Page 55 of Forbidden

There’s no response. Obviously, his room is as big as the one Aarav and I have occupied, so maybe he is in the bedroom or bathroom and hence cannot hear my voice. I take the chance and step inside the room. I knock on his bedroom door too and even that’s open. Really? The bed is messy, which is rare because Mohit likes to keep his things tidy. I hear voices from the shower, and my heart skips a beat. It’s Mohit inside the bathroom and he isn’t alone. I hear another laugh from a woman with him. No!! I might be hearing something which isn’t true, but the laughter of the woman doesn’t stop. Gripping the Shawl tight in my hands, I step towards the slightly open bathroom door, and see Mohit with some woman under the shower. Darkness flashes before my eyes, and my feet turn to jelly, forcing me to take the support of the table beside the door and whilst doing so, the flower vase hit the floor, breaking into pieces. The laughter stops. I can’t be here!! I shouldn’t be here. I turn around and almost run to the door.

“Jhanvi,” Mohit calls me, but I don’t stop. Not until I am far away from his room. So far that I don’t think I even know where I am, except that I am still in the hotel’s vicinity.

I stop when I have no energy to run farther. What the hell was that? Mohit was with another woman? How? I .. I don’t get it. Why would he do that when he wants to marry me? Does he even want to marry me when all this is over? Do I even have a right to expect him to choose me again when I am still stuck in this imposed marriage with Aarav for no idea how long? Will I ever think of going back to Mohit after seeing him with someone else? My mind has stopped working. It hurts.

“Jhanvi.”

Mohit reaches me. I can’t believe he followed me. I wipe my tears and turn around. He’s in a bathrobe. Of course!! I don’t even feel like looking at him, but I can’t leave until I have the answers I am looking for. And now that I am composed enough to deal with this situation, I recall who that woman is whom I saw with Mohit. She is his ex-girlfriend, Sofia.

“You and Sofia, huh?” I ask, my voice coming out in a whimper.

“Look,” he rubs his temples. “You are mistaking it all.”

“Am I, Mohit? You mean to say seeing you and your Ex under a shower, laughing and making out is a mistake.?” A laugh escapes my lips. “Well, it felt like a mistake. Wish I hadn’t barged into your room like that. But then I am glad I did. I at least know I was expecting too much from the wrong guy.”

He looks away, guilt evident on his face.

“Mohit, I thought you and Sofia are done. You had broken up with her, the last I had asked you. In fact, this is exactly why I agreed to your marriage proposal. Had I known there were any chances of you two getting along again then…”

A tear rolls down my cheek, which I rub away instantly. I don’t want to cry. It’s not that I loved Mohit. But he was my best friend, and I thought we could trust each other blindly.

“Sofia and I are not together anymore,” he snaps. “She just happened to be here at the same hotel for some other work and we met. A drink ended up into a night and then it got extended into a shower together. I don’t love her.”

He has those nerves to tell me that? Wish I could just slap him.

“Jhanvi, I am only serious about you. Don’t let these brief distractions ruin what we could have in the future between us.”

That’s it. I slap him so hard on his cheek that my palm burns.

“How sick of you?” I scowl. “You think I will even want to have something more between us after what I saw today?”

Now he’s raged. Mohit grabs my arms painfully harder.

“Why Jhanvi? Why not? When I could accept the fact that you married my rival stepbrother, when I trust you to stay with him under one roof, and when I could even see you kissing Aarav before my eyes, why can’t you ignore this silly moment of mine?”

He’s lost it. I push him with all my strength.

“Don’t make it look similar,” I shout. “I married Aarav to saveyourlife. I stayed under his roof to saveyourbusiness and I didn’t kiss him out of love. Just like every other thing happening in my life recently, even that kiss was forced. But your thoughts disgust me, Mohit. Are you even listening to yourself?”

My phone rings, but I don’t even bother to check. I am so angry at the present situation and with Mohit, I even lose track of time.

“Fine. I am sorry,” he gives up, but I know he doesn’t mean it. For a change, I have literally started reading Mohit’s face after this incident and I can tell if he means what he is saying to me now.

“Just don’t be upset. This won’t happen again.”

He tries to touch me again, but I step back.

“I have to go.”

“Jhanvi, come on,” he growls. “I said I am sorry. I can even promise this is the last time I have acted so recklessly. I want you and no one else.”

I don’t wait any longer to hear all that. I just turn around and leave. It’s too much to process right now, especially when my body is drained of every feeling. By the time I reach the lobby, I check my phone. It shows 7 missed calls from Aarav. Is he back?

I step inside the room, and Aarav is already there, waiting for me. With his eyes pinned sharply on my face, I can say he is mad!! Did he find out I was with Mohit? My eyes then linger on the purse he is holding. That’s my purse. Why does he have it? Wait!! That purse has the device Mohit gave me to fix in Aarav’s study room, which I don’t think I am ever going to do.

“So, this is why you came back to me?” Aarav queries. I can feel rage pumping off him. I can see it in his eyes. “How many such devices have you planted at my home or rather here? In this room?”

Damn hell! He saw the device? I want to tell him I didn’t do this, but currently, I’m too exhausted by what I saw in Mohit’s room. I need to lie down.

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