Accidentally Ever After

by Mariyam Hasnain

  Did he leave?

  Just as the thought of Arjun leaving the Diwan’s Mansion without meeting her crossed her mind, she ran out of her room and descended the stairs.

  The foyer was starkly empty. Perhaps, Priya took him to their mom’s room.

  Esha climbed back to her room and bolted out of the balcony door.

  A few minutes later, she saw Arjun coming out of the house. He was alone. Nobody came to see him off to the main gate. Okay, Mrs. Diwan was on bed rest. But at least, Priya could have seen him off till the main gate, not as an ex-girlfriend but as an old childhood friend.

  Esha saw Arjun speaking to someone on the phone. Where’s his car? A Mercedes or a plush limo. After all, he was Arjun Raghuvanshi, a billionaire and the co-owner of R & R Consultancy Services.

  Shit. Esha couldn’t believe her eyes.

  “This can’t be true,” she murmured as she saw a white Uber halting in front of the house.

  Certainly, this could be the most shocking truth of the millennium—Arjun Raghuvanshi driving in a hired cab when earlier the man had a fetish for imported cars.

  The man of Esha’s dreams opened the rear door and slid inside the vehicle. Next moment, he was gone.

  Out of the Diwan family.

  Out of their lives.

  Out of her life.

  But did he really get out of her life?

  Suddenly, something bothered Esha more than Arjun taking an Uber drive back to from where ever he had come.

  Esha ran to the bedside stool and grabbed her cell phone. She searched for Arjun’s number.

  “Shit.” A curse escaped her pursed lips. “How did she forget she had deleted Arjun’s number from her phone the day she had seen Priya and Arjun involved in a searing kiss. The intensity of their lip lock still assailed Esha’s senses.

  Esha tossed the Android smartphone on the bed and paced the room. A pang of loneliness and heartbreak rose in her chest and lingered as she studied the bleakness of the situation.

  Would she ever be able to see him again?

  If not, what should she do to erase all the memories of him from her mind?

  Didn’t they say you can never forget your first love?

  Four

  For Arjun, staying in Bangalore wasn’t an option anymore especially when Priya had thrown him out of her life like a crumpled piece of writer’s shabby first draft.

  Still, Arjun looked for a reason to stay a day or two in his favourite city. How ignorant he was about Bangalore when he had moved from Canada to the garden city with his uncle. He was grieving. He was a grief-ridden kid. A child who had lost both of his parents to deadly diseases. He was only eight when his dad had succumbed to a massive stroke. Six months later, his mom had died of heart attack.

  His uncle who was unmarried and had no intention of starting a family had taken Arjun under his wing. They had moved from Canada to India, rented a bungalow in the posh neighbourhood in East Bangalore, next to the Diwans’ and started afresh.

  Diwan family had a very special role in bringing back the lost warmth and happiness of a family to Arjun’s life. Hiding from his uncle’s protective eyes, Arjun would often sneak into the neighbourhood to play with the two sisters.

  With them, Arjun recalled the image of a geeky teenager. A girl who had always worn twin braids. The one who had always tailed Priya wherever she went. Yes. Esha Diwan, Priya’s younger sister or more so her pet.

  A weak smile tugged at the corners of Arjun’s mouth as soon as the image of a girl with twin braids flashed in his mind’s eye. He wondered why he couldn’t see Esha in the Diwan’s House today.

  She was simple and plain like white bread. While Priya had oozed confidence, oomph, and charisma, her younger sister was a sweet little nerdy teenager.

  The Uber came to a steady halt in front of Arjun’s favourite pub—The Bunker. This used to be Arjun’s favourite hangout joint back in college days. He and Priya would often visit the tavern.

  Pushing Priya’s thoughts out of his mind, Arjun climbed out of the cab, paid the cabbie and strode to the front door of the pub. He flashed his years-old membership card and the muscled man with a bald head and a goatee who stood at the doorway gave him a clean pass.

  Inside, the pub was dimly light, a rich smell of alcohol and nicotine slicing the thin air of the tavern. But it was nothing that Arjun hated. In fact, he was in desperate need of a drink. Alcohol would be the best bet when it came to forgive and forget. He had already forgiven Priya for breaking his heart. When he had dreamed of proposing to her, she had shattered his heart into pieces, announcing that she had moved on. That she was dating someone else.

  How easily she had moved on. How much he had loved her. How much he had thought about her days and nights and only about her for the past one and a half years. Yes, it was true he wasn’t ready for the marriage thing back then. But now, he wanted it. Loneliness was a killer. Now, Arjun knew the importance of having someone special in life, especially after spending those devastatingly lonely years on that deserted island.

  He wanted someone in his life, someone who was as close to him as Priya was a few years ago.

  Arjun pivoted on his heels as he studied the surrounding and eyed a solitary stool next to the bar counter.

  “A dirty dry Martini.” Arjun placed his order as the shaggy-haired bartender who was in his early 20s, smiled and nodded. Next moment, the young lad started mixing the drinks.

  Arjun threw a sweeping glance to the dance floor which was a few steps away from where he sat. The floor shimmered with neon floor lamps. Girls and boys of varied ages danced and swayed on the tunes of the DJ. Footsteps thumped and thwacked on the shiny stage.

  Arjun’s eyes wandered across the floor, searching for someone—perhaps, a familiar face in the crowd of strangers. How much life had changed for him in the past few years. It had been two days since he was rescued from that deserted island, but still he found himself trapped into the same loneliness. He was still alone like he had been a few days ago while on an island in the middle of the vast ocean.

  Why did everybody behave so differently? His old friends, his business partner Ritvik, and even the love of his life, Priya. Everybody had moved on except him.

  This was a new learning for Arjun. A new wisdom dawned upon him that no matter how much attached you were to someone, once you’re gone, you’re gone.

  People moved on and so did life.

  Arjun’s life was also moving on. He had to embrace this new truth, explore new avenues, find new friends to carry on.

  Not a philanderer himself, tonight Arjun needed to get hooked up with someone though. A pretty face.

  He again studied the dance floor, looking for a girl who he could hook up with.

  Arjun also wanted to make sure if he still had that charisma. Much to Priya’s dismay, girls used to throw themselves at him back then. But he was loyal to Priya, so his eyes had never wandered away from her.

  Shit. I need to forget her. Move on.

  Arjun slammed his glass on the counter, his hand gripping the back of his neck. Once again, he forced his stare back to the dance floor searching for someone, anyone. Perhaps, a woman with whom he could spend a night, drowning himself into a pool of sensations. He wanted to forget his past, forget the moments he had spent with Priya and the moments he had spent thinking about her while struggling for survival on the lonely island. He wanted a rough hard sex to make his mind go numb and forget about everything.

  A petite female silhouette swayed at a distance. It felt as though heaven granted Arjun’s wish. He checked out the female. Eyes closed, long locks swaying, she appeared lean yet curvaceous enough to give Arjun’s cock a tingle in his pants.

  The moment his eyes landed on the pretty face, he felt something ticked inside his heart.

  Who was she? Arjun had seen her earlier. But the dim lighting of the pub couldn’t provide enough view of her face that he could work out her identity.

  She wore a shimmering black mini dress. H
er long nude legs ended into a pair of high-heeled black pumps. She swayed to the tunes the DJ played, relishing, savouring it as if trying to dissolve herself into the music for the moment.

  Arjun was checking her out until the lady opened her eyes.

  ***

  Oh My God! Arjun Raghuvanshi.

  Esha felt her heart in her mouth. Next moment, it went into the fifth gear, pounding hard against her chest.

  Shock.

  Anxiety.

  Euphoria.

  A jumble of emotions captured Esha as her eyes met with those the colour of the dark night. He was constantly staring at her. Perhaps checking her out. Probably trying to work out her identity.

  What the hell? Couldn’t he recognize her?

  Esha’s feet felt frozen. Cold sweat trickled down her spine. And despite the cold sudden shocking surprise, Esha felt heat radiating to her cheeks and several other body parts.

  She looked at him, unblinking. How much she wanted him. Was it the right time to approach him, especially when her sister had broken his heart? Especially when Arjun Raghuvanshi was her sister’s ex. Especially when she still crushed on him.

  Yes, she had been crushing on her sister’s ex. She had been crushing on Arjun Raghuvanshi not only for a few years but since her girlhood.

  The heart capturer smiled and raised his glass. His smile was genuine and polite. Not like the one that men threw when they tried to woo a woman. It felt as if he recognized her, recognized her as Priya’s sister, his ex’s sister. Or did he recognize her as Esha Diwan?

  Esha smiled weakly, looking at the beholder and quickly turned her back. Her heart was no way ready to go back to its normal rhythm. Esha placed a hand on her thumping chest trying to calm down her shaky heartbeat.

  One Mississippi.

  Two Mississippi

  Three Mississippi

  Esha counted till five, forward and then backward before turning around.

  “Oh, heck,” Esha muttered as she ran down the dance floor and reached the bar counter.

  “Excuse me,” she called out to the bartender who had his back to her.

  “Yes, pretty. What I can get ya.” The young bartender smiled.

  “Where’s the man who was sitting here?” Esha pointed to the empty stool at the corner. Her words trailed off as disappointment made its way from her head to her pounding heart. A sudden ache rose in her chest as the reality of not meeting Arjun Raghuvanshi for the second time in the day began to sink in.

  Five

  Shit.

  How could I do that? Arjun gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as he waited for the cab. A minute later, a white Uber halted next to him. Arjun opened the rear door and dropped himself on the backseat.

  His head tilted back as he let himself loose on the leather seat. The air conditioner threw frigid air and the insides of the vehicle felt unpleasantly fragrant as Arjun tried to shoo away Priya, Esha, and the entire Diwan family.

  But no matter how hard he tried, Arjun couldn’t get himself an inch away from thinking about the lady he just saw in the pub.

  A pretty face danced in the depth of Arjun’s dark eyes. No way. She was still Priya’s sister. Eight years younger than him. How could he even think of checking her out?

  Shit. He was planning to hook up with her for the night. Good that he had realized on time and hadn’t made any move except slipping away from the very vicinity of the sultry beauty.

  Nothing worse could happen than thinking about spending a night with his ex’s sister. The same girl who was eight years younger than Priya, than him. And the same girl who Arjun had never seen more than as a reclusive teen.

  How could Arjun forget that Esha was the one who had sneaked a kiss from him while he was asleep in his room.

  Arjun and Priya were dating back then and Esha was aware of that. Even then, she had sneaked into the neighbourhood, to his room and…

  Yeah, it’s true she was eighteen years old back then, not a minor. But hadn’t she known that she was crushing over her sister’s boyfriend, a man who was almost a decade older than her? Eight years of age difference wasn’t small, was it?

  Arjun always felt protective of Esha as an elder brother back then. Had anything changed during his absence? Certainly, she had grown into a beautiful young woman but still she was a kid in Arjun’s eyes.

  Guilt and apprehension couldn’t let Arjun think about anything. When earlier he had thought he would spend the night with a woman, forgetting his past, overcoming heartbreak, and celebrating life—his own life that he had claimed back when a wayward fishing vessel came to his rescue—now, he only thought of going back to his hotel room and sleeping over the heartbreak and the guilt. Yes, guilt. Guilt that had been engulfing him since the moment he had realized he was planning to hook up with his ex’s kid sister for a one-night fling.

  ***

  Esha darted to the door. Not even bothering to inform Sara who was still on the dance floor, Esha flew out of the main exit like a migratory bird. All Esha wanted was to chase Arjun Raghuvanshi at that very moment. All apprehensions and dilemmas about meeting him or not had cleared away. Now, she only wanted to meet him, talk to him, listen to him, and help him rid of the pain of heartbreak and loneliness.

  She could say Arjun wasn’t in a very good shape. He had become leaner and thinner and pale. Gone were the tout muscled body, now his frame was bonier. He needed to get back to his life. Esha knew Arjun was all alone to deal with the aftermath of gone missing for nearly two years. Just like his dad, his uncle also died of a massive stroke when Arjun was in his early 20s. The boy had a family history of stroke and heart disease. Though he was young, he needed to claim back his lost health.

  When Esha had to keep her guards on, not letting her old crush hover over her head, Arjun had unknowingly marked his arrival on her heart. She desperately needed to meet the man who had claimed her days and nights all through her growing up years.

  She crushed on him.

  She hated him.

  But finally she loved him.

  Yes. Esha loved Arjun.

  Just as the pain of not finding Arjun anywhere on the street or in the parking alley began to settle down, Esha’s heart ached. Disappointment whirled through her trying to crush every single hope, every single desire to meet the man of her dreams.

  Though it was Priya who was brutally affected when the missing news broke out, Esha was the one who literally drank her tears. She couldn’t show her pain to anyone. She cried alone, often under the shower, often in the presence of her best friend, Sara.

  With Sara, Esha realized, her chirpy friend might have been searching for her. Esha pulled her Samsung out of her leather hip bag and called her friend.

  “Esha where are you?” Sara’s chirpy voice streamed from the other side.

  “In the parking.” Esha’s tone was calm and melancholic as she stood in the not so well-lit car stall. Petrol fumes mingled up in the enclosed parking lot. Few more cars made their way to the exit.

  “This isn’t done, Esh. We agreed only on booze and dance. Now what are you doing in the lot.”

  “I was just…” Esha’s words trailed off as Sara began yelling again.

  “Forget it. How was it?”

  “How was what?” Esha’s eyes shrank.

  “Oh, come on. The sex, silly.” Sara giggled on the other side.

  “Oh. It was great, and the guy has yet to find his knickers.”

  “Shit. Esh. I can’t believe this. Hold on. I’ll be there,” Sara hollered, “Wait. Ask him if he’s ready for the second round.”

  Before Esha could speak anything, the phone got disconnected. Esha smiled as she shoved the mobile back into her hip bag. She waited for Sara, standing in the dimly lit parking lot, seeing people coming and parking, some were done hopping on and were on their way back home.

  Life always comes full circle. We go out, roam around, and then go back home. It’s a cycle that always remains the same, no matter what.

  Just l
ike she fell for a man. The man went missing. He reappeared, knocking at the door of her lonely heart and once again Esha couldn’t help but to open her heart to him.

  Wasn’t finding Arjun alive like finding a way back to home for Esha? Wasn’t she just roaming around aimlessly till now?

  Pointed heels clanked against the concrete floor as Sara came bounding into the parking lot.

  “I can’t believe this, Esh. It was my idea, but you seriously nailed it. Were you kidding or…” Sara’s shimmering red lips turned into a mischievous grin as she threw a sweeping glance at the parked cars.

  “He’s gone. Ran away for his life, begging he couldn’t endure two witches the same night.” Esha snickered trying to hide the sadness coursing through her heart. But she knew no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hide her pain from her friend’s keen eyes.

  “What’s wrong, Esh?” Sara came close and placed a comforting hand on Esha’s shoulder.

  Esha wiped the corners of her eyes. After seeing Arjun in the morning, she had decided not to step out of her room the whole day. It was on Sara’s insistence that she had reluctantly agreed for the night out. Little did she know that all her plans of hanging out with her bestie and letting herself lose in the night would shatter like a glass of busted car window. Seeing Arjun in the pub was no more than witnessing an earthquake.

  When Esha had buried all her feelings deep below the depths of her heart, Arjun Raghuvanshi had come back. And the tremors were so strong, she couldn’t even steal a fucking breath.

  “Nothing.” Esha’s voice croaked as she ingested the heat of unshed tears.

  “I brought you here to cheer you up, Esh, but looks like you’re still harbouring the pain.”

  “He was here,” Esha murmured, her gaze drifting to the concrete flooring and then back to Sara’s face.

  “You mean, Arjun?” Sara’s eyebrows shot up, her lips pursing.

  Esha nodded.

  “What the hell. Had he taken an oath to mess up with you all the time.” Esha could feel her friend’s anger as Sara grabbed her into a hug. “It’s okay. Let’s get back home, and I’ll be sleeping over with you.”