Our Broken Promises

love's in the air-Chapter 2

Living next door to a boy wasn't as scary as I had imagined. In fact, it wasn't scary at all. Just knowing that Anirban lived right next door gave me butterflies. I found myself wanting to know him better, to spend more time with him. Maybe I should "ping" him, like he said. I debated whether to call or text, finally deciding to call.

"Hi, I'm Ira," I said, my voice wavering slightly.

"Hi, Ira. Yes?" he responded, his tone casual but something about that "yes?" made my heart flutter.

"Nothing, just bored," I replied, feeling a bit silly.

"Come over," he said simply, then hung up.

"Come over?" I thought, slightly bewildered but intrigued. I got out of bed and changed into a green oversized T-shirt and my favorite pair of black shorts.

When I knocked on his door, he answered almost immediately. "Hi, Ira." The way he said my name made me want to kiss him. I noticed his room was decorated with a few One Direction posters and a large poster of Hrithik Roshan's first film, "Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai."

I sat on his bed while he settled into his study chair, facing me. "I like your hair," he said, his eyes lingering on my half-colored brown and red locks.

"Yeah, I got it done for my last birthday. Had to save up a lot for this," I replied, running a hand through my hair.

My gaze wandered to a picture on his table, showing what looked like his family. He noticed me looking and said, "I'm from Kolkata, lived there all my childhood. I live here with my mom, dad, and sister. She's getting married next month."

As I took in more of his room, I noticed a trophy that read "Year Topper – Anirban Sarkar." Smart and handsome—I was impressed.

"Drink?" he offered.

"I don't drink," I blurted out, trying to sound virtuous. He burst out laughing.

"I meant a cold drink," he clarified, still chuckling.

"Oh, right, yeah, sure," I stammered, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked suddenly.

"Had one back in school," I admitted. "We broke up because of long distance. I lived in Lucknow until I turned 17."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Nah, not anymore. She cheated," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

I couldn't understand how anyone could cheat on someone who looked like a Greek god. Just then, the clock struck 8, and there was a knock on the door.

I opened it to find a woman with her hair tied into a bun, wearing a blue shirt. "Yes?" I asked, a little confused.

"Where's Ani?" she asked, peering inside."Anya—hi! When did you get back?" Anirban exclaimed as he walked over and hugged her.

"Ani?" I thought, feeling a pang of jealousy. Was he in a talking stage with her? He had mentioned someone named Anya before, but I never imagined they were this close.

"Anya, this is Ira. Ira, this is Anya. She's my maternal cousin. She just got back from Kolkata, visiting Maa and Baba," Anirban introduced us, smiling.

"Cousin? Oh... Oh! Hi," I said, awkwardly waving at her, a wave of relief washing over me. Could she be my sister-in-law one day? I thought, blushing at the possibility.