A New Journey

Giving in

A New Journey

...

Tarika got down from the cab and after paying the bill she started moving inside the Bureau building with small steps. Her leg was still hurting. Soon enough she felt a pair of hand wrapped around her and she looked at her side to discover Abhijeet. He was holding her by her shoulders, helping her to walk. Tarika looked at him with emotion filled eyes but he refused to look back. His eyes were fixed on ground.

He did that with a reflex without thinking anything. What's there to think now when she had seen his feelings naked? What's there to conceal when she had read him like an open book?

Tarika looked away and let him lead her. He left her before the lab and walked away without a single word. Tarika didn't expect him to say anything anyways. She enteted into the lab and sat down on her chair.

"How can I make him talk?" She asked herself. Before she could process her thought Dr Salunke came and they started working on the on going case.

At lunch break Abhijeet was making his way inside the canteen when he bumped with Tarika's mother on threshold.

"I'm so sorry." Abhijeet said, without looking at her.

"It's okay beta." She smiled.

"You are here?" Abhijeet was confused a bit seeing her there.

"Yeah, I came here to give Tarika her lunch box."

"Oh! Have you met her?"

"No. She asked me to wait here."

"Umm.. okay. You can wait inside the canteen."

"No, it's okay. Oh, here she is."

Abhijeet looked towards the corridor and found Tarika walking towards them with slow steps. Abhijeet again felt an urge to run over and help her but he controlled.

Tarika smiled at her mom and Abhijeet, feeling a little shy. Tarika's mom handed the tiffin box to Tarika.

"This will be enough for two of you." She said, lovingly.

Abhijeet was surprised.

"Mom!" Tarika whispered.

"I'm getting late. Bye " Tarika's mom walked away.

"I'm sorry Abhijeet... My mom is... she's..." Tarika stopped in mid way finding Abhijeet's fixed gaze on her. He was looking at her different, like he was in a self made trance. Tarika looked away, breaking his trance.

"It's okay." He muttered.

Tarika looked at him again, taken aback with his comfort ness. Soon, they both sat on a table in canteen and had their lunch. Most of the time Abhijeet was looking at the food so Tarika couldn't gather courage to make him talk. She had decided to give him his time anyways. But she wished he would at least talk to her

After lunch they got busy with the ongoing case and rest of the day passed busy.

At night, Tarika was waiting for the cab when Abhijeet stopped his car in front of her. As if he wad waiting for her to come out of the Bureau only. He didn't ask anything or looked at her. He simply let her acknowledged that he's there to drive her home. Tarika decided to play along. She looked away.