First Love

Chapter 8

Next morning Anjali woke up with a vague memory of a dream where she was in a maze and couldn't find her way out of it.

She turned her head to check the time and was shocked to see Aditya sleeping close to her, holding her hand. She vaguely remembered him putting a cold cloth on her forehead, or had she been dreaming that too?

She moved her hand experimentally to see if he was awake, when he didn't move she slowly slipped her hand out of his. She had just moved to sit up when he woke up and sat up beside her.

"How are you feeling?" He reached up and felt her forehead to be sure. He was relieved to feel the coolness of her skin. He moved his hand down and cupped her cheek while she sat there frozen. He couldn't help caressing the smooth skin under her eye with his thumb. He wanted to sit just like that all day.

Anjali moved away from him forcing him to drop his hand to his side. "I am fine. It's almost six am, I have to get ready." She quickly left the bed, gathered her clothes and went in to the bathroom without looking at him.

Aditya laid back down on the bed, put his hand behind his head and thought about their conversation from the night before. He was still in the same position when she came out of the bathroom little while later. She continued on with her daily routine while his eyes followed her every movement.

She felt his eyes boring in her back but didn't dare turn around. She didn't want him to start the conversation from the night before. She glanced at the clock when he still stayed in the same position. "It's almost seven, are you not going to office today?"

He hid a smile, he had wondered if she would say anything when he didn't get up. He finally moved from his position on the bed, but instead of moving to the bathroom he moved towards her. She stepped back when he kept moving towards her, she finally stopped when the back of her legs hit the dressing chair.

He stopped in front of her, leaned towards her and tucked the wayward strand of hair behind her ear. He looked in to her eyes. "We are not finished, don't think I've forgotten about our conversation last night. You are not leaving me, I will go to any length to stop you from leaving me."

Anjali glared at him and he was glad to see the spark in her eyes, it's better than seeing the hurt and pain in her eyes. She was left speechless. That's how their friendship in college had started, after the meeting in the library he hadn't given her a choice. She remembered the next time she had seen him in the library he had sat beside her without her permission and started talking to her randomly until she gave in and talked to him.

Aditya realized in order to win Anjali's trust he had to use the same technique he had used in college, don't give her a choice in anything. If he gave her a choice, he will never be able to stop her from leaving him. He gave her his best smile and left her standing there thinking about his words.

*~+~*

Two days later the life of Mehta House was back. Kajal Mehta returned home after completing her last year of college. She was looking forward to spending time with her family, especially Anjali. At first she hadn't liked her bhabhi, only because Anita had told Kajal some lies about her, trying to turn Kajal against Anjali. But she had soon realized that Anita was not what she made herself out to be, and realized that her sister-in-law was a genuinely a wonderful person who cared for everyone, especially Aditya.

Kajal had been so disappointed in her brother on the night of the party, when she had seen him blasting at her bhabhi, who had stood there frozen, unable to utter even one word. She had decided right then and there that she would help her sister-in-law.