Aarav's POV
I looked through the chats a bit more and stopped on an unexpected sentence, "I might just go with Aarav at this point, he is way better than you, a dumbass who doesn't know when to stop being annoying. Even he listens when I tell him something." I read out loud her final response to his pursuit and just stared at it for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. Kanika immediately snatched away her phone and put it back in her purse.
"It wasn't that funny, ok? Shut up," she started hitting me repeatedly on the shoulder in embarrassment.
"Okay, okay, calm down, stop hitting me, it hurts." I caught her hands before she could hit me again as I slowly calmed myself down.
"Kanika," I called her name in a gentle tone, taking both of her hands on my cheeks. Her hands are soft and warm.
"Wh… What?" she asked in a low tone, trying to pull her hands away, but I held them tight. She looked here and there, unable to maintain eye contact with me. I just stared at her with all the admiration and love I held for her. I wanted to tell her how much I love her. I wanted to scream it to the world, but it wasn't the time for that just yet.
"Nothing just felt like saying your name." I admired her a bit more and let go of her hands slowly. She pulled her hands away and sat back properly, looking out of the window again; however, I could notice her looking at my reflection in the window from time to time.
Soon she fell asleep again. Thanks to the traffic, I was able to admire her for a little longer, yet when her home finally arrived, I cursed why the traffic couldn't have been any worse, which would have blessed me with more time with her.
"My sleeping beauty, wake up, ghar agya." I patted her head to slowly wake her up.
("My sleeping beauty, wake up, we have reached home.")
"Hmm, just a min," she responded in a sleepy tone, but turned her head away with her eyes still closed.
"Kanika, we are home," I tried again. This time, my voice was a little firm.
'As much as I would love to stay like this and admire her forever, that is practically impossible right now.'
"Hmm," I just sigh in defeat at her lack of response and no sign of waking up.
"I am sorry in advance, Kanika." I apologise to her sleeping figure as I step out of the car and go to her side and open the door to the passenger seat, making her head fall on the side in a sudden movement, but I support it with my hand, which jolts her out of her sleep.
"Huh?" Her eyes shoot open, suddenly trying to take in the surroundings.
"I am sorry I couldn't think of anything else to wake you up, or I could have had Princess carry you," I apologised once again as I collected her things, and she just looked at me, confused, trying to process what I had said.
"Like I wouldn't mind princess carrying you, but are you ok with it?" I teased as I offered her a hand so that she could step out.
Her shy face told that she had finally processed it all. She took my hand and got out of the car mumbling a thank you, and reached her hands to take her things from mine.
"Are you sure you will be able to take it yourself and not fall asleep in the middle?" It started as a concern, but imagining it actually happening was funny.
"I am fully awake thanks to someone, and more than capable," she glanced at me with a side eye and spoke in a sarcastic tone as if judging my whole existence.
"What? You would have preferred I carry you upstairs like a princess in my hands?" I came a little close to her, my tone a bit low.
"Oh, you are not strong enough for that," she said, locking her eyes with me as she stepped closer to me, and her tone completely mocked me.
"Princess, I am sure you don't want to challenge me. I am more driven by ego when it comes to challenges," I smirked, my eyes never leaving hers. I don't know why, but something was different in those eyes right now.
"And what if I still challenge you?" Her tone was playful, and her eyes held mischief.
"Are you sure, princess?" I made sure one last time, ready to prove her wrong.
"Heh, very much so." She was still expecting me to be joking.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," I whispered, leaning closer to her and picking her up in one swift motion, and she was in my arms like a princess. She couldn't get time to react and held me with her hands around my neck.
"AARAV, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? PUT ME DOWN!" she started flailing in my arms and shouted near my ear. I really felt like I was going to become deaf.
"Princess, I don't think you want me to go deaf or want us to fall together, which might end with one of us getting hurt, right?" I told her in a little strict tone to make her stop.
"Yeah, that's a good princess now, stay still until we reach upstairs to your place," I praised her as she nodded.
"At least take the elevator, it will be easier," She suggested as I took her inside the building.
"Are you perhaps worried I might drop you, princess? If that's true, I am offended," I said in a dramatic manner, pretending to be hurt.
"No, I am worried about you." Her tone held concern, and she looked at me so innocently that I just gave up and went to the elevator, but even the gods were at my side today, there was paper stuck on it that said it was out of service.
"What? It was working fine in the morning. It is better if you just put me down, you know." She cursed in disbelief and insisted on getting down, but I held her tighter as I had already started walking upstairs.
"You want us to roll down the stairs together?" I gave her a last warning look to stop her from moving anymore.
She hid her face in my chest in embarrassment. I could smell her hair, which smelled so clean and slightly sweet like a fruit. Never had I ever thought that it would be so easy to hold her so close to me. It's like a dream come true. She was light and looked pretty small in my arms.
We reached the 3rd floor without any problem, though my breathing did start to become a bit heavy. My muscles started to tighten up, but it still wasn't that hard. Kanika did say that it's ok to put her down; however, I just didn't want to let go of her just yet, and adjusted her in my arms and held her tighter. Her hands gripped my shirt tightly.
Finally, we reached the 5th floor in front of her apartment. I put her down slowly, panting for air. We made eye contact once again and burst into laughter immediately.
"I told you to put me down, now look at you," She whined while laughing.
"Totally worth it, I would say," I said in a breathy voice, leaning a bit close to her near the door frame as she unlocked the door and opened it inside.
"Come inside, have some water." She gestured for me to come inside. It wasn't much of a luxury apartment, but it was pretty good and a decent 2BHK. I sat on the sofa and watched her go to the kitchen. It was an open kitchen. She brought a glass of water and handed it to me. Her apartment smelled like her.
"Would you like tea or coffee or something?" she offered as she took the empty glass from my hand.
"No, nothing. I will just go home now, have a good night's rest, okay?" It is a matter of fact that I want to spend time with her, but I don't want her to go through formalities for me when she is already tired. I scanned her place one last time and made my way to the exit. She followed behind me.
"Good night, take care, see you at the office tomorrow," I greeted her with a smile.
"You too, good night, reach home safely and have a rest, and once again I am sorry for falling asleep like this and you having to do this," she greeted back with an apology.
"No problem." I nodded at her with a smile.
'I wouldn't mind even if you slept in my arms or if I had to carry you around like this forever, I will just train harder and make it possible.'
I made my way to my car and got inside, turned the keys on, the engine came to life, and I started driving, turning up the radio, and the first song that came to grace my ears was Tera hone laga hun by Atif Aslam, Alisha Chinai, and Pritam. It knew exactly what I wanted to hear right now.
I turned up the volume a bit more and started to sing it at the top of my lungs with the music, and with every line I could imagine Kanika and me.
Hua jo tubhi mera mera~
Tera jo ikraar hua~
To kyun na main bhi keh doon keh doon~
Hua mejhe bhi pyar hua~
The way I imagined Kanika singing these lines of the female singer to showcase her love for me while we are on a long drive away from the world, or maybe near the beach, damn, what else can I ask for?
Waise to mann mera,
pehli bhi raaton mein
Aksar hi chahat ke haan~
Sapne sanjonta tha~
~~~
Pehle bhi dhadkan ye, dhun koi gaati thi
Par ab jo hota hai
woh, pehle na hota tha~
I am so happy that she said I am better than that dumbass Anant. Her chats were nothing like what I thought they would be. It was just Anant being stubborn the whole time, and Kanika cursing him and throwing those middle finger emojis. Well, that's my girl, so proud of her. Maybe I was really thinking too much about them; nothing is going to happen between them, and I do have time.
Aankhon se choo lun ke
bahein tarasti hain~
Dil ne pukara hai haan, ab to chale aao~
Aaoge shabnam ki boonde barasti hain
Mausam ishara hai haan, ab to chale aao~
The warmth and the feeling of her hold on me are engraved on my soul now. Her smell and the smell of her that was there in her apartment won't go away from my mind, and I very certainly don't want that to happen either way. Today I could feel her so close to me. I could hold her so close to me. I didn't want to leave her just yet, but arghhhhhhh.
'Control Aarav, control, you don't want to scare her away with your desires and obsession for her right.'
I calmed myself down and continued singing with full excitement.
Thinking about the lovin making~
And life sharing come and feel me~
Come on feel me~
Shining in the shade in sun like
A pearl upon the ocean~
Come on, feel me~
Come on, heal me…~
No matter how many times I have had this thought before, the thought of having her as mine drives me insane every time, and always a bit more than the previous time.