COMPLICATED LOVE

22. BE IN TOUCH WITH OLD FRIENDS

" We zoom in on a photo to have extraordinary view of only one person among the crowd!

Isn't it? " Rishi's mom came and sat next to him as he is surfing through their photos of new-year event.

" I missed sleeping on your lap, so much mom!" Rishi said as he rested his head on her lap, quickly closing the tab.

He narrated how his friends motivated him to step towards his dreams.

"Friends for life you have got! " She admitted.

"Do you like Anu, dear?" She asked.

Rishi got up and looked at her surprised.

"Why did you ask that? " He mumbled.

"I felt so, you instinctively smile seeing her, you check on her, you laugh at all her jokes bit more, you feel proud when someone praises her, you always look into her eyes when you are speaking to her. Do I need to say anything else? " She giggled.

"I'm not sure, I just want to focus on career right now. I'm confused if I should step a head now, " he gasped.

" When you think you met the right person, there wouldn't be any timetable to proceed. Remember love is constructive, attraction isn't. " She smiled.

" I agree. But.....! " He exclaimed, "what if she says she isn't expecting this from me. I can't face rejection especially at this point of time! "?

"Well, so you would become a devdas?" She joked.

"Absolutely not!" Rishi said, bit shocked.

" Jokes apart, why would a girl who knew everything about you, who is always ready to accompany you, who listens to everything you speak would reject you? I'm sure she likes you too. I saw hints from her side too. " She smiled.

" That's true, she listens to whatever I speak as if it's very important every time! She even forgot her mobile in hurry when I asked her to come with me to meet you! " Rishi exclaimed.

" Well, when you are going to propose her then?" She beamed.

"I don't know, I'm afraid of relationships." Rishi said recollecting how he suffered because of toxic relationship with Anjali.

"But she did reject me once, my letter, she reacted angrily. We are friends then too, she supported me then too. But she gave that letter to professor who always supported me in college, he lectured me why I shouldn't deviate. For the first and last time, I hated her for that. I felt ashamed infront of him just for declaring my crush on her. She might have done that for my well being. But that's immature. It took me long time to get normal with her, though she was like nothing ever happened. I was deeply hurt. I still wonder why a girl like her did like that! " He thought in his mind.

" But we were kids back then. Being immature was okay. Everyone does mistakes. So did she. It was past. She would have forgotten even. But I'm still scared, " Rishi told to Arun on call the evening after narrating his conversation with his mom.

" I don't know what's inside her head. But your answer is in your question. " Arun suggested.

"Well, I would talk to her then, " Rishi concluded.

Rishi returned after 2 more days. They quickly got busy with their works.

Sam is happy when she spotted herself  in serial episode finally.

Well Anu did intentionally add a clip of covering all her friends' faces including her's to have it as a memory!

Anu and Rishi did meet in between. But none of them spoke like before. They mostly kept wondering how should they talk, what to talk and what's in other's mind.