Book 1 of the Love and Duty Series
Anirudh Roy, the steadfast and disciplined army officer, had always lived by a set of principles, none of which involved love. His life revolved around duty, honor, and the pursuit of his ambitions. Marriage, child...
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Anirudh
Lying on my stomach, I think about the woman I met on the bus. I was returning back from the railway station through the bus when I noticed that a middle aged man was touching her inappropriately as I was just behind them. My blood boiled seeing him troubling her and thus, I unleashed my angry side. I thought I would forget everything after that but her picture has now been imprinted in my memory. How beautiful she looked when she smiled!
I groan and roll back on the bed. She didn't even tell me her name or else I could have tracked her. She said she will reveal her name the next time we meet. But I doubt that there will be a next time. How can she be sure that we will meet the next time? Was she playing me?
But why am I getting affected? I just did what my duty was, saving her from that bastard. It shouldn't affect me, she is just a stranger.
"Ani! Come here beta", my mother calls from the living room. I groan and sloppily wear my slippers. When I enter the living room, my eyes widen as I see my best friend sitting on the sofa. He grins, his way of telling me that he surprised me.
"Parth?" I shriek and engulf him in a hug. He chuckles and pats my back. When I take a step back, he says, "Look, I surprised you".
I chuckle and nod. I wasn't expecting him to pop up in my parent's house. Last time I talked to him, he posted at Silur Base. Well, my best friend is in the Air Force. We were just five when we had decided to join the defence forces, looking up at our fathers and grandfathers. Shreyansh, my other best friend, unlike us, joined AFMC. He would often joke that even soldiers like us need a doctor to heal them. Right now, he is in Assam. We three have been together since we started walking, courtesy of our parents.
"Vacations huh?" I tease and see a red emerging on his ears as I tease him. Well, he has a crush on Shreyansh's little sister, quite predictable because Yashvi would always trot around us three, especially after Parth. I don't know if Shreyansh noticed it or not but these two have been in love since forever.
"Nope, I was here for formal work. Your training done?" He asks as my mother keeps a glass full of water in front of him.
"Beta don't ask, his training is done and now he will go back, he won't even stay for a week", my complaints glaring at me. I groan and whine, "Mumma yaar, I have to join the unit in three days". She scoffs and looks back at Parth saying, "Put some brain into your friend. He never listens to me".
Parth chuckles, thoroughly enjoying my mother's taunts. I'll tell him when I go to Lucknow. I'll feed his mother with all the lies he has ever told her and then she'll take care of her son. I will laugh, seeing my friend's self respect getting crushed in front of his crush. It will be so fun!
"Parth, he doesn't even eat properly saying that his diet will be ruined and blah blah. As if I don't know what you people eat. Your uncle was in the army too but he never showed these many tauntrams as he does", my mother further says and I roll my eyes. Parth laughs out, raising his eyebrows at me. I smack his shoulder and rasp, "You are my friend, take my side".
