Here After!

13. Unspoken Attractions

Anu

Truly, those four days of rest proved to be a much-needed reprieve after the stressful events surrounding my own marriage and the upcoming wedding of Anitta. In between, Giri made a trip to my home to oversee the wedding preparations. During this time, I managed to find peace and relaxation by immersing myself in the world of drama, completing the binge-watching of three series. It felt like a significant achievement, a welcomed milestone in the midst of the busy preparations and anticipation.

With the wedding just around the corner, Giri and I are preparing to visit my home today, while Mom heads to Gayu's place. I can't help but feel a sense of apprehension about facing Mom's inevitable scolding. The mere thought of it is giving me a headache. Hopefully, amidst the hustle and bustle of the wedding preparations, her reprimands will be minimal.

This morning, I returned to our room where we were in the midst of packing our belongings. Giri suggested consolidating our things into a single bag, a practical idea considering the limited space. While I have minimal items to pack from here, as most of my belongings are still at home, Giri is diligently calculating the days and items he needs to pack.

As Mom called me out, I signaled to Giri that I was going to join her. She inquired about our preparations to leave and handed me one of the keys to the house, instructing me to keep it with me. I hesitated for a moment, knowing my tendency to misplace things, but accepted it nonetheless. Mom then briefed me on their plans and urged me to get ready to depart.

Returning inside, I approached Giri and confessed my apprehension about keeping the key. Without hesitation, he assured me that he would take care of it, suggesting we keep it in the car so neither of us would forget or misplace it. With a sense of relief, I handed over the key, and Giri swiftly added it to our packed belongings before carrying them out to the car.

As Giri returned to the room, a sudden wave of shyness washed over me, catching me off guard. These unfamiliar feelings seemed to envelop me in their embrace, leaving me bewildered and unsure of their origin. Despite my best efforts to maintain composure, I couldn't shake the inexplicable sensation.

Giri passed me a warm smile as he settled onto the bed, and I found myself instinctively returning the gesture before hastily excusing myself to the washroom. Alone in the confines of the bathroom, I let out a sigh of relief, grateful for the momentary respite from the overwhelming rush of emotions.

I couldn't help but question why such a simple interaction with Giri had stirred up such turmoil within me. Was I regressing to the insecurities of adolescence, allowing myself to be swept away by fleeting infatuations? No, I chided myself inwardly, I needed to maintain control over my emotions, lest I fall victim to unnecessary suffering.

With a determined resolve, I composed myself and returned to the room, steeling my nerves to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Yet, as I stepped back into the familiar surroundings, I found myself inexplicably drawn to him, my mind inexplicably captivated by his presence.

Despite my efforts to maintain a steady heart and clear mind, I felt a surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. His mere presence seemed to cloud my thoughts, leaving me unable to focus on anything else.

In that moment, I realized with a mixture of frustration and fascination that perhaps the greatest challenge I faced wasn't external but internal - the battle to keep my emotions in check in the face of undeniable attraction.

"What happened, Anu?" His sudden question jolted me back to reality, reminding me that I had been zoning out more than usual lately. "Nothing, Giri," I replied quickly, fabricating a lie to cover my momentary lapse. "I was just double-checking to make sure I didn't miss anything while packing." Despite my attempt to brush off his concern, a nagging feeling of guilt lingered within me, knowing that I was concealing more than just forgotten items.