“Now here I am, let’s go and find Anamika.” He didn’t even show any sign of tiredness on his face. He was so engrossed in knowing Sukriti that he didn’t realize that he hadn’t eaten anything for two days. He took a cab and told the driver the address.
”You don’t seem to belong to this place Sir.” The cab driver out of his curiosity asked Kunal.
“Yeah, I am from Mumbai. Here to meet someone.”
”Your girlfriend?”
“Umm no, but someone related to her. She is the key to my future.”
”Well Sir don’t mind but you don’t meet your key like this. I mean you should just look at yourself. You are pretty messed up.”
“Well, thank you for the advice. I think I am going to take that. Please pull over to some place where I can freshen up.”
He was ready to meet Anamika now. The driver told him a few more things about the city, where he should stay and all and then dropped him off in front of a society.
”Phew. Why am I feeling scared? God, Kunal what’s happening to you dude! You can do this.” He was talking to himself out of anxiety when the guard saw him standing there with a confused look.
”Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I am here to meet Ms. Anamika who lives on the second floor.”
”Oh, Anu didi? Sure sir. She is very sweet. Sukriti didi left a few months ago. I miss her. But it was the best to do I think.”
“Well, is your Anu didi at her place now?”
“Yeah yeah. It’s her off day today.”
Kunal reached her apartment and knocked the door. A tall girl with long black here, light brown eyes who was in her late twenties opened the door.
”Yes, May I help you?”
“Are you Anamika?”
“Yeah!”
“ Thank God! Only you can help me now!”
“But who the hell are you? Litsen I don’t have much time, you better go and sell your products to someone else.” Saying this she shut her door.
“Sukriti! I’m from her office. I’m here for Sukriti. If you’ll ignore me like this, you might lose your friend.”
Litsening Sukriti’s name she got scared, and immediately opened the door.
”Sukriti? Is she okay? Eveything okay? Why didn’t she call me? Why are you here?”
“Sukriti is having some problem. But isn’t ready to talk to anyone there. I guess she has no friend there. So I’m here to talk to you.”
“Please come inside and tell me what’s wrong.”
“Thank you. Well, I just landed here. Can I get a glass of water first?”
“Sure. Make yourself comfortable. I’d be right back.”
While she went inside the kitchen, Kunal went to the living room where there were hundreds of pictures of her with Sukriti. He was looking at a picture when Anamika joined him back.
”That’s us when we went on our first night out.”
”Oh, You both look great.”
“So, how come you are here?”
“I’m sorry I said stuff about losing and all because otherwise you won’t have let me in. But there is actually something wrong with her. Sukriti joined the office few months back but she is really tough to know. She doesn’t talk to anyone. She mostly stays alone. She doesn’t even have friends in the office. I have tried so many times to talk to her, to be friends with her but she just won’t let me.”
“You came to tell me this?”
“The reason I came all the way from Mumbai to Noida is to meet you and to know why Sukriti is like this. Something is definitely troubling her and I really want to help her.”
“I’m here. I’ll handle her. Thanks for your concern but you don’t have to worry.”
“I- I-I love her. Ever since she came there, I can’t think of anyone else but her. She’s always on my mind. I want to be with her, to keep her happy, to take her out of her shell. I want to marry her. And that’s why I am here.”
”Dude! Are you mad or what? I guess you should leave now.”
”Please Anamika, listen…”
”You’re insane. Just go.”
“I really love her Anamika, I don’t know what’s holding her. I looked up her profile and you were the only person she mentioned so I came to you for help. Please tell me what’s bothering her? Even if she doesn’t love me I'm okay with that but I want to see her happy, I want to see her smile.”
~To be continued~
