Love at the time of dentistry

Chapter-3

The best thing about The Imperial Institute of dental sciences was that it just on the outskirts of Delhi which enabled manya to go home for the weekends. This weekend too she was on a bus to home, trying not to think of the motion sickness gripping her when someone asked her," is this seat taken?". She looked up and was surprised to see Siddharth smiling at her," hey...yeah sure...sit. i didn't know you were also going home this weekend, you haven't gone home for like months". "So you noticed?" Siddharth asked smiling at her. He had the most beautiful teeth she had ever seen, all straight, white and perfectly arranged, making his smile so dazzling. Of course being a dentist, she was used to analysing people's smile and teeth every time they opened their mouth but you can't help but notice his smile and the way his eyes wrinkled up and two sweet dimples appeared on each side of his cheeks. Manya knew she was staring and that she should stop but she just couldn't stop herself." Manu, you are staring, is everything ok?" Siddharth asked after Manya showed no signs of stopping staring." Uhh... ohhh....uhm... I was just thinking something...guess I just zoned out, manya finished lamely. God!! What was wrong with her, she can't seem to control herself around him anymore. She better get herself under control before she embarrassed herself big time." Actually Savita aunty was complaining to my mom last weekend, that's how I knew". That was just half truth, of course she had noticed that Siddharth was not going home on weekends and had foolishly agonized over what he could be doing all the times he was away on weekends. The worst scenarios included him with a girl on his bike enjoying bike rides. But she was never able to prove her thoughts were reality so she continued torturing herself but not this weekend."Yeah, mom has been doing that a lot lately but I was quite busy with my internship starting and settling in the new hostel. Now I finally got this weekend free, so I decided to surprise mom, Siddharth answered." Good for you, you need the change." He again gave her one of his smile which made her wish that she could just capture it and keep it in a box for the rest of her life and take it out and relish it every time she left down. They talked about their mutual friends, made fun of some of their professors, she asked him about his starting his internship and he asked about her starting her clinical training this year and none them realised when the 2 hour journey to Delhi ended and they reached their destination. Her mom was coming to pick her up from the bus stand and there she was waiting for her just as she disembarked from the bus with Sid. "Hey you two!! Here!"' her mom shouted. "Hello, Siddharth beta, I didn't know you were also coming with Manu", her mom smiled at Siddharth. "Actually aunty I wanted to surprise mom, I haven't been for quite some time and mom was getting agitated, Siddharth joked. "That's really nice of you, son but you couldn't have chosen a worst time for your surprise". At Siddharth's quizzical expression, her mom answered, "your whole family has gone to your grandparents in Chandigarh and won't be returning for at least next 4 days." "Are they okay, it's not about their health is it." Siddharth asked with concern. "Oh not at all son! Don't you worry about that, your grandma was feeling a bit lonely so she asked all of them to visit for a week, your father had this week free so they all went there." Her mom reassured him. Siddharth breathed a sigh of relief on hearing this and he said, "thanks aunty, I was lucky I talked to you first before rushing home otherwise I would be crazy with worry right now." "Ohho it's nothing beta but what are you going to stay for the weekend", her mom asked. "That's not a problem, mom always leaves a spare key in the mailbox, I'll just let myself in through it", Siddharth answered. "That's all very well, beta but what about food and how will you stay alone for 2 days, you will be awfully lonely." "He can stay with us", manya said, speaking for the first time in the conversation and wishing she hadn't. Two pairs of eyes swirled towards her with identical surprised expressions, but her mother's a little questioning. "I mean he has stayed with us in the past too and it's just a matter of 2 days, how much trouble can he cause in 2 days," manya tried to joke about it and lighten the situation. "Actually that's a very nice idea, I was about to say that only, you should stay with us Sid beta." She wished he would just say something and stop looking at her in this manner she couldn't discern, was he happy she invited him or was he annoyed that he had to now spend two days in her company or it just didn't matter to him. It seemed like a lifetime before he answered, "that is a nice idea, thanks aunty for inviting me."

Manya never understood how time could fly away but she finally understood it's meaning on this weekend. She couldn't tell where the time went and Sunday night came, time for her to pack and get herself ready to go the next morning. They were having dinner, she, her mom and Siddharth. All her 4 sisters were studying outside of Delhi and her dad was away on a medical conference. After helping her mother clear up, she took a shawl and went up their private terrace. She always liked to watch the stars and observe all their different patterns. She wasn't able to do so at her hostel due to her late night studying but she never failed to do her favourite hobby when she came home. "I didn't know you were a closet astronomer." She startled on hearing Siddharth's voice behind her. She was expecting him to be asleep by now or in front of the TV. "Oh, there are many things about me you don't know", she smiled at him. She felt nice that he had followed her up on the terrace. "Oooh, a mystery woman, I like it." "Oh! So you like me." She can't believe he was flirting with her!! Even more unbelievable, she was flirting back!! "Maybe, you will have to convince me to like you coz you know you have been nothing but a pain in the neck to me", teased Siddharth. "Ohh!! Really, you have some nerve, Siddharth kapoor", manya said trying to sound affronted and hit him on his arm. Siddharth caught her hand and held it in his own. He didn't say anything but something changed in the way he was looking at her. Her heart beat quickened just by looking at his face. He was slowly caressing his thumb on her palm which was wreaking havoc with her pulse. He tugged at her hand and brought her closer to him, still not leaving her hand and with his other hand tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She stopped breathing at that moment, his eyes were mesmerising her, holding her captive. "You know you have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen." Siddharth murmured after what seemed like an eternity. Manya thought she had died and gone to heaven. Nobody has said something like this to her ever and now that person has to be Siddharth....she couldn't have asked for more. He cupped her cheeks in both his hands and brought her face closer. She had never noticed how beautiful his hands were, so strong, those long fingers. His face was coming closer, she knew he was going to kiss her any moment. She couldn't believe her luck, she closed her eyes and waited for his lips to brush against hers.......

"Sid, manu are you two up there?" She jumped as if she had had an electric shock on hearing her mom's voice. Thank god her mother had not come upstairs and saw them like this. Her face was flushed and she was damn sure that her mom would be able to tell what they were up to if she saw her now. Not that anything had happened, but boy, if it had happened. Siddharth was the first one to recover, "yeah, aunty, we were just looking at the stars." Yeah sure, looking at the stars indeed, manya thought. "Pagal ho gaye ho kya dono, itni thand mein aryabhatt banne chale hain. Chalo neeche aao donon, kal wapas jaana hai, jaldi so jao." "Yeah sure, aunty will be there in a minute." He looked at her then and she didn't know what to say, "I think we should be going downstairs now", she didn't know she had any voice left inside her to say this. "Yeah, I guess so wouldn't want aunty to think we were up to no good", Siddharth smiled at her. He then came near her and kissed her lightly on her cheek, "good night Manu" and went downstairs. She could just stare at his back, not at all believing what had just happened. Did Siddharth Kapoor, her childhood friend and now her senior at college just kissed her (ok it was on the cheek but so what). Did she just imagine that expression in his eyes, would he have really kissed her if her mom had not interrupted them. What was going on with her mind..... Everything was changing..............