Far Away From You

Iya....Ayaa

Skyline Apartments, New Delhi

8.30 pm

Arhan whistled his favourite song as he twirled the car keys in his hand. Adjusting his jacket, he walked to the main door to leave to a restaurant for dinner. With Khushi and Hiya's absence, he wasn't in a mood to have dinner at the dining table.

He opened the door and jumped back seeing her sitting before the door.

"You're still here?" he asked surprised. Anjali stood up from where she sat and nodded.

"I asked you to leave" he said, his anger bubbling.

"I told you that I'll stay here till you open" she said.

"Well I opened. Now you can leave" he said and closed the door, stepping out of the apartment, and locked it. He switched off the light near the apartment door and looked at her, "Go away Anjali"

She sighed and said, "We need to talk"

"I don't want to talk to you" he said.

"Let me rephrase" Anjali said, "I need to talk to you"

"I don't want to hear you" he said and attempted to walk away when she clutched his arm. "Please" she begged, "Please hear me out"

He swatted her arm away and walked towards the elevator. "Arhan listen to me!" she cried and ran behind him. Arhan pressed the elevator button and looked around to find his neighbours peeking out through their windows at the apartment corridor. Anjali ran to Arhan and said breathing heavily, "Please listen to me. Please"

It was only then he saw that she had a luggage with her. Oh god! He looked around at the apartment windows where people had their eyes fixed and then at the woman before him.

"People are looking Anjali. Please don't create a scene" he whispered furiously.

The elevator door opened and a man in his fifties walked out. "Hello Arhan" he smiled and Arhan smiled nervously at the man, "Hello Mr. Chatterji"

Mr. Chatterji looked at Anjali and then at her luggage. His eyes fell on her arm which was clutched on Arhan's upper arm. "Who is this? Your friend?" he asked smiling.

"Umm...she is my cousin" Arhan said, his insides churning. The man standing before him was the residents' association head of this apartment and he had a feeling that this meeting wasn't going to end well.

"Ah your cousin is here to stay with you?" he asked eyeing the bag.

"No, she just visited me. I'm gonna drop her home, right Anjali?" Arhan said smiling and Anjali nodded nervously. "Okay" Mr. Chatterji said and walked away.

Arhan pulled Anjali into the elevator and pressed the ground floor button.

"Why did you lie?" she asked.

"What should I do then?" he blasted, "Tell them that you are my ex and you just barged into my house with a luggage? With all due respect Ms. Raizada, I hold a position in his colony and people here respect me. I don't want to tarnish my reputation of a renowned lawyer to a hormonal youngster who has a woman over his place!"

"I didn't know that you cared so much about what others think" she muttered.

"I don't. But come on, why should I go through the hate of people for you? You are not on my priority list" he said shrugging.

She looked away. Her mind flew back to the time where he took her out to a museum.

.

"You know a lot of things" she said awed at his knowledge on the antiques kept for display.