Hey, you all! Thank you for the wonderful response in the last part. Honestly, means a hell lot to me. I’d try replying to them as soon as possible. But without further ado, here’s the next part. Happy Reading!
LUKA CHUPPI – PART 4
Riddhima stared in the distance, looking at the crowds of people filtering inside the campus as she sat in the amphitheatre in between the puddles of water. She never liked stepping outside after rains, but she knew she didn’t have an option now. If Kabir had done such a ridiculous thing, it was better she cut ties with him.
Moments later, Kabir walked into the amphitheatre and waved at her over the distance. He made his way toward her, carefully avoiding the puddles of water and stood before her. As she stood up, he smiled at her and rubbed the back of his neck.
Kabir: Hey! (looking around) Should we go to the canteen and talk, rather?
Riddhima: Don’t you’ve a lecture?
Kabir: Not today, that’s re-scheduled to tomorrow. Come, let’s grab ourselves a cup of coffee.
As the two of them walked into the cafeteria, Riddhima realised she was letting him rub his niceties onto her. If he’d really blocked Vansh from her list of contacts, he’d have to face her wrath. For all these years, she’d been mad at Vansh for absolutely nothing.
After the two of them grabbed themselves a coffee, they sat opposite to each other and relaxed in their chairs.
Kabir (sipping the coffee): Tell me now, what did you want to talk about? All good, right?
Riddhima (nodding her head): Vansh is back here and he’s been trying to talk to me.
Riddhima looked at him, as his fingers shook and an expression of nervousness fleeted over the features of his face. As she continued looking at him, she noticed how he sipped the drink and tried to cover-up his reaction.
Kabir: Okay, just like that? He’s not guilty of ignoring you for so long?
Riddhima (shrugging her shoulders): It just feels like he doesn’t know why I’m ignoring him. He doesn’t think anything unusual has really happened between us.
Kabir: Uh, I guess, you should try talking to him. Maybe, he really was busy somewhere and needed to disconnect?
Riddhima: Or maybe, the fault was from my side all along. I just never realised.
Kabir (furrowing his brows): What do you mean?
Riddhima: You know what? That’s enough beating around the bush. Just tell me if you blocked Vansh from my list of contacts.
Kabir (spilling the coffee over himself): Ouch! (moments later) What? Why would you say such a thing?
Riddhima (exhaling deeply): That just gives me my answer and (standing up) I guess, I’m done here. I’m done with you, Kabir. It’s over.
When Riddhima walked past him, he curled his fingers around her wrist to stop her and looked at her, painfully. She craned her head over the shoulder and looked at him, an expression of annoyance covering her features.
Kabir: I really loved you, Riddhima.
Riddhima (snapping at him): That doesn’t give you the right to control my life, Kabir. I trusted you and this is what you give me in return? Damn it, I was a fool. I was nice to you. The one who’s really responsible for the situation between me and Vansh.
Kabir: But Riddhima, let me…
Riddhima (freeing her hand): I’m done here, Kabir. I don’t think I’d want to have another word with you anymore. (moving toward him and speaking softly) And you know what this sh*t is called? Possessiveness. And I hope you realise that really soon.
Riddhima walked away from him and brushed the tears from her face, harshly. How foolish could she have been to blindly trust Kabir, but not Vansh? She’d known him since so long, yet she’d disbelieved him. He, probably, hadn’t even known why she’d such a cold attitude toward him all these years.
As she walked out of the campus, she determined herself to talk to Vansh and sort things between them. After all, it had been her fault all along and Vansh wasn’t as foolish as her. He’d surely listen to her with a calm demeanour and accept her apology. To make matters simpler, she’d also try confessing her love for him.
Riddhima stood at the corner of the street and tried booking herself a cab to the library. She decided, after she’d picked up her scooter from the library, she’d drop by at Vansh’s apartment and talk out things with him.
But as she stood by, trying to book a cab for herself, two men from behind blindfolded her and tied her hands behind her back. Riddhima tried screaming for help, but they shut her mouth and pushed her inside a car, before driving away to the outskirts of the city.
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As Riddhima continued screaming for help, they pushed her onto a chair and removed the blindfold. They tied her hands to the arms of the chair tightly and looked at her, widening their gazes, “Boss will be here in a while. Till then, shut your mouth or we’ll shut you.”
Riddhima: Why the hell have you kidnapped me?
“Shut the hell up, Riddhima.”
Riddhima turned to her side and stared at Vansh, the shock coursing within her. Why would anyone kidnap the two of them together? What could anyone have to do with them?
RIddhima: What are you doing here?
Vansh (in a sarcastic tone): Partying. Can’t you see they’ve kidnapped the two of us?
Riddhima: But you were in your apartment. You were sleeping. How did they kidnap you?
Vansh: Can you please shut up for a second? I’m still recovering from a hangover.
Riddhima: Oh, of course. After all, “Never Have I Ever” was so damn important yesterday night, that you couldn’t think anything straight.
Vansh (looking at her sternly): For god’s sake, stop taunting me and shut up!
Riddhima: Now, when I’m talking to you, you want me to shut up. Till yesterday evening, you kept asking me to talk to you.
Vansh (inhaling deeply): Right! My fault. The fact that you’re talking now is my fault. The fact that these people kidnapped us is my fault. Even Kabir blocking me from your list of contacts is my fault. Everything…
Riddhima: Don’t go there. I don’t want to talk about Kabir now.
Vansh: Why? Aren’t you proud of your best-friend anymore?
Riddhima (looking at him squarely): I’ll always be proud of Ishani.
Vansh: That was rhetorical!
Riddhima exhaled a deep breath and looked down at her arms tied to the armrest and tried wriggling herself free of the hold. She couldn’t understand why anyone would want to kidnap them. She tried thinking of the possible motives, but couldn’t come up with any.
Riddhima (softly): I called off things with him.
Vansh: What? Wait, I can’t hear you. Let me move closer. (pushing the chair closer) What did you do? Tell me again.
Riddhima: I will slap you as soon as I get out from here. I will forget all about our friendship, our love, our…
Vansh (smiling): Our, what? I think, I’m not able to hear properly, here. (faking an accent) Pardon me?
Riddhima (exhaling harshly): I swear, if my hands weren’t tied, I would’ve slapped you right away. At least, even if by mistake, I said it. You didn’t even have the courage. Not even after you were tipsy.
Vansh (with a skeptical look): What don’t I have the courage for, again?
Riddhima: My hands are really itching to slap you, Vansh!
Vansh: Please, softly. I haven’t had the privilege of having coffee and all like you.
Riddhima: Who asked you to sleep for so long then. (pausing briefly) Oh, and how did they kidnap you?
Vansh: I was an idiot who was trying to look around for you. They must’ve seen the opportunity and kidnapped me. (fisting his hands) This is happening because Ms. Riddhima thought leaving uninformed early in the morning was a good idea.
Riddhima: I didn’t disturb you because you were sleeping. Sorry, because I thought I’d be nice to you.
“If the two of you don’t shut up right now, I’d use my ways of shutting you both.”
The two of them stared at the man as he walked out of the room and turned toward each other, seething in anger.
Riddhima and Vansh (together): Shut up!
Moments later,
Vansh (sighing): What did Kabir say?
Riddhima: He didn’t directly confess that he was the one behind the mess, but I knew after he spilled the coffee…
Vansh (interrupting): Serves him right! How dare he hurt ‘my girl’?
Riddhima smiled at the mention and looked down at her arm, but as her gaze fell upon her wrist, disappointment covered her features. She’d been so foolish to distrust Vansh.
Riddhima: I’m sorry, Vansh. I’ve been so foolish all these years, and…
Vansh (looking at her softly): Hey, it’s okay! Mistakes happen. At least, we’ve it figured now, and we don’t have anything to worry about now.
Riddhima (taken aback): Really? This is normal for you?
Vansh: We’ll find a way out of here too, don’t worry.
Riddhima (seconds later): Do you’ve any idea who kidnapped us?
Vansh: Yes, of course. (after Riddhima furrowed her brows) Boss!
Riddhima: Why the hell am I trapped here with you? I need to get rid of you. I’m going to ask them to shift me somewhere else.
Vansh pushed his chair closer to Riddhima and entangled his left leg with her right, and looked up at her, a sly smile curving the corners of his lips. Riddhima looked at him, ignoring the warmth that unfurled within her and tried wriggling free.
Vansh: I’m not letting go of you.
Riddhima: Vansh, I swear…
“Boss, the two of them are inside.”
As the voice leaked inside the room, Riddhima and Vansh stared toward the door, trying to figure out the kidnapper. Seconds later, when the kidnapper stood at the doorstep, the two of them stared over the distance, shock and disbelief coursing through them.
Riddhima and Vansh (together): YOU?
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That’d be it for this part. Let me know, who do you think the kidnapper is. And thank you for reading!