CHAPTER 2
Viren cautiously runs his eyes through the thick bushes on either sides of the road wondering if Anu is in there somewhere. He has already searched for her in the immediate surroundings of the daaba but couldn't find her anywhere. He's of course concerned of the time and had thought of going back already. But somewhere inside him, he feels a voice asking him not to. After all, she's a girl. Moreover the place so too lonely and it doesn't seem too good for a girl like her, beautiful and young. So he continues walking looking around for her.
Meanwhile, Anu leans on a tree few meters away from the main road and sobs covering up her eyes. She couldn't simply put a hold on her feelings.
A while ago, when she came out for dinner, quite surprisingly she felt like she had seen her Jhanu, looking at her with a cute smile playing on her lips. She felt her worries and pain evaporating in to thin air as she saw her innocent smile and chirpiness. "Pataka' she called out like she always used to call her. She felt happy, contented. How much has she yearned for this one smile? It didn't occur to her that she had seen her pyre burning right before her eyes, but all she knew at the moment was that her Jhanu was right before her. Jhanvi smiled as she walked forward while she was confused. What was she up to? Why is she walking away from me, thought Anu as she hastily followed her. She forgot of the place and just walked, melted by her jhanu's smile. She didn't have a clue when, but she turned back, as she heard wild dogs howling. Realizing it's from somewhere far, she turned to Jhanvi again, but found herself all alone amidst a lot of trees, the main road a little far from her. Not even a single human being to be seen around. She felt startled, where did Jhanu go, she wondered.
"Jhanu!!!!' she called out, her voice reverberated in the silence. Not very far from then, she could figure out that the Jhanu she saw a while back nothing but an illusion that her depressed mind had created. That was the amount and intensity of the emotional turmoil she had gone through. She felt her heart stooping in to an absolute zero level again. The pain, the helplessness getting afresh inside her every passing moment. How long will she bear this, how will she tame her protesting heart? She had no clue.
A moment later, she wipes her tears and is about to turn when she feels a hand on her shoulder. She feels startled and happy at the same time, as her heart screams out in the possibility that it could be her Jhanu, forgetting all the sensible judgments she had fed in her mind a while ago.
"Jhanu!!!' she calls as she turns quickly, her lips and eyes bearing an overwhelmed smile. But the bubble of hope instantly bursts into nothing as she finds him, her co-passenger staring at her, his arms crossed. Her smile diminishes and eyes widen while she looks around, just to make sure she's not fantasizing again.
"Are you okay?' Viren asks, still to come out of the surprise. He has ever expected to find her here, in this isolated area. A moment back, when he saw her in there, he had actually thought that it was an illusion. But no! It wasn't. She was much real. What's this girl doing here at this time of night, he thinks as he looks at her who has downed her eyelids.
"Hey!' he gently taps on her shoulder bringing her out of the trance. "What?' he asks baffled as she gains her senses back and covers up her face for a moment. This is so embarrassing, she thinks as she slowly looks at him. What would have this guy thought about me, she worries. But just then, a question strikes her mind.
"What are you doing here?' she instantly voices the question making him frown. He smiles, confusing her of what that smile could be.
"That's what I should ask you? Why're you here?' he questions back, his lips bearing the same smile. Her eyes widens as his question hits her ego quite badly. Like seriously, did he, a mere stranger question her? She gets back to her bold self and glares at him.
"And who're you to ask?' she questions while he instantly covers up his eyes, her question making him regret for coming in search of her. He had expected this somewhere, but didn't think that his expectation would come so true.
"Sorry that was mistakes from my side to ask. No! No! It was my mistake to come here at the first place!' he says sarcastically while she folds her hands and listens to him with a grave expression.
"Of course, it's your mistake. How dare you stalk me?' she questions him while his patience nearly weathers. What does this woman think of herself, he thinks as the softness in his eyes fade away.
"To your kind attention, I wasn't stalking you. Why do I even need to do that? If you believe that's because I fell for your beauty and grace, sorry to burst your bubble, it's not that. I'm from Mumbai and I've seen a lot of girls who're far better than you in looks. So don't even think that I'm interested in you.' he says while Anu scowls at him, pointing her index finger at him in annoyance. But Viren instantly shoves that finger shocking her and continues
"And the reason I came here; I found you missing in the bus despite being the time for the bus to start. It didn't seem so natural to me. I thought you'd be in some trouble. Even I've a sister at home, so I couldn't ignore and turn my face when it came to the matter of a girl's safety. I just thought, my ignorance shouldn't make me regret in future if something wrong would have happened to you. That's it. I wasn't stalking you and I don't need to do that.' Viren explains while Anu is little puzzled at his reply. His words make a deep sense of regret inside her. Is it the reason he came over here? Just on humanity grounds? His words keep ringing in her ears. I guess I was a little bit rude to him in my stressed state, she thinks as she looks at him who's now looking at the floor, his face almost red in anger. She could understand it as she knows she had overdone it.
"I'm so...sorry.' she mumbles while Viren looks up at her in surprise. Did I hear a sorry from her mouth or is it just that I'm dreaming, he wonders. "I...I just came over here casually...' she explains with a deep sense of remorse on her face. Viren finds it crazy. Casually? Will people walk up to such unknown places casually, he thinks in his mind but keeps quiet as he sees no reason for him to ask her. He had already shown a little bit extra concern and that had earned him the image of a stalker before this girl, but not anymore. He turns quickly, surprising Anu.
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