Right Here [Regular Updates]

Chapter 22

When Shreya came out of the bathroom, she was in one of his used shirts. Her clothes were right beside his, but she did not want to ask him to pass them on.

Lakshya was still in bed thinking what to say when she took her clothes from the cupboard and carried them out of the room.

He paused.

So you are too hurt to smile at me. She had smiled every time their eyes met, sometimes even if he was just facing her and not exactly looking at her. Now he looked at her, but she did not bother to.

Out of awkwardness and a lack of response to her previous words, Lakshya didn't want to speak with her.

∼•∽

The next day, in the evening Shreya realised she had to get some vegetables. But the time was just about right for Lakshya to come back.

She waited.

Then she heard him outside the door. She opened it for him, but did not dare to really look at him.

"I will go and buy some vegetables," she said as he put his bag down.

Her hair covered her eyes and Lakshya noticed her avoidance. Why even tell me then, he thought. Everything just pissed him off.

"And? You want me to come with you?"

The condescendence in his voice saddened her. She slowly shook her head. She did not know if he had seen.

When she stepped out, he stepped out too.

Shreya was moved. They walked together. Shreya slowly reached out for his hand with a thumping heart. She knew it was risky but maybe, just maybe, she thought.

Lakshya felt her hand touch his. He stopped walking.

Shreya quickly retracted her hand.

"What? Wasn't yesterday enough?" he hissed, "Don't you dare hold my hand again."

Shreya clenched her jaw and held back her tears.

Weeks went by.

She packed his lunch, set the table for herself and never again showed up in front of his door.

But Lakshya saw her. He saw her every morning in the kitchen. He saw her on the sofa some evenings and in the kitchen on some.

Perhaps due to time, perhaps due to just those silent non interactions, his anger dissipated quite a bit. And, every time he saw her, he stared at her longer, and longer.

He tried not to remember that night, but he failed. Random images sometimes invaded his mind at work even.

He was not sure but it seemed she was stealing away her clothes from his wardrobe one at a time. Her pile dwindled slowly. He had never seen her put back her washed clothes. One day, there were just his items.

She still opened the door before he unlocked it though. He had become quite slow at unlocking the door, but that's besides the point.

She still did not smile at him. She rarely glanced at him and she never held his gaze.

"Shreya," he called her name one evening, not knowing what came over him. Was it the first time he was calling her name?

She looked up with a blank stare.

They spoke after such a long time and he finally saw her full face. It was beautiful. Even more beautiful than what was in his memory from that night.

He collected himself and spoke with a blank face mirroring hers, "It's Utpal's birthday. You have met him."