Promised Love

4. Temporary Truce

I decide to go for a jog this morning, especially with the events of last night I really need to clear my head. Quickly slipping into my jogging suit and grabbing my phone and purse, I step down the staircase as I tie my hair into a high ponytail.

When I am tying the shoe laces of my sports shoes I hear mom's voice. "Saanvi, Are you going jogging?" She asks.

"Yes, mom." I answer, she nods and hurries into the kitchen.
"I'll make you a protein shake." She calls out.

"No, no. It's alright, water will be fine." I insist. She shakes her head, and repeats that she'll make me a protein shake firmly.

"I don't drink protein shakes." I say sheepishly. She chuckles,
"No worries I'll make you a lemonade then."
I always knew Gayatri aunty is a sweet woman but as a mother in law she is even sweeter.

"Ok thanks mom." I say smiling sweetly. By the time she makes me my lemonade I google the location to the nearest park, and find that it's barely a km away. Just then a message from Trisha comes in asking me about everything that has happened in the last two days. I begin texting her and loose track of time until mom holds the bottle in front of me.

"Oh! Thank you. I'll be back soon." I tell her before shooting out of the chair and rushing out of the door.

I put on my earphones and select a bollywood playlist on Spotify before I start walking to the park.
Humming to the beat of the music I reach the park in no time, and spot that it is very packed.
Children are playing, people are walking, jogging and working out, and some aunties are sitting on the bench probably gossiping.

I begin jogging in the jogging track and pass a group of elderly people who are doing their laughing excercise. The park is so full of life, it automatically makes me feel fresher. I take in the surroundings and also plan what all I am going to make for my pehli rasoi today.

After my twentieth lap I come to a halt and do a couple squats before taking generous gulps of the lemonade which tastes like heaven and start to get going.

Just then I spot Abhimanyu's audi on the opposite side of the road. He is talking to a women who is leaning on the car, both of them dressed in workout clothes.
The first thing I notice about the woman is that she is tall, she must be atleast 5'8, which is three inches taller than my 5'5.

She is wearing a black unzipped crop jacket with black yoga pants and a neon pink sports bra. Her hair has blonde highlights, and she is sipping on a Starbucks latte. Abhimanyu is wearing a fitted black t-shirt, with grey track pants, and is also sipping on a Starbucks cup, that has some blue liquid in it.

Together, both of them look like some sort of a picture perfect couple. And just then everything clicks into place. This woman is Shanaya. Shanaya. She is gorgeous, no wonder Abhimanyu is head over heels for her.

I take a step closer to the sidewalk, as Abhimanyu says something to her and Shanaya throws her head back and laughs. She grabs him by the front of his shirt and says something in his ear before pointing at a cafe called 'Magnolia Dreams' which just by the name I can tell us a very expensive place. I force myself to look away from them just as they start walking towards that cafe.

*****

"Come on, sit down, Abhi. It's Saanvi's pehli rasoi." Aunt says to Abhimanyu, who just now returned from god knows where.
I came back home three hours ago from my jog, took a bath got dressed in a cotton salwar kameez before I entered the kitchen to start preparing paneer paratha (flat bread stuffed with a filling of cottage cheese and spices) and gajar ka halwa (an Indian sweet dish made from carrots).