Anurag Basu was laying on his bed, his face pressed flat against his pillow. The flop of hair on his head fell all over his forehead messily. He had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply. But he wasn't actually sleeping. It was 6 in the morning and he was trying very dearly to cling onto the sleep that he had lost ten minutes ago. He knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. But he still tried with all his might. It was a heavenly feeling to surrender yourself to that blissfully inviting feeling of your bed, the warm comforter and your eyes urging you to shut them so that you can happily, happily sleep.
But seemed like fate wasn't on his side. Not today, not any day. Every morning he woke up to the sound of his grandmother playing these bollywood songs turned bhakti songs on high volume.
Anurag got his grandma a sound system last year for her birthday because she was totally gushing about this awesome music player at one of her laughing club friend's place. She spoke about how it would have been totally cool had that music system been at her home, for a whole week. She also reminded her that it was her birthday next week repeatedly. After her endless dropping of clues which turned lesser and lesser subtle each time, Anurag caught onto the hint that he had to get her one for her birthday. His nani could be totally persuasive if she wanted something.
He did get her one and the half toothed, but full blown smile that she gave him when he unwrapped the present warmed his heart, bringing tears to his eyes. She was all that mattered.
But what followed shouldn't have followed.
Every morning from that day he woke up to these ear drum destroying sounds of Bollywood type bhakti songs.
Today's chartbuster was a 'Sai' song in the 'Suraj Hua Maddham' style.
Anurag opened his eyes and shook his head at his cruel fate. He banged his head into his pillow, tired of being subjected to this 'Bigg Boss' treatment of waking up to songs.
But when he reminiscensed nani's content smile he would totally be okay with it. He could do anything for her to be happy.
Anurag looked at the clock on his side table. It read 6:30 in red, bold, ugly numbers. He still lay on the bed not finding the motivation to move his lazy ass out of the bed when his phone pinged.
Anurag sprung up from his bed, laziness all forgotten, a goofy smile playing on his lips, to reach his phone on the bed side table.
Sharma must have messaged him.
It has been a back and forth battle of sending funny memes between them since the day Prerna boasted about her phone being full of 'super cool memes'. They were having lunch squabbling idly when Prerna had made this boisterous claim. Since irking her was his job, Anurag dutifully countered. And it was then that it was decided they would each send the other a meme every morning and the one sending the less funnier one would buy the other their lunch.
Lately, Anurag Basu was getting way too used to the 'irritating presence' of Prerna Sharma. She was omnipresent. At work, at break, on the phone after coming home, and in his thoughts all the other times. He hated admitting it but Prerna Sharma was special. That day things messed up badly, he knew she was reading about him. But she didn't question him. Or judge him. Her eyes held only concern for him and it warmed his heart to see that. He admired every facet of hers. He wouldn't admit this to her either. That would be his last day on the planet.
So far Prerna had been squashing him splendidly in their meme war. And he was completely okay with it.
He opened his phone in anticipation only to read something which totally wiped the smile off his face.
Anurag froze for a second unsure of his next movement. He threw his phone aside and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Uncertainty, pain, confusion, panic all bogged him down. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He couldn't do this to himself. Not again. Not now.
He sat on his bed in silence, as he watched the swirling dust on his floor in the beam of the light that filtered through the ventilator, his mind mulling over a million things.
His phone rang loudly, punctuating the silence. It was Prerna.
Inspite of himself, Anurag cracked a small smile. He picked up the phone almost immediately.
"Waiting for my call were you?" spoke a smug voice on the other end.
Anurag allowed himself a complete smile and said, "Yes."
He meant it to come out teasingly. But he couldn't keep away the unwavering sincerity in his voice.
There was silence on the other end for a good ten seconds after which Prerna spoke.
Anurag understood Prerna could sense his sincerity. He could totally imagine the blush that would make way to her cheeks and smiled contently. He somehow loved the fact that he could make her blush. Okay. He was a goner. Prerna was his enemy for God sake!
"Um- I just called to inform you that today will be a break for the meme war because, because-"
"You couldn't find a good one?"
"Shut up! It- It is because it's a totally important day at the office today and I want to be, um, in the mood for it since morning."
Lame.
"You are a sore loser, Sharma."
"Ha, you are the one to speak! Continuously losing to me for what 5638855th time?"
"Losing to you doesn't hurt anymore, Sharma."
"Because you are used to it?"
"Because I want to."
He heard Prerna take a sharp breath at that. There. He said it in that same teasing but seemingly sincere tone that always got her confused.
"Anyway. Its a big day. Okay? Don't be late like always. Come early. You are always late," she said bossily.
"Okay. Anything else?"
"Come fast."
"Other than that?" Anurag said, sighing, running out of patience.
"Come fast."
"Sharma, I am just going to cut the line right now-"
"Okay, okay," she said, giggling, "Get that Market Positioning file. Also, come fast."
She cut the line before he could react.
Anurag shook his head exasperatedly. Mad woman. He did need to go fast though. He also had to hit the gym.
______________
Prerna imagined the look on Anurag Basu's face when she would finally make an entry into the cabin. She shuddered. He would murder her.
Becasue Prerna Sharma was going to be late by solid two hours!
She drove her car at the maximum speed she could cursing everything from dogs, to pedestrians to traffic signals all hampering her wild attempt to get to the office before 11. It was 10:58 already. God she was awfully late!
As she waited for the unbudging red light to turn green, she cursed herself and her big, fat mouth that couldn't shut up in the morning. She was doling out lectures about being on time to Anurag Basu and here she was glaring at the ugly red light, cursing fate.
It was this random relative of hers who came home early in the morning and insisted she stay till he left. Prerna waited for the old uncle and his enormously large appetite for snacks and chai (he asked for snacks and chai three times in one hour) to leave quickly. When he didn't budge she told him that she HAD to leave to the office.
And then when she was absolutely ready to leave, periods happened.
And when period happens, all hell breaks lose. She struggled with her cramps rolling over and over in her bed for half an hour, her eyes becoming moist at thought of how unfair the creation was and why only women had to face this issue (she always got emotional on her day one of period and cried every time about unfair creation). When the pain finally subsided, she gobbled down some food and set out for office.
Is this traffic signal thing not working or what? Prerna thought, hitting her steering wheel only to get hurt. Ughhh. She hated the world today.
When the red signal finally turned green after ages she sped off to the office.
She flew into her floor not halting one second and braked in front of her cabin door. She braced herself. For the look of utter irritation and anger that Anurag Basu reserved only for her. God help her!
She opened the door to see Anurag pacing the length of the cabin restlessly.
He turned around and spotted her.
Prerna gave an unsure smile, waiting apprehensively.
"Prerna! You are here!" Anurag said, in a falsely cheerful tone.
Prerma stared at him. Was his mental health okay?
One, he called her Prerna (he was doing that quite frequently these days. And that too in a disturbingly intimate voice which made her feel this swooping sensation in her stomach). Two he was smiling a forced smile looking totally constipated. And three he wasn't even being sarcastic.
Something was definitely off the point.
"What's the matter?" she asked, rasing one perfect eyebrow.
"The matter? Nothing." he said, shaking his head, the constipated expression still on.
Prerna waited in silence, hands folded, taping her foot.
Accepting defeat, Anurag dropped his pretense. "The matter is very complicated, Sharma" he said gravely, like an old man who has suffered a lifetime of problems.
"Detailed explanation. Good job."
He threw her a murderous look before he calmed himself down.
"Tell me what it is," she prompted softly.
Nodding at the encouragement he spoke. "The thing is, I go to this gym every morning, you know right?"
Prerna nodded, totally clueless of where all of this was going.
"This cousin of mine goes to the same gym as well. He is a complete git I tell you. Totally."
"Takes after you,"
Prerna quelled at the look he gave her.
"Um , okay okay, he's a git and?" she said hastily.
"You know him. Or atleast he knows you."
"Who?"
"His name's Dhruv Khanna. He studied at your college."
Dhruv Khanna? Doesn't ring a bell.
"Okay?"
"And he said he's had this crush on you since forever!"
Okay. Stop. Prerna now had an inkling where this was all going.
"And he asked if you could make us both meet and you said you can't because you and I are dating?" she asked in a horror stricken voice.
"Yes! Yes! Oh my god, you are a genius!" Anurag cried, wringing her hands.
"But why?" Prerna asked, face-palming.
"He's a git Prerna." He said, desperately. "And how do you think he knows about you and me working at the same place? He stalks you!"
Prerna clapped a hand to her mouth shocked.
"He stalks me as in he follows me everywhere I go?" she asked flabbergasted. "Like the Hutch Dog," she said in hushed tones.
"No, no, he went to your social networking page," Anurag said, laughing at the Hutch dog remark.
Prerna sighed exasperated.
"That's not stalking, Anurag."
"It is! You don't know," he said brandishing some article about cyber stalking on his phone into her face.
"Okay, fine. It's okay. He thinks we are dating, right? That's cool with me. Okay? Don't worry," she said smiling assuringly.
"No. That's not the only thing," he said casting her a furtive look, "You have to come to this party of my other cousin tonight to which I promised to the git you would come with me. So please." he asked, totally pleading with his hands held together, puppy dog eyes and a totally innocent expression all in place.
Wow.
Prerna hit her head with her hand so hard, it actually hurt. She kept her head into her hand and looked at him from underneath it, her expression deadpan.
"Why did you make such a promise?" she asked.
"He didn't believe me when I told him we were dating. Asked me if I could bring you along. Or he would just think I was making up stuff."
"Which you were," Prerna pointed in a worried tone.
"He is a -"
"-git. I know. Why couldn't you have just told him I don't date or that I am lesbian, maybe?"
"You are not lesbian."
"How do you know?"
"I just know, Prerna," he said impatiently. "I didn't want you to go out with a complete idiot. That's all."
"I could have dealt with him on my own, you know. You could have just let him meet and then I would just tell him I am not interested if I didn't like him."
"You are worth a lot more, Prerna," he said, holding her hands, his eyes earnest. "And I wouldn't want you to spend a second with someone who doesn't deserve you."
There it was. Her undoing. He said it with such sincerity that she had no thoughts for any doubt. Add to that her swooping sensations in the stomach and thrumming heart. Prerna sighed, and nodded.
"Thanks!" Anurag said, grinning like a runaway model and giving her a quick hug. "Let's get to work?" he asked, his eyes bright.
Prerna nodded again, in a half daze, still unsure of the plan, the hug and the reaction of her over reactive heart.
So things seem to be changing between Prerna and Anurag. Liking the change?
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Bindi
