatened him, playfully…but meaning each word she said at the same time.
Neil smiled and pulled her cheeks, “ ohh…you just look like an angry kid, trying to threaten me….awwiee…so cute..”
Radhika blinked her eyes, and spoke in heavily sugar coated voice, “can I please slap you hard once?”
Neil tried to suppress his smile. He winked at her, “naah….not funny anymore.” Only to be showered with her punches all over.
“lets just drive back home now..” he said, and she agreed.
“but you need to treat me to an ice cream, as a punishment….plus…I am ravenous, I didn’t even have any dinner….” She complained.
Neil smiled, “so how about I treat you to a good sumptuous dinner, and in turn you give me one of your bright smiles….deal?” saying so, he held out his palm.
Radhika giggled and shook hands with him, “deal.”
While, on the other hand arjun had finally calmed down.
Sam got him some water from the car….and he gulped down the entire bottle in one go.
Sam waited for him to finish…and once he did, she shot up the question. The one, she so desperately wanted to be answered.
“so what happened?”
Arjun sighed. He knew this was coming. And that he could no longer run away from his past. He had to answer the question one day or the other…so why not today….and to the person, who got him back on track, Samaira, the one friend, he wanted to thank god for.
“it all started the day, I left college……..”
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So, another update done! I know, this was a bit boring and messy but I sorry….all the confusions getting cleared in the next. And I guess, I’ll end it in another, 3-4 updates.
Please let me know how it was….
Silent readers please drop in your precious comments.
Rotten tomatoes accepted wholeheartedly.