The Exchange

Deewana

Right as they were about to pull into the parking lot...the same parking lot where Abhimaniyu was waiting to confront Maya, Maya realized that she had ran out of her favorite lipstick. So, she got out and told the driver to take Akshara to the local store where she could pick it up for her. "You don't mind na?" she asked. Akshara silently nodded her head and forced a smile. 

But, as the car started pulling away, she felt him yet again. She felt his presence so strongly within her. She looked out of the window, into the parking lot..."Abhi...Abhi kya tum ho yaha??" she whispered. She rolled down the window to get a better look, but there were too many cars blocking her view. "Bhaiya please ek second kilye rukh jao...mujhe Maya ko kuch bolna hai..." 

"Madam, sorry. Orders hain. Store chalo." With that, he drove away as fast as he could, knowing Maya's wrath if they were late on their way back. 

"Bhaiya, PLEASE." Akshara said...but she was met with no response. She rested her hand on her heart, her pulse beating uncontrollably. 

And just had she had sensed him, he had sensed her. He had started running towards their car the moment it had approached the parking lot. His entire body was on fire...his soul was screaming that she was here. But, before he could make it, the car was gone...and in front of him was the stranger..the mystery who could lead him to his Akshu. 

He looked at Maya, trying to control his breaths that were still heavy from how fast he had ran. "Woh tumhare saath car mein koi aur tha kya??" he asked, desperate to hear her say yes...that his Akshu had been in the car with her.

"Who the hell are you?", she responded. 

Taken aback by her harshness, he told her it didn't matter. And, he once again repeated the same question, asking her who else was in the car. 

"Dekho, please leave. Otherwise I will call security." 

"Acha, mujhe yeh batao ki tum ne gana kaha se seekha Maya? Tumhari avaz bahut hi achi hai..." He said softly, trying to get some answers. 

"Dekho, give me some space...." 

"Maya, please...mujhe jana hai..." 

With that, Maya started getting scared, starting getting nervous. What was he trying to get her to say? Why was he asking her all of these questions? This was the exact reason she did not do any press conferences nor interviews. She took out her phone and immediately called the guards to take him away. And as the guards approached him, he resisted as much as he could...asking Maya to please respond...to answer his questions. She simply rolled her eyes and started walking in the direction of the entrance to the venue. 

As he was being dragged away, he kept looking into the parking lot, hoping the car would return...hoping that he would see her...hoping that he would watch her get out of the car...hoping that he would finally breathe again... 

But, before Akshara could return, he was already well on his way to being escorted out of the premises. And yet, he was not too far away for her to see him when she returned. She saw a man being dragged away by security in the distance, and once again, her heart told her it was him...she KNEW in her soul that it was him. She got out of the car as fast as she could, and started running in his direction, no matter how far he was. 

Before she could make it close to him, before she could reach him, she saw Kunal out of the corner of her eye. He was on the phone outside of the entrance of the venue. She stopped in her tracks and headed towards him. She could not let him see her acting like this...she could not give him any reason to suspect her. So, she took some deep breaths, calmed herself down, and went to Maya, who was waiting backstage. 

She handed her the lipstick and asked, "Maya tumne us admi ko dekha? Security uske saath tha bahar..." 

"Haan dekha yaar. He was so weird." 

"Kohn tha???" Akshara immediately asked. 

"Koi deewana."