Loving A Lie

3.Help Incoming!

I got my purchases and moved out of the supermarket, my eyes unconsciously searching for the beautiful stranger and because of that I didn't realise the actual weight of my purchases until my hands stopped to willingly cooperate with me. The jam bottles were real heavy. Darn it! Why did I had to take two?Also I had a kg and two of rice as well as sugar. I now literally dragged the bags but had to pull them up on the stairs of the market. How did I suppose myself to carry so much of this heavy load home?
I would hail a cab, only I didn't see one around. The auto rickshaws that were more convenient public transport here also seem to elude me today. I waited fairly for a full ten minutes before I allowed myself to get frustrated

Something black and sleek zoomed past me.
Was that a Mercedes? I saw the branded automobile move smoothly in front of me only to stop a few metres ahead. The driver reversed the car to stop in front of me. Well it was my lucky day. Perhaps some neighbour or someone I knew. Or not... It was the blue eyed Brit.
OMG!!
He motioned me with his hands , offering me a lift. I had a decision to make.
My head was zooming with the present situation.
It was a very tempting offer. But I couldn't possibly take a lift from a total stranger. Okay maybe he wasn't strange. He was actually cute. But essentially I didn't knew him. As I stood up on stairs, probably looking confused and I'm sure a bit dumb , he decided to take the decision for me. He came out of the car, took the bags from my hand and pulled my hand with his other hand and help me into the passenger seat of the car in the front.
When his hand touched me I think my mind left my body. I could see him take my hand but I couldn't say one coherent word.
I couldn't even speak for a few minutes. By now he looked very alarmed. He had already started the car and looked at me sideways to make sure I was okay.
His glorious face was freaked out.
"Are you feeling faint? Because you don't look good. I thought you needed help with the bags. And on the stairs you looked as if you would fall any moment.", the stranger said in his defence while moving his hand through his dark brown smooth hairs.
I was shaking. I looked at my hands. They were shaking violently.

What the hell is this Amanda??! Snap out of it right now, I scolded myself internally. He was trying to help me and I hyperventilate as if he was kidnapping me, you know, which didn't look as grim to me either, as it should had looked. But nobody would kidnap me in daylight . Moreover he had a chance last night too if he wanted to. But why would anyone kidnap me is a big question altogether.
Hold your horses Amanda.
You're a freak.
Agreed. Just don't let him see it already.
I took a deep breath, and said, " Yes I am alright. Sorry to scare you. I was just shocked. I mean I don't know who you are...", I trailed off.
"I am Daniel and you are the girl who lives next door...?", he said with his one hand on the wheel and other in his hairs as if he was the nervous one.
" Yes. But I want to thank you. You have been helpful." "Very helpful.", I amended quickly.
" A friend in need is a friend indeed.", he qouted laughingly. His voice just as musical as yesterday. There was something seriously enchanting about his voice.
"I am Amanda."

"Do you feel okay?",he completely ignored my introduction and unnecessary to say I felt a twinge of hurt.

Wait...What was he asking? Was I okay?
Okay? I felt very...um amazed, if I ignored the recent pang of hurt, a British boy doesn't rescues you everyday after all, I wanted to say but I did feel a little feverish. I realised this only when he asked me about it. I had a mild headache, probably a sign of the upcoming fever, but I had ignored it and wrongly interpreted it as a result of sleeplessness. I usually didn't sleep well in changed surroundings.

"I do feel a bit of feverish",I said consciously. He was so perceptive.
He could tell I was unwell just by looking. 'Are you a doctor?',I asked an afterthought.

He did not reply ,just gave a sideways glance that disallowed any humour, and I immediately shut up...
Then he drove quietly for the rest of the way. I started feeling more and more hot every moment , my body temperature rising due to the impending fever. He noticed my discomfort and put on some music.
When I heard the familiar lyrics I squealed in delight. I knew the song by heart. It was from my favorite duo Smith and Paul. He smiled at my response.
"Like this?"
"Love it."
"Really?", he said to keep the conversation rolling.
I couldn't control my delight at finding a person who shared my music intetests.
" You don't know", I told him as I launched into my pathetic tale of adoration I felt towards that duo who even didn't knew that I existed." My mom had to pull out my earphones and hide them during exams so that I would study and not listen to their songs for hours on repeat. She also would had loved the songs, and I think she loves them secretly, had I not made her listen to them at a blaring volume that had made our neighbours complain about the sound.""You know what increases my interest in them is the fact they have remained successful in hiding their identities... What do you think?"

"So which one do you like more -Paul or Smith?", he asked me simply again ignoring my direct question.

" Smith.", I replied ."His voice is definitely more sexier than his partner."
He laughed at that but didn't look at me. We were now entering a narrow lane so he concentrated on driving. When we passed our houses , I was about to panic but I knew better this time so I simply asked him, "Um, we passed my house...", timidly.
He didn't say anything but then I knew why. He had brought me to the doctor. I knew this one. Whenever I was sick in Vasai he was the one my mom took me to. Daniel had been so thoughtful. He had impressed me.
He got out of the car and nodded at me to come out. He didn't say anything. We both moved quietly into the doctor's cabin. I felt a bit weird when he followed me in but I'm sure I looked very sick than I felt. It was always that way with me.
Doctor greeted us in the way I remembered he said.
"Who's the patient?", then looked at me and immediately nodded. I wondered whether I looked that pathetic.
He further embarrassed me by saying, " Your boyfriend will have to wait outside." I cringed and looked at him apologising. He gave me a no expression look as if to inform me it was no big deal. Apparently he didn't seem upset so I let it go too.

The doctor checked me up and dismissed me saying it was viral fever and would go away within a day or two. I needed a few medicines and if problem persisted , he advised me to visit again. I thanked him and went out to pay my bill when the woman on the counter told me ,it was paid. I turned to look at Daniel and saw him busy talking to someone on the phone.
'Daniel.',I called out his attention.
'Yes Ms Amanda.',he said neutrally.
'I want to thank you. It was very thoughtful of you. Really.'
'Oh! It's no big deal. Please don't mind.',he smiled at me and something in me melted.
Oh! That was my heart.
'Daniel?',I said cautiously, hesitant because he was still talking on the phone.
'Yes?',he looked at me quizzically.
'Please accept the money you paid at the reception for doctor's charges and medicines.' ,I said handing him the exact change.
He looked at money in his hand as if it was something strange from the planet Mars and handed it back to me.
He laughed so freely, so happily as if I had offered him a joke rather than his money.

That was so embarrassing. He did not even bother telling me to keep it.
He just put it back in my palm and closed my fist.

He helped me into the car slowly taking my arms and easing me into the passenger side. As soon as he touched me again, my body went into the flight mode. I couldn't feel a thing.
In the car he was quiet. He dropped me home and politely dismissed me telling it was nothing when I tried to thank him. So paying him up wasn't possible then. Next time then, I decided.

He drove in his huge driveway and all I could do was stand there watching his car glide away. He looked so intimidating just like his huge house.
He was the owner of this freaking awesome house and yet he was so down to earth.

Get a grip Amanda. As much as I'm grateful to this boy, there's always two sides to a coin. Wait until you watch his bad side. I'm sure that all the good boys are so not made for girls like me, mostly because good boys don't exist!

Yeah. Anyways why would this exotic , too-good-to-be-true boy want anything to do with me?