OBSESSION (COMPLETED)✔

CHAPTER 28

Rhea and Imran were having their lunch together in the hospital's café when Shad entered. Imran looked at him and then nudged Rhea.

'Dr. Shad seemed happy today. He was tensed yesterday and this morning' Imran said. Rhea quickly turned around and found Shad walking towards the counter; he greeted few doctors on the way. Rhea smiled noticing the twinkle back in his eyes and of course his dimpled smile. She is relieved seeing him return to normal.

Imran waved his hand and called Shad, he turned around and smiled at them. Rhea blushed and looked away. She stared at her plate and thought to herself- Why is she blushing? Shad came and took a seat in between Rhea and Imran. He looked at Rhea and smiled. She smiled back and quickly turned her attention to her plate. A few minutes later, Imran said he would get some water and leaves. It's now only Rhea and Shad.

'I am so happy, Rhea. My father agreed' Shad said happily.

'I am happy for you...' Rhea blurted out; Shad looked at her with his eyebrows raised. Rhea looked stunned with her words, so she added to cover up 'I am glad you are coming...it would have been bad if a talented and a well-qualified doctor like you wouldn't have come.'

Shad smiled and agreed with her. Their gaze met and both froze unable to move their gaze from each other. They looked away only after Imran came back. Both looked away, blushing.

***************

Shad came back home doing a happy dance. He held his mother and twirled her around, ballroom dancing with her. His father looked on laughing while his mother was alarmed. She kept requesting him to stop spinning him around.

'Arey, beta. What happened?' his father yelled over Shad's loud singing. Shad stopped spinning his mother. She held her head and flopped on the sofa waiting for the spinning to stop.

'Pa!' Shad gushed and hugged his father, his father hugged him back still confused. A few seconds later, Shad separated their frames and narrated about going to Pune; he didn't mention anything about Eifad.

'And that psycho friend of yours? Did she agree? Remember last time what Tamasha she had done.' Shad's mother said bitterly. Shad shook his head sitting beside his mother

'Why you call her like that? She is my friend, and this time she supports me.' He said, his mother continued to look pissed off. Shad shook his head and threw his arm around his mother pulling her closer.

'Ma, please help me pack my bags' he pouted hitting his head slightly with his mother's. His mother sighed and stood up

'Come!' she said

'Great Ma!' Shad said relaxing on the sofa and stretching his leg placing one over the other.

His mother shook her head and left. She guessed she has to do all the packing as the father-son duo start to watch a cricket match.

*

TRING! TRING!

Rhea woke up to the loud sound of her alarm. She sat up straight and looked at the bedside table.

'OMG, 7.30' she gasped jumping down her bed. She hurried to her wardrobe. She took out a pink and blue floral print cotton Kurthi and blue churidar. She quickly showered and got dressed.

She blow-dried her hair, combed, and curled the ends; she side parted her hair resting half on her shoulder and half on her back. She applied pink lip gloss, black kohl, and some perfume.

'I am leaving' she yelled quickly slipping into her white thong slippers.

'All the best' Shruti yelled back from inside her room.

'Thanks' Rhea said. She called her father as she waits for a cab that will take her to the airport. Her flight is around 10, and now it's 8 am, she should hurry. Finally, she got an auto.

'Bhaiya, airport' she said getting into the auto with her luggage.

**************

MONSTER CALLING! MONSTER CALLING

Shad woke to loud ringing of his phone, he groaned- it's Eifad's call. He sat up straight rubbing his eyes.

'Hello!' he yawned

'Down at the gate, ten minutes' Eifad said sternly. Shad opened his mouth, but Eifad cuts the call. He sighed and leaped down the bed. When it comes to Eifad, ten minutes means ten minutes. So, without wasting any time he grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom.

He took a quick bath and dressed in a blue, white polka dotted shirt and black trousers; he dried his hair, combed, and gelled it properly. He took his luggage and with the help of his father he dragged it into the elevator.

'Son, we could have dropped you' His father said shaking his head. Shad said it's not a problem. Eifad will manage everything. His father wished him luck and Shad hugged him. He then turnsed around and happily walked towards a white Audi- Eifad's car.

'Hey!' he greeted Eifad, who sat in the back seat.

'You are two minutes late.' she said glancing at her watch. Shad rolled his eyes and sat next to her. From the corner of his eyes he looked at Eifad, she seemed to be dressed in her work attire- White chiffon shirt with loose bow tie and black pencil skirt reaching till her knees; big round sunglasses covering half her face and her beautiful eyes. To match her attire is her maroon lipstick and black stilettos. Eifad smelt fresh as a daisy. Shad leaned in his seat; he is more than happy. He wished he could take his best friend with him to the conference; then everything will be perfect.

Eifad ordered the driver to play the paused song on the radio. Tansen nodded and played the song

Humein tumse pyaar kitna

Hum nahin jaanthe

Magar jee nahin sakthe tumhara bina

Eifad glanced at Shad from the corner of her eyes, silently wishing he could feel her saying the lyrics of the song to him. But Shad is oblivious to her silent pleading heart; he stared out of the window. His eyes are filled with dreams of the future and his heart beating with anticipation and excitement. As he looked out thinking about the conference, his mind wandered to Rhea.

Thinking about her smiling cute face; Shad smiled. He will get to spend some time with her. For some reason, he wants to befriend and get to know her better. He is sure they will make good friends.