Loving You

Chapter 22 - Akshara - Playing Cupid

Abhimanyu waved his hand in my face to gain back my lost attention.

"Akshara...? Hello?"

"Oh right! I...I..."

"Go on...I what?"

"I just wanted to know if you had fun at bowling the other night."

"Yes. Yes I did. Did you?"

No. No, I didn't. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"Okay...and? Anything else?" He questioned, pointedly, clearly getting tired of beating around the bush.

"Nope. Nope. Nothing. Okay. I'll leave now. Bye!" I turned on my heels and began to walk out of his cabin when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Again. For what would possibly be the nth time.

Damn! I had to be a good friend to Reet too. I closed my eyes, made a small prayer to Kahnaji and turned around to face Abhimanyu again. He looked up at me, confused by my indecisiveness. Trust me. I was confused too.

"Actually. There is something else."

He raised his eyebrows at me, gesturing for me to continue.

"What'd you think of my friends? Did you like them?"

"Oh yeah, they were nice."

"Just nice?" I probed further, hoping that he would just tell me what I wanted to know without me having to churn it out of him.

He looked up at me strangely as if I had just lost all my marbles. And honestly, I did feel as if I was in some foreign body. And that I was going to fall sick any moment now. Oh gosh, maybe I needed to go to hospital. Get myself on some IV fluids.

"Yeah, nice. Fun. Entertaining. Why? Did they say something? Do they not like me?"

"Oh, they like you alright. They like you a lot." I couldn't help but feel snarky thinking about Reet.

"Oh, okay." He replied, not fully convinced by her reply.

"So...what did you think of Reet?" Yes, Akshara. Very subtle.

"Reet?" Abhimanyu questioned as if trying to remember who Reet was. The audacity of this man to act like he didn't know who she was as if he hadn't spent the entire night with his arms wrapped around her. Jerk!

I plastered a fake smile on my face. Fine. Two could play this game. "Yeah! You remember, Reet. The ophthalmologist?! The one you gave bowling tips to?" The one whose hands you held like a lovesick puppy while teaching her how to bowl?

"Oh...you mean the same Reet you left me hanging with, on purpose, the one that I had to drop home because of you?"

My cheeks flushed as he called out me on my behaviour from the other night. Yeah well, I was mad. What did he expect?! "Yes. That Reet." I grit out, trying to maintain the ounce of sanity that I had left.

"She's nice I suppose. Funny. Beautiful too. I had fun hanging out with her." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

I looked around his office to find something —anything that I could use to bash his head into. "Oh, well, she also thinks you are very funny, and charming." And hot. "Cute too."

Abhimanyu raised his eyebrows at my words, his curiosity peaking through. "Does she?"

Wait?! Did that mean he was interested in her too?! Noooo! My worst nightmare was coming true!

"Uh huh. Yep." I nodded my head frantically, my voice squeaking. Malfunctioning. My brain was starting to malfunction.

"And...," he asked, not at all willing to put me out of my misery.