Double Stranded

Chapter 2

8th May 2004 9:25am

Graduation ended. Convocation was the last time she saw him. Hoping to see him again she enrolled in masters classes. Ayfa and Zayn did too. Just Aanan didn't!!!

He was completely out of the picture, was in contact with Zayn only, told him he was going to skip a semester to take a break. That feeling was mutual, relatable indeed, though that break never got over. University premises without having him around was a hard reality check for Esha. She realized that's exactly how fragile their relationship was. She called him once or twice that he never answered. She left trying.

Esha was the first in three of them to get a job right after graduation! Ayfa and Zayn got engaged in a small family gathering two months after convocation, their families decided to get them married after completion of the masters programme. Zayn joined a software house and Ayfa liked to focus on studies only. Aanan left for Dubai to join his father's business.

Things with him seemed to be over. Yet she missed him every second. She opted for a full time job, along with masters studies. It was tough but necessary for her, kept her busy, running, not thinking, not missing him.

She was in her cabin, responding to the head of trade's email when her monitor's right-most corner blinked. An outlook message prompted, "Hi girl. It's Aanan here!!!"

The message prompted from a colleague's workstation on an outlook network!!! Wait a minute. Cautious yet curious, she turned her head left...then turned back... couldn't find him there...Just one more side to look at... With a pounding heart she turned right. And there he was, smiling at her...that same chest piercing smile.

In a mere moment he was walking towards her cabin. 'He still smells great', the voice from inside reminded her.

"Hi Esha...how are you girl?", his voice sounded so alienated, she heard it after months. Still succeeded in making her heart skip a beat.

Her inside voiced it. 'It's been so long since I heard you calling my name Aanan' an awkward pause, he wasn't saying anything. 'That's it? Say something stupid', a voice from her conscience scolded.

"Aanan...What a pleasant surprise! Ummm...where have you been?". She was so angry with the voices in her brain, 'wrong question you idiot...moron... desperado...!!!'.

"Where would I be! Dad retired and handed over everything to me", he stated very casually.

'Did you marry?' sound in her brain asked stupidly. Cautiously rephrasing her sentence she said, "It's good to see you Aanan"

A soft smile returned to his excited face. That familiar warmth, she once adored in his deep brown eyes, seemed to restore, as he stated in a subtle tone, "Feeling is mutual girl", then after a
pause he asked, "You got engaged too?"

She really couldn't decide how to react, couldn't help but notice that sheer remorse in his question. Pain in his voice didn't go unheard...unnoticed...unfelt by her. "No...I didn't", she replied, knew he was more referring to Ayfa's engagement to Zayn.

With a cold sigh of respite, she shredded her worries and decided to cheer him up. It took her a moment to do what she did next. "Let's go for lunch outside. Come with me", done saying that she quickly stepped out of her cabin, leaving him no other option but to follow her. Though in the back of her mind, she was smiling from inside. It felt nice leading the way, having him follow her after a long time.

Knowing he loved desi food only, she took him to a restaurant near her office. They sat casually, pretending to ignore the eerie silence between them.

Her brain spoke first, 'Say something...Ask him directly.' encouraging her to be blunt and honest. She finally started the conversation, "They got engaged months back and are probably gonna get married soon. What's stopping you from moving on Aanan?"