INTRICATE

CHAPTER 05

S A M A I R A   Y A D A V

Driving was one of Samaira's favourite things to do. It helped her think and more importantly, it gave her time to sort through the existential chaos that her life always seemed to be. It was an activity that offered her immense comfort, especially with her favourite music, so she had to admit it. Having someone encroach on her space after a fourteen-hour shift was not the best idea.

She took a deep breath as she followed the map that led to Vedan's home, acutely aware of the man sitting beside her in the car. Life had a weird way of bringing people together, but this was not how Samaira had imagined this meeting to go because she had assumed that they would never have a reason to meet again. 

"Did you stay in the city the whole time?"

She glanced at Vedan from the corner of her eye. "Are you trying to make small talk, Shekhawat? You? The guy who has been ardently against it since the moment he learned how to talk?"

Samaira wasn't exaggerating. Not at all. She distinctly remembered him saying on multiple occasions that he would rather keep his mouth shut and suffer in silence than make small talk. How times have changed. 

He smiled lightly. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Clearly," she muttered, taking a turn at the end of the unfamiliar street. The name sounded posh and she didn't expect anything less. "As for your question, no. I moved out immediately after our graduation because I had received an acceptance offer from AIIMS. Then I moved to Pondicherry in the south for JIPMER. I started doing my residency barely a month ago. That's when I moved back."

He let out a low whistle. "Damn, Yadav. At Lakewood Medical no less. Hasn't it ranked consistently as one of the best hospitals in the country? You've been on a roll. How the hell are you still standing upright?"

A chuckle escaped Samaira. She had no clue herself. "Putting up with you maxed out my perseverance. I still consider medical school to be less strenuous when I compare the two."

Vedan placed his hand on his heart. "Such praise. I think I might cry."

"Go ahead," she encouraged with a smirk. "I'll have my camera ready."

Her words must have reminded him of something because he immediately shut down. A veil of indifference fluttered over his face before it settled indefinitely. He simply looked at the road ahead to avoid her questioning gaze, barely making a move to explain.

"Okay," she said, confused. "What just happened?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing."

"Shekhawat, I'm not asking you to disclose what caused the reaction. I'm not that presumptuous. I'm merely asking you to tell me what triggered it so that I know what to avoid the next time I start talking."

"You don't have to walk around on eggshells around me, Samaira," he muttered, annoyance lacing his tone. She didn't think he knew it either. "Don't start psychoanalyzing me just because you have a medical degree. I pay enough people for it already."

Her eyebrows shot up. Okay then. She knew when to take a hint. Samaira didn't push the conversation further, choosing to drive in the awkward silence that enveloped the car. When they reached his home, Vedan didn't make a move to get out. He kept staring at the console, mulling over something in his mind. 

"Shekhawat." she called out, breaking the silence. She had to get home and it was pretty late already. Any more and her parents would be worried out of their minds. She didn't want to trouble them. 

"I'm sorry," he stated as he removed the seatbelt that she had forced him to wear, surprising her. The Vedan that she knew never apologized for anything. Even when he was wrong. "I was out of line and you did nothing to deserve it. Thanks for the ride though. I owe you one."