ll Anki SS: A New Encounter ll Updated-Special Part - Page 13

Part Seven

I could hear her breaths tease against my skin and it only caused my skin to tingle with awareness as I gripped her closer around my arms.

I could feel myself literally having stars cross my vision and most likely I was going to fall unconscious from the lack of air but I couldn't stop.

But I slowly released myself more so as Kittu's breathing started to change and concern and worry kicked in about whether she would be okay.

I slowly backed away, my hands still wrapped around her waist, my hands resting on her back while her nails were digging into my shirt as she maintained a death grip.

As soon as I released her head fell back and she was a complete red and her eyes were dazed.

Fear fully spread in the bosom of my chest and I immediately gripped her head back to me.

"Kittu...Kittu...Kittu!" I said trying to stare at her eyes.

Her eyes turned to me and recognition flashed and I sighed as the fear and worry was still gnawing but relief was a welcoming sensation.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"How can I be?" she mumbled dazed.

I smirked and it slowly turned into a smile.

"I'm being serious...are you okay." I said while chuckling.

She finally lifted her head and stared at me...still spaced out but there was still recognition in her eyes.

She slowly smiled and it reached her eyes and I could feel my heart skip a moment in its rhythm at how beautiful she looked.

She then blinked her eyes and soon her face became a bright pinkish-red and she released her hands from my shoulder.

She looked at me and she looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...please I didn't mean to...I meant that was my first kiss so I..." she mumbled.

I scrunched my eyebrow at that.

"First kiss?" I asked confused.

She was twisting her hands together in her lap before she shyly looked at me in the eyes and slowly lowered them.

"Yes." She mumbled.

I smiled and unlinked my hands around her waist and back and my body whimpered in disappointment from the lost of her warmth.

I folded my hands together and looked at her with a smirk.

"First kiss. Are you messing with me?" I said while looking at her.

That caught her by surprise and she looked up at me and she nodded her head.

"I'm serious. That was my first kiss ever. I wouldn't lie about that. How is it possible that any guy would even like me...more or less want to kiss..."

Before she could finsish her statement I went back to kiss her lips, softly this time and despite everything I wanted to smile at her response as she made small whimpering sounds and her hands went right back to digging into my shoulder blades.

She was caught by surprise but she leaned forward and was being swept once again under the demand my lips that pressing against hers.

However, this time I cut our kiss shorter than before I drew away from her, taking a large gulp of air as I could still feel my lungs burning from our previous heated kiss.

I stared at Kittu who was blushing once more and was dazed but was able to regain her composure faster than the previous time.

She looked at me and her cheeks turned a brighter red.

"Why did...why did you kiss me again?" she said.

I smiled at that and kissed her forehead and drew away to smile at her and she stared at me.

"Because you are too cute. Plus I was your first kiss...made you seem even more beautiful and I couldn't help it." I said staring in her eyes.

She blushed even more but looked up at me.

"Why are you picking on me? That was your first kiss too so why am I getting picked on?" she said while pouting.

At that it was my turn to blush more so in embarrassment and guilt.

Kittu caught on and she scrunched her eyebrow in confusion.

"That wasn't your first kiss...?" she said confused and if I was mistaken a hint of jealousy.

I lost my smile under her perusal of her gaze.

I sighed.

"No it...it isn't my first kiss." I said.

"Of course...it seemed like you knew what you are doing. So who was she?" she said with a hint of jealousy.

I smiled and she got angry at my sudden expression and I lost my smile and I held my ears in apology.

"I'm sorry Kittu but you weren't my first kiss...I kissed someone else as well." I said still trying my best to come with the best puppy eye look that would have her forgive me.

"Who was she?" Kittu said even more annoyed and her hands folded.

"She was a friend. It was more out of curiosity for both of us and we were young at the time..." I trailed off.

"How young?" Kittu asked confused.

At that I smiled.

"I was ten at the time she was nine. We were hiding in the closet and she kissed me and I kissed her back. Just a simple peck on the lips and nothing compared to what we experienced. Nothing at all. It was just mere childhood wonder and curiosity and that is all." I said seriously.

Kittu's anger and irritation completely disappeared as it turned into admiration.

Girls...could are confusing to say the least.

"Ooohhh that is so cute! Childhood love...I wouldn't think you would go around kissing girls in closets." She said scandalized yet intrigued.

I shook my head.

"If you heard what I said...she kissed me. I was confused at the time so I thought naturally I had to kiss her back out of courtesy." I said smiling.

Kittu smiled.

"No one since then?" she asked curiously.

"No one since then. She was just a friend that I later on found out had a crush on me but I never really knew. Since then my parents got married and I had three younger siblings to worry about than just Shraddha plus school...I never had time to worry about girls and such." I said.

"Parents got married?" she said confused.

I smiled.

"My mother...she is actually my stepmother. Shraddha's and my biological mother passed away when my sister was only four due to pneumonia while my other brother was barely three months old. It wasn't until I was around 12 that my father remarried." I said.

Kittu placed her hand in mine and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry for your lost." She said sincerely.

I smiled at her but it quickly died away.

"Thanks Kittu." I said softly.

For a moment we just stared at one another as Kittu was gently stroking my hand and I just stared into her eyes that were searching for confirmation that I was truly okay and nothing was bothering me.

When she seemed to find her answer she smiled and caught me by surprise when she interlaced her fingers with mine.

I looked at her hand against mine and I could feel my heart leap at the comparison of her pale small hands against my large hands.

Our hands linked together were a perfect fit and it was marveling to watch as she smiled as our hands were together.

I was going to lean in and kiss her until there was a light knocking on the door.

Kittu took her hands out of mine and I quickly wrapped my hands around her waist and gently placed her on the floor.

She smoothed her dress and hurried to her side while I pretend to mess with my luggage that was still puffy and clothes still sticking and peeping out but not as much compared to before.

The knocking continued once more and this time the person opened the door and I breathe a huge sigh of relief once I realized it was Anna.

She was wearing a smile and she had a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and an electric thermometer with her.

"Its time for last minute vital checks before you're released. Plus your parents are signing you out and going through all the legal business before you are finally released from our care." Anna said.

"My parents are here already?" I said in anticipation but also a little disappointment of having to leave so early.

"Yes they are Mr. Shergill." she said.

"So are we now back to Mr. Shergill now?" I said.

She smiled but didn't answer.

"Going to miss me?" I said arching my eyebrow in amusement.

"Of course I am. You remind me of my son. He doesn't show a reaction but he is always calculating and always up to some mischief." She said smiling but she looked at Kittu who was quietly smiling as she watched the exchange.

"Plus you put a smile on Kittu's face...I'm going to miss you for that and entirely grateful for that as well." She said softly.

That caught me by surprise.

Most of the time Anna was always sarcastic or wasn't serious that times it became increasingly difficult to know when she was telling the truth from a lie or when she was being serious or not.

But this time she was actually being serious and wasn't saying a whole bunch of riddles or statements or pranks to rile me up.

"Thank you...Anna...but I will continue to do so." I said seriously looking at her straight in the eye.

She looked at me and she maintained a blank expression and then she softly chuckled.

"Awww youth. You guys make me feel like when I was college and I met and fell in love with my husband." She said dreamily.

"I thought you said you fell for your husband after he..."Kittu tried to start.

"It's not the finite details but the overall scheme of things that matters." Anna said pouting at Kittu.

Kittu giggled and Anna joined in.

It was fascinating watching the two and I felt that I was going to miss more so than just Kittu but her interactions with everyone.

It was amazing to see her strike conversation with stranger or friends alike and how comfortable and openly they became once around her presence.

Anna stopped laughing and looked at me seriously.

"I have a job to do so I must finish." She said going back on track on to what she was trying to do.

**************

If this was Anand's stepmother, he was entirely lucky and should be entirely grateful.

She was exceptionally stunning and just beautiful was being modest at most.

It wasn't the outer beauty that shone but something that radiated deeper, something less tangible, and more internal.

She had wild curly brown hair tied up in a ponytail, brown eyes that spoke of warmth and love as she stared at his sister hugging on tightly to Anand as she bomb-rushed him into a bear hug when she came.

She had on a green and red silk saree that fitted her to the tee and only a few bangles and earrings that was a huge contrast from mama who loved to be flashy.

She loved being decked in her jewelry so everyone around her knows she married well.

She married more than well in my honest opinion.

She manipulated her way into our home but then again it was obvious papa was lonely after my mother's death.

But I wished he knew how she really was aside when he was present.

The only time a semblance of warmth was directed towards me was when she wanted to be under the great graces from her my father or when she knew it would be a benefit for her or make her appeal even better.

I remember one time when it was 13^th birthday she came to the hospital and was able to bring me home to celebrate with everyone.

At first I thought it was her being entirely genuine and maybe she really did see me as her daughter, that she saw me the same way that she saw Jaya.

But no.

It was more so as an asset to flaunt in front of the rest of society on how caring, loving, and a wonderful stepmother she was.

That she loved her stepdaughter who was all but dead have a few crumbs of happiness before she died.

She had the sad face, the mourning, yet optimistic for a greater chance that I was going to survive.

That her poor sick stepdaughter will get better and everyone soothes and coddled her and glanced at me with so much pity and sympathy that I felt sick.

Funny how when everything wind down she literally blackmailed papa to send me back to the hospital the same night.

Once she was done preening and posing for the public for her poor sick stepdaughter she had no use for me and she went back to her old ways.

After that birthday...any sense of invitation that she offered or even if papa offered on celebrating at home...I always refused.

I didn't want to be a pitied puppy that was close to being put down any second.

It was humiliating.

Embarrassing.

Even dejecting to know once again I was nothing but a commodity for her and was never going to have the same love that she gave towards her daughter Jaya.

Jaya who was a good two years younger than I was, seemed in more ways than one an exact replica of her mother.

She was just as manipulating and was just as demanding for things to go her way no matter what.

Always doing something with an ulterior motive and always causing trouble.

I was so immersed in my thoughts I didn't realize that Anand's mother had been staring me down with a concentrated look.

I blinked to clear my thoughts and I gulped feeling as if I did something wrong or she noticed I was staring at her or worse she caught an expression on my face that I unknowingly made on my face when I was thinking.

Maybe I probably...

But that thought was caught off as she smiled at me.

I smiled back and almost knocked myself sideways.

Have I been here for so long that I have lost any type of decency and manners?

I immediately got up and went to her and was going to kneel down to touch her feet but she stopped me midway.

She shook her head and I looked at her confused and she smiled.

She helped raise me back to my normal footing and I smiled at her.

"Hello Auntie ji." I said.

"Hello as well. You can drop the "ji" as you will make me feel older than my years." She said chuckling softly.

I smiled back at her and she stared at me until she noticed something from the corner of her vision.

"Excuse me for a moment. Shraddha don't just sit there texting help Anand to pack his stuff into the car." She scolded her daughter.

Shraddha frowned.

I never looked at her before or rather stared at her before as our meetings were always with me being escorted out of the room when Anand was unconscious or when I had to be taken for my tests or treatments.

But this time I took my time to look at her and it was undeniable they looked similar in more ways than one.

She looked like the female equivalent but entirely beautiful and it was no doubt Anand was going to have his hand full when she gets older.

Anand said she was 14, but she looked taller than most people her age, taller than me for sure.

She had the same dark brown hair like Anand but his was a little bit wavy on some ends while her hair was straighter and hung down her arms and upper chest.

She had the same brown eyes like her brother and for a second her expression was an exact copy of what Anand usually made when they had to give him a bed bath.

But the only thing that might seem remotely different was an air of mischievous almost rebellious nature that had me smile as it reminded me more so of Kunal.

She was leaning against the railing of the bed holding onto her phone that she was previously typing away on.

"But mom Anand is stronger than I am. He has muscles so why do I have to help him when he is more than capable in doing it by himself." She said right back.

Auntie didn't say a thing but arch a single eyebrow and Shraddha quieted down.

She placed her cell phone in one of the pockets of the small purse that she had strapped on the side and she immediately mumbled an apology and went to carry out the order her mother directed for her to do.

Anand ruffled his sister's hair but gave her a smaller bag and a jacket to carry while he carried his luggage.

Anand stared at me before he left the room and I smiled at him to reassure him it was going to be okay.

He gave a brief smile and walked away with his sister in tow grumbling.

"Hurry up." She said.

"What is this so freaking bossy and rude. Are you sure you are the same sis who hugged me as if she missed me?" Anand said out the door.

I didn't get to hear the rest of their conversation as they were swept with the voices along in the hall.

I turned back to her and I was in front of her and I didn't know what to do but it was rude not to strike some type of conversation.

But nothing was coming to mind.

Did she know about me?

If she did would she approve?

No one would want their son to chase after a dead girl right?

I sighed and was going to immediately deny anything going on to protect Anand from getting into trouble into she touched my chin and lifted my head to stare at her in the eyes.

She smiled and she dropped her arm to her side.

"That loggerhead was right...you are beautiful." She said smiling.

I gulped even more.

If there weren't butterfly in my stomach before...well there now a swarm of it.

I gulped and I started to mess with my hands.

She said something...

What did she say?

Huh?

She said something?

She said you were beautiful...

Beautiful?

Why would she say that?

Maybe more so in pity?

For me to understand you are pretty girl but I should find someone else.

Another son to latch onto?

Another person to go to and not her son that had a promising future ahead?

But who else I was going to find.

I never felt like this about any boy besides Anand nor was inclined on feeling the same about any other boy either.

I could feel my heart pumping like crazy and my mind was going crazy.

Maybe I'm overreacting and more so due to me being so nervous.

Why am I so nervous?

Say something! Don't stand her quiet or else that is rude... ANSWER HER!!!!!!!

My mind yelled.

"Thank you?"

That was more so as I question.

She asked a question and I responded as a question.

Real nice Kittu.

"I'm sorry...sorry I meant thank you." I said wringing my fingers together even tightly against one another.

She saw my movements and she smiled and broke out in excitement.

"No need to be so nervous. I don't bite." She said giggling.

I looked at her confused.

"Auntie ji?" I said confused.

She looked annoyed.

"I'm not auntie ji, I'm just auntie. I'm not old yet." She said softly pouting that soon spread into a soft smile.

"Sorry." I said softly.

"No need at all. Do you mind if we sit down and chat for a while?" she asked.

I looked at her and she was staring at me with a soft expression on her face and I nodded.

I helped guide the chair that I usually kept by Anand's side towards my area and she watched my movements in interest.

"If you don't mind sitting down auntie ji...I'm sorry auntie." I said.

She smiled and softly sat down in the chair and folding her hands over her lap.

She patted my bed.

"Sit as well. Don't just stand there." She said softly.

I nodded and I slowly hopped myself onto my bed and smooth out my dress carefully and felt myself patting down my hair and fixing it thinking I was in a messy appearance.

We stood there for a few seconds in silence before her statement scared the living daylights out of me.

"That loggerhead talks so much about you over the phone and so I knew you must be beautiful. This is perfect! Finally I will have a bahu!" she said ecstatically.

I gripped my chest in panic as her sudden outburst caused my heart to start overwork and I could feel the jabbing sense of pain stabbing and I had to count mentally to calm myself down without alerting her towards my problem that I was having.

I calmed down and she stared at me in confusion and I concern.

"Are you okay dear?" she asked.

"Yes auntie ji...I mean auntie. It's just you suddenly..." I trailed on.

She laughed.

"Sorry dear. I forget that I should probably calm down. Anand told me you did have a heart condition so I should calm down and not go on my usual crazy side like usual." She said.

Anand told her about my condition?

I smiled at that but then I scrunched my eyebrow in confusion as I latched onto one word she said previously.

But what did she mean?

She did say bahu.

Bahu? Loggerhead?

She really wanted me as a daughter -in-law?

How did we get to me being married?

But importantly I was ONLY 17!

"But I'm only 17." I said confused.

She stopped in her excitement and she giggled softly.

"Sorry I probably caught you by surprise. I'm just a little bit too happy. This is the first time that loggerhead finally decides to give the opposite gender even an inch of interest." She said while pouting.

"Loggerhead?" I said confused.

"Oh...I'm referring to my beta. To Anand I'm referring to...sorry. I just call him loggerhead more so as an affectionate term." She said.

"Always its always about school, cricket,, school, baseball, school, or being president over the math club, school, president over his this club or that...I was going nuts thinking my son would completely become blind to the female species. I thought my only hope was going to be his brother and that would be another 10 or 20 years! You see Kittu you are my hope...my only hope." She pouted soundly.

I stared at her in astonishment.

When I first saw her the previous time and when she was in the room she had an air of warmness and gentleness but I felt intimidated by it.

However, with her like this...she seemed friendly and welcoming...almost as a friend.

"Only hope?" I said confused.

She smiled.

"I know that loggerhead...he never talks about girls and the only one he does talks about is his friend Jas and even then it feels more androgynous. Sure Jas is a very nice girl but Anand never sees her past than just a friend. I told him time and time and time again that she is a girl but he says that she is just a friend and nothing more. Whether she is a girl or not doesn't matter. But this is the first time he has ever mentioned a girl more or less noticed a girl. I mean truly noticed a girl, and I knew the girl must be a gem and must be someone I have to meet." She said smiling.

I stared at her and was trying to keep up with everything she was saying.

"But I never knew you were this beautiful and I can understand as to why that loggerhead noticed." She said lifting herself upward to cup my cheeks.

She smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back at her.

"You're name is Kritika right? It's a very beautiful name." she said.

I smiled back and nodded.

"But some just call me Kittu." I said.

"Kittu...Kittu. Sounds adorable. So...what and how did you fall for that loggerhead?" she said all too eager.

I stared at her and she was looking at me in excitement.

At that I smiled and slowly tried to recount on that fateful encounter that Anand and I had two weeks ago.

"**************

"You are so slow bhaiyaa."

I looked up at Shraddha who was busily closing the trunk of the car after we finished rearranging my stuff inside.

It took some minor struggling as one of my luggages wanted to play peek-a-boo but after brute force from both of us...it finally closed and the trunk locked into place.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

She folded her hands together and she smirked.

"Don't you know mama by now?" she said.

I stared at her confused.

"What do you mean?" I said confused.

"Mama is going to eat Kritika alive. Especially since she is your girlfriend you already know how mama is going to act." She said.

I frowned at that.

"How do you know she is my girlfriend?" I said confused.

"Because you just confirmed it yourself just now." She said grinning in pride.

"You are too much you know Shraddha? You are too smart for your own best interest." I said annoyed.

"It's not my fault that I'm such a wonderful and bright mind. It's not my fault your gender takes a good decade to catch up to the mind such as mine." She said with mock pity as she flipped her hair behind her shoulders.

I stared at Shraddha and she smirked.

I ruffled her hair once again and she lost that smirk and it turned into a smile.

"Hey!" she said.

"You say too much than is needed." I said but was laughing at her expression.

"Stop...stops Anand." But she was laughing and not really fighting me off.

I messed with her for another minute or so before I left her alone and her hair was displaced around her head.

"See you messed up my hair." She mumbled.

She went in her purse pulled out a small brush and a mirror and began meticulously straightening out her hair.

"You might want to hurry back...remember when you brought Jas home the first time?" Shraddha said lifting her eyebrow.

I remembered and Jas was assaulted by mother with sweets and praises...endless praises on the great qualities I possessed.

I sighed and that had me spin on my heel but Shraddha yelled out my name.

I turned to look back at her quickly in confusion.

"Is there any chance will she become my didi? You know it's no fun being surrounded by just you guys." She said while pouting and she brush midway through a section of her hair.

I stared at my sister and shook my head.

"That is a long time before that happens." I said smirking.

Shraddha eyes grew wide.

"Are you serious?" she said.

"I was just kidding you know. Just messing around." She said.

"But I wasn't." I said smiling and then winked at Shraddha and she stood stumped as I turned on my heel and went back to my room before my mother went full-throttle onto Kittu.

**************