" If I had my way, I'd spend every day;
Right by your side.

And if I could stop the time,
Believe me I would try; for you and I.

And each moment when you are gone, is a moment too long in my life.
So stay right here, right now,
'Cause without you I am a disaster."

- Without You.

Rehan's P. O. V.

I was finally holding her in my arms. Finally. She looked like a rare piece of beauty with her mesmerizing blue eyes, shinning brighter than the water around us. Suddenly I heard a loud gasp. From June's blue eyes I looked at Apeksha's brown ones. She had turned around so I could not measure her reaction.

I let go of June and moved away from her, like I have been caught. A feeling of guilt overcame my conscience.

I kept looking at her back, hoping that maybe she will face us.. Me?

" I am sorry. I am sorry to disturb you. Please do not stop on my account. " she murmured.
I felt numb, she is the reason why I became what I am. And I can do everything but tell her the truth.

" No. No Apeksha wait........ nothing was. I mean come join us. We will have fun. " June said and for once I hoped that she will say yes and will come inside the pool.

But she shook her head and ran away. A painful smirk etched on my face. She thinks that she disturbed me. Well, now by running away she really did. I am shallow from inside.
Completely empty.
I wish June can complete that void .
I wish.

After Apeksha had gone I looked at June who was looking at me with flushed cheeks, " Ummm.. "

What did Apeksha want to say?

" June, I am hungry. Let's go get something to eat. " I said to avoid any embarrassment.

" Apeksha is a shy girl? "

" Nope. She doesn't like me." I told her the painful truth.

" Why? What did you do? Did you flirt with her? " she asked in a amused manner.

" Flirt?...... I cannot flirt with her, she is not made to flirt with, she is made to be loved unconditionally, which I guess I am incapable of. She does not like 'typical bad guys' like me. Unfortunately she is struck with me as we are family friends. " I said while looking at a distant point.

" Hey no problem." she said while raising my chin up which unconsciously had gone down,
" Everyone has their own choices. Maybe she will accept you someday. But on my part I must say that I love bad boys. " she smiled slyly.

" Favorable for me." I smiled.

********

We went outside to have our evening snacks. Wonderful food and most importantly we did not pay the bill. Practically, we were the owners.

" Beautiful scenery right? Can you click some pics Rehan? " June asked giving me her charming smile.

" Of course. " I said as I began searching for my phone. Wait. Where is it? I checked all my pockets and it was missing. Holy fishes, my love is missing. What am I without it. Fear filled me, "June, I... I can't find my phone."

" Relax Rehan. " she said while holding my hand. " Where did you leave it last time? "

I tried to memorize. Where? Where? The dressing room.

" Swimming pool's dressing room." I said victoriously as if an archer had hit the target.

I rushed towards the dressing room and found my phone lying on the bench. Ah! Heaven!

I picked it up and switched it open. Holy fishes! 10 missed calls and 20 messages. 5 calls were from Roxo, 3 from mom and 2 from dad. Some people miss me too much.

I called back Roxo, "Hello Wassup? "

" Ass. Where are you? " he barked forcing me to pull my phone away from my ears.

" Why? "

" Ruhi is unconscious and down with fever. " he shouted.

The phone litteraly dropped from my hands.

" Where is she? " I asked him trying my best not to lose my calm.

" In Apeksha's room."

Without wasting another second I rushed towards her room on the 2nd floor.

As I entered the room, Ruhi was lying on the bed, with glucose drip attached to her wrist. Mom was sitting beside her, caressing her hair and looking at her lovingly. Dad was talking to the doctor, Uncle Avinash and Aunt Meera were sitting on the sofa with their faces laced with worry. Roxo was leaning against the doorframe which opened to Apeksha's room's balcony.

I looked at my sister, pale, wane and fragile. How bad of a brother I am for not taking care of her. For not being able to protect her. I went to the doctor, " How is my sister now? What happened to her? "

" She fainted due to low b.p and tests say food poisoning. "

I looked at my dad.

" Where were you Rehan Kshatriya? Your cell phone is not given to you just for running facebook and instagram and chatting with your girlfriends. Your phone is given to you for picking up immergency calls from your family too. Where were you?" my dad rose his voice.

" Cafeteria. "

"Brothers are not here to look after their sisters and others have to take your responsibility. Had not Apeksha and Malhotra's son, Samar been here, what would have happened to my daughter?"

I did not say anything. Apeksha and Samar. They brought Ruhi here. Shoot. That's why Apeksha was finding me to tell me that Ruhi is unwell and when she must have seen me like that she must have felt disgusted and returned and by that time Ruhi must have fainted and Samar helped her. These incidents formed a picture in my mind and I solved the puzzle.

I went to Ruhi and kissed her hand, " Sorry Ru. Sorry. " I looked at my mom who had tears in her eyes. "She will be fine mom. " I said while wiping her tears.

She nodded her head.

I went to Roxo, who was looking worried, "Hey " I greeted him.

" Where were you? " he asked me.

" With June, in the cafeteria. "

" Congrats. Apeksha was finding you in the entire resort and you were eating snacks. I told her you are in the swimming pool. I called you five times. " he scolded me.

I told him the complete story and he dramatically sighed in response. "Idiot. " he said.

" Where is Apeksha? " I asked him.

" Outside. I guess on the stairs. " he said.

I went outside towards the stairs and I saw Apeksha sitting on the second stair with her head down, hands clasped together and placed on her laps. I felt an urge to go and hug her. Navya was sitting beside her, her hands around Apeksha's shoulders and she was speaking something. I reached there and cleared my throat to get their attention.

Navya looked at me with pure fury in her eyes as if ready to murder me. I quickly directed my vision to Apeksha who still did not look up. " Apeksha. I...... I am really thankful to you for helping Ruhi. But why didn't you tell me when you found me? "

Her head shot up and she looked at me with those dark brown eyes of her. It seemed as if she wanted to scream but chose to remain silent. The storm in her eyes specified the turmoil inside her. She was angry and hurt. What had happened?

" Ice Cream. " said Samar as he handled Apeksha and Navya ice creams. He brought strawberry for Apeksha. She loves Belgium Choco Chip more. She accepted it gladly but did not eat it. Because she hates strawberry. Tada.

" Rehan? "

" Samar. Thanks for taking care of Ruhi. "

" No problem man. Your sister, my sister. As it is Apeksha was so worried for her, she has not eaten anything since the afternoon." he said.

" Samar. " Apeksha chided.

She has not eaten anything since afternoon.

" I'll come. " I said and moved towards the ice cream parlor.

On reaching there I ordered, " One Choco Chip fruit nut Belgium bucket and one Blue berry current. " I ordered for Apeksha and Ruhi.

After taking the ice creams I went upstairs. Samar had gone by now and so had Navya. Apeksha was sitting alone there. Perfect.

I took that strawberry ice cream from her hand, "Hey I was eating that....... " she stopped when she saw me. I handed her, her favorite ice cream and for a couple of seconds her eyes gleamed on seeing that.

I sat beside her, the same place where Navya was sitting earlier.
"Here eat this. You have not eaten anything since the afternoon."

She did not eat that. This stubborn girl. There is not only one thing that is cute about her.

I tore open the packet for her, dipped the spoon in the ice cream bucket and brought it near her mouth, "Come on, Apeksha."

At this she ate it. Good. I felt happy on my achievement. She tried to take the bucked from my hand but I did not give it to her, "Let me. "

" I am not a kid Rehan. I can eat it on my own. "

" I want to confirm that you eat it and it does not land in the dustbin. " I argued.

" I don't waste my food. " she said.

" You hate ice cream of strawberry flavour, don't you? " I asked her.

" No. I love all types of ice creams."

"Sure." I said while giving one more spoon full of ice cream to her. " Here."

I felt content with every gulp of ice cream she swallowed.

After I had made her eat most of the ice cream, I thought of doing some mischief . "Here" I said and she opened her mouth. I brought the spoon near her mouth and as she was about to take the spoon in her mouth, I dodged it and ate it instead. She looked at me with pure contempt. Cute.

" Ooopppps. " I drawled.

She got up angrily but pulled her down wanting to apologize but she ended up falling flat on me . Had it been any other girl I would have noticed the acute pain caused in my back because of sudden contact with the sharp edge of the stair and that an expensive ice cream is on my expensive shirt but because it is Apeksha all I noticed is that how her hands are on my shoulder and mine are on her waist and how our faces are just inches apart. How her hair are cascading down on my face. Do people know how to stop the time?  I did not want to let her go nor did she pull apart. I felt like I am holding my life in my hands. I brushed her soft hair away from her face and tucked them behind her ears. Slowly she stood up. My heart was now demanding escape, I am afraid that it would blast. Believe me or not, I could hear violens IN the background.

" Sorry. " we both said together.

" Your..... your shirt. Let me clean it. " she said while taking out her handkerchief. She started wiping my shirt. I could not remove my eyes from her face. I saw blush on her face, making her look more stunning than ever.

"I did as much as I could. I think now it should to be washed. Change it. " she ranted not looking up directly at me.

She started to go away, when I held her wrist and stood up. I descended the stair and now stood on the same stair on which she was standing. I forced her face up and then she finally looked at me. I brushed my hands on the side of her lips cleaning the ice cream.

My one hand was cleaning the ice cream on her lips, one hand was around her supporting her and her both hands were resting on my chest. Her heart was against mine, only her hands separating them. It was all I need all my life. I need her. I grazed my hands on her soft skin, my face had it's own mind. Can I commit the sin of replacing my fingers with my lips? I closed my eyes, but she pulled back as her mom's voice echoed from her room, "Apeksha.... Where are you. Darling eat something."

" I..... I must go now." she stammered. I let go of her as I came back to my senses. She rushed towards her room without glancing back.

I grazed my hands through my hair. Shit! I could have done something very wrong. What was I thinking?

#############################

Many evil grins.....

I hoped that you enjoyed the chapter and I hope that you continue to read it further.

Don't forget to vote and comment and share the story.

Next chapter will be Zeeshan's P. O. V.

Stay tuned.

TitaniumPrime.