Akshita's POV

When I woke up, it was already afternoon and I thought of Kartik that he had to take medicine in the morning and I kept sleeping. When I reached the kitchen after shower, something had already been cooked there and I understood that this action would also be his own because he is angry with me. I went into his room and he was using his phone.

"Sorry..ab kab tak naraz rehne wale ho.." I said but he ignored..

"Are bas bhi karo...itna to tum gussa nahi ho jitna ban rahe.." I said, holding my ears.

"It's okay.." he said without looking at me.

"Friends?" I asked, forwarding my hand.

"Vikram ko pasand nahi ayega, tumhara humse dosti karna.." he replied..

"Hume farq nahi padta aur tumhara hume malum hai tumhe bhi nahi padta aur waise bhi hamari dosti har kisi ko nahi milti...Once in a lifetime offer hai..chahiye ho to batao.." I said..

"Okay..Friends.." he said, shaking hand.

Then we both talked for some time about our schooling and college. I told him that I did a double masters 2 years ago and he told me all about his Oxford experience.

"Waise hamara koi haq nahi banta par ek personal sawal pooche.." he said..

"Haan.." I replied..

"Tumhari family kaha hai?" he asked..

"Waise to hum us bare mein kisi se baat nahi karte par ab hum dost hai to itna to bta hi sakte hain... They died.. 2 saal pehle.. in a car accident.." I said, holding back my tears.

"I am sorry.." he said..

"Now my turn, personal hi hai... tum Vikram ko itna napasand kyu karte ho..lekin agar na share karna chaho to bhi koi baat nahi.." I asked..

"Usne hamari Mom ko kabhi acche se treat nahi kiya aur akhir mein wo hume chodkar hi chali gayi... us time hum use pasand nahi karte the par jabse uski doosri shadi ki baat suni tabse nafrat ho gayi.." he said..

"Humse bhi?" I asked..

"Uski second wife ke liye hate jaroor tha dil mein, par tumse milkar aisa nahi laga.. Aur ab to hum dost bhi haii.." he said..

"Ab tum aaram karo.. Hum shaam ko kuch banwate hain.." I said and made him lie down and left.

Then the next day I called Nikhil because Karthik had not bathed for 2 days and he should come and help him. Both of them were in the room and I was downstairs looking at the breakfast arrangements. After some time Nikhil came down to ask if I needed any help and we took breakfast and went back to his room.

"Ab lag rahe ho na tum dashingg.." I said..

"Thanks." he replied..

"Yeh kya? Aap dono dost ban gaye aur hume pata bhi nahi chala.." Nikhil said..

"To hum to tumhare usi din dost ban gye the jab party mei mile the.." I said..

"Lekin aap hume Nikhil bulati ho to yeh kaisi dosti...Dost hume Nick bulate..." he said..

"I like Nikhil a little more...par tum hume aap kehna band karo aur if you want you both can call me Akshu, hamare parents bulaate the.." I said..

"I to prefer Akshita.." Kartik said..

"Hum sochkar batayenge.." he said..

"Ab chalo tum dono nashta kar lo fir kartik tumhe dawai bhi khani hai.." I said..

"Tum kaha jaa rahi ho?" he said..

"Hume bhook nahi hai.. Tum dono karo aur kuch chahiye ho to hume bula lena.." I said and left.

Maybe I had not tried to find happiness, it was all around me. Today I found two new friends and the lost smile on my face also came back but I don't know how long it will last. Now I want to cherish every beautiful moment.

**********************************

Kartik's POV

I can't tell how much Akshita has taken care of me since the day that accident happened. I want to hate her but can't, on the contrary the love is increasing. Even though she doesn't touch me with any intention, I still enjoy having her around. When I got angry with her, she felt distressed and came to console me and now we have become friends too. I don't think that she married Vikram for money but I should not think all that because she is someone else's wife and that someone seems to be my father in relation. Today Nikhil came to help me and Akshita went back to her room and we both were having breakfast.

"Kaisa chal raha hai sab?" he asked..

"Sab theek yaar.." I replied..

"Wo ab teri dost ban gayi hai par iska matlab yeh bilkul nahi hai ki ab tu usse kuch bhi bol sakta hai, wo abhi bhi tere Dad ki biwi haii.." he said..

"I know.." I replied..

"I hope you understand it too..Waise wo log kal wapas aa rahe hain to aaj ka din acche se enjoy kar lena kyunki kal se yeh itni care honi band ho jayegi.." he said..

"Okay.." I said and he left.

Everything is so good when he is not between us but today he will come and everything will be as before. I will stay out of the house because I can't bear to see them together. After sleeping for a while I went downstairs because I was craving for a cigarette which was nowhere to be seen in my room. I knew whose work it was and I started knocking outside her room and after some time she opened the door.

"Kya hua? Kuch chahiye.." she said..

"Cigarette kaha hai hamari.." I said..

"Hume kaise pata hoga apne room mein dekho jaakar.." she said..

I was getting angry so I held her by the arm and pinned against the wall. She was looking into my eyes and I could clearly see the helplessness in her eyes, but why was it there? I left her and came to my room, after some time she also came there.

"Please chali jao, I want to be alone.." I said..

"Humne dosti ki hai na to usme ek baat man lo...yeh sab chod do... yeh sab tumhe andar se hollow kar rahi hai.." she said..

"Tumhe isse farq nahi padna chahiye..Please jao yaha se.." I said..

"Hamari baat suno idhar dekho.." she said sitting in front and holding my hands in hers.

"Agar aaj tumhari Mom yaha hoti to wo chahti ki tum aise raho?" she said and I nodded into a no.

"To fir, jab tum unke liye aaj bhi duniya se ladh rahe ho to fir unke liye yeh sab bhi chod do.. Ek baar koshish karke to dekho chaho to sabkuch hai aasan.." she said..

I don't know what happened to me, I hugged her and she was caressing my back. I started crying very loudly but she did not make me quiet and after a long time I myself stopped crying. Then she wiped my tears and had a smile on her face. How is there so much peace on her face while her eyes tell a different story?

"Thanks.." I said..

"Hum hamesha khushi aur acche pal mein hi kisi ka sath kyu mangte hain. Jabki har insaan ko jaroorat to bure pal aur dukh mein hoti hai.. Tumhe kabhi bhi low feel ho ya kuch bhi humse share kar sakte ho." she said..

"Aur tumhara kya? Tum bhi to dil mein itna kuch chipakar rakhe ho.." I said..

"Kabhi agar hamara bhi sabr toota to hume pata hai tum waha hoge.." she said..

"Hum try karenge ki ab se in cheezo se door rahe...Kahi bahar chale aaj? Kal se to waise bhi Vikram ke aane se boring zindagi shuru hone wali haii.." I said..

"Hum decide karenge ki kaha chalna hai, tum ready hokar neeche aao.." she said and left.

Even her eyes believe that Vikram's presence in her life is the worst thing that has happened to her, yet why is she here with him? After that I reached down and she was waiting for me in the car. I also went and sat down but he did not tell me anything about where we were going, then we reached a place near the beach where there was a lot of crowd. Someone's concert was about to start there and till then we roamed around on the beach and then came back there.

"Pata nahi tumhe pasand ayega ki nahi but Atif Aslam ka concert hai.. I to just love him.." she said..

"I like Arijit Singh more.. Uske dil toote gane kisi ko bhi ashiq bana sakte hain.." I said and we laughed.

After that the concert started and people were enjoying it a lot. Akshita also remembered each and every song of his by heart because she was singing along with him. I didn't care which singer it was but I was here with her and we were enjoying it, that was enough. Then after some time it was over and I was happy to spend the whole time with her but it was still night and neither of us felt like going home.

"Chalo kuch khate hain.." she said and took me to a stall and ordered Momos.

"Hum yeh sab nahi khate.." I said..

"To aaj se khana shuru kar do, kisne roka hai... are ek hi to zindagi hai aise hi nahi marna chahiye.." she said..

She seemed like someone else today, the Akshita I was with today was the Akshita of that day who was playing with the children, who had saved the kitten, who had given her book to Ruhi. But who is the one I see every day? Which Akshita is the real one – the one who lives with me or the one who lives with Vikram? All I was thinking while looking at him was that his momos had arrived. I was not eating so he force fed me one and it was quite tasty. She was looking at me eagerly to know my reaction.

"Bahut tasty hai...yeh humne pehle kyu nahi khaya.." I said..

"Hum kuch saalon pehle Ladakh gye the college trip par wahi khaye the aur tabse to aadat ho gayi.." she said..

Both of us were enjoying but suddenly she lost her face. When I saw someone, I noticed that a couple was eating ice cream. After some time, tears came to his eyes after seeing them and the boy also saw us and started coming towards us.

"Chalo yaha se.." she said, holding my hand..

"Akshuu....Akshuuu.." he was calling.

"May be wo tumhe janta hai.." I said..

"But hume usse nahi milna, please hume ghar chalna haii.." she said and we went into the car.

"Tum theek to ho na?" I asked..

"Hmm.." she said..

"Agar bura na mano to pooch sakta hu ki wo kaun tha?" I said and she didn't reply.

She was looking out of the mirror and I knew that she was upset after seeing that boy, but who was he?After some time she closed the window and the song started playing. I also didn't think it right to ask again when she didn't want to tell herself.

"He was Karan, my ex-fiance." she said..

"Achha..to tumne uski baat kyu nahi suni?" I asked..

"Jab humne use roka tha tab wo chodkar chala gaya aur tab uske alawa hamara koi aur tha hi nahi , to hum bhi uske liye nahi ruke.." she said..

"Okay.." I said..

We did not talk the whole way and it was 3 o'clock in the night when we reached home. She was not in a good mood but somehow I made her laugh and we came inside.

"Hamari gair mauzudgi mein kaafi dosti badhai jaa rahi hai.." Vikram said..

"Tum?" we said in unison.

Before any of us could say anything he took Akshita to her room and I came to mine. I couldn't sleep and was worried about her.

What new turn will the relationship between these two take?

How will Akshita handle Vikram's anger?

Thank you for reading.

Be ready for the next update.

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