The blooming Magnolia

Chapter : 13

FLASHBACK 2012

" The number you're trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later."

Anika rubbed her fingers through the lines of her forehead while closing her eyes in disgust as she heard the woman speaking the same line again and again. She was sitting in her Patna home, in her room, by the window, holding her phone in her hands.

That was the nth time that she had tried to reach Vansh over the phone that evening. Practically that was all she was doing for the past 6 days.

Well, it might not seem so long, that's what Anika thought too, when Vansh told her about his trip. It was only 7 days, she thought. It's been months that they haven't met each other. They were practically dependent on phone calls or video chats. It never bothered her.

Well, not that she never had the thought of meeting him, or about stealing a small trip to Bangalore from her busy schedule, but she was too uncomfortable asking him about it. She was not sure how he would feel. Maybe, he will get the idea that she likes him. Well she does, that's the truth, but it was not for him to know. NOT YET.

Anika was aware of her feelings of a strong liking towards this particular man,a very handsome one, who wakes her up in the morning, has lunch with her, if possible a dinner(if she is too lucky) and then even lulls her to sleep. Not literally lulling, but his voice somehow had this weird calming effect on her that she would sleep every night while talking over the phone. How many fights they had due to this !!! Vansh would be mad every other day for this habit of hers.

"How can someone doz off in a minute, just like that? You were literally talking to me, a minute before." he would say the next morning while going to his office.

"Your conversations are so boring, what do I do?" Anika would say, with pursed lips trying to hide a laugh, only to make him madder.

But of course, that was just to pull his leg. The truth was, she was so used to hearing his voice every night that it almost felt like he was beside her, talking casually about anything- sometimes his work, sometimes hers, or music or football or whatever.

Another beautiful coincidence- they learnt, they both rooted for the same European football team- Barcelona! 

They had so many topics to discuss. Vansh was so chatty.

But there she was now, not being able to hear his voice for 6 days straight ! Another day was still left. Another 40 hours!

Vansh was off on his trip to a national park in Maharashtra, the Nagzira National Park. He was so excited the night before he left. She remembered each and every line that they spoke that night. He couldn't contain his excitement to meet his school friends after about 7 years.

8 of his friends, 5 men and 3 women, the latter being the reason for Anika's sarcastic yet silent scoff.

"Who were these 3 women?" she wanted to ask, but couldn't. That would have been a disaster if she had. She would have embarrassed herself so much. She herself went on so many trips with her friends, both males and females, while she was in Bangalore. She never ever had such creepy thoughts. But things were different now, it was Vansh. 

The fact pissed her off that he hasn't ever asked her to go with him somewhere. And there he was, a 26 year old grinning like baby at the thought that he would be meeting his friends for a trip the next day. 

He would have asked her if she wanted to go with him on this trip. She would have happily agreed as she too has returned to Patna for a few days, now that the workload is a bit less.

She imagined -- 7 days with him? the mere thought ran chills down her spine making her cheeks burn.

But she knew, it was his trip, he deserved it more than anyone else. He had been working his ass off for the past 4 months. Anika had to literally force him at night over the phone to stop working and go to sleep. He was a workaholic.