The night air was cool and still. Vikram and Thabal were sitting next to each other on the dining table, in the hall. The windows were kept open for the cold air to enter in.
They were alone in this house, completely immersed in their own privacy. Vikram was serving her, scooping the curry and putting on her plate.
"Bas bas bas. Hogaya. Kitna hi khaungi mein" Thabal tapped on his wrist and stopped him.
"Bohot kam khati ho tum. You need to eat more. Haddiya nikal rahi hai tumhari" he shook his head and pushed few plates and bowls infront of her.
"Itna sara kon khayega?" She made a crying face, whining at him.
"Tum. Aur kon. Chalo now be my food girl and eat all these" he patted her head gently, coaxing her to eat it.
Thabal gulped looking at the dishes laid infront of her. There was dal, matar paneer, salad, fried potatoes and aalu bharta.
"God save me" she muttered under her breath and mixed the rice with the curry. She scooped some amount in her hand and let the morsel in her mouth.
Her eyes lit up at the taste. Damn Kavita and her cooking skills. Thabal was seriously envying of her talent. She was worst at cooking, it wasn't her thing from the first place at all.
"Aacha laga?" Vikram asked looking at her, while taking a bite of his own food. Thabal quickly nodded at it.
"Aunty ne banaya hai. Kyu aacha nahi hoga. It's so damn nice. But itna sara kaise khatam karungi mein" she sighed dramatically, taking another bite. Vikram chuckled at her antics.
"Dheere- dheere aadat lag jayegi. You don't have a habit of eating much, that's why you are finding difficulty. Ek baar aadat lag jaye toh thik hojayega sab" he convinced.
Thabal nodded quietly and continued eating. The hall was quiet, except for the distant chirping of crickets outside the open window. The cool breeze played with the curtains.
"Vikram" Thabal called suddenly, remembering something she saw in the morning.
"Hmm" Vikram hummed as he placed the salad in her plate.
"Aapko pata hai kya Harish Malhotra kon hai?" Her question made him halt for a second. But then as if nothing happened, he continued eating and hummed in answer.
"Aaj dekha meine news pe. He is a billionaire na. Like itnaa jyada paisa hai. Suddenly he got bankrupted. Uska itna bara company ko bechna pada. Now he is even poorer than me" Thabal tched in a pitiful way.
Vikram smiled slightly at her words.
"Who told you, you are poor. Everything i have is yours. Mein khud tumhara hoon. You know how expensive i am?" He winked at her playfully making her giggle out.
"Aap bhi na" she laughed and reached out for the glass, taking few gulps. After she kept the glass back, she continued again.
"Aur aapko pata hai woh ladka. Yaad hai? Uss din aapke saath jaghra huwa tha na. Ransh naam hai" she looked at him, to watch if he was angry at the mention of his name. But he was surprisingly calm.
"Hmm? Usse kya huwa" Vikram asked, eating his food.
"Well here is the twist. He happened to be the only son of the Harish Malhotra. Jo bankrupt hogaya. And you know the most shocking part?? He is in jail now. Ransh. Like clearly mentioned nahi tha kyu huwa. But he is under arrest now. Suna hai kisi government official ko mara usne. Bechara, uska career toh banne se pehle hi khatam hogaya" she sighed, while chewing on the paneer.
Vikram watched her eat, and smiled slightly. His Thabal. His innocent and kind Thabal. She was always caring about others. Even though they did bad to her, she would still feel a sense of pity for them.
"Kya?" She raised her brow at him, as he watched her with a smile on his face. Vikram just shook his head in answer.
"Waise suno na" Thabal started, her voice small but curious as she poked at a piece of fried potato.
"Sun raha hoon chand, bolo" he hummed and fed her a piece of his paneer.
"University mein actually kya huwa? Meera and Shreya were narrating me, but they were so hyper I couldn't understand anything. Aap bolo aache se" she looked at him with expecting eyes.
Vikram took a slow sip of water and then looked at her, who was waiting impatiently for his answer.
"Kuch khash nahi. They got what they deserve. Pehle-pehle argue kar rahe the. Fhir i showed them their place. Made them kneel, apologize to you and then crowd ko bulaya auditorium pe. Ek do lines speech diya and at last the 4 girls are going to serve in the prison for 2 years with fine" he shrugged and watched her eyes turning sad. Sad for the girls. Vikram reached over, wiping a small stray bit of rice from the corner of her lip with his thumb.
"Chand, bura lag raha hai?" He asked gently, caressing her cheek.
"Haan thoda bohot. I mean although they did wrong. Still, career barbad hogaya unka. And going to jail and stuff, it's too much to digest" she answered honestly.
Vikram's thumb lingered on her cheek for a heartbeat longer. He sighed softly, his gaze softening as he looked into her empathetic eyes. He knew she would feel this way, her heart was simply too kind to harbor the kind of cold, calculated fury he carried.
" Chand, listen to me. If someone has so much poison in their heart that they can physically hurt a peer because of where they come from, they don't deserve to hold a stethoscope" he gently spoke and cupped her chin.
He reached for her left hand, lacing his fingers with hers over the table.
"Don't carry their guilt. They are learning their lesson, which they should have long ago" he made her understand.
"Samaj rahi hoon mein. It's just. Saal barbad hogaya na. You know how much this means to me, so mujhe pata hai kitni mehnat lagti hai idhar tak pohochne mein. And suddenly ek galti ke wajah se you just go far away from your goal. Pura piche gir jana, it's a huge blow. A side of me is feeling bad for them. Yet somehow I feel ki shayad they deserved it. And they are just repenting for their mistakes" she muttered slowly. Vikram squeezed her hand in return, as if comforting her troubled thoughts.
"Abhi in sab ko bhul jao. You got such a handsome man sitting infront of you. How can you even think about anything else" he tched in a dramatic manner. Thabal let out a startled giggle, the heavy weight in her chest suddenly feeling a few kilograms lighter. She looked at him, seeing the playful glint in his eyes that he only ever showed to her.
"Aap bhi na! Self obsession ki bhi hadh hoti hai" she teased, finally breaking her somber mood.
"It's not obsession if it's a fact" Vikram smirked and turned to eat his food. Thabal laughed at it, throwing her head back.
Vikram watched her laughing so beautifully. Her eyes squeezing shut, cheeks decorated in slightly pink hue. Oh Lord! She was truly a beauty carved meticulously.
"You know. I love watching you laugh" he said gently and smiled. Thabal stopped laughing by then, she looked at him with a wide smile and grin.
"And you know?" She leaned slightly forwards him, making him arched his brow playfully, the smile never leaving his face.
"Kya?" He asked.
"I love you. So so much. More than anyone" she grinned and chuckled. Vikram couldn't help but chuckle, seeing her cheekiness.
So fucking adorable, that he just wanna gobble her down. He wanted to bite her cheeks, they looked so ripped and full.
"I love you so much more Chand" he whispered huskily, watching her smile shyly.
Vikram leaned back, a boyish, mysterious smirk playing on his lips.
"Chand" he called, making her look at him with a questioning gaze.
"Hmm? Bolo" she answered softly. Uff! Her voice. He just wanted to call her name all day and in return hear her respond.
"You love water right?" He asked her, earning a quick nod.
"Haan, bohot!" She smiled and continued eating her forgotten food.
"Well abhi October bhi khatam hone wala hai. November pe toh thand lagna shuru hojayega. So abhi perfect time hai" he smiled slightly, making her confused as hell.
"Hain? Kya perfect time. Kisliye?" She asked in utter confusion.
"To enjoy the waves" he winked with a smirk playing on his lips. Thabal just sat with a confused look. What is he even speaking? Why was he rotating the words instead of just directly saying it.
"Vikram mera dimag mat khao aap. Sidha-sidha bolo" she frown at him, irritated by his riddles. Vikram chuckled at her angry self. He couldn't resist to pinch her nose.
Thabal scrunched her nose at his move.
"Let's go for a small trip. Bas 3 din ke liye hai. Tab tak tumhara mind bhi fresh hojayega and you will be diverted from such things. I will book train tickets for us to Goa. We will leave by tomorrow morning" Vikram decided.
Thabal's eyes widened, her hand freezing halfway to her mouth.
"Leaving? Kal? Par Vikram, meri classes and I have to check in with the Dean for the formal statements! Aur aapka kam ka kya" she babbled frantically.
Vikram let out a rich, deep chuckle that seemed to vibrate through the quiet hall. He squeezed her hand and looked at her with assuring eyes.
"It's okay baby. Calm down. I have already taken a medical leave for you. I have talked to your dean about it. And he had approved it. Tum insab ki chinta mat karo. Rahi baat mere kam ki. Toh i will have it handled as a substitute to any of the officers for the upcoming few days. Everything is handled, you don't need to worry about those things" he calmly explained her.
Thabal looked at him for a few seconds. As if trying to digest the news.
"Kya-kya pack karu?" She questioned meekly, making him chuckle.
"Well as hum beach pe ja rahe hai. Toh bring some light clothes. And surely a bikini" he winked at the last line. Thabal widened her eyes at his mischief.
"But-but, that's only for me to see. If you wear, you can wear it just infront of me. Understood" he added, his voice turning deeper and darker, a sense of possesiveness taking him over. Thabal looked away shyly and finished her remaining food portion.
"Khane ke wakt kya-kya bolte ho aap" she muttered and shook her head, although a small smile slip on her lips.
"Itne mein hi sharma gayi? Pata chala mere dimag pe tumhare liye kaise-kaise khayal hai. Tum toh bhag hi jaogi" he whispered huskily, making her shudder at the intensity slightly.
"Vikrammm!" Thabal scolded him, her own cheeks turning into the deepest shade of pink.
Vikram let out a deep, genuine laugh at her reaction. Oh! How he loves to tease her. To see her adorably cute reactions.
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"Goaaa!!! Here i come!!" Thabal squeled in excitement.
She was currently standing in front of the train door. The engine ran with heavy iron sound. It was honking occasionally in between. The view infront of her was mesmerizing. There were beautiful green scenery everywhere.
Everything was green and beautiful. A big lake approached them and the train left it behind, to chase the journey to Goa's railway station.
It has been years Thabal was travelling in train again. She smiled at the thought. She was enjoying the wind, from the door when suddenly big, strong arms engulfed her small figure. The arms circled around her waist and Vikram rested his chin on top of her head.
Thabal flinched subtly at the sudden contact. But recognising the touch, she immediately leaned to the touch. Vikram caressed her waist gently and pulled her back against his chest more closer.
"Idhar kya kar rahi ho. You know it's not safe right, hm? Gir wir jati toh?" He softly scolded him, making her pout at him. Thabal turned her head to looked at him and put on a playful scowl on her face.
"Door se dur hi toh hoon. Kuch nahi hoga" she made a cute face intentionally to skip his scoldings.
Vikram didn't buy the innocent face act for a second, though his heart melted just looking at her. He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her back from the open door and into the narrow corridor of the First Class coach.
"Yeh cute shakal kahi aur dikhana, Chand. If you fall, I will have to jump after you, and I really didn't plan on spending our Goa trip in a hospital bed" he murmured against her hair, his voice a mix of stern authority and deep affection.
Thabal giggled, leaning her head back against his sturdy shoulder as the train clattered over a bridge.
"But mein toh jaha bhi jaungi, agar aapke saath jaungi toh i will be the happiest. Even if it's a hospital bed" she grinned. Vikram let out a deep, genuine laugh. He hugged her tighter and kissed on her temple as his laugh died down. His chand. How could he not love her when she was like this.
"Aap kitne boring ho! Look at the wind, Vikram. It smells so sweet and i feel so free" she laughed softly and placed her hand over his.
"Baki nahi pata but the only thing that smells sweet is you" he murmured in his husky voice and dipped his head in the crook of her neck. He nuzzled against her hairs and took a deep breath of her scent.
Thabal blushed furiously, a shy smile made to her face. She turned around in his arms so she was trapped between him and the compartment wall.
She placed her hands on his chest and drew circles on his clothed chest.
" Come, let's go inside. The pantry guy is bringing the breakfast" he murmured as he looked down at her. Thabal looked up and they held an eyecontact which made their hearts skipped a beat.
"Sundar lag rahi ho" he murmured and caressed her jaw gently. Thabal blushed and looked away shyly, a red hue coating her ears.
"Hogaya" she murmured and slapped on his chest, embarrassment taking over her.
Vikram laughed and held her hand, he took her into their private coupe. He had booked an 1st class AC compartment. A small foldable table was already laid out, as they entered their room. Thabal's eyes went wide as she stared at the dishes laid in front of her. There were steaming hot vegetable cutlets, crispy bread toast, and bowls of poha garnished with fresh coconut and sev puri.
"Itna sara?" Thabal gasped, already reaching for a cutlet.
"Umhm. All for you. You need to eat all of this" he strictly informed, pouring hot tea into two white cups.
Thabal gasped dramatically hearing it. She placed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes for a second.
"Please. Baksh do mujhe aap. I literally can't" she sighed and continued savouring her dish. Vikram smiled and wiped the corner of her lips.
He picked a sev puri and brought it near her mouth.
"Mein khilaunga toh sab khaogi?" He asked her gently, softening his voice on purpose. He knew well his soft side melts her walls down. Thabal looked at him for a second before eventually giving up.
She smiled and opened her mouth. Vikram fed him the puri. Thabal moaned in delight and grinned at him, her mouth filled with the food.
Vikram chuckled, his heart doing a little flip at the sight of her puffed cheeks. He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her soft skin.
The rhythmic clack-clack of the train on the tracks was the only background music they needed. Outside, the lush green hills of the Konkan began to roll past the window, but Vikram barely spared them a glance. His entire world was currently sitting on the train seat, happily munching on the sev puri.
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Short chapter
Sorry!!!!!
Woh I was a bit busy, a family member passed away so i got busy in their cremation ceremony and stuff
Stay safe sweeties 🌻✨
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