Infatuation.???????..Love.??????? Final

It had been two weeks since she had gone and met Rutesh. Now between them everything was fine, he had even told his parents who had welcomed Naina happily. They were planning their marriage now, in next few months Naina would be married. She was happy for both of them, both were her best friends. But in one little corner of her heart she also felt jealous. Here she was alone and pining for that bastard. No one except Rutesh and Naina knew about Sujit, she had not told anyone about him. She had met all her friends when Rutesh had given a party and told them about him and Naina. It had been good to see them again, laugh with them. They all were happy for Rutesh well except Smita.

Well we can’t force love and now it was high time she thought about someone else then Rutesh. Maybe she will hurt for sometime but she will find someone. But what if she didn’t? What about herself? Will she also find someone? She came out of her thinking and started concentrating on her work, she glanced at the photo of her parents on her table. She missed them terribly, maybe she could go there for the weekend. Maybe she should plan and go there, no leaves required as she could go on Friday and come back on Sunday. Feeling little happy about the decision she started working but was interrupted by the vibration of her cell.

"Hello" She answered the call."Hey Kajal, how are you?"
She recognized the voice it was Karthik, "I am fine, what about you?" She tried to be nice with him.

"I am okay, actually excited about our dinner tonight. So I’ll see you there right" Kajal heard the uncertainty in his voice.

"Yes Karthik, I will meet you there" Kajal reassured him and kept the phone.

The decision to meet him was taken on impulse by her. Also out of guilt as he had been calling her for some time and she had never paid much attention to him. He was her friend and she will meet him tonight to also specify that she was not interested in him. She will tell him tonight and then go home and pack.
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Evening came too fast she just cleaned up a bit and took rickshaw to go to the restaurant. He had called her in Firangi dhaba. It was a very happening place with interiors created very much like a dhaba. But the food was awesome, she arrived there on time and saw Karthik standing at the gate. He had come early which was a bad sign, he looked handsome in his jeans and casual Red T shirt. He knew how to take advantage of his looks. Looking at him also brought an ache in her heart, as he looked like Sujit. She had not seen Sujit since he dropped her home from Lonavala. Shrugging off that thought she smiled and went to him.

"Hey Kajal, you look great." Karthik smiled at her, he looked young when he said that. And it triggered her own smile, "Thanks Karthik, so do you"

"Let’s go inside" He ushered her inside. The interior was the same dark with some light to see. There was hukka also and tables created like a rickshaw. Then there were these mattress spread to sit and eat but that was for larger groups. Karthik went towards the one of the tables made for two. This place also had an intimate setting, they went and sat. Some of the tables were occupied and laughter was coming from everywhere. The place was decorated with our tradition in our mind, she felt good about coming here and relaxing. Waiters were dressed like Punjabi’s, lungi and top. Karthik ordered vodka and asked her, "What you’ll have?" It’s not she had never tried but now she didn’t want to drink. "I’ll have a lime soda"

Karthik looked at her with a question mark but when she shrugged he didn’t pursue it. She thought of telling him now only and not wait any longer.

"mmmmm Karthik. The thing is that I wanted to tell you something."

"It sounds serious. So tell me."

Kajal cleared her throat, "Look karthik I know you are interested in me. Kautubh had told me what he had told you before our reunion. See I had a crush on you then but it faded by time and I thought of you as my friend. It’s not that you are not good, you are a great guy, but" Kajal stopped as she didn’t know what to say.

"you are not interested" He finished it for her. She just nodded to him.

"I see, good thing you told me now. So at least we are clear. Tell me one thing is there someone else"

She looked up to answer him, "I got the answer in your eyes, whoever it is you love him right?" when she nodded he continued "so what happened you guys had a fight?"

"karthik I don’t want to talk about it. Can we enjoy this dinner" He agreed and they ordered the starters.
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Sujit had seen them as soon as they entered the restaurant. He had seen her taking the rickshaw from the work, but when he saw her here he was surprised. He had thought she had gone home, but here she was having dinner with his brother. She was looking good laughing, he had not seen her smile for a long time. He wanted to punch his brother for making her laugh. His eyes was on her only, he had come with his friends. They had insisted that he come and he wanted to go out. In the house there were all Kajal’s memories, so he came and according to plan started drinking. His friends had asked hom and eventually gotten used to his silence. So when he was staring at Kajal, they all had ignored him. He wanted to go to their table and punch his brother and carry Kajal to his home. He’ll keep her there till she agreed with him. Agreed to what? Having an affair with him which had no future. She deserved better than that and knowing that didn’t ease the pain.

Their meal was over, and he saw that they were preparing to leave. He was relieved that they were leaving as the time they spent together had tormented him. But thinking what they might do after leaving restaurant angered him. He knew he was wrong but he couldn’t help himself.

Then the worse thing happened, one of her friends noticed Karthik and called him over. He knew he had to speak to them, there were questions around him. But he ignored it he was just looking at Kajal, he wanted her to meet his eyes.

Kajal and Karthik were coming over their table and kajal was smiling at them. Then she spotted him and her smile froze. Everyone noticed it including Karthik but they ignored it. When Karthik said Hi to him he just nodded his eyes were only for Kajal who was not meeting his eyes the second time. She was nicely answering questions asked by his friends. All his friends were thinking of her as Karthik’s girl friend and one of them teased him about it. He was waiting for her deny it but no denial came from kajal which pissed him off. He wanted to hurt her the way he was hurting.

"So, What you guys are doing after going from here?" One of his friends asked but before they could revert he answered.

"She’ll go to his place and fuck him and then leave him" His statement was received by ooh aahs and someone saying he’s drunk. He was more interested in Kajal’s reaction but the worst part was that she didn’t show any emotion on her face. She just once locked her eyes with him and then held Karthik’s hand to leave. Her silence had sliced him and there was heaviness in his heart. He knew he had taunted her and hurt her but. He didn’t have any excuses to give himself, he deserved the dirty looks his friends were giving him.
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Kajal was tired, dead on her feet. Travelling was going to kill her, she just wanted to have a hot bath and sleep. She also had to go to work tomorrow, but the good thing was that she had told them she’ll come half day. She went inside the house, she switched on the lights and sighed she was home. In last few days this has become home, she had enjoyed her visit to baroda. They had been happy to see her come early. After the restaurant incident she had been too distressed and had left for Baroda. She still remembered that evening, all the way back she and Karthi had been silent. When they stopped at her place he just asked her, "It is him right"

She couldn’t answer him, so just nodded. He just took her face and kissed her forehead, "he is a fool to let you go" and went. She thought why she couldn’t have fallen for karthik Whatever he said had hurt her, there was so much weight on her heart she felt burdened by it. So she had decided to go to Baroda early, her parents had been surprised to see her. Her mom had known that something was wrong with her and one evening her mom took her for the stroll. She didn’t have to ask, she only started and told her mom everything and wept, wept and wept. Her mom just said that give it some time, for what that she didn’t tell. When they reached home her daddy asked that what happened to Kajal. But she was not ready to tell her father.

She had enjoyed her time there and had been relaxed, she wanted to be that way in Mumbai also. She knew it was not possible she will see Sujit someday or everyday they were bound to meet. Maybe she had to come terms to that. While thinking all this she had reached her bedroom and removed her top to go to the bathroom and flung it on her bed.

"If we toss our clothes you make faces and you do the same when no one's around" a deep voice came from the room and Kajal screamed.

"who who’s there" and snatched her top back, light came on and she saw Sujit standing in front of her.

"Why do you scream so loudly, I think my ear drums have gone numb" and he was actually tapping his ears.

Kajal was shocked and that was a very mild word to describe what she was feeling. Just now she was thinking about seeing him and here he was in her room. He was standing with his hands in his pocket, he looked tired. He had a beard, not stubble but a beard. His hair had grown and he badly needed a cut, there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked a little thinner, and she wanted to go and hug him. She pulled the top back on her and ignored his saying, "Don’t bother to dress on my account".

She went out of her room and knew he would follow her, she didn’t want to talk to him in her bedroom. Well she knew they had nothing to talk about, but at least she will show him the door easily from the living room. She went and sat on the window.

"What do you want Sujit, and how did you come inside? Answer me fast and leave as I am tired."

There was silence after she finished, she waited but still no answer. When she looked at him he was standing in between the living room and staring at her. His stare was so intense, her resolve was thinning. But then she straightened and again asked him.

He still continued to stare at her and then he slowly came towards her. Her heart rate increased she tried to regulate it but no help. "Look Sujit, We have said what we wanted. So let’s forget it. You go your own home and sleep, and I’ll sleep here. End of the story"

He kept walking and stood in front of her, "Why did you go to Baroda again without telling me? Didn’t you think I would have been worried? It was just like last time, I didn’t know where you were? When I came to your place and met Naina then she told me that you have gone to meet your parents." He stopped as his chest was heavy and he had problem in breathing. He stopped and took some deep breaths, when he looked at Kajal she was surprised and looking little shocked. Good for her, sujit thought he had lost some years of his life when he had not seen her at the office. He had this feeling since she left that evening that something was wrong. But he couldn’t pinpoint it, then when he went to her house the next day Naina had seen him and told him that Kajal had gone to Baroda.

He had wanted to go to Baroda and bring her back but he knew it was all his fault. So he had decided to drink till he couldn’t remember his own name.

"Why the hell should I tell you before going anywhere? We broke up remember. And you didn’t answer me how did you come here?"

"I’ll finish what I started, after naina told me you had gone to Baroda. I left and started drinking" he heard her snicker and ignored it. "Then when I was halfway being drunk my brother comes to visit me." He stopped to look at her and saw the surprised, satisfied with the response he continued. "We talked a bit and now we are okay."

Kajal raised her eyebrows at him but he ignored it AGAIN. Kajal was getting furious now. But she let him talk and finish.

"After that I thought about everything again and again. Now I have come to the conclusion that I was afraid of my feelings, I was also afraid of accepting your love. That was a responsibility to me, but then I thought that I always loved you. I was afraid of marriage but I can’t think about my life without you. So I have decided that we’ll get married, it can be a double wedding with Naina and Rutesh"

"Wait a second just rewind a bit, go to the part where you thought you have always loved me.Explain"

Sujit knew she would never give in easily, she will torture him. He raked his hand through his hair, and sighed. "Kajal is it so difficult to believe that I love you"

Kajal wanted close her eyes and savor the moment he was telling her that he loved her. But why now? She had to know that. "It is not difficult to believe you, but just because I went to Baroda you realized you love me. Wasn’t that convenient?" He winced at her words but she had no choice.

"Look when I said those things in Lonavala I was protecting you. Look I am older than you and a divorcee there couldn’t be a match but then when you left me. It was like a part of me was dead, and when I saw you with Karthik. I blew up. You don’t know the things my friends told me. Then you went and I wanted to say sorry to you as I had said that ugly thing to get your attention. Then you were not there, and Karthik came he also told me some vile things about me and gave me some names I don’t want to remember."

He came closer to her but didn’t touch her, "Then he told me that he will marry and love you and" Sujit looked at his feet.

"And?" Kajal prompted.

"nothing we just had a small fight and he told me that if I loved you I should tell you"

"You hit your younger brother, what is wrong with you Sujit?"

"Hello, but he did hit me back and you are only concerned about him not me?"

"so then the fight decided that you loved me" Kajal said but what she wanted to do was kiss him.

"No, my heart had stopped beating when you left me. When I saw you it started again. You are my life Kajal and I love you. Please marry me"
He said it in the most softest tones and his eyes told her the same thing

Sujit looked at Kajal there were tears in her eyes, it gave him courage so he took her hands in his hands and kissed them. "Kajal please forgive me for being stupid and marry me"

"You idiot" Kajal managed and hugged him, she was crying and laughing at the same time.

"What took you so long?" She was still breathing him in and not wanting to leave him.

"I guess I needed the time and also to see that what I would be without you." He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes, "I missed you, I missed you so much. It was all meaningless without you."

Kajal smiled at him and he knew that everything would be fine now, he carried her towards the sofa and made her sit on his lap. There was silence around them but it was comfortable silence. He was combing her hair and she was listening to his breathing. Suddenly she got up and punched him,

"owwww, why did you hit me?" He started rubbing his arm. It was hurting him.

"Because you didn’t answer me, how did you manage to be in the house when I come?"

Sighing loudly for Kajal’s benefit he started, "After Karthik left I thought things over and decided to surprise you. I knew you wouldn’t talk to me, so I took help from Naina and Rutesh." Reading the question in her mind he answered that also, "Yes I told them we are getting married and it would be a double wedding"

Instead of being happy Kajal was just looking him, "What?"

"Where is my ring?" she demanded.

"What ring?" When she started hard at him he understood, "Oh that we’ll get that in next some days"

"So you just thought of proposing me without a ring. I want a ring" She stated and then looked at him. He looked so cute when he was so confused, he wanted to say something but he was afraid to ruin it.

She couldn’t control more and a smile tugged at her lips, he looked relieved and then he started tickling her as her punishment. But it ended the way they wanted to. With Each Other.