To Love Or Not To Love| A FEATURED STORY

Chapter 11

Anya watched the whole show curiously. She surmised that the stranger was Anu's ex-husband, and he wanted to get back with her. She didn't know the reasons for their split and didn't want to speculate either. Her gaze darted to Ajay often. He was rigid and ready to protect his big sister.

She saw him glaring at Rajendra and also send her a sidelong glance when he thought she was not looking. There were too many undercurrents around. She wished not to witness Mullapudi's family drama that was quickly unfolding before her, but she was somehow trapped there.

As soon as Anu left with Rajendra trailing her, Ajay spoke to the nurse there and found that his mother was still unconscious. They had to wait until she woke up.

Anya decided to leave since it was more than clear that she was not needed, but then Ajay broke his silence, "Thank you for being here. I'm glad you came after everything. I didn't expect it. Thank God, I misdialed."

He took a deep breath and added, "So how are you?" his words paused her thoughts, and she looked up to find him staring at her with fierce tenderness.

"I'm fine. How are you, Ajay?"

Ajay briefly closed his eyes and savoured the sound of his name from her lips. He missed it and missed her. He couldn't stop himself and gave her a quick hug.

"God, I missed you, Anya. I'm very sorry," his soft words melted Anya like butter yet, she reminded herself to remain firm, this was all about the friendship he was talking about and nothing more.

Besides, she was not yet ready to pursue a relationship with any man. Her road to recovery was not complete, and she was the only one to pick up the broken pieces of her heart.

"That's fine, Ajay."

She stood a little away from him. Ajay felt deprived of her warmth and silently cursed for messing things up with her.

They kept looking at each other, noticing a few things they haven't before. She looked away and broke the spell.

That subtle pull between them was still evident. She felt that he looked so virile and magnificently intoxicating that her pulse raced giddily at his unmitigated presence.

"So how are things at your end?" she asked to break the awkward silence which was quickly settling around them.

"It's going on. I got promoted recently, so things are going pretty good on the work front. What about you?"

"Everything is the same. But all of a sudden, there is a lag in the number of projects that the company is handling. I hope it's just a temporary lull. Otherwise, everything is fine."

"Heard something about their balance sheets not tallying. Could be a hoax. Market scene is not good. A lot of layoffs."

"Should I be wary of the whole thing and keep looking outside?"

"That would be wise, but again the market may cope up. The situation is pretty volatile. Keep looking for other opportunities though."

"Thanks for the insight. Something was holding me back. Could be plain old lethargy I guess. Now I'll have to put in an honest effort."

Ajay shook his head and said with a tiny smile, "I missed your candour. So how are you?"

She understood what he meant. He was asking for her well-being. It warmed her heart to know that he was concerned about her.

"I'm fine, more than fine."

"Hmm... I can see you look much better. You don't look tired anymore," he muttered, and her eyes grew huge with understanding—he knew.