Anurakti

40: Damsel in stress

She was saying something and he wasn't listening at all.

He was wondering why her hair had their ends like that.

"Are you even listening Sahaj?"

"Huh? Why are your hair strands like that?"
Sahaj asked lifting his hand up.

Samidha looked at the strand and replied

"They are called split ends. They happen due to many reasons."

"As in?"

"Friction, not enough nutrition, or not a proper hair care-"

"You eat properly right? You don't starve yourself in the name of dieting right?"
He asked, leaving her hair and sitting up straight. His whole attention was on her as he measured her up and down to see if she looked any different.

Honestly, she looked wayyyyyy different and was more curvaceous and thin then ever before due to her different clothing.
Her big tshirts never made her waist visible and suddenly today boys were having mini heart attacks looking at her. Earlier she used to look like a potato sack.

"Of course I eat!"

"How many times a day?"

"What is it with you? You are acting weird today."
She said, referring to his behaviour earlier.

"You look like someone."

"That doesn't give you the right to hug me like that."
She finally confronted him.

After she pushed him away, he acted like nothing happened. And Samidha being herself, just nodded. She didn't make a fuss.
She didn't even say anything.

He dropped her hair and sat straight, but continued avoiding her eyes.

"You look good."

"That still doesn't explain anything."

She pushed and he looked up to find her staring at him as he used to stare at her.
Blankly.

"Y-you look different. Hair and all that."
He said pointing at her earrings.
He was sweating. And he wasn't able to get angry.

Over the past month, Sahaj has actually almost lost his ability to get angry over petty things.

And from the day his grandma had been hospitalized, he has been seeing the world as it was, without his stupid glasses that made him see just the bad.
His experience of almost losing the one he loved the most had made him realise how much you need to cherish everything.

Now he didn't even get angry on maids for accidentally spilling something. He was getting better.

And anyways, his anger was never anywhere nearby when he was alone with Samidha.

Today, she looked just like someone. Someone he couldn't put his finger on. But someone he knows.

"And y-you apologized for no reason. I felt stupid."

For no reason? Doesn't he remember telling her how worthless her existence was?

"I didn't want to upset you."

What was it with him??

"So I tried to stop you and I-I-I don't know when that happened. I............I'm sorry. I won't do that ever again."

Huh? What was happening.

Samidha raised her eyebrows. Wasn't he being too soft and considerate than usual? And romantic? And cute?

"Naah. It's fine. Tell me, who do I look like?"
She asked and he looked up at her. Scanning her face.

How is he supposed to tell her that he himself doesn't know.