First Ishq

Chapter 14 [A Shopping Date p.t. 4]

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|Ishika's POV|

I knew I could not pretend to be not bothered for long.

As I stepped out of the store, the aftereffects of that encounter hit me like a tsunami. I tried to stand straight and stop trembling.

But it was impossible. Kittu bhaiya also appeared to notice my trembling as he held my shoulders to support. I looked up at him and the look in his eyes changed into that of hurt. Did he feel hurt on seeing me like this?

But that hurt soon changed into anger. I could see his eyes burning, tempted to fight with that man, as he let me go. He was about to re-enter the store when I held his arm and shook my head in a silent 'no'.

There was no point in fighting and he also knew it well. But he probably lost his mind because of me. Yeah, that must had been because of me.

I looked at the store trying to leave behind my sour emotions. But, that too seemed impossible.

I remember the overwhelming tension I felt that moment. I felt a mixture of different emotions – anger, fright, disgust.

I was angry on myself more than on Kittu bhaiya. No one would have dared to come near me if he were to be close by. But he would not be with me all the time. So, it all came back to me again. I should have fought back, shooed that man away... I should have just done something... just anything!

And to think that man had the guts to check me out. The level of disgust I felt on hearing such words from a stranger after he pleasurably looked at me from head to toe... the meter had broken.

Worst of all, despite being surrounded by people, I felt scared of that man. That he could do something to me in public and that too when my bhaiya was right there with me.

Yet somehow... each feeling seemed plausible. Each and every emotion... seemed to be right. For some reasons, the thought entered my mind that any girl, bold or weak, would have felt similar to what I did.

I moved my eyes around the store through the floor-to-ceiling glass door. But they topped when they landed on Ansh. He was talking to some man. That person was well groomed – slick back hair, dressed in a well-fitted black suit. He appeared to be in his mid thirties.

I looked back at Ansh as he smiled on something that person had said.

'I thought he never smiles but it looks like he doesn't smile at me. But why? Am I some ghost?'

'Sigh... today really did not go as I had planned it to.' I spoke in my mind.

Just then, the door of the store opened and Ansh stepped out. Our eyes met for a brief second before he looked away just as quickly.

"Let's go", he said to Kittu bhaiya and started walking ahead of us.

'Seriously? Who does he think he is? Acting all cool and arrogant.'

Kittu bhaiya and I followed behind him. In fact, I stomped steadily to overtake him. But when I finally ahead, it took him only a few strides to walk by my side. Kittu bhaiya too was walking causally on my other side.

I hadn't even noticed that my discomfit from earlier had disappeared already. For some reasons, I would keep getting distracted by this guy.

Only when I walked out of the mall did I notice that the sky had turned orange. The noise of the passing by vehicles had filled the atmosphere.

A gust of wind passed me and I felt the chills of evening. I ran my hand over my arm and the clink of my bangles ringed in the air.

"I'll bring the car", Kittu bhaiya said before walked to the parking lot.