Forget-Me-Not: Taste of Freedom

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

After a long, grueling day, all a man wanted was the comfort of his bed and the security that the dark provided against any kind of scrutiny. It was half past eleven at night. Abhay was almost going to bed, when the doorbell rang. He looked towards it, frowning, and wondered who could be calling at this time. Could it be them again? But it seemed unlikely. They'd just left him an hour or so ago, and they hadn't sat for much time. Still, who else could it be? His face contorted at the thought of this evening, of seeing them smile at him and offer their condolences, to see them sit there, patient and unaffected, as they mourned the loss of a daughter they'd never even wanted. Muttering under his breath, he stalked towards the lobby and switched on the lights.

If he had to spend some more time pretending to like his in-laws, he was going to need a lot of self-control and patience. However, he received a pleasant surprise when he opened the door. It was not his in-laws.

Vidhi was the last person he was expecting to see; but she was a welcome relief as compared to Ananya's parents. He couldn't say he was displeased to see her.

"Vidhi."

"Hi," she said, smiling. She looked... different. There was a hint of anxiety, of expectation in her expression, but it wasn't the bad kind. She was dressed in a full-sleeved jacket and faded jeans, her hair tied in a sleek pony tail. Her cheeks were flushed, and so was the tip of her nose. Her smile was warm, slightly nervous. He blinked.

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I... uh, I actually came by for... for your bike."

"My bike?" he repeated.

His head had cocked to the side, and there was puzzlement in his voice. Vidhi licked her lips, wondering how to possibly explain to him why she needed his bike; that too, at almost midnight, when he probably had other, better things to do. Like catching up on his sleep, or working, or watching TV.

"Vidhi?"

She broke from her thoughts. "Uh, yeah. Because... well, I want you to teach me how to ride it," she blurted out.

He stared at her, his dark eyes puzzled, his brows contracting at her abrupt request. She bit her lip, twisting and untwisting her fingers.

"I mean, not if you're busy or something..."

"It's almost midnight," he murmured.

"I know. Sorry if I disturbed you; I just thought...." she trailed off, looking away.

"Thought what?"

"That if I didn't do this now, I might not be able to muster up the courage to do this a few hours or a few days later."

Abhay stared at her, surprised at her odd request, but also curious. He pushed one hand in the pocket of his sweat pants, and regarded her with blatant interest. "You want to learn how to ride a bike... now?"

"Yeah. That's what I want."

They stared at each other. Abhay couldn't help feeling that there was something strange about her tonight. There was a hint of the old Vidhi in her, the one he'd known so well eleven years ago. She wasn't guarded tonight. She wasn't reluctant, she wasn't grave. She was slightly nervous, but even then, she seemed... excited. Young, he realized. She looked younger and more alive than she had in the last few weeks he'd seen her.

"Okay," he said finally, "Let me get my keys and a jacket."

"Okay," she said.

As Abhay went to his room, still thinking about Vidhi and her sudden wish, Kaira's door opened halfway and she popped her head out. "Aren't they gone yet? How long are they planning to stay?"