Scars ~ Part 33

“I’m so sorry Arnav, I honestly didn’t realise…”

“It doesn’t matter if you didn’t realise. You should have still freaking knocked! Who just walks into someones bedroom like that?”

“I’m sorry, force of habit. You know how I was always walking in and out of your dorm in uni?”

“Yeah but that was before. Did it not occur to you that I’m a married man now?”

“I didn’t think you and Khushi would be doing that at this time of day.”

“We’re newly weds who have just come back from honeymoon!”

“Yes but…”

“Stop making excuses for goodness sake.”

“Okay! I’m sorry! I should have knocked.”

“I think maybe it would be better if you did stay at a hotel.”

“Arnav what are you…”

“You’re a good friend of mine, but maybe it would be better if you didn’t stay here.”

“You can’t throw me out like this!”

“I’m not throwing you out… I just feel it would be better if you didn’t stay here and to be honest with you, I don’t feel as comfortable as I thought I would with having you here.”

 

Sheetal threw her hair over her shoulder and turned away from Arnav.

 

“Fine, I’ll leave. I see how it is. Your wife is so much more important to you now.”

“I don’t think you were listening to what I was saying.”

“I heard everything you had to say. You don’t want me here and you don’t feel comfortable with me here.”

“Yes but….”

“Marriage has changed you, you can’t see anything past your wife.”

“It’s got nothing to do with how much importance either of you have in my life. I can see everything clearly.”

“Whatever.”

 

Sheetal walked out of the room and made her way to the guest room which she was staying in.

 

*****

 

“Well, I hope you’re happy Khushi. Arnav’s thrown me out.”

“What?”

“Yes, he’s asked me to leave because of you.”

“I don’t…”

“Oh stop acting all innocent. This was your plan all along wasn’t it, to get me thrown out.”

“I’ll speak to him…”

“Don’t bother.”

 

Sheetal pushed past Khushi with her bags. Did Khushi think she’d won that easily. She still had one trick left up her sleeve.

 

*****

 

“What’s up Sheetal?”

“Well I only have a couple of days left here and I was planning on having a bit of a party for all my friends, will you come?”

“Do you want me to come?”

“Even though I was deeply hurt by your behaviour, you are still my friend and I’d appreciate it if you came.”

“Alright, when and where’s the party?”

“Tomorrow evening, Hotel Grand.”

“Alright I shall see you then.”

“Goodbye Arnav.”

 

Sheetal disconnected the call and smirked. This was going to be fun.

 

*****

 

“Ah Arnav you made it!”

“I said I would come.”

“No Khushi?”

“She said she wasn’t feeling to well and she also said it might be nice for me to come on my own so that I could catch up with everyone.”

“So your wife does have a brain after all.”

“Sheetal, you’re my friend but I really don’t like the tone you take when you’re talking about Khushi sometimes.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It just doesn’t feel right seeing you with her.”

“I can understand why you feel like that but honestly she makes me happy and you should be happy for me that I found someone who makes me happy.”

“I am. Come on now, we need to get this party started!”

 

Sheetal took Arnav’s hand and led him in. Arnav was greeted by a number of people he and Sheetal were in university with. They all approached Arnav and congratulated him on his marriage.

 

“This isn’t done yaar. I thought we were buddies, how come no one knew about your marriage until there was a news report on you saying you were now off the market. Where were our invites?”

 

Arnav chuckled and answered his friend Armaan.

 

“It was a small function and we didn’t want any fuss. Just family.”

“I see, but still, you could have told us that you were going to get married.”

“I’m sorry Armaan. You know how it is, last minute rush and everything.”

“Yeah I understand. Didn’t you bring your wife with you, it would have been great to meet her.”

“She wasn’t feeling to well and so didn’t come. But we were planning on having a little party of our own soon, so you should definitely come along to that.”

 

Sheetal was stood on the side, tapping her foot impatiently. She then walked between Arnav and Armaan and excused Arnav.

 

“Dance with me.”

“I don’t really dance Sheetal.”

“You have to otherwise I won’t forgive you.”

 

Arnav laughed and offered his hand to Sheetal. She took it happily and they moved to the dance floor. Arnav made sure that there was a respectable distance between himself and Sheetal because at the end of the day, he was now a married man and the only woman he only wanted near himself was Khushi.

Sheetal kept moving in, trying to get close to Arnav but he was vigilant. He made sure the distance between them was as much as it could possibly be without seeming to awkward. Sheetal noticed he kept moving away and kept getting annoyed.

 

“Arnav, when two people are dancing together, they have to stand close to each other.”

“We’re fine where we are.”

“Marriage made you boring Arnav. I remember when you used to get as close as you possibly could and you’d dance in the most sexy way possible. You’d always grind your body against mine.”

“That was before, in my early 20’s when we were still in uni. I’m a different person now.”

“You’re boring now.”

“Oh well.”

 

Sheetal was getting more and more annoyed at how Arnav wasn’t affected by what she was saying. Normally if he was called boring, he’d do anything possible to prove that he wasn’t. That was her way of always getting her way. But today, he wasn’t being affected at all. Sheetal looked over her shoulder and saw a man closing in on them. She nodded to him and then turned back to Arnav.

She moved into him and placed a hand on his cheek.

 

“You know Arnav. I’ve always liked you.”

“I’ve liked you too, that’s why we’re friends.”

“No I mean I’ve always liked you as more than a friend.”

 

Arnav tried to move himself out of Sheetal’s arms and tried to put distance between them. But Sheetal’s grip on him didn’t loosen.

 

“Sheetal this a highly inappropriate conversation.”

“You have to let me express my feeling.”

“I’m a married man and I’m happily married. Nor would I be able to accept your feelings nor could I do anything about it.”

“Your wife isn’t here what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

 

She held his upper arm and moved into him. She held him tightly. Arnav struggled and tried to break away from her but she wasn’t about to let him go.

Sheetal moved in and kissed him, bang on the lips…