Love or Retribution?

Chapter - 5

Even the skin freezing early morning air from the mountains was not strong enough to bring Bhargav out of his thoughts.

His eyes continued to stare at the house down the slope yet his mind was completely else where.

Her eyes, voice, presence, touch everything felt familiar, even though her actions proved totally opposite. Is she really her or is it my mind who wants her to be Her playing its own tricks.

In his almost 10 plus years of adult life, he had met many women, many interested him, many he thought he was interested in, but none of their presence impacted him like hers.

Whenever he failed to connect with another woman, he proudly attributed it to the fact that his heart is still loyal to her and hence it is not ready to move on, but now it is ready to fall head over heels for a woman whom he hardly knows, which makes his hearts loyalty questionable or does it know something that his conscious mind is not ready to comprehend.

"What are you doing here Bhargav, it is cold out here", Nandhini's voice came from behind followed by her.

Bhargav did not move but continued to stare at the house when Nandhini came and touched his fore arm.

"God, you are freezing Bhargav, have you lost your mind or what? here", she said and wrapped the overflowing blanket around him too and moved closer to him.

"Why aren't you asleep Nandhini?", he asked while slightly distancing himself from her, yet staying inside the blanket.

"You wanted to go Italian for the party tomorrow, so visiting the organic farmer's market in ooty with the chef to buy the required exotic vegetables and herbs, he said he needs it today to get the sauces ready, what is your excuse? ", she asked moving closer to him again.

"Nothing, just couldn't sleep, thanks Nandhini, for taking care of all these things, you are equally responsible for the success of this inn", he replied not moving away from her this time.

"I am willing to take more responsibilities Bhargav, it is you who is not willing to give me the space and opportunity", she said while wrapping her hands around his elbow.

Bhargav did not reply, there is a good woman standing right next to him, loving him with whole of her heart, yet he is yearning for something that is not even real.

He turned and looked at her, she was now leaning against his shoulders, almost hugging him, yet it did nothing to him, whereas, Indira's mere proximity sets his whole body on fire.

When she pulled her hand from his the previous day, every single cell in his body revolted against it, pressuring him to pull her into a hug, every single time her eyes looks into his, he feels like getting lost in it, never to be found, and every time she speaks, he feels this sudden urge to shut her lips with his and show her that he can understand her even without a single spoken word.

Instead of being exhilarating all these thoughts terrified him.

He slowly pulled himself away from Nandhini's grip, turned and looked at her.

"I have told you this before, and I am telling this again now Nandhini, I value our professional relationship a lot and I respect you way too much but beyond that there is nothing between us and I request you to not have any hopes that might come between this beautiful professional bond that we share, please don't do anything that will force me to do something that both of us will regret later ", Bhargav said looking directly into Nandhini's eyes in a calm yet stern voice that created chills in her.

All these days Bhargav had never given her any hope, but he had not crushed what ever she had like this too, she had thought that he will eventually come around, but something has definitely changed that made him talk like this, her eyes too went to the house down the slope now.