FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN

Friends

Neel continued to care for Manjari over the next few days. He made sure that she did not over-exert herself and took her meals and medicines on time. Manjari was touched by this thoughtfulness. Even when, he had class, he would come in between to check on her or call her. Yes, call her! That sneak had taken advantage of her injured state and called himself from her number. He had gone ahead and saved his number on her phone under "Your knight, my lady".

It had been a week since the accident and Manjari were feeling a lot better. Thank god she could shower by herself and there was no need for Neel to play lady's maid. Seriously, the man just liked to go through her clothes and criticize them. He also had an opinion on her lingerie. Her cheeks again turned red at the thought of Neel blatantly going through her innerwear. She had a surprise for him today. She had heard him tell his mother that he was missing his favorite vegetables- okra and kadhi. So, she was planning to make both for him today as a way of saying thank you.

She had given their relationship a lot of thought in the past couple of days. She had nothing much to give to Neel in return for his care and concern but there was one thing she could offer him....

Neel was in a hurry to get back home. He wished to spend some time with Manjari. She never said much but he liked to notice the expressions on her face. He entered the house, saying "Honey! I am at home. Did you miss me?" He just could not stop himself from teasing her. He peeked into her bedroom. She was half frowning and half laughing.

"Do not call me honey. Or Babe."

"Sure Sweetheart."

"Not that either."

"Yes Honeybuns".

"That's even worse"

"Alright Sugar".

"I will puke"

"No.............Amore!"

"UGGGHHHH. You are impossible."

"Yet you love me. Will just get you dinner amore", he shouted as he made his way to the kitchen. He entered the kitchen and was surprised to see two dishes on the stove. He checked. Okra. He tasted it. Spicy. Just like he liked. He checked the other dish. Kadhi. Yum Yum. He knew that both had been cooked by Manjari. And then something else caught his eyes. It was a piece of paper folded. He opened it. And read it. And felt a smile gracing his lips. The note had one word on it: FRIENDS.

Whistling to himself, he fixed dinner for both of them. He made rice, heated the veggies, added some rotis and arranged it all on their breakfast table. He picked the note again and had an idea. He scribbled something on it and put it under Manjari's plate. He stepped back to see his handiwork and was pretty impressed. Who would have thought that he would be willing to change himself so much to win the favors of one woman. If his friends would have been here, they would have looked at him and called him whipped. Which was kind of true. Somewhere, somehow, he had fallen for a woman who wanted nothing to do with him, at least in a romantic sense. Yet. He told himself. Yet. He w was determined to win her over. He would woo her like she would have never been wooed, he promised himself. She would be Mrs Neel one day ...

He heard Manjari come in and pulled out her chair for her. He ankle was healing nicely and he was happy with her progress.

He sat across her and said, "thank you"

Manjari smiled at him and picked her plate to serve herself when she saw the note. She looked at Neel who shrugged his shoulder. She opened the note, read it and started laughing. It said I KNEW YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RESIST ME, AMORE.

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Manjari slowly walked back home from the medical center. Her ankle was completely healed. and her equation with Neel had changed completely. Since she had been on bed-rest, Neel had spent a lot of time with her and in her bedroom. Seriously that person had no sense of personal space. He was constantly opening her drawers, listening to her conversations, checking her stuff...

He was expected to move back in his house this weekend. She would miss him and miss him not at the same time. Everyday he would share stories from his childhood. Apparently, his naughtiness was legendry. Or he would make her watch a film that he was watching. Or would get into her bed with her and start reading the book she was reading or demand that she read it out to him. And his nicknames for her....they were endless.

She reached home and opened the front door. A familiar dialogue greeted her.

"Hi amore! how did it go?"

"It went fine. Back to normal duties from tomorrow. What did Simon say?"

"So eager to get rid of me?"

Yes...I have been counting the days."

" How rude!"

She gave him 'the look.' He raised his hands in mock surrender and replied, "he is coming over to discuss the same".

"What is there to discuss?"

Before Neel could answer the question, there was knock on the door. It was Simon. Manjari greeted him and invited him in. Simon looked at both Neel and Manjari.

"I have some good news and some bad news."

Neel and Manjari looked at each other and both asked in tandem, "What is the bad news?"

"We were unable to repair the leak. And you might have to stay here for another ten days or so."

Neel looked at Manjari, trying to guess her reaction to the news. But her face was blank.

"And what is the good news?", he heard her ask.

"We found an alternative apartment for them and are getting it fixed."

"Where is this apartment?" Neel inquired.

"On the second floor of this building."

"What???????????" Neel and Manjari shouted at the same time.

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After Simon left, there was pin-drop silence in the room. Neel looked at Manjari and could not make out what she was thinking. Manjari did not know how to react. Her equation with Neel had changed dramatically but she was hoping for him to go. He was crowding her space and she had not been able to think straight in days. The emotion she was awakening in her were foreign to her and she did not know what to do. . .

If he stayed here, certain lines, boundaries, limits would have to be drawn out. No touching her stuff. And no reading her emails or listening to her conversations. No playing the lady's maid either, no laughing at her clothes, no encroaching her space, no climbing onto her bed, no touching.....she shook her head... what was she thinking... ??? Was she actually ok with him staying here???

She looked up to find Neel staring at her. She did not have to be Sherlock Holmes to know what was going in his mind. She sat across him and took a deep breath. "Its ok. I do not have any problem with you staying here. But there will have to be some ground rules.

Neel motioned with his hand for her to continue.

" You will not touch my stuff. You will not listen to my conversations. You will not answer my emails. You will not insist on making my profile on Tinder. No going through my closet. No criticizing my choice in clothes or the way I keep my things. Definitely no touching me, no crawling ino my bed...."

Neel listened to her round rules and rubbing his chin said, "This sounds fair...". Manjari leaned back on the chair relieved and closed her eyes. Maybe it would not be that bad. "But when have I played fair?", said a voice in her ear.

Manjari could only groan.