A Lot Like Love |COMPLETE| AnuPre Fiction

Chapter 26 : The Oldest Trick In The Book

A/N : I understand that a lot of people really like the last chapter!! I am overwhelmed by the response honestly :) I don't ever feel I have said 'thanks' enough times ! So, THANK YOU!!

This chapter is both Anurag and Prerna centric - as in we get to see what's going on in their heads individually - and a little bit of AnuPre maybe? :) but we will see the 'annoying' Mr. Bajaj resurface! :D

All in all, I think you will enjoy the concoction together, but I am all ears to hear your views on it :)

PS - Anurag may annoy you a bit - cut him some slack, poor guy already has a lot on his plate :P

Happy reading!

Much love,

A.

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It had been three weeks now, since the time of her haemorrhage, she was doing much better now. Anurag had moved back to his own place, she had started working too – she wasn't going to court, but she had re-joined her office. Between Anurag, Anupam and Nivi, they took turns to keep a check on her. The doctor sounded positive, her heath was indeed improving. Anurag was happy to have finally healed her, he was happy to see her smile, laugh and enjoy, he was happy to see her trust him – he had accepted that he wasn't ever going to get her love, but her friendship was no less to him.

However, Anurag noticed something odd; it had all spiralled out of control when Mr. Bajaj wanted to come back to her life right? But it had been three weeks but he never showed. Anurag never asked her, it was an act of self-preservation to be honest; but he was curious – where was Mr. Bajaj?

***

It was a week before Prerna's birthday. Nivi and Anupam were planning for a surprise birthday party, although Anurag doubted Prerna would like that – he imagined she'd have some plans with Mr. Bajaj that day at least, and he didn't know how to stop Anupma or Nivi considering he knew they didn't know much about Prerna and Mr. Bajaj – true they had asked him quite a few times about how he was progressing with her, and he had been lying through his teeth all the while – but this situation was tricky – he knew if Prerna had other plans, Nivi and Anupam would not only be disappointed, but would also come to know about Prerna and Mr. Bajaj, in their confusion and mistrust over Mr. Bajaj, what if either of them told her about his, i.e. Anurag's feelings? No, he couldn't completely lose her, she would lose her trust again, he wasn't letting that happen again – so he had decided, unfortunately he had to spill the beans on Anupam and Nivi's surprise to Prerna.

Anurag was at her's for dinner when he casually brought the topic up.

"Acha Prerna, what plans do you have for your birthday? In case you have made plans with Mr. Bajaj, just keep some excuse handy and tell Nivi that – they are planning on a surprise party for you!" he said and looked at her while munching his food, she froze for a moment.

"They can continue; I have no plans with anyone" she said stiffly before changing the topic. Anurag was wondered what was going on.

***

It was Prerna's birthday, and as they had planned earlier, Anupam and Nivi had planned for a birthday night out for her – they knew she was still recovering wasn't as comfortable around a lot of people, they kept it small – Anupam, Nivi and Anurag were to take her clubbing; they would chat over a couple of drinks, cut a cake, maybe dance a little? Bringing back normalcy was important, Nivi had mentioned – somewhere Anurag and Anupam agreed.

Prerna was honestly dreading this day for some time now. Firstly, she was so not in the mood to celebrate, she had so many questions and hardly any answers; RIshabh seemed to have gone for good, he didn't get in touch with her ever since she had left him that day at the hotel – she smiled dryly remembering that – maybe she was expecting one call at least? Didn't he even want to know how she was? She rebuked herself – had he ever cared, the story of their lives would be so different today. Secondly, Anurag had mentioned some surprise plan that Nivi and Anupam had for her – she had told herself to go along with it to make everyone around her feel normal – she couldn't take it anymore, how everyone walked on eggshells around her. She needed time, but they didn't need to know it or act accordingly – she needed some normalcy from her friends.