Chapter 6

-Nive-

@-Nive-

"Daadi"

"Abhi, where are you? Where did you go so early? Purab said you have gone to meet some friend. What's the emergency? It's just 8.30 am now. I have been looking for you the past 1 and half hours. You seemed to have started from home so early."

"Daadi, I came to...", he stopped as he saw Pragya signing to him. He couldn't understand what she was trying to tell him. She was waving both her hands horizontally. He wondered why she wanted him to lie to Daadi.

"I came to visit an old friend who was not well, Daadi. Friend is fine now.", he said. Daadi asked him to come home soon and he said Ok.

After the call ended, Abhi and Pragya talked at once,

"Why did you lie to Daadi?"

"Why did you ask me to lie to Daadi?"

"What?", exclaimed Pragya.

"What What? You only signed me not to tell about you when I was talking with Daadi"

"Oh God. I told you not to tell about my accident to Daadi. That's why I pointed to my bandage and signed you not to tell", reasoned Pragya. Just when Pragya was about to tell Abhi to call Daadi and tell her that he is with Pragya, Abhi came up with an idea.

"It's good that I didn't tell Daadi. In fact, Purab called me in the morning and I didn't tell him too since I was in a hurry to see you", he said and sat on the bed.

Pragya looked at him confused as she sat besides him and asked him how it was good to not tell Daadi about them meeting each other. "We can meet each other without anyone knowing. It would be thrilling na? Like lovers shown in films. Meeting each other, Spending time with each other without their parents knowledge."

"Suniye, we are married. It doesn't make sense to me"

"Everything need not make sense Fuggy", he said as he wrapped her arms around her shoulders fondly.

"But they would be happy if we told them na? Otherwise they would be worried", she said looking somewhere away. He quickly took his hands off her shoulders and frowned at her.

"Hello Professor! You are talking as if you were trying to get back to me and make them happy. For your information, you left me and it was me who came back to you all the way from Mumbai to Pune", he told her angrily

"Because you had a bad dream, you came to meet me", she said trying to remind him that he also didn't try to get back to her all those days. He looked at her face straight and said, "You think it's easy and I came just like that. So you had given me your address to come and meet you if I get scared of dreams, right?"

"How did you know my address if you didn't ask anyone?", she asked him as the thought just came to her mind.

"I had a dream like you got into an accident and I woke up. I couldn't sleep after that. I tried calling you but I couldn't get your number on line. I decided to ask Daadi as she was in touch with you. But when I went to her room, she was in deep sleep and I didn't feel like waking her up. I saw Daadi's mobile by her side and thought you might pick up if I called from Daadi's number"

She interrupted him in the middle and asked him what did he mean by she would pick up if he called from Daadi's number.

"I thought you might have blocked my number and that's why.."

She stood up and tried to leave but he grabbed her hand.

"Look, we were not in talking terms na and I was tensed at that time. So I thought like that.", he tried to convince her with his excuse.

"OK. Sorry"

She sat besides him again after hearing his apology.

"But your number was still unreachable. I got worried. I was looking through the messages to see if you had sent any text message. That's when I saw a message from you to Daadi few weeks back. You had sent your address to Daadi.."

"I can't believe that you can...", she started to talk something but he interrupted.

"Hey, it's my Daadi's phone. What's the big deal in me seeing it? After all, I was just worried for you", he said.

"How can you think that I will block your number?", she said with her voice taut with anger.

"Oh Come on! You are still not over that? I already said sorry", he said with an innocent face but she was looking down.

He stood in front of her, held her chin up and asked her what happened as her eyes were filled.

"I missed you", she said as she stood up and hugged him tightly

"I missed you too", he said as he gently caressed her hair.

"Really?", she asked looking at his face.

"How could I not miss fighting with you?" he asked pressing his forehead on hers.

"You mean I just fight with you? You don't miss anything else?", she asked him pretending to be angry.

He poked her nose and pressed his forehead on hers.

"I miss this pause button. I miss your chashma. I miss your coffee. I miss...", his talk was again interrupted by his phone.

"Argh... Who is this now?", he said irritated as he went to took his phone that was on the bed while Pragya chuckled.

"Personal Loan? Seriously? You are talking about giving loan to ME? What nonsense? Shut up and cut the call", he shouted.

He turned around to continue his conversation but couldn't find Pragya in the room. He went out of the room and found that she was in the kitchen. He asked her what was she doing. She said she was making coffee for him as he said he was missing her coffee. Before he could reply anything, coffee was ready. They sipped their coffees leaning over the railings in the balcony watching the morning sky.

"Shall I ask you something?", she asked him and he looked at her indicating her to proceed.

"Why do you like cinnamon coffee?"

He didn't expect that she would ask that.

"I am used to it from my childhood. Actually, I..."

His phone ringed again. Both of them were disappointed that the little devil disturbed their conversation for the 3rd time that day.

"Not again", he said. Pragya couldn't help but laugh at Abhi getting frustrated by his phone.

"What do you want Purab?", Abhi asked him in an almost begging voice. Purab reminded him that they have a meeting in an hour to which Abhi replied that he can't attend the meeting.

"What do you mean by you can't come? You should come. You know how important is this"

"Purab, I can't come to Mumbai in an hour"

"Come to Mumbai? You're not in Mumbai now. Where are you? You said you went to meet your friend.."

"Purab Purab Purab... Stop it now. Just reschedule the meeting after 3 hours. OK."

He cut the call not letting Purab talk further.

"You are still sticking to the idea of not letting anyone else know about us meeting?", Pragya smirked at him.

"You think I will give up so easily. I won't. You also don't tell anyone about me coming here.", he said with a proud smile on his face.

She accompanied him to his car. As she saw his car fading into the distance, she started walking to her apartment, reminiscing what happened since he came. She found her smiling to herself after a long time.

***

The next day when she entered her class, she was overwhelmed by her students' reactions. A boy asked her why she came to class instead of taking rest and some other students seconded his statement.

"Why? So that you can be free from my lectures for few more days?", she asked them smiling.

"Ma'am", they shouted in unison.

***

She received his call just when she was about to open the door of her apartment. He asked him where was she and she replied that she just reached her home. He asked her why didn't she take rest for one more day. She told him that even Rahul said the same. He asked her whether Rahul was another nerdy professor like Suresh. She warned him not to talk about Suresh like that.

"See, a professor gets angry if I talk about another professor. You are not open-minded like me. Talk about another rockstar, I won't get angry", he said with a laugh.

"You are the only rockstar I know", she said.

"How long will you stand near the door with the key? Open the door", he said and she turned around to see whether he was near by.

"How did you know?", she asked.

"To celebrate the second day of our friendship, I have a surprise for you. I will call you after some time", he cut the call leaving her curious.

She felt a familiar hand touching her shoulders. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"You?", she said as tears welled up her eyes.