BeHir SS - Justifying emotions.

Justifying emotions - Part 13

(Not proof-read)

“What?! You are in love with my sister?” Mahir asked loudly, while getting up from the couch.

“Mahir please, not so loud!The whole house will hear you.” Rehaan said hastily.

Different emotions could be seen on Mahir’s face as he processed Rehaan’s words. From confusion to surprise, and the anger.

“ Is this why you came here again? After all this time?” Mahir asked, ignoring Rehaan’s request.

“Yes and no”, Rehaan replied annoyingly. “And I didn’t come here after all this. Let me remind you the last time I was here, was 6 months ago, for your wedding!”

Hearing about his wedding, Mahir turned towards Bela and looked at her with an inexpressive face.

“Did you know about this? Oh of course you knew! Why didn’t you tell me? Oh leave it, do not reply. Of course you wouldn’t tell me. He is your best friend and I’m just the unwanted husband.” He said overwhelmed, walking back and forth across the room.

“Mahir ...” “Mahirji… ”both Bela and Rehaan said at the same and stared at each other. The latter asked her to let him explain.

“Mahir, about the not telling part, it is all my fault. I asked her to keep it to herself. About the part, it’s not my problem to butt in but we both know you didn’t mean to say this. You are just overwhelmed right now. Returning to the problem at hand, yes I do love your sister. Bela has always been aware of it because she is my best friend, and I decided to tell you about it, because just to clear all the doubts you have concerning Bela and I. Along with Bela, you are the only other person who knows, and looking at how you both are handling your love life, this is not the best choice I have for some help.” Rehaan said with a frustrating sigh, earning a glare for the last comment, by both Bela and Mahir.

“This is unbelievable!” Mahir said annoyingly. “This situation is taking a turn I have never ever expected. Rehaan how can you be in love my sister?” he asked facing Rehaan.

“And how can you be in love with my best friend? he countered back.

Both men stood facing each other angrily. Mahir was pissed off at his question, because Rehaan asked him bluntly bout his love for Bela, when he himself he didn’t even get a chance to tell her about it.

Bela didn’t expect this neither and stayed rooted to where she was seated. Deep inside, she wanted to hear the answer too, but she knew her husband enough to know he would never give an answer roght now. She stood up and decided to take the matters in hands before it got worse.

“Please calm down both of you! Let’s all talk about it calmly.” Turning to Mahir, she continued : “Mahirji , Reh is a very good guy and can vouch for it.”

“Bela, let me remind you that I do know him too! We grew up together. Maybe I should remind you I have also been here too, to witness whenever he would follow Yuvi everywhere, always being around girls and stuffs?!”

“Being around one person doesn’t make you like him Mahirji!!” Bela retorted angrily.

“ Bela I kn….”

“Okay guys, stop it!” Rehaan cut them in between. “Don’t start fighting again both of you. Do you  always have to question the other’s judgement like this? Look Mahir I know you were here all along and saw ….erm things. But Bela is right. I being around Yuvi, doesn’t make me a bastard like him. He is your brother. Are you a bastard like him too? No you aren’t, and I trust you to keep my best friend happy. I can understand you though, because I went through this when I heard Bela and Yuvi would get married and as a brother your concern is totally justified. But I can assure you on my life, I would never ever hurt your sister because hurting her would be like hurting myself, and I know you know what I mean, because this is how it works when you genuinely love someone.”

The room was plunged into heavy silence, as Mahir absorbed Rehaan’s words. He knew he had a point and that he was right. Rehaan was a good guy and he knew Kuhu would happy with him. He indeed knew what he meant, because since Bela came into his life, he was always thinking about her emotions first and would never make her unhappy. He looked at Rehaan and thought how he could have missed he loved his sister because he could clearly see his love for her whenever his sister was mentioned.

“I wonder how come I never realized you loved her.” Mahir wondered loudly.

“How would you realize? You can not even realize someone is in love with you.” Bela mumbled making Rehaan giggle.

“What?!” Mahir turned towards her, as if remembering now she was still here.

“Nothing!”

Mahir kept staring at her, making her blush. He knew he had to apologize yet again for everything he did these pasts’ days.

“Bela I’m sorry. For everything.” He kept it short, because she’d know what he was apologizing for.

“Mahirji you can’t  ...”

“Oh hello! Belajii, Mahirjii! Please ji. You will have a lot of time to deal with this later! You ARE already married and stuck together.Let’s rather focus on my problem first. I am all alone here surrounded by two emotionally challenged people and Kuhu must be sulking there!!” Rehaan interrupted them folding his hands in front of them, making them embarrassed and pissed.

Bela whacked him on his arm while glaring at him.

“Rehaan, first of all, will you please explain why does she think you are in love with me?” Bela asked him, making Mahir cringe.

Rehaan went on and explained with more details the confrontation he had with Anu in front of Kuhu and why she came to this conclusion. Bela was furious while Mahir was aghast. He never expected Anu to go to this extend.

“See!”, Bela said pointing a finger at her husband. “ I told you so, but of course you wouldn’t believe me over your lovely Anu!”

“Bela yaar! Leave it na! How could he have known?” Rehaan peeped in, in favor of Mahir, and the latter looked at him, mercifully. “Anyway stop changing subject and let’s stick to my problem.”

Bela uff-ed but kept her mouth shut.

“Rehaan, if Kuhu reacted this way, then it means she feels for you too.”

“Really? You think so ?” Rehaan asked hopefully.

“Yes. I am sure of it. She is my sister and I know her. If she is somehow jealous of… of this situation, then you mean something to her.”

Rehaan’s mood changed on hearing this, and Bela smiled seeing her friend beaming.

“How do I get her to believe me then?”

“I don’t know, maybe you could take her on a dinner date or something and show her, she means for you.” Mahir said confusedly.

“You think so?”

“Yeah and maybe some flowers could make it too.”

Bela looked at them, flabbergasted and irrated.

“You serious both of you?!” she snapped. “What do you think? You’re going to buy her or something?”

“I didn’t mean it that way” Mahir defended.

“You shut up! Rehaan, we girls,like good strong words that mean something.”* Bela said almost in a whisper, looking at Mahir. “Whatever she wants to know, you have to voice it out and free her of the confusion. So move your ass and go explain yourself. Don’t let her sink in her doubts because right now,she must be having millions of thoughts going through her mind. Sometimes just saying I love you is enough.”

All three of them stayed rooted, while thinking about her words. Mahir stared at her and deep down he knew those words were directed to him too.

(*Quote : ‘‘I like good strong words that mean something…” 
- Louisa May Alcott, Little Women. )