Flouting Our Destiny

Chapter 21

After the dark and zeal filled night, a bright star started to show its morning face, orangish hues wakened the whole sky, amid the chirping birds and soft drizzling drops the sun rose like a royal messenger, spreading the news of a new day, a new opportunity.

Arjun felt heavy on his chest now after the mellow light waved at his closed eyes, a delightful realisation made him smile hopefully, the peaceful inhaling and exhaling of the woman in his arms robustly sent waves of euphoria down his spine. 
Arjun silently watched the white balcony swing on which they were positioned oscillate slowly and then the dawn sky where clouds were segregating to show the enthusiastic sun.

The rain was now just a few drops away from ending its journey of heaven to earth and Arjun was a few smiles away from realising the reality.

"Rise and shine!" He exclaimed to the sleeping beauty in his arms.

Draupadi mumbled in annoyance but a needle called actuality pinched her brain, she immediately stood up, yawning a little.

"Good morning!" Arjun cheered, stretching his arms.

A soft hue of red shaded her cheeks and her eyes painted with a golden tint, her fantasies were abruptly put on hold as a tingling sensation from behind her nose swirled to vex her even more, Draupadi sneezed loudly for she had been soaking in the dancing drops since yesterday night.

Arjun did giggle with his lips pressed against each other until his voice dropped in a whisper,
"You shan't say no to a hot coffee"

Draupadi's face muddled in a syrupy blush, her eyes cheekily simpering thinking about his 'too good to believe nature', he was, as everyone knew, a perfect gentleman and the most decent person one would ever meet, smart and polite.

"Rotten eggs!" She sounded worried,
wasn't Lakshana supposed to come yesternight?

Her hands grabbed her phone, a sigh of relief was summoned by her brain reading the messages,

Heavy rains. Had to return back to the hotel.
I am so sorry for leaving you with that stupid Karan but I promise I will make up for it and please don't tell anyone at home that I left you, your brother will kill me.
I know Arjun will take care of you,
PS: you guys should resolve the differences...
XOXO

"Coffee" Arjun's singing made her skin warmer,
"I had a word with Lakshana, I'll be dropping you back to the hotel"

A slow nod from the lady's side became a response, the two sat down with fresh faces, stealing quick glimpses of each other.

"So, how is everything?" He asked, disloyal to the silence prevailing.

"Good...actually great" She replied, catching a whiff of the hot drink, "Ah...it was great until Karan showed up" her frustrations evaporating with the sweet coffee vapours.

"Karan?" Arjun baffled, "What? When? How?" His statements had a protective tinge.

The love of his life openly showed her bitterness for the man who was forcefully tagging himself along with her in the name of being the new general manager.

"Lakshana never told me that he was with you" exasperated wordings of his had a garnishing of jealousy.

"I told her to shut the big mouth of hers and not to tell about either me or him..." Draupadi scratched her head, " you wouldn't have liked it"

Anger boiled inside him, hot like fire flames, hatred smouldering inside his brain, how dare that man come near her?

"And why the hell are you condoning his presence?" His squalling was similar to the clouds of last night.

Arjun was outrageous but more of hurtful because of her tolerance of that man, his anger simmered while the cup in his hand drained his pleasantness and he took up the hotness of the drink,
A volcano erupted within his heart, hot lava flowing inside his veins, his hand lifted itself only to violently throw the big mug on the ground.

"Arjun?" Draupadi feared his gaze, she had felt the same pain and irritation reflected by his eyes, a few times in the past life.

The smashed antique glass represented the shattered pieces of his heart, his anguish and his desolation.

A hug shared by two people is different than the embrace of Arjun and Draupadi, their every gesture for each other is intense and unique.
Draupadi's arms around him tried to console the dejected man, grumping within him.

He was not allowed to stay with her and she?
She was entertaining people like Karan.
These thoughts were hollowing his mind.

"We are not bound to each other, right?" Arjun spoke up, his narrowed eyes accusingly staring at her,
"You can do whatsoever you feel like"

Arjun's merciless verbalisation penetrated inside her weeping heart like a fierce arrow shot from the Gandivdhari Arjun's bow.

"You can go back to your father's house" The young man with a big flower garland around his neck, uttered.

"We are not bound to each other yet" He falsely assured the woman in front of him and even himself.

"I...I...I cannot go against my family!" The blossoms on his garland withered.

Tears devised in their eyes, like lovers yet to face separation, they embraced each other, tighter this time and cried inaudibly, they were used to separation but today their hearts were heavier,
why is their past a hindrance for their present?

_________________________________

The red ink perfectly made marks on the pages of orange coloured notebooks, Devangi fictionally patted her own back after checking the last copy, the students of her class had done extremely well this time!

A sudden blackout shocked her, she struggled to remove the strong hands which covered her eyes,

"Yash, could you stop this?" The intelligent woman seemed irked, her worry for her friend who was kidnapped some time ago had not faded but still she couldn't meet her because of the pressure put on her by the principal of the school where she works.

Yash grinned hearing his wife's ranting about the weird system of her professional place,
his Devangi was a means for him to live a happy life.
.
.
.
.
.

Hruti's continuous humming was initially troubling Bheem but now he too tucked himself beside his tiny son and heard the melodious lullaby.

The mother smiled ecstatically viewing the father-son duo dozing to the tunes of her lyrics.