US - Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 8 - Where it is all about Anshuman and Muskaan

*5th December, Mumbai* 

Anshuman parked his car in the basement of the building, aware of how Muskaan would want to walk till Mc Donalds. He was confused and agitated. The worst was not being aware of why he felt that way. He climbed up the stairs taking in the surroundings. People with bags and sports equipment's marched past him at speed. He did not bother meeting their eyes or increasing his speed. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and that's when he noticed a few missed calls from his father.

"Hello, dad? everything's okay?" He asked, a little breathless from the five-floor climb.

"No, it's the office, the deal with Muskaan? She is cancelling it?" His father said.

"cancelling the deal? With the company? But this is her first independent project" Anshuman frowned, his eyes roaming around the whole place to spot her as he saw groups of women standing on the other side of the transparent glass separating the lobby from the training room. 

"Wait, she's here," He said into the phone as he saw her walking towards him, her hand going up to wipe the sweat on her face as she bent near the chairs to grab her bag and phone.

"Satish phoned an hour ago", He heard his dad tell him, referring to his assistant. 

"Dad's on the phone; he is asking something about you cancelling the deal," Anshuman calmly told her.

"Yeah, uh, I was going to tell you."

"Tell me what?" He growled.

"Don't yell; there were a few loopholes in the contract; my lawyer mentioned them to me the day before yesterday. I spoke o Satish in the morning and told him about the same. I am not cancelling the deal, just changing a few things here and there; he probably understood the whole thing wrong," She snapped.

"Oh, Okay", He mumbled, a little flushed and then explained the same to his father. 

"I am sorry," Anshuman said as soon as he kept the phone.

"You don't have to be" She rolled her eyes as they walked side by side. Anshuman s hand itched to hold hers, but he did not.

"No, I don't have any right to yell at you all the time; my feelings are not to be forcefully thrust on you," He said, his body stiff and his tone rigid. His word clenched her heart. Like a k ife pushed deep into it. But she did this, didn't she? Then why cry about it.

"I- you don't have to apologise, Anshuman; we both know I am in the wrong here", She mumbled, looking away, knowing talking while looking at him was a bad idea. 

"No, no, you are not in the wrong; we are all entitled to our feelings," He said, pressing on the same fact again. Muskaan  ooked at him a little bemused. What was he trying to achieve by saying that again and again? It was s  unlike him to discuss feelings at such lengths and make the atmosphere heavy. He usual y tried escaping conversations like these to keep the atmosphere light. 

"Right", She sighed, breathing in, wanting nothing but a change in wherever this conversation was heading. 

"I was shocked when dad told me about the deal," Anshuman said, grabbing her black duffle bag from her hands and swinging it over his shoulder.

"You were? You look d madder or like a cross at me." 

"Yeah, because that project, that company is your baby Muskaan. I have s en how hard you have worked for it. trying t  build something of your own and giving it all up instantly sounded very impetuous." He explained, his hands pushing the front door of the academy open as she signed the register and showed her card to the security.