Don 3: Heart's Desire

Chapter 14

After Roma insisted on washing the dishes, not wanting Anushka to break any of them in her clumsiness, they both sat on the bed talking.

'I was shocked yaar, didn't expect him to be that hot' Anushka giggled

'How did you realize it was him?'

'Who else could it be? Had you not told me all about him the previous days, I would have never guessed. But it was clear to me when he took you in his car. But then when I didn't hear from you for 2 whole days, my folks and I panicked and decided to get in touch with your office back here'

Roma sighed.

'Abh batao na' Anushka turned to her and raised her eyebrows 'What happened?'

Roma contemplated whether to tell her or not. She decided she could really use a confident 'Anushka... truth be told, I wish you hadn't called detective Malik'

Anushka's jaw dropped 'Oh. My. God' she screamed 'I knew it! Ufff I knew I shouldn't have called yaar, but my folks insisted... I'm sorry' she then pouted

'It's not your fault, yaar...' Roma nodded 'Don't worry about it. You did the right thing, I guess...'

'But the two of you were kissing! I saw it with my very eyes when we slowly got on the ferry'

'Yes, somehow Malik saab forgot about that somehow... or thought I was just playing along...'

'Weren't you?'

She nodded in denial 'No, Anushka... I wasn't. I really wanted to kiss him'

'Haai!' Anushka buried her face in her pillow 'This is too exciting! Tell me what you lovebirds have been doing!'

Roma sighed and continued 'It's not like that... I don't even know how to explain it. It was all very odd. I didn't know what to expect of him at first but that night he got really close to me, told me...'

Anushka was listening carefully urging her cousin to go on

'He told me... that he doesn't want to live like that anymore. He had told me this back in Germany as well. I didn't believe him back them. Now, somehow, I do. He said he only wanted me'

Anushka screamed fanatically 'Oh my God! This is too good, yaar!'

Roma giggled 'And when he kissed me... I just felt all my insides turn mushy' she laughed 'It was... perfect' she added lost in thought.

'Now I really hate myself for butting in, yaar...'

'Stop it, Anushka, it's not your fault. I'm just... I'm very sad that he thinks I was behind all this'

Anushka frowned 'How come?'

'Well truth is he did give me the chance to escape. It's a long story but he let me wander on my own in Paris for a whole afternoon, trusting me not to run away. I had promised him I'd dance with him that evening'

'Kya? And you didn't think to call us?' Anushka hit Roma with her pillow

'Sorry! I just got lost in the moment. I was planning to leave the next day, anyway!'

'He gave you the choice?'

'Yes.'

'But you wouldn't have left' Anushka stated matter-of-factly

Roma lowered her gaze 'No... I don't think so'

'You're so in love' Anushka giggled and pushed her cousin's head playfully

Roma bit her lip. Was she? Who was she kidding... she had been for years. She then felt tears well up 'But... now it's over. He'll never want to see me again. He thinks I set him up'

Anushka stood pensive for a while 'I don't think so. After all you've told me about him? This isn't over'

Anushka stayed in Mumbai for more than 2 weeks, and was finally time for her to head back to London. Roma saw her off to the airport and was feeling very sad she was leaving. They had gotten really close over the last few weeks. She had no one to confide in here. As she drove back home she began wondering what to do, again on her own, this evening. She should really be getting back at the office, she thought. Maybe she'll run a bath... no, not a bath. Last time she did that, things went ... actually...

She flinched as she was about to get herself into an accident, cars honking all around her. She slowly calmed down and realized she was in no condition to go back to work. She had to do something about it. She decided to call Juhi and make an appointment instead. She needed therapy now more than ever.

She finally got home and as she unlocked the door she searched for the switch to turn on the lights, but they weren't working. She closed the door behind her frowningly then all of a sudden, her lamp next to one of her armchairs lit.

She flinched but couldn't get herself to say anything as she was watching Don sit in the lamp's light, looking utterly disturbed and sipping on a glass of whiskey.