Ep. 6 Happy Birthday, Bastard

Aahil was about to go downstairs to join his friends on the dancefloor when he received a call from an unknown number and his steps halted as he picked the call.

He received it and a known manly voice made him clench his jaws. He disconnected the call immediately without giving the person a chance to speak his mind and blacklisted the number.

He sat back on the couch, opening the first two buttons of his grey shirt, and took a deep breath, shrugging off all the painful memories from his mind, when his mobile dinged again, indicating a message from another unknown number.

“Please talk to me for once and I’ll never disturb you again. All I want is to explain things to you.”

Aahil switched off his mobile and slammed it on the table, he held his head in hand, when he heard a familiar female voice

“Hi, Aahil! All alone?” A female voice said.

***

“Ritik? Why are you here outside ladies’ restroom?” Meera asked when she spotted Ritik standing against the wall beside the restroom.

“I forgot to compliment you, you are looking smoking hot in this dress.” He said. His eyes roamed from top to bottom and the way he was talking and looking at her, Meera was sure that he was drunk.

“Thank you so much. Now, come, let’s go. Everyone must be waiting.” She said and attempts to move away from him, but he grabbed her forearm, and pulled her back so forcefully that she collided with his hard chest.

“I think they can wait a little longer. I have something really important to ask you.” He whispered, pinning her to the nearby wall, and adrenaline rushed through her, sending chills down her spine. She started praying for someone to rescue her, as she was failing to free herself from his muscular hold. She looked around, but there was no one in the dark alley.

“Why can’t you accept my love, Meera? I fucking love you so much. Can’t you see the love in my eyes?” He asked, tightening his grip and Meera was on the verge of crying.

She gave a pained expression, “I don’t love you, Ritik. Be a man enough to accept this. Please don’t do something that I end up hating you. Let me go, you are hurting me.” She said and started wiggling to free herself, but Ritik behaved as if he was possessed.

“Not so soon, princess,” He smirked evilly and then leaned in to kiss Meera, but before he could taint her, someone punched him hard on the face, and he fell on the floor with the effect.

Meera looked at Ritik flabbergasted, and turned to see her right, only to find Aman, who was seething in pure anger. He held Ritik by his collar, and pinning him against the same wall where he pinned Meera before, and started beating him mercilessly.

“How the fuck you touched her?” He growled, punching him square in the jaw while Meera tried to detangle them, but Aman was like a raging bull. He slammed him in the wall multiple times and punched him in the guts.

Ritik tried to fight him back but Aman easily overpowered him and continued to beat the shit out of him, until Meera came forward again and pleaded with him to stop. Finally, Aman stopped and blood was oozing out from Ritik’s nose and side of his mouth.

Aman backed away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and Meera clutched his arm with her shivering hands like a scared kitten, and looking at her fearful expression and teary eyes, Aman raged in anger again. He pulled Ritik again and slapped him right across the face.

“Happy Birthday, bastard,” Aman screeched, leaving him lying there on the floor, and holding Meera’s wrist, he dragged her away, while Ritik looked at their retrieving figures, and smirked.

***

Aahil looked up to find the source of the voice and found a girl in short mid-thigh bubblegum pink dress and her face was all decked up like a barbie doll. “Roma?”

The girl gave a sultry smile and sat beside him on the couch, flaunting her long legs to him. It took some moment for Aahil to understand her actions and he slightly shifted away from her. “Are you alright?” He asked.

Roma smiled, “Yeah, just a bit tipsy,” she said and winked at him. “Where is everyone?”

“On the dance floor,” He replied, staring at her face and a smile stretched on her pink painted lips.

“That’s great!! I wanted to say something to you for so long but never got any chance to speak privately, that bitch Meera, she was always clinging onto you,” Roma said and Aahil widened his eyes at her choice of words.

“Mind your tongue, Roma. Just finish fast whatever you want to say. I don’t have this whole evening booked for you,” Aahil replied harshly, and Roma was shocked to encounter Aahil’s rude side, as he never talks rudely to anyone. He was the most polite guy in the college and it was another reason after his charming looks that made him popular, especially in girls.

“I... I like u, no I think, I love you.” Roma stuttered while shyly looking away.

“You think you love me? Means you are not sure about your feelings for me?” Aahil arched his eyebrow and Roma was about to reply when he cut her off.

“First, get sure about your feeling and then come back to propose to me. I take relationships really seriously. I am not a toy like your previous boyfriends,” Aahil said and stood up from the couch. “And one more thing, thank god that you are a girl because if you were a boy I would have beaten the shit out of you for that bitch word you’ve used for Meera.” He growled, and Roma looked down in embarrassment.

No one ever rejected a stunning girl like her before, and she felt insulted by her long time crush. She sat there stunned for a few minutes, but then composed herself and quickly left without saying a word.

Aahil massaged the corner of his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “Meera must be waiting for me.” He thought and decided to join their group downstairs, but before he could reach out his hand to open the door. It burst open, and he saw Aman dragging Meera inside, and she was sobbing.

Aahil’s creased his forehead as Aman left Meera’s wrist and she embraced Aahil without saying a word. “What happened?” Aahil asked, he felt her heartbeat racing. He put his hand around her, securing her in his arms, but she only cried harder in response.

“What happened, Aman? Why is she crying?” Aahil asked, looking at Aman for an explanation.

“Stop showing your fake concern!! Can’t you take care of your girlfriend? That fucker, Ritik, was harassing her outside the ladies restroom. He tried to kiss her but instead received a flying punch on his face from me.” Aman said and Aahil tried to break the embrace to look at Meera but she clutched him like a second skin, burying her face in his chest.

“Let me go and make his birthday special.” Aahil said, successfully removing Meera’s arms, but she held his wrist to stop him.

“Please don’t go, please,” She said in a choked voice and Aahil removed her tears with his thumb, his eyes fell on her arms where he could clearly see red marks and the urge beat Ritik rose inside him again.

“No need to go. I have already given him enough birthday gifts.” Aman said, sitting on the couch leisurely and picked a beer can. “Why don’t you both go official? Now your business is running smoothly, your loan is approved and if needed, I and Alina will help you establish. Let the world know that you guys belong to each other,” He suggested.

“Roma is crazy for you and Ritik is turning crazy for you,” Aman said, his eyes traveled from Aahil to Meera. “Just disclose that you guys are together and end this here.”

Aahil glared at Meera and then turned to answer Aman. “Do you think I don’t want that? But this girl, this stubborn girl is not rea….” But before Aahil could complete, Meera cut him off.

“I am ready!” Meera and two sets of eyes turned to her.

“WHAT!?!?” Aahil asked, unable to believe his ears.

Author's Note: If you like the story, kindly let me know your views :)