Doomed

Chapter 2

          Aghanya sighed as she felt a flutter of lips against her neck. Her back arched. Her hands wound around his neck and pulled him closer. His lips trailed down and down. "Viren..." Aghanya moaned in urgency.

Like cold water was doused on her, she woke up. Aghanya huffed for breath. "Damn! Now I'm having bad dreams about him." She growled. She helped herself with a glass of water and let the water cool down her fiery guts.

     ***

        The next morning as Aghanya was getting ready her phone rang. She groaned at the caller ID.

        "What is it, mom?" She said in a neutral tone.

        "Nothing. Did you forget we're having a dinner party?" Her mother's voice was dripping with disdain.

         She hissed again. She obviously forgot about it, "No. I'll be there. Mom. I just have to visit the gallery for a while. Okay bye now. I'm late." She said hastily and ended the call.

     ***

     Khushi frowned and glared at her sister. She was now folding her cuffs. Her dark hair was tied in a tight bun. She looked absolutely lovely when she let it down. But she didn't most of the times. The discipline dripped from her bones to her character too, so much so that her sister stood ramrod straight, all the time.

        "Glaring at me will do no good." Her sister peered at her from the mirror.

"Aghanya is innocent, dee. She'll never do something like this! How can you suspect my best friend? Don't you trust me? Dee! Moreover whatever happened to that bastard, he deserved it. You have no idea what he had done to Aghanya."

"Enough Khushi! I'm not your Aghanya's nemesis. I'm just doing my job. And as for her being innocent, guilty until proven. Now study hard." She snapped and walked out of the room.

***

When Aghanya reached her house, some guests were still there. She greeted them. She knew they were here because they were curious if she was guilty or innocent? She just dodged their questions and did not give a definitive answer.

She walked to the dining hall, her mom hugged her. Her dad just grunted at her. Then her eyes zoned on him. He looked absolutely handsome in his black shirt and cream chinos. His eyebrows were knotted and they glared at him. But she felt drowning in his brown pools of abyss. She remembered her dream from last night and she looked away shyly.

"Rohini, set the table." Her mother said to their house maid. "Take Viren beta with you if you want help." Viren nodded and left the room inside the kitchen.

Aghanya glared at her mother. What was she doing? But she brushed it off. She felt very anxious being in the same room as Viren. She hated all these feelings. Quickly she grabbed a jug of water and poured herself a drink.

Soon dinner was laid out. She let out a breath of relief when Viren did not sit beside her. But somehow, that relief was not long lived as it turned to hurt. Why did he not sit beside me? She wondered. But her smile grew as he sat across her. Dinner was nice, her mon kept busy at one end of the table. Rohini was a very good maid. She frowned at Viren, he was constantly looking down at his plate. So she prodded his leg with hers under the table. He stiffened for a moment but he didn't look at her. She prodded him harder and twice. Still, no dice. She rubbed his feet too, he only choked on his food but didn't look at her.

Left with no option she pulled her leg back and aimed for his leg. Her heel struck his ankle. "Aah!" He hissed in pain. When everyone looked at him suspiciously he glared at pointedly, "I am finished."