Gun and My Girl

16. Rejection!

Aditya

I came home and took a shower. It's already 8 in the morning. I was with Nihal and Tanu last night. We were best friends in college. We were discussing the case and ordered food. Tanu is an IT expert and she is helping us get the call records of the victims and the CCTV footage. In all this chaos I forgot to inform Prisha. I said I had dinner with my friends when she called. I had to cut the call when Tanu found some information.

I came down and noticed a note on the dining table. It's from Prisha! I read it and switched on the oven. I had my breakfast and left for work. 

I got a message from her and I replied with an 'okay'.

I got back to my work and completed it soon so that I can meet her in the evening.

Author

Prisha is sitting on the couch nervously playing with the hem of her dupatta. She has been waiting for Aditya since the afternoon. Even though she asked him to meet in the evening she couldn't contain her nervousness so came back in the afternoon and waited for him.

Here Aditya too completed his work and reached home. He took a shower and went to Prisha's home.

She opened the door after a few knocks. She didn't do any decorations as she was scared all the time that he would reject her and she felt like his presence is enough to make everything beautiful.

"Prisha what is it? You called me here!" He asked as soon as he entered. Prisha's heart started thumping in her chest. She is getting nervous. She wiped her sweaty palms with her dupatta before she finally spoke.

"I love you, Aditya!" She said finally mustering confidence looking into his eyes. 

He is frozen by her sudden proposal. He does feel something about her that he never felt with anyone else. He doesn't want to name it as love and he doesn't want her to be with him due to his own insecurities.

"But I don't Prisha! Don't bring it up again. And I have never seen you as more than my mothers' friends' daughter and Pihus' angel." He said in a heavy voice, tears started flowing down her cheeks and she felt her heart break into million pieces.  She ran from there with teary eyes and the electricity too went off leaving him alone in that pitch-dark room. 

"I don't want you to suffer if something happens to me Prisha! There is no guarantee to my life. I don't want you to live alone if something happens to me! You deserve better actually the best!" He said after she left and went back to his house.

Both of them are hurt because of what happened. They didn't want to hurt each other but they both end up getting hurt. Prisha thaught he was in love with the girl who she heard over the phone and she felt deeply hurt and angry for developing feelings towards someone who was already in a relationship.

Prisha stood at her window looking out at the dark sky. She is lost in her thoughts. She is too engrossed in her grief to notice Aditya looking at her with moist eyes.

He likes her, maybe it's more than just liking. He doesn't want her to be with him whose life is not stable. He wants her to have a person who always keeps her happy and stays beside her but little does he know her happiness lies with him! He thought he is doing good to her by staying away from her but the reality is he is just hurting her and himself by doing that.

She went back to her bed after some time and laid down but sleep is the last thing on her mind. She didn't sleep the whole night. How can she when her heart broke miserably and there was no one whom she could confide in?

Here, Aditya too didn't sleep the whole night. He is feeling guilty for her tears. He doesn't know deep down he loves her too. 

That night was the worst in their lives. They felt heartbroken and they both had no one to guide them or listen to them. Their insecurities made them take the step which ended up hurting them. Their parents will come back in 2 days. 

Aditya didn't want to face her so he left early in the morning and came back late at night.  He completely ignored her those two days.

But the case had some progress. After tracking down the call list of the girl they came to know the girl spoke to  Mamatha a week before her death. 

So, Aditya and Nihal decided to speak to Mamatha about it tonight. Mamatha asked them to have dinner with her that night as she wants to share the news with them. They too thought it would be the perfect time to ask about the girl.

But little did Aditya know that he will meet the girl he has been avoiding and will come face to face with him there!

Both Aditya and Nihal went to Nihal's home and knocked on the door. 

But the person who opened the door was not Mamatha, it was her.

"Hi!" Nihal wished her.

"Hey!" She smiled at him but her smile dropped immediately when she saw Aditya standing beside him. It hurt him but he didn't let it show.

They both entered when she moved aside letting them in. Aditya took blessings from his aunt by touching her feet and she hugged him.

"What's special maa? You made a lot of dishes!" Nihal spoke eyeing the dishes placed on the table.

"I got nominated for the best doctor award!" She announced and three of them squealed in joy.

Both the boys hugged her immediately.

"We are proud of you!" They both said giggling.

"Isn't my best student proud of me?" Mamatha asked looking at Prisha who just stood there.

"I am very proud of you ma'am!" She replied and her happiness for her mentor is clearly visible in her eyes.

"Then come join the hug!" Mamatha said and before Prisha can object Nihal pulled her into a hug. 

Being so close to each other is doing weird things to both of them. They all broke the hug after some time. 

"Let's have dinner! Then we can speak about your matter!" Mamatha said and they all sat for dinner.

After dinner, they all moved to the living room.

"Okay, ma'am I will leave then! And I am really proud to be your student !" Prisha said getting ready to go out. 

All this time she never looked at Aditya even once.

"Prisha! Stay back for some time!" Mamatha said. She never said no to Mamatha so she silently sat back.

"Prisha where are you lost?" Nihal asked looking at her who is completely lost in her thoughts. She can't say she was thinking about Aditya so she just nodded her head as nothing.

"Do you know boys, Prisha's father too won this award 5 years ago! He won many more awards and he's my idol!" Mamatha said making everyone smile.

"Mom we have to ask you something!" Nihal said nervously.

"Go ahead!" Mamatha said turning her entire concentration towards Nihal and Aditya.

"So we are investigating a murder case and we found that the victim spoke to you a week before her murder. Do you know her bua?" Aditya asked showing the pic of the girl.

" She is Muktha, my patient!" Mamatha replied.

"She had a kidney transplant 3 years ago!" Prisha said gaining everyone's attention.