Chap 7

THE NEXT MORNING

Anu opened her eyes slowly and she didn't even have the energy to examine her surroundings. From the looks of it, it seemed like she is in her bedroom. And she lay there, not even making an effort to turn to the other side. She just lay there, as if waiting for someone to come and pull her out of this life.

An hour passed and she is still there. She didn't feel like getting out of her bed. She faced many such mornings earlier too. And during those days, she would lay this way for hours and hours, sometimes even the entire day.

"Don't wanna get up?", She looked up at the door and saw Arjun standing at the entrance.

She shut her eyes tight, clutching onto the blanket. She would have happily answered his question on any other day, but today, no chance.

She didn't want to get up but she had to, otherwise Arjun won't leave. She sat up with great effort and Arjun reached her bed in seconds but she didn't even look at him. He extended his hand for support and she refused it. But as soon as she placed her feet on ground and tried to stand up, she felt like the entire roof was collapsing over her head. She immediately slumped back onto the bed holding Arjun's hands and rested her head on his stomach, whimpering. 

But that was only for a second. She shot up from her place as soon as she felt his hand on her head.

As she stumbled her way into the hall, she found Shree examining the plastic flowers in the flower vase placed on the kitchen counter. 

"Hey Anu, how are you feeling now?", He asked as soon as he noticed her only to receive a hot glare from her.

As soon as Anu entered the kitchen, she tried to keep her mind off from all the things. Firstly, she arranged the dishes in the dish washer, then cleaned the entire floor, filled empty water bottles and put them in the fridge. Arjun and Shree stood there staring as she kept running from one chore to the chore. On a normal day, she is extremely lethargic, but today it seemed like she was taking out her anger on the poor animate things.

Just then there was a knock at the door and before Anu could move, Shree stopped her briskly,

"You please wait! I will take it.", Saying so, he walked to the door. Turns out, it's the milkmaid. 

As he was collecting the milk packets, Arjun looked back at Anu and their eyes met. She immediately broke the contact, rubbing her palms on the side of her pants. They stood there for few good seconds, before she walked out from there into the bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, she grabbed a towel and caved  into the bathroom. As she began brushing her teeth, she tried to avoid the mirror as much as possible. She didn't want look at her pale, puffy, crying, pathetic face in that moment. Once she was done brushing, she grabbed her towel and began wiping her face. Then it happened. She looked into the mirror. But it was not her face that scared her, it was that burnt figure that was standing behind her. Again the white cloth draped over it was stained by the blood streaks. As the flesh burning smell began to linger once again, she could see the figure approaching her.

"No, no, no, no! Please!", She began murmuring.

She could feel that figure wrapping it's fingers around her neck and she closed her eyes in slow pain.

Just then there was a faint tap on the door. She immediately opened her eyes. To her surprise, there was no one inside other than her. She looked in all directions once again to make sure that it was all her dream. There was no one.

The tapping on the door increased. She ran hurriedly towards it and opened. Shree was standing there with a concern bloomed face. Seeing him there, she frowned.

"Can't you just refrain from showing me your face for sometime?"

Hearing those words his face fell.

"I just wanted to give you this.", He said showing the milk glass in his hand.

"I didn't ask for it.", She said, dodging away from him.

"Anu, I know you are upset about last night. And you have every right to be. But I am so sorry. Please forgive me.", Shree begged, following her like a puppy into the hall.

"Anu..", He continued to nag but she cut him off by swiftly turning towards him.

"What do you want? If it's about how sorry you are for last night, forget it. I am not going to listen. Now stop tailing me and go sit in a corner."

"Okay, but atleast have this.", He said, holding out the glass for her.

"I don't want it.", She said, settling on the couch.

"Well, I am afraid there's no such option.", Arjun said, coming out from the store room.

He took the glass from Shree and moved towards her. 

"Drink it fast. We still have a lot of things to discuss.", He said sitting beside her.

"Wait, wh..at's there to discuss?", She asked cautiously moving away from him.

"Don't you know? About us!", He said and for a moment Anu tried to find if his eyes hid something playful but there was none.

And that was it. She decided that she has to end it.

"And... what's there about us?"

Both Arjun and Shree let out a sigh at the same time.

"Anu, shall we deal with this like adults? I don't want to waste anymore time dilly-dallying.", He said.

"Deal like adults? What's there to deal about it? I will tell you what, you both should go back home and get some sleep.", Saying so, she got up and picked up the glass infront of her, gulping it down in 3 huge sips.

"Look, this is also done. Now I am going.", She said placing back the glass on the table with a thud.

"Anu wait.", Arjun said as she was walking away and his measured tone sent chills down her spine.

Yet, she decided to play ignorant. She turned back to him, faking a smile and said,

"I am sorry yaar. I am feeling so tired. I guess I will go now."

That fakeness was so bitter that Anu could literally feel the bile rising up her throat. And perhaps Arjun felt the same too, because the very next expression on his face brought tears in her eyes. But she has to do this. Otherwise it will all go so wrong and she would never be able to correct it.

She reluctantly tore her gaze away from him and walked towards her room. But when had things ever ended that easily, she was stopped midway by Shree's voice.

"Anu, are you sure you know what you are losing?"

Yes! My entire life. She wanted to say but instead wore a detached expression and turned towards him.

"Shree, don't you dare talk. This is all..."

"Do you really think you are saving our friendship by avoiding this conversation?", Arjun asked, in a rather calm tone.

Before she could find an answer to his question, he was standing in front of her, looking right into her tear pooled eyes.

"Why won't you let me explain? What is stopping you from listening to me?", He asked.

"The very fact that we don't have anything between us and you are trying to build our whole future without the support of love.", She said looking straight into his eyes. She never knew his gaze had this much power. It felt so heavy that she doubted of how much more time she could stand straight under it.

"No, don't you dare say that we don't have love between us. I love you, I care about you, I want you, in every moment of my life, Earlier, I wanted you as a friend and now I want you as my life partner. Just that we didn't think about all this earlier, it doesn't mean we shouldn't think about this now.", He said, in a completely confident tone.

"And why do you want to think about this now?"

His brows furrowed at that. Then he spoke as if what's the big deal with it.

"Can't you see? I came to know about your feelings, your pain. I came to know how difficult your life has been since all these years and,....", He let out a deep breath and spoke, "I don't want you to go through it alone anymore. I want me to be there for you."

"Why? Because you can show your sympathy?", His eyes widened at her accusation and before he can respond, she continued.

"I don't want you to be there for me, Arjun! If I wanted you, I would have told you earlier itself. But it would get me nothing except your pity looks and concerned actions. Even now, you want me to marry only because of the guilt and sympathy that's eating you up.", She said and looked away, fat tears falling down her eyes.

"No..., No! No, Anu...Why would I do that to you? I respect you. I know you. I wanted to marry you because.., because..,", A pain crept up his face as he began opening his heart to someone after so many years.

"Because?", Anu asked looking back to him. In that moment he could swear he saw a shimmer of hope in her eyes, come and go. And he decided to find his courage in it.

"Because, once I made a mistake going behind someone who didn't love me and got my heart broken. But now I want walk with that person who loves me and want to do my best in giving her back the same love, even more if possible. I want to care about that person. I want her to care for me. I want to give my entire life to her. I want give my entire life to you, so that you can make it more beautiful for me. Trust me Anu, yesterday, after seeing you, I felt like giving my heart a second chance.", He said, now directly looking into her eyes, his fingers laced in hers. 

The sincerity she saw in his eyes scared her. That's it! He really wants it. Now everything rests on her shoulder. They are just at a word distance for their journey to begin. She could feel the jitters running down her body all the way till her toes and she could feel her grip on his fingers tightening.

 "Now tell me, what else is stopping you from taking me in?", He asked, a small curve forming on his lips. Course, he knows he won.

"I am scared.", She said. She didn't care about the tears that were still coming out of her eyes. She didn't want to imagine how red her eyes became by now. She just wanted them to run down freely.

"I am scared that if I let you explain yourself, you would end up convincing me to accept you. And once I accept you, I am afraid that you might actually marry me, give me a new home, new family, weave something magical around me making me believe that it is all mine and then leave, leave before it can even become my own. And I will be left alone all over again. I can't bear that."

"And why would I leave you?", He asked, running his fingers gently over her cheeks, as fresh tears began forming in his eyes.

"Because, because, I don't know. I can't believe my life. I just don't deserve to be happy. And if something happens to you because of me, I..., I don't know, I just won't be able to live anymore."

She couldn't control herself anymore. She melted into his arms, letting all her weight onto him. Her legs gave up and he had to run a hand down her back and another beneath her arms so that he could hold her still.

He asked slowly as she began burying her face in his neck.

"In my opinion, you are the first person to deserve all the happiness. And I will make sure to give you that. That's my promise. And talking of something happening to me, nothing would happen like that. From now on, no matter how many problems come in our lives, we will face them together. Please trust me Anu, please, just give me a chance. I will not fail you."

She leaned back in response and said wiping her face,

"I know you will not fail me. It's just,... I might..."

He cut her immediately by placing a finger on her lips.

"No, don't go there. I know you will not. Now just tell me if it's an yes or no.". The hope in his eyes brought fresh tears in her eyes. But she wiped them as quickly as they came and looked at Shree. He was standing there fingers crossed in anticipation. She doubted if he was even breathing. She let out a chuckle and took a deep breath, sending a silent prayers to all the good lords above and nodded her head in a yes.

"Yes!", She said.

"Yesss!", Arjun and Shree squealed in unison and Arjun punched the air in happiness and immediately lifted her up in his arms.

"Thank you. Thank youuuu", he said and began twirling her in his arms.

"No, no, no Ajju! Ahhh! Put me down. Put me down. Ajju please, I am feeling giddy.", Anu shrieked until he put her down and kissed her forehead.

He then cupped her face in his hands and said,

"Thank you, Anu. I will not disappoint you. Let's go and meet Maa, Papa this weekend. I am sure they will be so happy with this."

"This weekend?", Anu asked hesitantly.

"Yeah! Why? Do you have any problem?", Arjun asked, his face slightly going pale. Anu didn't like it. So she pushed away all the other thoughts aside and said, forcing a wide smile on her face,

"No, let's go this weekend. I hope they will be okay with this."

"They will be super okay. Now you go and sleep. We will take care of the rest later.", He said, holding her fingers.

"No, I should fresh up and go to the hospital. I have some work."

"I will drop you off.", Shree said and eyed him for a brief second and nodded.

"Okay then, let's catch up in the evening?", Arjun asked and Anu smiled and nodded.

"Bye!", He said.

"Bye!"