Obstructed Heart [Editing]

Chapter 7

ANIKA

Gul informed her landlord i.e. Hrithik's mother, of her stay at my apartment for a few days with an ostensible reason to help me with my overwhelming work commitments.

"Good night Gul."

Just when I reached for switching off the lights, she screamed making a sad face and I flinched, "Oh no! I can't find pintu."

"Pintu???"

"Yeah. Did you see it anywhere? Wait a minute, what did you do with it?"

"Me? What did I do? It??? Ohh... I see. You are talking about that grimy beetle, right? It's in the dustbin."

Taking out the beetle from the bin, she dusted it and took out a small case.

"Don't say that, it can do miracles," she said touching the animal with her index finger, "And it's not grimy at all. See, you too can stroke it like that."

"Ewww! Keep it away from me."

She laughed and keeping it in the case, splayed herself on the bed sleep evident in her eyes.

"Good night Nik, pintu. I had the most delightful evening," and after a few seconds she again uttered in the dazed state, "goo nigh...mika.. hmm.. lov yo.. hmm."

I opened my mouth to ask her about Mika and the next thing I knew, she was in a deep, peaceful slumber with a smile on her face.

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I woke up in the morning with the annoying sound of the alarm, coming from Gul's phone.

Ughh! It's only 5 am. Who wakes up that early?

Of course, Gul.

Gul was a morning person and hated getting up late. Me, on the other hand always laid unnecessarily on the bed superfluously in mornings, in spite of being awake.

The alarm obliterated the already non-existent sleep from me.

Switching it 'off' I did the routine chores and made cheese sandwiches with vanilla milkshake in breakfast, for both of us.

As Gul entered yawning into the kitchen, I arranged the breakfast on the dining table and probed her for my most recent doubt.

"Is there someone other than Lalit, who is interested in you? I want to officially meet him before you continue."

"What? No. H-...," she protested, bewildered.

I interrupted her, "Then who is Mika?"

"Uh-oh! How do you know about Mika? I didn't te...."

"You were murmuring his name in your sleep saying you love him."

Suddenly her eyelids flitted and as if hiding her smirk, she announced suddenly, "A-O-h! Are you positive I said that?"

"Very. How otherwise would I know his name? You never mentioned him."

"Ahem! Ok then. I will let you meet him today evening. Is that fine with you?"

I thought I saw a mischievous glint in her eyes, but dismissed it. Unexpected and witty surprises are the peculiar characteristics of her personality and preconceived guesses never work with her.

"Of course."

Let's see what unfolds tonight.

Leaving for the parlour, I dropped her to the nearest metro station so that she could catch the train on her college route.