Chapter 8

TiaMaaaaa

@TianaWrites

~8~

"Anuj.....?"

"Hmmmm..."

"If I may.... I mean... would you feel bad.... uh... may I ask you something?"

He looked up from the peas he was helping her shell. As his gaze met her hesitant face and expectant eyes, he gave her a soft smile.

"You know you can ask me anything, Anu..."

"Woh... you... I know you are worried about something... Would you... uh...I mean do you want to share? It's absolutely fine if it's something personal that you don't want to share...I won't ask you..."

He hadn't expected this. He had thought he was a master in hiding his feelings from her. Apparently he was wrong. His Anu had read the worry he had been hiding so carefully.

"How did you....?"

"Huh?"

"How did you know...?"

She simply shook her head and looked into his eyes. He understood her unspoken words and reached out his hands and took hers in his.

"Anu.... You know you are the most important person in my life, don't you?"

She said nothing. He rubbed her hand with his thumb and continued 

"There is someone else who is also most important to me... I wish I could tell you all about her and what she means to me... but she made me promise that I won't tell anything about her to anyone... Not even to you..."

She shook her head slightly as he went on

"10 years ago, she left me promising never to return... I never thought I would see her again... few days before my accident, she called... I was elated to hear her voice again... she didn't say much... just asked me how I was and all that. Today afternoon she called me again... Told me that she missed me and will meet me soon. I am really excited to see her...but... I am also afraid... Anu... Frightened..."

"Why?"

"I am scared that the meeting might last only for a few minutes and then she will leave me again... I don't know if I will be able to bear another 10 years of radio silence."

She took in a deep breath trying to process everything he had just said. It hurt her immensely that someone else held the same position she held in his heart and that someone meant so much to him that even the thought of her leaving him broke him so much. She wondered who she was and how she would look like. Suddenly everything felt different, the past few blissful days she had spent with him seemed like a distant dream. She was glad that he didn't know what she thought of him.... would be easier for him to cut her off she concluded. The mere thought of it made her shiver a little. He looked up at her and raised his eyebrow not getting the intensity of the storm brewing in her heart. She gathered herself together expertly masking the pain she felt as she had done for years. 

"Don't worry... she won't go away... if I can see the love you have for her... she would be able to see it too."

"Thank you, Anu..."

She nodded and gently removed her hand from his grasp and shifted her focus on the bowl of peas on her lap. After a few moments of silence, he heard her voice 

"Does she know me?"

"Huh?"

"Woh... you said she asked you to not tell me about her..."

He gave a small smile as his brain recalled a fond memory.

"Of course she does... And she loves.... uh... I won't lie... I don't know what she feels right now... but if she is the same she was 10 years back... she loves you very much..."

She simply nodded and continued to concentrate on the peas. 

"Anu...."

She looked up and met his devoted gaze. He kept his bowl of peas by the table and slowly walked towards her. Kneeling beside her he looked into her eyes and held her gaze. She looked away as the heaviness in her heart made her eyes fill up. His gentle voice made her look at him.

"Is my Anu hurt?"

The words 'my Anu' made her heart race. The thought of belonging to him felt like heaven. She looked at him unable to answer.

"I can see that you are... would you not share with me?"

"No... no... I am okay..."

"I know you are not okay, Anu... but I won't ask you to share if you don't want to..."

He got up to leave when she reached out and held his hand.

"You promised you won't leave me..."

He looked into her eyes and understood her silent request.

"I won't..."

"Thank You..."

***

A/N: Hope you like itNext update on Monday.