A Scorched Love Story [Complete]

7. When the ground slips

A couple of wolf whistles were heard from the small crowd of people near the dosa shop. It brought both of us back to our surroundings. He let go of my waist and I jumped off the seat. He told me, "Come with me to my flat. There is no one there, we can talk for sometime".

I was scared about this proposition, but the wolf whistles were getting closer.

Abhay got on the bike and said "Just come with me, don't argue".

I got on the bike and he rode fast in the nearly empty streets and withing a few minutes we were in the intersection where the roads went in the opposite directions to our flats.

I nearly screamed at him to stop when he turned in the direction to his flat. He stopped the bike and I got off. I had heard stories of girls led to boys' houses and getting raped there. I would have trusted him, but not today, not when he said he was attracted toward me. He might want something from me, what if he wants it by force? But if he asked me for something, a kiss, a hug or something more, my starved mind and body might relinquish itself to him.

"Drop me at my home", I pleaded almost in tears.

He got off and caught both my hands and said, "Please come with me, I want to talk to you".

I was shaking with fear. He noticed it and was bewildered, "Are you scared that I might do something to you?"

"Please, let us talk when there is daylight", I was almost sobbing.

He held me close to his chest to calm me. In what fresh hell am I in, I thought. The prospect of going to his flat was scary, I was still grappling with what I felt for him and he was holding me so close to his chest where I could breath his scent and above all he just confessed that he wanted to kiss me. The danger, thrill and emotions that were coursing through my mind were unbelievable.

"I will not hurt you", he murmured, "You know me. And I will do nothing that will make you lose your dignity. If I hadn't thought about that, I would have kissed you in the office when I felt like it".

I was shaking all over and sobbing and the only thing that I managed to blurt out was to take me home. Even he was a bit  scared of my reaction and nodded. He took me back to my flat and before I went up the stairs gave me a handkerchief to wipe off my tears and asked me to calm down. "I will pick you up at 11, be ready. And don't worry, we will go to a public place where there will be people".

I did not reply and simply ran upstairs into my room and shut the door. I switched off the phone and lay on the bed in shock.

I was getting out of my  feelings for Abhay by being close to another guy. But now, he had dragged me back deeper into this deep pit of love and despair. I don't know when sleep came over me and was woken up by one of my other roommates who shouted through the door that Abhay was waiting outside and I should attend his call.

I woke up groggily and checked the time, it was five minutes to 11. What to do? I could not avoid him for ever, so I went outside to the balcony and gestured to him to wait ten minutes. I washed myself up, put on some decent clothes and went downstairs to meet him.

My eyes were unmistakably red and swollen from the sobbing last night and he didn't look any better either. There were dark circles under his eyes, like he did not sleep and he looked haggard.

"Did you eat?" he asked.

I shook my head. He got on his bike and motioned me to get on it which I did. We went to the food court of a shopping mall nearby and got our breakfast. I sat there nibbling at my food and trying to make sense of what was happening.

He asked me "Did you see any of the texts that I sent you?"

"No, I switched off my phone after you left, I haven't opened it yet", I replied.