Finding Love

8

Ananya sat on the edge of the plush revolving chair, behind her desk typing so fast, her fingers appeared to be a haze, absolutely oblivious to her surroundings. It was two days to the release of the merger to the public and they were wrapping things up, ensuring and double checking everything was in order.

"Ananya?" Avinash called out softly when she dragged her eyes away from the screen, adjusting the glasses perched precariously on her nose.

"Could you please pass me the Appraisal File?" He asked.

She smiled politely and said, "Yeah, sure."

He flashed her an equal polite smile and uttered a thanks.

That's how things have been between Ananya and Avinash for the past few days. In the aftermath of their recent unexpected physical encounter after the party, both of them agreed to an unsaid pact to be acutely polite and nice to each other.

They would both come in the morning, offer the other a courteous smile and start working, discussing their issues being very respectable to the other.

They avoided physical contact to the maximum extent possible. Ananya got extremely flustered each time there was an accidental contact. So flustered, the reaction showed. And this would inturn make Avinash awkward. She would then reprimand herself for the next half an hour at the back of her brain for reacting like an extra sensitive hormonal teenager.

Ananya acknowledged one thing. She was absolutely sure about it. Things have changed between them. Probably for good. She found a potential and totally drool worthy crush in Avinash. There was no point denying. They connected on many fronts beautifully. And disagreed on a lot more. But they did have an amazing camaraderie and she enjoyed the time that she spent with him. She also acknowledged that Avinash definitely has a soft corner for her and things were spiralling out of control. Not that she wants to control this at all.

Okay. Let's say it loud. For once and all. Ananya Murthy had developed an ardent crush for Avinash Nanda. Way. To. Go. Since this epic acknowledgement Ananya has been an awkward mess around him.

"Um, I am thinking about getting myself a coffee and stretch a bit. My legs are begging for it. You want some coffee too?" Avinash asked.

"Sure," Ananya said, smiling thankfully.

"Ananya? What's with the scarf you are wearing around your head today?" Avinash asked curiously.

Oh. Shit.

Why did he have to go there?

The day before Ananya decided to treat herself to a hair cut and went to this most renowned beauty salon with all these expert stylist and stuff. You get it. It being her first time, she innocently pointed to a hair cut that she liked from the display and trusted she would get the same hair cut.

Things obviously didn't end up the way she expected them to.

She looked at her horror stricken face in the mirror. Instant hot tears pricked her eyes. She looked crestfallen at her beautiful hair now on the floor in a soft mass.

When the stylist, who had a towering height of 5' 9", hair cascading down into soft silky curls, bleached teeth and shaped eyebrows and in short looked like a model, asked her if she liked it, she of course smiled and said yes.

And then she came back home and cried buckets and decided the only way she could go out with facing public humiliation was by wearing a scarf.

Ananya was a confident woman and was never insecure about herself.

But a bad hair cut is a bad hair cut.. No arguments.

And now Avinash Nanda, the constant peace - annihilator of her life *had* to ask questions about it.