Story: Drawn Together (Chapter 7)

Chapter-7 (The Guys Hang Out)

Arjun sat on the armchair, a futuristic furniture piece which is a bean bag, a soft plush sofa chair, all in one that is together that gives a much comfort than a normal does. Leaning back he stared up at the ceiling. The wide cut glass chandelier reflected back his face, he stared at himself, his face glimmered back thoughtful. One hand on the plush velvet armchair and the other hand held a drink, which left nothing in its taste to hold his interest.

“You’re awfully reflective tonight.” Rohan Khanna, a friend of his, with who Arjun rarely hangs out, he tilted his to the side and observed Arjun.

Arjun let his eyes travel to Rohan’s stare. In the morning Neil had called him up and decided to have drinks and a chilling at Rohan’s condo. The word ‘chilling’ is something new that Neil had picked up. Arjun could swear the guy hadn’t grown up since high school. Arjun had to reluctantly agree, as he couldn’t shake off Neil when the latter got persistent.

Rohan and Neil go way back. The latter is almost a family to the former. Rohan Khanna was a renowed cop, but he worked mostly undercover. He was a tall, dark and dangerous fellow, a little inch taller than Arjun, about 6’1 and a buff exterior with much fierce looks, Rohan didn’t cut as any less frightening in manner and appearence. He was as practical as Arjun, perhaps a bit more if you go with the unfeeling occupation that Rohan is associated with.

“It’s nothing.” Arjun replied, still thinking.

He saw Neil get into the room, with more drink glasses carrying in his hand. All the three were casual and laid back, affectively tired out from the hectic work of the day.

“That’s never going to get an answer from him, Rohan. He needs a real stronger drink than that.” Neil declared, putting the glasses on the teapoy.

He occupied himself in the chair opposite to Arjun’s, and he flung back the scotch shaking his head with the effect of it.

Arjun stared back at Neil, still contemplating.

“I’m going to get married.” He announced skeptically, to no one in particular.

With that Neil’s head snapped to his face from his drink so fast that, Arjun wondered if he didn’t break his neck. He saw Rohan straighten up in his chair, the drink glass almost slipping out of his hand.

Well, that was almost the reaction he was looking for.

Neil stared at him a second, then he glanced down at Arjun’s hand.

“What jacked up shit is in that drink?” He asked suddenly, his face scowling.

“It’s not the drink.” Arjun half smiled.

“Is it your head then, that’s gone loon? Or is the pu**y whipped thing that is talking?” Rohan asked, his voice a deep husky, the shadow over his features deepened, giving him a hard mean look.

Arjun shook his head, leave Rohan to let out his cynical humorous side at random times.

“You know what, I really am liking the ‘funny man Rohan’ going over you these days. Makes you sound less like a chick.” Arjun taunted back much sarcastically.

Rohan smiled in turn of that taunt, he took a sip of the scotch and leaned back.

“A great technique to wake up the emotionally dead.” Rohan countered attacked flatly.

“Are you two chicks done b*t*h slapping each other?” Neil intervened, looking at the two fools that he calls them as his friends.

“And who is the lucky girl?” Neil asked again, his tone full of suspicion, his gaze struck dead on Arjun’s face.

Arjun leaned away, his thoughts taking over again, since the afternoon he hasn’t been himself. The way he treated her, raked an extreme guilt, making his insides twist and hurt. Somewhere between his chest area weighed upon him. The hurt written all over her face the tears were the only things that stayed with him as her memory. His jaw clenched hard with the effort to forget all that, but he failed and kept thinking more about her. What was she doing now? Was she asleep? Was she restless just like him?

The tiny minx was taking over his life and he was doing nothing about it.

“It’s Raghav Mishra’s daughter.” He replied, sounding unaffectively casual.

Rohan paused in sipping his drink, his eyes flashed. He was about to open his mouth when Neil beat it to him.

“You’re going to marry that f**kturd’s daughter? Since when the heck did you decide all this?” Neil cried out, surprised to his core.

“Is this about the land again?” Rohan asked next.

Arjun straightened in his chair. His hand on the arm of it tightened.

“Since my father passed away a failure. Since I want to success his dream and yes it is about the land.” He said a little irritated, cutting short the condescending nature of both of their looks.

Neil stare at Arjun, his thoughts hayfiring one after the other. His eyes rounded a bit.

“You’ve propositioned.” He stated but not said.

Why bother asking him for drinks when Neil knew that this guy would kick down any high remaining in the spirits they were consuming.

“How much are we talking here?” Rohan asked, still frowning.

“Forty million.” Arjun answered, still very easy and calm.

Neil cursed heavily, he slid his hands in his hair, moving back the locks that fell over his forehead. A clear sign of frustration. Rohan whistled at the amount of the figure.

“Why bother having a financial advisor, when you spend f**king millions without even consulting me about it.” Neil declared annoyed.

“But why get married to his daughter? You could have dealth with it easily. The man is known for his greed. You could have easily made him fall in the trap. I have an idea that he got the property illegally, all his land deals are corrupt, so if investigated your father would obviously be the original owner.” Rohan said at length in keen observation.

“I have indeed done the investigation. It’s sealed. It’s signed bond. I can’t even break even with the help of biggest lawyers. He had created such a powerful document that….”

“That only his daughter would hold the sole ownership of the property and nobody else.” Neil completed Arjun’s sentence, thoughtfully.

Arjun sighed and leaned back. Though now, he wanted to get married to her for all the wrong reasons. She has challenged him with disdain. Wanting to make him feel cheap. Looping him in the same category as her father. But, f**k it, he wanted to change her opinion of him. He didn’t know why he cared or even bothered, but it was becoming a huge hassle, the thought of her hating him. He seem to want to see something else in her eyes for him. A tenderness. Though he wanted to push her away too. To not include her in his life. These one after the other propelling thoughts were making him crazy.

“Why shouldn’t I get married. It’s time for me to settle down.” Arjun said in frustrated annoyance.

Neil just gave him a ‘you are f**ked’ look and Rohan flat out guffawed in Arjun’s face.

” Settle down? God forbid, but I never thought you were capable of saying such words, let alone you accept it as a typical I need to marry kind of guy who is used to working a nine to five job.” He said cynically and went on still.

“My drink just got interesting tonight. Congratualtions are in order then. Cheers to your marraige.” Rohan raised his glass as a toast in a taunt, and flung it back down his throat, which burnt a fiery path.

Neil and Arjun stared at him. The former just shook his head and ignored Rohan altogether.

His gaze reverted back to Arjun, he held his stare turning thoughtful.

“What about the girl?” Neil asked.

He saw more than observed Arjun get stiff at the question. Well, he wasn’t that cold hearted now, was he. The girl meant something to him, he could see it, the uncomfortable twitch that couldn’t missed which came over his posture. Neil needs to meet this lady, who maybe, possibly, held the power to get the too much edginess out of his friend’s life. Arjun needed to smile more and laugh a little at times. He was astounded that the girl had ensnared half of Arjun’s mind and heart already. The man isn’t even aware about it, if he knew how he seemed to outsiders, as judging by the infatuated look that graced his features, if he saw himself in the self observatory mirror, then Neil was sure Arjun would run for the hills.

“What about her?” Arjun asked defensively.

Rohan too did not fail to observe this incline of a change in him.

“Did you not even propose to her?” Neil asked incredulously, wondering at the impossible nature of the man.

Arjun looked like he swallowed a lemon, he flinched a little.

“I told her to f**k off when she came into my office.” He said, his voice all sour, thinking about the event of the afternoon.

“Commendable job, Arjun! That’s the way of proposal that every girl dreams of about.” Rohan cheered, and Arjun felt the need to throttle him.

“Why did she come to your office?” Neil asked all curious.

“Arjun smiled wryly thinking about how brave she looked standing up against him, as he felt a beam of pride course through him as it pleased him immensly. She would make a very beautiful bride. His beautiful bride. His alone. Mine, the possessive voice of his soul growled out ripping through his heart.

God damned, proven loon head, he was now.

Arjun’s answered Neil’s question.

“To tell me to f**k off with the business deal.” He said, still smiling.

Neil chuckled lightly for the first time in the evening. He shook his head. His dimple deepened a little.

“I like her already.” He said, a whisper of amusement in his voice.

“Oh, I bet she is going to challenge you on every beat of this so called marraige. I need to meet this dream of a woman. Must get to know her.” Rohan calculated a move slyly.

Just as he thought, Arjun’s eyes darkened, as his jaw set hard. He looked like he would rip off Rohan’s head, as he stared at him in amusement.

“Sniff around her and there will be hell to pay. There is nothing for you to investigate in this matter. Cool the heels of those sniffer dogs of yours, Cop Guy.” Arjun muttered darkly.

Rohan smiled wide in return. His boyish smile would turn heads if he did smile at the other s*x, if only he was interested in the lots. He had utmost respect for women, yes. But for him they were only passable time. One after the other. He had better things to do than turning soft for the likes.

He titled his head to the side and observed Arjun’s angered face.

“Got the talons deep into her, didn’t you? Is the girl even aware of such an obsession you hold of her?” Rohan asked him nonchalantly.

” Alright now, you two woman, just calm the f**k down.” Neil intervened again for the second time of the night, shaking his head a little.

It was becoming too intense the atmosphere here.

He didn’t want both of his friends to lock heads. For a mere woman that too. Neil needs to meet this girl now, who had created a huge uproar in this conversation.

Just then, as a savior, they heard the house cleaner come into the hall.

“What is it, Dede?” Rohan asked straightening up in his chair.

“Uh…there is…uh..a woman wanting to meet you quite urgently, Sir. She is very persistent.” The ever loyal man announced a little hesitantly.

Arjun and Neil shared smug look. Each one smirked.

The former lost his surliness and the latter let out an amused laugh, immediately changing it into a fake cough.

“And what was he talking about being a loon after a girl?” Arjun asked smirking.

“Not one girl. There was one yesterday, and the day before one, and so on..there is no limit to him being ‘loon’ over a trail of those pretty things.” Neil teased a little, still chuckling.

Rohan shook the two sneer heads without a care. He rose up and walked. No rest from work even on a weekened, his thoughts turned scowly.

And what woman? He hadn’t called any woman tonight. His brows furrowed.

But then he turned towards Neil. Rohan had something important to ask him for days. God knows when he’ll get the time.

“Hey, and Neil, let Sam stay at your apartment in New York. She has this art thing going on and she doesn’t have a place to stay there. I hope that you’ll make her feel welcome. She is travelling there in the coming next few weeks, and you too will be staying there for work. Help a bro out a little, man. I had promised her to solve her problem.” He asked and explained at length about his sister’s situation.

Samaira was his dear little sweet sister. Rohan adored her too much, and he couldn’t see her in trouble, as also he trusted Neil to take good care of her. Rohan had blind faith in his friend.

Neil’s face ashened visibly, his skin raked an annoyance. He didn’t want to see her, let alone meet her and let Sam stay at his apartment, but he couldn’t say no to Rohan. He and his family did a lot of good to him, morally.

“Yes, I will. I’m always there to help you, Rohan. You don’t need to ask.” He reassured, not letting the scowl to appear on his face.

Rohan shoulders shrank in little in relief. The tensed up muscles loosened and he smiled in return of his huge favour.

“Always can count on you, man.” He nodded his head, and turned his gaze back to Arjun’s.

“Be careful with that Mishra, he’s got darker connections than you think. I was on his trail since long, but the old croon knows how to cover his tracks.” Rohan warned him, yes, he had a little care indeed for the surly man, but getting a rise out of him was always fun.

Arjun stared at him. A gleam of respect came into his brown swirling eyes.

“Appreaciate the advice.” He agreed.

Rohan took that in, tilted his chin and turned around, and sauntered away.

A new sliver of fear rose up all over Arjun’s skin. If Radhika could come to his office with the intention of rejecting him, then she would have very well had protested against her vile father, when she got to know about the marraige. His mind zoomed up an image of her bruised wrists. His blood turned cold. Did he hurt her? His heart thundered loud in his chest. If the shit head did hurt her? then Arjun was going to throw him off the hundreth floor again and again.

He needed something to do? But what? He didn’t to come out desperate and completely act out of his character, but he also needed to find out about her well being. f**k it, this Rohan just unsettled Arjun’s already tired out mind with his warning.

He glanced across at Neil, who had gone all quiet and brooding all of a sudden.

What pissed him off now? Arjun thought……..

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Arjun and Radhika meet again…Coming Up Next…Read more to know more…

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Woah! Large part. Hope I didn’t bore you with this 😀

Smthg about me: I’m a twenty something and a true blue Libran.

A thing I dnt lyk abut myslf: I’m too short tempered. Gussa bohot jaldi ata hai aur chalebhi jata hai.

Song decicatn—- Innocence- By Avril..

And thanks alot for the wishes my friends love u all- Thena, Mandy, Seher, Ireena, lulu, Nats, Annie, Tanya, Dipika, Deepa, Samiha, Kaniska, Devi, and allllllllllll for wishing and blessing me soooo much on my birthday. Your loads of love was like icing on the cake dears 😀 my friends..

And sending loads of chocos and cakes haha but I dont have those smilies:( Nevermind, as I lv u much 😀

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Credit to: kfar