The Girl With No Surname

Part 5 - One step at a time

'Anokhi, you need to focus. How can you even pass the preliminary exams with such incomplete preparation?'

Shaurya looked irritated, to Anokhi's dismay. He was revising Human Rights and Law of Evidence, but she seemed to have forgotten all her lessons. 

It was not that she did not learn her lessons. Shaurya made sure that she did. But something was aloof about her. He could sense a lack of attention. Sighing, he closed the book in hand and put away his specs.

'Whats the matter, Anokhi? Where is your mind today?'

Anokhi kept her head low, a little ashamed at her performance. How could she tell him that it was getting so difficult for her to conceal her feelings for him?

'Anokhi, I am talking to you for God's sake, say something?'

She looked up at him. He was obviously disappointed with her. There he was, trying to make her revise her lessons for the tests the next day, and all she could think of was how to express her feelings, her growing attraction for him. No! This wasn't right. She needed to divert her mind, take control of her emotions. She couldn't risk their friendship.

'Is something the matter? Anokhi, if something is bothering you, you know you can share it with me.'

Anokhi opened her mouth to say something but stopped. What could she possibly tell him? He would drive her out of the house and his life.

'I think I need some rest, that's it. I am too anxious about tomorrow and that's why I can't concentrate in the lessons.'

Anokhi lied blatantly.

'Okay! Let's have dinner then. We can study afterwards.'

Shaurya had asked her to stay at his place for the night, as Aastha was also there. He was determined to make her top the exams, whatever it took.

Anokhi nodded.

'Ruko, main tumhara dinner yehi pe leke ata hu. Thoda time lagega. Tum tabtak revision kar lo. Okay?'

'Haan thik hai'. Anokhi heaved a sigh of relief. She could study better when he was not around to distract her. But she was really tired. She hardly slept the other night at the hostel, as she was preparing for the test.

When Shaurya went out, she picked up his specs and wiped the glasses with her dupatta. He forgot to do that and ended up having blurry visions often.

In the kitchen, Shaurya took out a bowl of rice from the refrigerator and prepared some vegetable soup for Anokhi. She loved that preparation. If he told Aastha to prepare dinner, she might take the entire evening. He couldn't keep Anokhi starving for that long. She wouldn't be able to study in an empty stomach. The girl had not eaten anything since the afternoon.

He was surprised at the way he cared for her. He barely knew the girl but he was always ready to go the extra mile for her. Shaurya shrugged. It was nothing. He just empathized with her situation. She had tremendous potential in the field of law. And he was an experienced teacher. It was natural that he would take an interest in her. But, there was sonething else, something that he couldn't place. What was it? Why did he feel that Anokhi was hiding something from him? Why had she been so distant for the last few days?
Shaurya kept thinking for the entire tine he was in the kitchen but failed to reach any conclusion.

When he returned to the library with the food, he was surprised to find Anokhi asleep on the couch. He put the plate down on the table and nudged her.

'Anokhi? Anokhi utho, khana kha lo. Anokhi?'

She moved a little and made a soft sound in her sleep. Shaurya smiled. The girl was just a kid after all. He patted her on the cheek, 'Anokhi? Utho, khana thanda ho jayega!'

Her lips twitched and she grabbed his hand in her sleep, holding it tightly.

Shaurya remembered what she told her about Nidhi, that her best friend used to wake her up for dinner and that she used to throw a lot of tantrums. He realized that the same thing was happening with him.

'Anokhi...utho?' His lowered his voice almost to a whisper, as he knelt on the floor and pushed a few strands of hair away from her face.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him dreamily. Her lips curved into a warm smile as she found him this close. Leaning forward, she touched her nose to his, quite involuntarily. But Shaurya was in his complete senses. He moved back instantly, almost pulling his hand away from her grip. The jerk woke her up from her dreamy state. She sat up on the couch immediately.

'I am sorry!' Anokhi felt sweat on her forehead, 'I am sorry...I thought....I....'

Before she could say anything more, Shaurya cleared his throat to ease the situation a little,

'It's okay. Don't worry. I know what you thought.'

Anokhi's eyes grew wide, 'What?'

Shaurya brought the plate to her and sat down on the couch, near her feet,

'I know that you were asleep and probably dreaming of your best friend. She used to wake you up for dinner, right?'

Anokhi's heart sank. For a moment she thought that Shaurya guessed her feelings.

'Ye lo, apna muh kholo', Shaurya fed her from his hands. She didn't object. He did that sometimes, when he was not too busy working on his cases.

While feeding her, Shaurya smiled to himself and thought, 'Khud ko adult bolti hai lekin dekho baccho ki tarah khana khilane par kitni enjoy kar rahi hai yeh. Pagal!'

Anokhi noticed his smile and twitched her brows,

'Aao has kyu rahe ho? Hasi ki koi baat huyi hai kya?'

Shaurya looked at her mischievously and said, 'Tum sachmein bari kab hougi Anokhi? Main wait kar raha hu tumhare bare hone ka.'

Anokhi got so pissed that she lost control of her words, 'Kyu? Shaadi karni hai aapko?'

Immediately after uttering the words, she regretted it. But it was already done. Shaurya stared at her quietly for some time, and then, suddenly, he burst into laughter. He kept laughing for a few minutes, and tears appeared in his eyes. Then, gasping for breath, he said at last,

'Idea bura nhi hai waise. Agar tumhara sense of humor aisa hi raha to I can think about it.'

A joke! He took it as a joke. He would never believe even if she told him directly that she was falling for him.

Anokhi had never felt the pain of a heartbreak. How could she? She was so young! But she felt her heart break a second time in three years. For the same person, the same man, the only man in her life - Shaurya Saberwal.

Late that night, Aastha came into the library to see if Anokhi was doing alright. The door wasn't closed, and she pushed it open, slowly, careful not to wake her. But when she entered, what she saw brought a strange smile on her face.

Anokhi was sleeping on the couch, her head resting on Shaurya's chest, and he was also asleep with a book on his lap, her book, and his arms loosely wrapped around her tiny frame. Aastha didn't wake them but quietly tiptoed out of the library.

'One step at a time, dear brother,' she said to herself, 'One step at a time, and you will reach your destination...'