A GIRL LIKE YOU

45

I heard the sounds of laughter right before Dad, Ansh and his dad entered the room with huge smile on their faces.
What the fuck? Why are they smiling? How did that happen?
Don't get me wrong. I'm not against it. But I thought it would take some time for my dad to come around. I didn't expect him to be all happy in just a few hours.
"There she is." Dad said and walked towards me. Ansh's parents left the room. Dad came and eyed my wound. He then handed me the tablets. I took them.
I swallowed them as dad sat down on the bed. Ansh stood at the far end of the room staring.
"I'm sorry for hitting you." Pure apology and guilt in dad's eyes made me look at the situation differently.
Dad might not be all okay and happy with mine and Ansh's relationship but he is pretending to be. Because of my confession to him before. Omg. He is trying for me. I love him. I want to try for us.
"It's okay dad." I leaned in and touched his hand.
"Come back home." He pleaded.
"I will." I said.
"Promise."
"Promise. But- but I have a condition."
"Condition?"
"Yeah dad. A deal."
"Okay. What's that?"
Perhaps waiting would've been a better option but I had to get it all out. Once and for all.
"I want to have my own place. My apartment."
Dad broke into a smile. "You can have it."
Just like that, dad smiled and hugged me. I was so overwhelmed with all the love.
He stood up after a few minutes.
"Your mom and I will be waiting for you tomorrow." Dad said and then he was gone. Leaving me and Ansh alone in the room.
Ansh strolled towards the door, locking it before he walked towards me.
I smiled at him but Ansh didn't. It made me uneasy. Before I could ask him, Ansh sat down and took my face in his hands.
"Does it hurt?" He asked carressing my bruised jaw lightly. I winced and Ansh removed his hand.
"I'm sorry." He said and moved closer to me.
"Don't be." I said.
"Why did you have to go and be a hero? Why did you jump in front of me? It wasn't like he was going to shoot me." Ansh chided me.
"I couldn't let him hit you and ruin your pretty face." I joked.
"Very funny." Ansh leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. "It was kinda hot, though." He whispered and placed small kisses on my lips, cheeks and jaw, forehead, eyes, nose, neck.
I cricled my hands around his neck and smiled.
"I love you." I whispered.
"I love you too." Ansh said and pushed me gently back on the bed. He hovered above me.
"Before we lose ourselves in the moment, will you tell me what my dad and you talked about?"
"No."
"What? Why?"
"Because it's between us."
"No! It involves me. It's about me. Tell me."
"Kiara, I'm not going to tell you the whole conversation. All you need to know is that he loves you and he is going to support us."
"Wait. He didn't try to hit you again?"
"No. I kinda shouted on him after you fainted. I guess I scared him."
I chuckled. "Oh really?"
"I can be very scary Kiara. Don't underestimate me."
"Uh-huh. I hear you." I laughed. Ansh smiled down at me and then he was kissing me.

Sooner or later, I am going to squeeze that conversation out of him. I have to know what he said to my dad. But before all of that, I have to call Aaliyah and fill her in. I have to go and bring all of my stuff back from that apartment Ansh and I were staying at. I love that place, I'll miss it.
I'll then have to go home make things right with my parents and intoduce Ansh and mom properly. Last but not the least, I have to start finding a place for myself. Somewhere near Ansh's apartment.
I have to get settled in before I go back to work in a few weeks. Most importantly I have to move forward with my career, with my love life.

I'll do those things in order but before that I have to stop Ansh's roaming hands before we completely forget that we are in his parents house and it's still day time. I pushed at Ansh's chest and he lifted up on his elbows to look at me.
"What is it?"
"Take me to your place." I requested.

Ansh smiled. He came in and gave me a feather light peck on lips before he pulled away and stood up. He then helped me get up.
He led me out in the living room.
Preeti had left. It was only his parents and sister sitting on the couch.
"Mom, Kiara and I are leaving for my place." Ansh informed them.
"Okay. Go pack. I'll pack your lunch."

***

Ansh's apartment is exactly as it was, when I first saw it. When I walked down the hall, I noticed the door of Aarav's place was still closed. Ansh didn't even look at the door. I wonder what he feels about Aarav now?
As a friend Ansh should be offended, about how Aarav didn't tell him anything and how he just went AWOL and hurt me in the process. But on the other hand, if it weren't for Aarav, Ansh and I wouldn't be here together. So there's that.

"Tell me something?" I asked Ansh as we walked in the kitchen and he set out our lunch.
"What?" He asked as he pulled a water bottle out of the refrigerator.
"Are you mad at Aarav?"
Ansh stopped in midst of his work and looked up at me.
"Where did that come from?" He asked as he stood right in front of me only the kitchen counter separating us.
"I just thought that, you know, you must have mixed feelings for him. I just wanted to know....I guess."
Now that Ansh and I are an item, its kind of awkward to talk about Aarav with him. I am not even going to think about what it'll be like when Aarav finally comes back.
"I don't know how I feel about him. I haven't thought about him much. I guess, I'll just see how I feel when I finally see him."
"That make sense."
"Yeah. I'll probably hit him first. Then maybe we'll talk." Ansh smiled with me.
"Okay."
Ansh finally set out our plates and we began eating. And then....I lost my appetite when Ansh asked me something I definitely never wanted to tell him. Something I thought I'll take to my grave.

"Now that we're talking about Aarav, I also wanted to ask you something."
"Yeah. What's that?"
I bought my glass to my lips and drank from it when Ansh spoke, "Did something happen between you and him?"

The water whooshed out of mouth without my wanting. I coughed and tried to catch my breath. Tears blurred my vision. Oh god. That was so uncalled for.
"Kiara! What are you doing?" Ansh said and quickly stood up to rub my back. I coughed a few more times. I just want him to forget about that question. Maybe if I keep coughing, he will.
"Breath." He said.

...