LOVING Aman | ✓

10

CHAPTER TEN

Dedicated to nabylaisah

DAY 1
9:34am

I TURNED and began walking away wordlessly. I know I am the crazy girl with no friends. I also know I am the girl who is still single despite being beautiful. But this crazy, friendless beautiful unmarried girl is anything but stupid. I mean who the hell does he think he is and what the hell does he take me for? His puppet?

I knew Aman was a red line for me the minute our eyes met in his car. I also knew red lines aren't exactly my forte,but this, whatever it was, I don't want to get involved any further than I already was. Besides we met on a rainy day and if that isn't reason enough to stay away, nothing can.

"Wait, Reima, stop!" he called after me and I broke into a run wanting to get away from him as soon as I possibly can. I may have done a lot of crazy stuff since I met him but I am so not getting into an helicopter with him to only God knows where, not ever!

I would have kept on running if not for the hulk of a man in black suits suddenly blocking my path. He is huge and wore a mean looking scowl with his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. He is a cliché of how bodyguards are suppose to look

"I'm sorry, but you will have to go back, ma'am."

I considered arguing with him, almost did, but there was something about his stance which made me question the rationale behind that. There was no mistake, he wasn't asking. And thus, unceremoniously, I turned and began walking dejectedly. This is a lost war.

Aman was where I had left him and I felt bad that he hadn't gone after me after his halfhearted attempt to call after me. He could have but he hadn't and I hated him more for that. How could he awaken such mundane emotions from me and yet remain unchanged? This is just not fair.

"Please get in the helicopter," he pleaded softly no doubt trying not to hurt me more but it was too late for that. I was already hurt and I was tired of hurting.

I've been hurting for awhile now.

Perhaps that was why I did what he asked with no further tantrums and with no sign of irritation. I was simply tired of all the thinking, wondering and fighting.

It was all my fault anyway; my accident, my father, my lack of friends, Irfan. . ., everything and I am tired of being scared and blaming myself for everything and nothing. And so like a zombie, I got in, sat and did whatever he asked of me before the takeoff and when we were up, I let myself recharge again clinging to the last remnant of strength I had. I will never let him see me weak.

Aman didn't say anything to me either but from time to time, I could feel the weight of his gaze on me. I had turned once and met his gaze and for those seconds our eyes locked his eyes swam with a strange current of emotions. It was almost as if they were desperately wanting to tell me something but his lips wouldn't move and in the end he had looked away first riling me up again. I looked away damning myself for not doing it first and having him turn his back at me, again!

"It's beautiful high up here, isn't it?" He asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence breaking the ice layering a wall between us.

I glared at him. He was looking at me, staring at me as if his life depended on my agreeing to him, as if my opinion mattered. I looked away resenting him more for making me want to understand him.

"...and peaceful," he went on, ignoring my rebuff. He took a deep breath. "...and I am sorry, Reima."

I looked at him. I wasn't expecting these words from him, at least not right now and because he said them, I don't know, they just made me feel lighter but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were shut which to my amazement I found to be relieving. I didn't want to see the sincerity I had felt in those words.