Destiny's Play!!

Chapter - 46

Karan stood at the edge of the cliff. He raised his arms as if he was about to take a flight and plunged head down into the ravine. He closed his eyes as the wind rushed through his hair and the ground rushed up to meet him. He had refused to take the full body harness. Tying the pad and ropes around his ankles. He had done this a million times if not more. He had trained both Uday and Manya in it too. The thrill, the excitement was there but it had been double fold when he had jumped with Avni. It had been different. She had placed so much trust in him that nothing would go wrong for a second he had been nervous too. She had stood before him while he had instructed her how to go about it and she had done everything he had asked her to. He didn't know how she did it? How did one place such implicit belief in someone you had met just a couple of weeks ago? Placing your life in another person's hands like that? He opened his eyes and extended his hands downwards.

They touched the water's edge fleetingly before he was swung away. It was cold. The water. Avni had been scared. She had tried to keep a calm face and she had managed to do that till she had stood before him right before the jump. The slight trembling of her body and quick deep breaths had told him so. And despite that she had taken his word that all will be well. He had held her when they had jumped. It had felt so right to hold her like that. She was short and small both in height and physicality and yet she had fit. Her softness against his hardness. She was thin yes, but she was not bony. Her soft fragrance had teased his senses and he had to control the urge to pull her scent in deeper. He was so attuned to her and how she felt, it was bizarre. He had told her he would let her go and before she had time to protest he had and that was the only time she had screamed. But when she had swung in the air weightlessly she had laughed. The sound had boomed against the rocks and bounced back. It had been so rich, full of fun and abandon. He had been amazed. And this was the girl who had almost fainted at the thought of the whole experience. Once she had been pulled up she couldn't stop talking about how she had felt. She had been excited. But despite that she had decided to not take any more jumps. And none of them had pushed her. They were glad she had at least tried it. Maybe some other time.

Karan smiled as the motion stopped and he bent towards his feet. He caught the rope with his hands and started pulling himself up. She was a strange mix of things. She was still wary, still conscious and the deep sadness was very much a part of her but she was also constantly showing glimpses of this other side to her. When she had spoken to him last night about her confusion and had tried to explain about herself and Uday he had noticed the hesitation and yet she had tried to talk about it. Was she slowly coming out of her shell? Maybe. Was it because of him? Or Uday? He wasn't sure. He had spoken to her rationally easing her fears but deep inside somewhere he knew something wasn't adding up. Was he jealous? Maybe he had been. But then he had calmed down. He wondered how he would have reacted if it had been someone else, someone other than his brother? He wasn't sure and that was the puzzling part. It had to be Avni's choice. She should be able to decide who she wanted to go out with or spend her time with. That was the right thing. But even in thought he couldn't bear her getting close to another man even if it was his brother. Why was that? He paused taking in deep breaths trying to get his heart to come to a normal rate. The exercise of hauling himself up always made him breathless.

Coming back to his thoughts he realized how Avni stirred the protective side of his nature. His instincts naturally kicked in every time she was scared or feared something. Why was that? And how about the possessiveness he felt? He couldn't be attracted to her? Could he? No, the right question would be was he? He frowned at that. He didn't know anything about her besides her name and who she was. How could one feel so many emotions for someone you didn't know? But you do know her answered a voice. And he frowned. The little things she had told him about her. Her upbringing, her experiences so maybe it wasn't everything just hints but still. He understood her at a level that was baffling. Okay, for a second even if he was to agree that he was attracted to her. What next? She was here to complete her course and go back. How would things work out? And what about her dreams? Maybe she wanted a career before she wanted to settle down. Would he want to wait for that long? Where the hell were these thoughts coming from anyway? He pulled himself back over the edge and sat down taking in deep breaths to calm down his racing heart.

He looked where Avni sat with Manya. She had been looking at him too before she had averted her eyes. Uday stood next to the girls. Karan could see the trio was laughing over something. He then gazed towards Riddhima who stood near the jeep tightening her harness. If one was to go by her looks she was ready to kill someone. What the hell was going on? Was there something he was missing? He kept looking at them but couldn't come up with one thing. Granted Riddhima wasn't the most jovial of people but she was never this cranky. Besides Uday had always tried to win favors with her. He had never let an opportunity pass where he could spend more time with the girl. But not today? He stood with Manya and Avni. Hell, he had even defended Avni before and that too to Riddhima.

He decided to deliberate over his observations later. Uday was walking towards him. Karan was positive his brother wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone. At least not deliberately. But what if he did? Then what will Karan do? And the last thought made him frown furiously.

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