Okay, so I missed my night deadline, because I was so exhausted from the day, and I fell asleep. 😆 So, I'm putting up the next update, now. Thank you to everyone who has commented and pressed the like button... another *squishy hug* to you all. 😃 I'll be back with replies to the comments this evening (I've got a class now 😆). For now, the next update, because I couldn't post it at night. So, without further ado...
Chapter 3
Pihu hit the snooze button on her alarm for the 5th time, as she settled into her pillow more comfortably. She knew for a fact that Anurag would walk through her door in a minute, and start with his daily routine of waking her up. She never set an alarm for that very reason, but they were leaving today for LA, and she didn't want to take any chances. As if on cue, Anurag walked through her door, still in his vest and towel-drying his wet hair. He wrenched open Pihu's curtains, as he called out sternly, 'Pihu, get up! We're already running late, and you know we have a flight to catch!' Pihu bit back her grin, as she stayed still with her eyes shut. By now, she would've usually started to moan and hide under the covers, but she felt like pulling Anurag's leg today. Anurag looked down at the supposedly sleeping Pihu. He thought she looked angelic, even in the ragged t-shirt that she went to bed in, which was 2 sizes too small for her. But, as his eyes swept over her sleeping face one last time, he knew something was up. Pihu would never stay quiet if someone tried to wake her up. Smirking, Anurag went into her bathroom, and soon Pihu could hear the sound of water running. She guessed that he was getting a glass of water to throw on her, in order to wake her up. So, she stiffened, immediately ready to duck, or divert the water his way. Her eyes flew open in shock, however, as she felt her bed disappear beneath her, as Anurag picked her up. 'Anurag! What are you doing!? Put me down!' Pihu had flung her arms around his neck as a reflex, as he had picked her up. Clutching him with one hand, she tried to hit him feebly with the other, as she felt her laughter bubbling up. Her laughter soon turned to shrieking as they stepped inside the bathroom, and she saw that the sound of the water running was actually coming from the bathtub, which was now half full. Anurag stepped up to the edge, as Pihu continued to pummel him half-heartedly, 'Anurag! Come on! I'm awake, and you know that!' 'Awake?!' Anurag echoed with a devilish gleam in his eyes. 'Really? But you were sleeping so soundly just a second ago!' Pihu pouted, 'Fine, so my little trick failed. Now put me down!' Anurag hesitated for a second, before he plopped her in the middle of the half full tub. Pihu gasped in shock, before she grabbed hold of the showerhead, and sprayed Anurag in the face, 'Pihu! I just took a shower! I was saving you time!' 'Yeah right! Saving me time!' As he was wiping his face with one hand, she tugged on his free hand hard, so he lost balance and fell into the tub next to her. Anurag didn't even waste a second, before he retaliated by wrenching the showerhead from her hand, and turning it on her. Left to her own devices, Pihu could only splash him, until they both finally got tired and leaned against each other, at one end of the tub. 'Well, I suppose you've showered now,' Anurag commented as he looked down at their now drenched clothes. Their laughter echoed in the small bathroom, as they looked at the outcome of their pranks on each other. 'Fine, I won't trick you again,' Anurag grinned down at her, 'Don't even think about it. I always know when you're lying,' He warned as he brought his face closer to hers. For a moment, Pihu couldn't think. Anurag's face was once again, just a few inches away, and she became fully aware of how she was leaning against his drenched body. Anurag snapped himself away from gazing at Pihu's lips, and got up, extending a hand to Pihu. He looked away for a split second, to take a deep breath, before he turned back to Pihu who was taking his hand, and getting up. 'Now that I've had my first shower, I should probably take my second,' Pihu grinned, her breathing still a bit shallow. Anurag nodded wordlessly, and walked out, tossing her a grin on the way. Pihu closed the bathroom door, and finally took a deep breath. Both Anurag and Pihu could recognise what was going on between them. They also knew the limits on their relationship. Rudra and Taani remained in between them without physically being present. Without exchanging a word, Anurag and Pihu had learned to suppress the attraction they felt towards each other. Neither one had the courage to openly broach the subject as they could not afford to lose what they had together.
Pihu looked around her bathroom and felt a sense of contentment that she had never felt before. She knew that this was right. Her decision to move in with Anurag had been made in the spur of the moment as he had obstinately pulled her back when she found herself leaving his house at 3 am for the 4th time that week. Anurag had unceremoniously called Preet, who was at Meher's, to tell him that he could collect his luggage from the living room tomorrow. From now on, his room was to be Pihu's room. Preet had simply muttered that it took them long enough, before his snores were heard over the phone. Pihu still remembered the way Anurag had looked up as he hung up on Preet and asked her if she wanted to keep Preet's blue wallpaper, as he thought it was a bit too bland for her liking. The smile that had spread across Pihu's face at that moment mirrored the one that spread across her face now, as she thought back to that night. She had immediately called up her parents to tell them that she was moving to a place closer to her college. The fact that she was moving in with Anurag was a fact that she left for a later time. Rudra had of course taken it badly, when he had heard the news, demanding the full details of all her new flatmates, as well as a formal introduction. Pihu had angrily cut the call after 15 minutes of wearily trying to explain how unreasonable his demands were. Pihu's smile faltered as she remembered how abrupt and sporadic her phone calls with Rudra were becoming. When he wasn't scolding her on her 'new lifestyle', he was doubting her. Her frown became a full-feldged scowl as she thought back to the time when she was having a movie night with Meher, when Rudra had called her and blasted her for hanging out with guys all the time, as he heard guy's voices coming from the TV. He had advised her to behave more like his new friend, Gauri, before the call had ended like all their conversations, with Pihu hanging up the phone. The few conversations that did pass without arguments were filled with blank silences, and either her talking about Anurag, or him comparing her with Gauri.
'Pihu, I don't hear the sound of water running, so I assume you're done?' Anurag's voice called out through the door. Pihu jerked out of her trance, and a trace of her smile returned. 'Hmph! Wait a minute. I'm trying to sort out the mess you made of this bathroom,' Pihu called back. Anurag outside the door rolled his eyes, 'Please! I think I'm being a bad influence on you. You're trying to clean up the water in a bathroom?' Pihu chuckled, the twinkle in her eyes returning, and stepped into the shower, focussing only on her upcoming trip with Anurag.
Edited by -Bee- - 14 years ago
Bigg Boss 19
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