Twist Of Fate ( Available On Kindle)

part 5

Anbu stared at him with a blank expression and an open mouth, waiting for his response after a brief silence.

"Ummm?" Anbu finally spoke up, prompting Rishi to remove his hands from his head and meet her gaze.

She had expected something like this. Nowadays, it was common to have past relationships, but seeing Rishi's red, bloodshot eyes, she realised it wasn't going to be a simple matter for him. It frightened her because she had just started envisioning her future with him, and now he was grappling with his past.

"And we broke up. That's it," Rishi said, scratching his nose and trying to mask his emotions.

Anbu was still not satisfied with his response, sensing the depth of his emotions beneath his words.

Seeing her concern over his past relationship, Rishi shook his head and reassured her, "Don't worry, I've moved on long ago. And now I'm clear about what I want and how I feel about it." But mere words weren't enough; he needed to demonstrate his commitment through actions. Perhaps she could wait until then.

"If you don't mind, can you tell me your ex's name?" Anbu hesitated to ask, not wanting to pressure him.

Rishi shook his head. "I've moved on, which means I don't remember anything, not even her name," he replied with evident disdain towards his ex.

Anbu nodded, understanding that if he didn't want to keep anything from his past relationship, she shouldn't pressure him either. She smiled in relief.

However, Rishi felt suffocated, unable to shake off a feeling of unease. "Excuse me, I need to freshen up," he said abruptly, leaving without waiting for her response.

Anbu was taken aback by his sudden departure but decided not to overthink it and focused on lifting her own mood. Rishi's demeanour had shifted since he opened up about his past relationship.

Meanwhile, Rishi stood in front of the bathroom mirror, splashing water on his face repeatedly in an attempt to clear his mind. The cold water provided some relief from the irritation in his eyes, but he couldn't shake the turmoil within.

As the sound of pouring rain filled the room, Rishi felt as though the rain was exposing all his emotions. His fiancée was waiting for him outside, filled with expectations and dreams of a happy married life, while he remained conflicted about his past.

Closing his eyes, Rishi remembered Anbu's smiling face and found solace in it. "You have moved on. Believe it and live by it," he told himself, pointing a finger at his reflection in the mirror.

Drying his face with a towel, Rishi resolved to focus on Anbu. She was now at the forefront of his mind, and he was determined to move forward with her.

When Rishi returned to the living room, Anbu was nowhere to be found. Her handbag and mobile were still on the couch, indicating she hadn't left. Curious, Rishi scanned the apartment until he spotted her in the kitchen.

Wondering what she was up to, Rishi approached her quietly. "What're you trying?" he asked, his deep voice resonating in her ears.

Startled by his sudden presence, Anbu turned around and explained, "Umm...actually, it's already lunchtime, so..." She trailed off, gesturing to the ingredients on the counter.

"Oh yeah, let's cook together!" Rishi exclaimed cheerfully, heading to the fridge to retrieve vegetables.

Anbu smiled, glad to have successfully diverted his attention. She tied her hair into a bun and joined him in cooking. She was impressed by his culinary skills as he made chapatis and paneer tikka while she assisted by chopping veggies and preparing the dough.

As they cooked, they engaged in light conversation about food and health. The rain continued to pour outside, creating a peaceful atmosphere inside.

Both finished cooking and served themselves, Anbu felt really happy. This is what she wants. She and him , peaceful environment, long talks, spending time with each other and genuine smiles of Rishi.

Both had lunch with a satisfactory smile of being in each other's presence, the food was also good. Plus the breeze weather along with rain.

Both were done with lunch, and wrapped up the vessels too. They talked about their work and it was already evening.

Anbu was gazing out of the window, Rain wasn't ready to stop at all. Now she was a little tense, till when she can stay at his apartment ? She was lost in her thoughts, when she felt Rishi shaking her shoulder.

Shifting her gaze at him, Anbu faced him.

" What happened ? Where were you lost ? I have been calling you and you didn't even budget " Rishi asked her, being concerned for her.

" Ohh...sorry I didn't notice, " Anbu replied with a stable expression.

" That's ok, you got a missed call from your dad. Here get this " saying this Rishi handed her phone.

Sudden nervousness covered her face when he mentioned her dad.

Grabbing the phone from him in a hurry, she quickly dialled her dad's number.

Rishi was standing there still, watching everything.

Her dad picked the call. I first rang myself, " hello appa, sorry i was in kitchen with swati's amma, taking a few cooking tips from her " she had to continue the lie as she didn't leave with Choice.

Rishi was trying to suppress his laughter seeing her lying with perfection.

Taking cooking tips from swati's amma ? Wow. No doubts she fears a lot of her dad.

" No, appa I'm here. umm yeah uncle and aunty are also fine, ohh No ...umm uncle and aunty are having a nap should i wake them up ? " She made an excuse when her dad asked her to hand over the phone to Swati's mom and dad, thanks to her instant excuse making skills. Rishi adored her when she was pouting while talking to her dad.

" ummm i don't know appa i came to give her books but suddenly weather became bad and i didn't have a choice other than staying here , Rain is still the same, i was thinking to book a cab and return home" she said the fact, she was really feeling like doing it. Rishi sat there and watched her keenly.

But Just then she heard her dad saying " no, don't make that mistake, I just saw the news. Weather is too bad and we still have chances of cyclones too. I believe swati's home is safe for you as of now, stay there for tonight. I actually planned to pick you up but it seems our area is jammed due to water overflows. Take care, I'll call you in a few minutes." He said and ended the call without listening to her.

Anbu made a pout and looked at Rishi who was already laughing at her. She felt like she dug her own grave. Now how will she manage here ? And she knows her dad will definitely call Swati's home to make sure she is there only.

Spending a day with him was cool until spending a night under the same roof came !!

It was already a long day for her, and now the night seems long too.