Petrichor to his Heart

2.12

She looked up to the brightly lit house and cringed at the sight of yellow lights illuminating the ceiling of the balcony and lighting them up ethereally.

"so much to spend on the birthday party." then brushing away the temper rising up she collected the glittery dupatta to her side and walked to the main door.

The security was quick to approach her and asked her name, seeing her name absent in the list he was provided with, he started arguing politely.

"arey , I am telling you that I know Pallavi Rao, let me go inside... see I even have the birthday gift." she showed him the decent looking gift box.

"Sorry Ma'am, my job will be gone, I cant allow you inside." The guard pleaded with her.

"okay call Farhad...I'll talk to him." she nearly ordered him and the guard agreed and dialled a number.

A ringtone chimed in the vicinity and next she heard,

" Akkada antha sariggāne vundā, Arvind ? " and she recognised his voice. ("everything ok, Arvind?")

She turned to his side and the split seconds of surprise and joy were not hidden from his face or so she thought.

"Aiza...you are here?" he didn't hide his feelings at all or perhaps he shared some of her feelings.

he told one of the men something and made way to them.

"Anna... Āavida pēru listo lēdu." Arvind, the guard started telling him something in their native and Farhad nodded to him and then telling him to go and check others he pulled her to a corner.

"what are you doing here?" Anna won't be easy this time, he knows you tried to talk with Vahini." he whispered to her.

"so, would he hurt me? Just like he hurt my father last evening." her voice was calm but the disgust was visible in her voice.

"See , this day is important to my boss... please don't trouble him otherwise...

"otherwise ..." she challenged him and the simple man who was keeping an eye around them suddenly looked at her.

He kept looking at her daring eyes for a few seconds and suddenly she blinked, ending the moment for them.

"otherwise you will kidnap me just like the other time you guys did... and by the way thanks for not being rude during the last kidnapping session," today something was different, when they met over coffee a few days back he thought they could develop something but today it all seemed far fetched.

"why do you want to come inside, I know you are not here for the birthday party." he changed the topic avoiding her question and obvious accusations.

"you want the truth, okay... I am here to finally put an end to it, my father was out for a whole day and in the evening he came home but didn't say a word against his enemies, it means no one wants to say or do anything about this episode... so I'll meet Pallavi and tell her my apologies in person about the other day, and what better than a happy occasion, now let me go inside." she stared into his eyes and for a moment he felt spelled but her words seemed genuine.

"Alright... let's go but my eyes would be on you," he told her and told her to follow him, she didn't like to follow someone and that he had understood in the countable times they have met so when she tapped her feet in annoyance he smiled at her.

_________*_______

"kam se kam aaj bina behas ke rah sakte hain hum?" she asked him after a near fight moment and grabbed the pine green silk square with hues of black matching to her saree for the day and proceeded to secure it in his pocket. (cant we avoid arguing just for today?)