Ananya's p.o.v.
Are you feeling cold?
"No, it's fine."
I lied. I'm feeling cold but what can I do? I have to bear with this. I felt my palms tingle and my body stiff.
"Anu your palms are shaking. Your hair and clothes are wet enough. Do one thing, please take my coat. You will feel warm."
"I don't need it, Rahul. Thanks."
"Am I ever going to get back my best friend?"
I turned towards him.
"Are we always going to behave like a stranger?"
"Rahul, stop it. I don't want to talk about this. It was past and I think I have already forgiven you. So-so... just don't drag this out now. And both of us should forget the past."
"Which past? Our friendship or..."
"Rahul! What's wrong with you? Question after question? What do you want?"
I said frustratingly.
"I want my friend back. Want everything to be normal like before."
I noticed him looking at me continuously and it was awkward.
"Ok, ok. Now look forward otherwise for both of us it's going to be the last day alive."
He turned his head smilingly. Suddenly he extended his coat to me.
I looked at him in confusion.
"Take it. You can't say no now. You just said we are friends, please." He pleaded.
I don't know what to say. I just took that with a light smile. Because every time he does such things it reminds me of those memories when he used to care for me like this and I used to misunderstand his friendship as his love for me which never existed. How fool I was!
I smiled at myself. He will always say that we are best friends again but I know that's not possible ever. How much he tries there will always be an indifference in our friendship. After all, it's not easy to forget your first love and it's so painful when he rejects you after giving you hope and breaking your heart in pieces. It's hard to get back the madness of friendship overcoming the sensitivity of love.
"Who is that girl?"
I don't know why I ask that question. Maybe to compare what's so special about her.
"Which girl?"
"The one you love."
"Ana.."
"Shriya"
"Ananya! How?" He was shocked.
I smiled.
"Just guessed and it hit the point."
Well, I just made an assumption. In one-sided love whenever you see someone close to your crush you think her or him to be your crush's love interest. Your subconscious mind starts blabbering that something is going on between them.
"Ananya"
"Hmm"
"What?"
Snap!
"What are you thinking so concentratedly."
"Umm.. nothing. Rahul, I wanna ask you something."
"Hmm, ask."
"How did you get to know about Dadi that day?"
He kept mum which irritated me.
This time I snapped my fingers in front of his eyes.
"What happened? You didn't answer." I addressed him.
"Ananya I went to Arjun's house that day and then Arjun.."
Suddenly the car seemed to lose its balance.
He stopped the car.
"What happened?"
I asked worriedly.
"Seeming one tire has been punctured."
"Oh, my God. What is next then?"
"I have to check."
"But it's still raining. Can't we wait for some time?"
"I don't think it's going to stop soon. Anu, can you hold the umbrella for me? It's in the back seat."
"Yeah, sure."
"Ok. I'm getting out."
We got off the car.
He started changing the tire. The umbrella was not at all working in that heavy rain. It hardly was saving our heads only from getting wet. My leggings, kurti were already drenched.
Ouch!
"What happened? Shit! The cut is deep I think. Show me."
"It's fine."
"It's not fine, Rahul. I think you should take a tetanus."
"We'll see that later. But I need to change the tire."
"Let me help."
I somehow managed to help him by holding the umbrella with my shoulder. I don't know what are even we doing! The total scenario will indicate one thing 'khichdi'. At least till now it somehow managed to save our head but now it's totally a useless thing in front of this strong wind. It's just transferring its position from his head to mine creating a total mess.
"Done."
And after getting successful in tire changing mission I felt like a penguin. My clothes clung to my body like a second skin.
"Oh shit, to save me from rain you have got yourself drenched totally."
"Leave it. It's a bad day. But the point is we have to search for a medical shop. Your cut is deep."
"Let's see. But now get inside."
After that, we reached home without any more obstacles apart from halting in front of a medical shop.
He halted the car in front of my house.
"Sorry"
"For what?" He asked in confusion.
"Can't invite you for a coffee. You know Dadi.."
"It's okay."
"Thank you."
"Don't do this boring formality. We are best friends."
"Thank you." I don't know why I said this again despite his request to not say it. Maybe to point out the fact in front of him that we are not the same best friend.
I got off the car.
"Bye"
"Bye"
I turned to leave.
"Ananya"
I again turned back to see him peeping through the car window with a serious face.
"What?"
"Leave it. Will tell you some other day when this Thank you won't come between us."
A light smile crept on both our lips. I left without uttering a single word. And the sound of his leaving rang in my ears.
"Oh, my god. You are wet. Neemri get her a towel soon. Arrey this girl! What have you done? You will get cold. No one can save you now."
I knew that Dadi will start panicking seeing me in this condition.
"And whose coat are you wearing?"
And I just realized that I forgot to return the coat.
"Ugh..no... Oh, damn me."
"What are_?"
"Umm.. no.. nothing."
"Ok, ok. No need to get shy. I know your boss cares so much for you."
What.The.Hell.
Neemri passed me the towel.
She thinks that Arjun sir has given me the coat. She and her delusional thoughts. And why should I be shy if he gives also?
"Dadi. Go to your room and take a rest." I spat out and rushed to the washroom. The more I stay away from her 'khayali polao' it will be better for me.
I got freshened up. My head was feeling heavy.
"Neemri, sorry. You got late too much because of me."
"It's ok, Didi. I'm going now. Wait, one thing, Arjun Bhayiaa called me."
"Arjun?"
"Ji. He was asking for you."
"Then he should have called me, na?"
"I don't know. Maybe he couldn't contact you."
I checked my phone. And yes, it's dead. I plugged it in on charge.
"Yeah, you were right my phone is dead. But don't you think it's a little weird to call you for me? If he didn't contact me then I might have contacted him later. What is so important that..."
"Who knows! Ok bye didi."
"Bye. One second. It's 9:30 already. How will you go?"
"It's ok didi. I have my cycle. Moreover, this is Mumbai. Never sleeps."
"Neemri there is a difference between the other day and today totally. The rain hasn't stopped yet. The road is already empty. Moreover, it's risky to cycle tonight. You can't hold an umbrella and your cycle can skid anytime."
She nodded her head weirdly and I couldn't understand if she was agreeing with me or disagreeing.
"Then what should I do?"
"Stay here tonight."
"But won't it be trouble for you?"
"Why? Are you gonna eat us while sleeping?"
"Arrey Didi..."
"Stop hesitating. Let's go to the kitchen. I'm going to make Khichdi tonight. Do you love khichdi?"
"So much."
"You know in Bengal it's like a tradition eating khichdi. Garam garam khichdi and begun vaja(fried brinjal). Yummy."
After dinner, I was making my bed. My phone started buzzing.
Arjun Sir! I don't know I was a little nervous. Don't know why he called me. There must be something important but I missed it.
"Hello, Sir."
"Ou at last... you are available. I thought you got so busy on your date that you have to keep your phone off. But Ms Roy I shall appreciate it if you don't forget your professional life for your again found best friend or loved ones. At least he can wait but the boss can't. So next time, it's better to not ignore your boss. I think he will understand." He blabbered the whole not even giving me any chance to talk.
I felt like tearing my hair. Who are these people? From which planet are they coming? First Dadi and now this madman.
"Done?"
"What done?"
"Anything else?"
"No, but?"
"Ok, then bye Sir."
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I have the same question. Are you God that you know all things you think?"
"What do you mean by that I'm God? Do you even have any idea how restless I was when I came to know that you haven't reached home?"
"But you shouldn't be tensed. After all, you also wanted me to be with him. That's why you asked him to help me."
"I asked him!"
"You were right he wouldn't let anything happen to me and so sent him hospital that day."
There was not a single word from him.
"Sir?"
"Hmm?"
"You will be happy to know that he hasn't broken his promise but you should have been relaxed that he is with me. Don't you trust your best friend?"
I said with little roughness.
"Are you angry with me that…"
"I never accused you."
"But your voice can say that..."
"I'm not angry because you told him to be with me, though it's not needed. I could handle everything. But those words you just said... You know that he rejected me in front of you. Then why would he date me, just a friend of his? Nothing more than that. He doesn't love me. There is someone else in his heart." I uttered slowly.
The thing you know can't ever happen still listening to those somehow hurts.
"I'm sorry Ananya. I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just coming out in tension. You left the office much before but still haven't returned so..."
"His car's tire was punctured and then while changing it he got hurt. So, we had to halt at a medical shop also. And while all of these we got late. And my phone was dead so you couldn't get me on call."
"Fine"
"Sneeze"
"What happened?"
"Actually, I got drenched while coming home so just caught a little cold"
"Oh, my God. Have you taken medicine?"
"Don't worry. I will take it. But you didn't tell me why you called me. Is there anything important?"
"Yeah. I wanted to congratulate you on your hard work. I'm really lucky to have you in my life. I mean in my office."
"Sir it's my company too. Just not me. Every employee from the sweeper to the cook to MD has a contribution. Moreover, it has got a super-intelligent leader like you. So, congratulations to all of us. Avinash Sir texted me about the foreign deal. Congratulations Sir for this big achievement."
"Same to you. And just see if there are more to come. Your hard work won't go in vain. Ok, I'm getting a call. Talk to you later."
"Bye, good night."
"Good night."
Is it normal? Does a boss care for his employee so much? But he does. He is such a unique boss I must say. In which office Boss gets restless just for a mere assistant but he does!