One Week To Love

The Encounter

Justin had always been different, even from a young age. His parents first noticed it when he was just a toddler, fainting at the slightest touch of a woman. Doctors later diagnosed him with a rare condition, one that triggered an intense autonomic response to physical contact with women. Growing up, he had learned to live with it, navigating life with careful avoidance and an often misunderstood aura of aloofness.

His world came crashing down one dreadful evening in Toronto. Justin was accused of a crime he couldn't have committed — the sexual harassment and murder of a young woman. The accusations were baseless, yet the stigma was suffocating. He could remember nothing of that night but the vague shadows of his condition clouding his memory. To escape the relentless scrutiny and impending doom, Justin fled to India, landing in Hyderabad, where his brother Harris was relentlessly working to uncover the truth and exonerate him.

Life in Hyderabad was a stark contrast to the life Justin had known. The vibrant chaos of the city offered him anonymity, but not solace. He lived in a modest apartment, avoiding any contact with his neighbors, trying to keep a low profile while Harris pieced together the evidence back in Canada.

Ava's life was a constant battle against expectations and disappointments. At 20, she was the eldest daughter in a family that seemed to reserve all its love and hope for her younger siblings. Her father, a stern and uncompromising man, never missed an opportunity to remind her of her shortcomings, comparing her endlessly to her more favored sister and brother. The only solace Ava found was in the quiet support of her mother, the sole beacon of love in a storm of mental and emotional abuse.

Ava was a CA aspirant, struggling under the immense pressure of her studies and her father’s relentless expectations. Her parents had left for a week to attend a relative’s wedding, leaving her behind to fend for herself in their absence. She had pleaded to go with them, desperate for a break from her suffocating routine, but they had refused, leaving her alone in the vast, silent house.

It was a sweltering evening when Justin first saw her. Ava was on her way back from her institution, her phone clutched tightly in her hand as she spoke to her mother. The strain in her voice was palpable, and Justin, though maintaining his distance, overheard enough to understand that she was alone. For Justin, who had been living on edge, the thought of having a safe place to stay was too tempting to resist. He followed her discreetly, careful to maintain enough distance to avoid suspicion.

Ava arrived home, her thoughts consumed by her studies and the constant pressure weighing her down. She pushed open the door and stepped into the cool, empty house, a sanctuary that felt more like a prison. Needing to release the tension that had built up inside her, she kicked off her shoes and put on her favorite song. The familiar melody filled the room, and Ava began to dance, her movements fluid and free, a stark contrast to the rigidity of her daily life. She twirled and spun, lost in the music, believing herself to be entirely alone.

As she danced, Justin silently entered the house through the unlocked balcony door. He moved cautiously, not wanting to startle her, but as he stepped into the living room, he froze. Ava, mid-twirl, caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. She screamed and reached for the nearest object, a heavy book, and hurled it at him.

Justin ducked, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "Wait! Please, don't be scared. I'm not here to hurt you."

Ava's heart pounded in her chest. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

"I'm Justin," he said, his voice calm and steady despite the situation. "I know this is strange, but I need your help. I overheard you saying you're alone. I... I have a condition. A rare one. If a woman touches me, I faint."

Ava blinked, her fear momentarily replaced by confusion. "What? Are you serious?"

"Yes," Justin said, lowering his hands slowly. "I can explain everything. I just need a place to stay for a few days. I'm not dangerous, I promise. I’m just... in trouble."

She stared at him, torn between disbelief and curiosity. "And you think I'll just let you stay here because you have some condition?"

"I have nowhere else to go," Justin said, his voice softening. "Please, just hear me out. I can stay out of your way, and I'll leave as soon as I can."

Ava hesitated, weighing her options. She could call the police, but something in Justin's eyes — a mixture of desperation and sincerity — made her pause. "Fine," she said finally. "You can stay. But if you try anything, you're out. Understand?"

Justin nodded gratefully. "Thank you. You won't regret this, I promise."

As Ava led him to the spare room, she couldn't shake the feeling that her life had just taken a turn into the unexpected. Little did she know, this unlikely encounter would change both their lives in ways they could never have imagined.