A GIRL LIKE YOU

23

"Kiara! Wake up!"
Ansh? I squirmed in my bed.
I'm so comfortable in the sheets. Why is he waking me up? I just dozed off after that awful nightmare.
"Kiara. Your phone is going off over and over again. Wake up."
I love his voice. He can sing. He is so amazing. He is a walking girl's fantasy.
"Kiara."
This time I felt hands on my shoulders, shaking me. I opened my eyes a little and the sunlight almost blinded me. I shut them back down.
"Kiara, you look so adorable right now. But you have to wake up."
He is close. Just beside me. He is saying this in my ear. I tilted a little and opened my eyes slowly. He is really close.
I could kiss him.
And the bloody phone went off again. Ansh pulled away and glanced away. Oh god. I got up and picked up my phone.
"Why is she calling in the morning?" I muttered.
"Its almost noon." Ansh said.
Oh crap. I accepted the call and Ansh left the room.
"Hello?" I said.
"What the hell were you doing? I've been calling and calling? Where were you?"
I am not going to explain. Damn it. She ruined my moment with Ansh. Not to mention how much I hate mornings.
"What happened?" I cut to the chase.
"Your Dad came."
"Really?"
"Yes. He came in the morning and began peeking inside every room in my house. I told him that you're not here but he wouldn't listen. Finally when Vivaan almost yelled at him for invading our privacy like that...thats when he understood."
"Did he say something about me?"
"Yeah he did. Pretty bad stuff. You don't have to know that. He was angry. Once he cooled down he told me that he is worried about you and he wants to know where you are."
"Please tell me you didn't tell him."
"Of course not. But then he got so... He almost begged me Kiara. He is like a father to me and I couldn't see him like that. So I had to tell him something."
"Oh god."
"I couldn't tell him about Ansh. Of course not. That would just fuck the whole thing up. So I told him another name to put him off."
"What name?"
"Preeti."
"Preeti?!"
"I'm so sorry Kiara. You told me she is a friend of Aarav. And you guys work for the same company but different branches. So it made sense. I told him that you knew Preeti from work and that she wanted to help you so you took her help."
"Goddamn Aaliyah! I've met that girl thrice. And I don't even know her. What if dad shows up at her door step?"
"Yeah. He is going to do that. He'll probably call Aarav's parents and ask them about her. But there's still time. You could talk to her."
"Talk to her and do what?!" I am this close to losing my shit.
"I don't know. Ask her to go with the lie."
"God Aaliyah. Why did you lie?"
"I'm sorry Kiara. I was just trying to help. I don't know how to handle all this."
Shit now I feel guilty.
"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. You relax. I'll handle this. Don't worry. You don't need this kind of stress and drama. Sorry."
"Don't be. Just ask Ansh to talk to Preeti. It'll be okay."
"Do you think I should just come back and end this?"
"Kiara.. as much as I would like that. I also don't like the idea of you living with your parents right now. Your dad said some pretty bad stuff. And I know he is angry but I don't think he is going to give you a chance to explain. If you come back here now, you'll just get hurt."
"Fuck my life."
I hung up Aaliyah's call after a little bit lf reassurance from her. She calmed me down. Now I had to talk to Ansh. But before that I need to shower.

***

"Preeti is going to flip out." Ansh finally said after I told him everything that happened.
"I bet." I sighed. We sat side by side on the couch thinking about our next step. God, what a huge clusterfuck. I've involved so many people in my shitty life drama just because I can't handle my parents hate.
I felt Ansh put his hand on mine. I looked up at him. Its like he understood what I was thinking.
"It'll be okay." I nodded and squeezed his hand. I love his hands and how big they are. My hand looks like a kid's in his.

Ansh talked to Preeti while I cooked lunch. I don't know what words they exchanged but when Ansh came back in the kicthen, he looked like he was about to puke his guts out.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
"Yeah. Preeti is on her way."
"She is coming here?"
"Yeah. She wouldn't listen to me on the phone. So I asked her to come here."
"She knows about this place?"
Ansh just nodded and avoided my eyes. I don't know what happened.
After lunch, silence filled the apartment as we waited for Preeti. As soon as the door bell rang, Ansh opened the door. And Preeti strolled inside.

"I'm going to kill you Ansh!" Those were her first words.
I stood up to go and defend Ansh but she didn't let me. Instead she began yelling right away at him.
"First you bring Kiara here. Who by the way was supposed to be married to your best friend. God, what happened to your freaking bro code?!"
"Its not like that between Kiara and I. You know that." Ansh said.
"I don't care what its like. This looks bad. Not only to me but to everyone who'll find out."
"Preeti..." I started but she just ignored me.
I want to strangle her.
"And then you pull me into this drama. Yes I handled shit back at home because I felt bad for her. I talked to the families after you left. Tried to find Aarav. Tried to find Meera. But that is not enough. Now you told her dad that she is staying with me! And guess what?! Aarav's parents told him about my work place."
Shit just hit the fan.
"Then her dad showed up at my work place and shouted at me asking me where his daughter is. I looked like a freaking kidnapper. He was led out by the security. I was coming here when you called me. Now I'm freaking afraid of what he'll do next?"
"Preeti my dad looks like a scary man but trust me he won't harm anyone. Especially not a woman." I tried to assure her. And she finally looked at me.
I get why she is mad but man, I want to hit her so bad right now.
"Harm anyone? You kidding me right? I know about his histroy. He did some time in jail."

Oh my god!
I don't know how she knows that. But no wonder she is scared shit less. Now Ansh is looking at me like I grew another head.
Damn it!

...