The Independent Girl (Sample)

Chapter 2 - Leaving Home

Sandhya sat in the front row seat of the bus and wondered how long it would take to reach the nearby town. She had a meeting with the contractor today. A deep, familiar voice filled her ears. Instinctively, she turned back and found Akash talking with someone. He moved his head in her direction and as soon as his piercing black eyes met hers, she turned her head to the front. She was in an odd situation; she didn't like him enough to greet him, yet she couldn't ignore him.

"Why the hell is he traveling in a bus when he can afford to go in a car; just to spoil my mood?" she muttered to herself. When Sandhya got off at her destination, she wondered if Akash was getting off too, and gave a quick glance back. She found him right behind her, looking at her.

Sensing that it would be inappropriate to go without talking to him, she threw a curt, "Hi."

"Hey there, Sandhya."

She wondered if she was dreaming. Was Akash smiling?

"What are you doing in town?" he asked.

"I have some work with the contractor."

"I have work in the same building. We could walk together."

She hesitated a little.

"Sure. I forgot to note down the address and was about to call the contractor anyways."

"That may not be a good sign for a project manager."

She looked at him sharply.

"It might be better if you stopped judging the people around you on every occasion."

She waited to see his reaction. To her astonishment, she found him smiling. He remained silent though, and it felt as if he was deliberating about something.

"I almost didn't recognize you yesterday," he finally said, his eyes forward.

Sandhya raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You remember me?"

"Yes, and I take it that you also remember me," he replied, looking at her in amusement.

Sandhya smiled and looked ahead. "I do," she replied in a low voice. "I was studying in Mumbai for four years. You could say that the city life transformed me."

"Seems so."

They reached their destination, bid good-bye to each other, and separated. Neither of them asked when they were planning to leave.

~

Sandhya was tired by the time she was done with her work. It was getting dark and the bus stop was a good twenty-minute walk away. She looked around for a second and wondered if Akash had returned to their village already. She took a deep breath and started walking.

"Sandhya!"

Her heart skipped a beat. She turned around and found Akash standing a few feet behind her, chatting with a couple of men. He raised his hand, indicating for her to wait for him. She nodded and waited. She could not help but wonder at how friendly and easygoing he seemed now compared to their earlier encounter. After about a minute, he bid good-bye to his companion and sprinted towards her. They started walking towards the bus stop together,making small talk.

When the bus arrived and they got on, Sandhya chose not to sit with Akash. It was normal in Mumbai to sit beside men, but not here, especially when the bus had empty seats.

After a long ride, they got off the bus.

"Have a good night," Sandhya said, knowing that his house was on the opposite side of the village.