How to Wed A Devil

Chapter 37

Ananya Prasad

It’s been two days since Sid gave me the lecture. I have been thinking about what happened and I think that we both over reacted. Okay, he over reacted first and I reacted to his reaction. It’s his fault, right?

I just flirted a bit with him and he called me a whore, literally. And these guys, Sid and Karthik tell that he likes me. What a load of poo.

If he really liked me, he wouldn’t have minded the flirting and he wouldn’t have reacted in that way. What does he think? That I flirt with everyone?

Right now, he and I are in residents' common room alone for the night shift. Some of the junior residents' are in neuro ICU monitoring the patients, they will inform us if there are any situations. I am trying to work on my thesis; keyword: trying.

With him studing so calmly as if me staying alone with him doesn’t make a difference is making my blood boil. That devil. He should be apologising to me and asking me to come back home. No. But our devil is sitting and doing his research paper work serenely as if he is in meditation. I just want to go and permanently delete his work. I am that much angry on him.

If I stay here some more time may be I will go and destroy his laptop.  So I stood up and left the residents' room for a break to clear my head. Sid is not in the hospital, he left to Chennai  for a seminar. Karthik is in a surgery. I don’t want to go the cafeteria alone, so I went to the rooftop to get some fresh air.

I sat on the bench on the rooftop garden, leaned back and saw the sky. There is moon but there are not that many stars. Stupid city lights. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes.

I don’t know how much time passed, but I felt someone sitting beside me. I turned to see that it’s the devil. He too is leaning back and looking at the sky.

“Stupid city lights”, he muttered.

“What?” I asked him stunned. Was he spying on me? I didn’t even utter those words loudly.

“I meant we cannot see the stars", he said closing his eyes.

Okay. Now I am sure he is spying on me. Come to think of it how does he know that I am here?

And he is sitting so close to me in the middle of the bench. I told you right, he is being touchy feely these days. He seems to be sleeping. Should I leave?

Yes. That would be better.

I stood up to leave, but, his hand held me. I looked at him, he is still closing his eyes.

“Sit", he told softly without opening his eyes and tugged at my hand.

I gave a sigh and sat. He didn’t let my hand go even after I sat down. I slowly started to wiggle my hand out of his hand, he didn’t protest. Somewhere some tiny part in my heart felt disappointed that he left my hand.

“I am sorry for that day. No matter what happened,  I shouldn’t have called you a wh...umm...called you that. I totally deserve that slap", he said still closing his eyes.

I wanted him to apologise right. Now that he is apologising I don’t know what to reply. And why is that there are so many birds flying in my stomach for a stupid apology?

I just sat there quietly. He gave a sigh and  kept his hand in his apron and took out two frootis.

“Do you like it?” he asked while giving it to me.

I didn’t reply but took it from him.

I opened the straw and inserted it into the frooti and started drinking it silently. He gave a small chuckle and started drinking too.

“I already know that this is your favourite drink. I came prepared this time", he told me smiling.

I turned to look at him only to find him looking at me. Since he and I are sitting close, when I turned to look at him, his face is closer to me than I thought.

We just looked at each other without blinking. I don’t know why I gulped which was a wrong move. His eyes then went from my eyes to my lips which made me shiver. I turned my head immediately and looked to my front. He let out a large sigh.

I looked at him with a side glance, he is combing his hair with his fingers.

“Come home with me today”, he told me.

“I...”

“I did apologise to you. And everyone in home is missing you", he told me softly.

“And I promise, what happened will never happen again, trust me. And you can flirt with me all you want. I won’t mind"

I jerked my head to his side and he has a mischievous look and a teasing smile. I didn’t even know when  my hand raised and punched his shoulder.

And when I realised what I did, my hand went to my mouth and started apologising profusely.

“I am sorry sir, really sorry, rea-"

“It’s okay Anu. I don’t mind you punching me once in a while. I mean you learnt punching and beating because of me during childhood. So, I don’t mind", he teased me.

I gave him a pointed look.

“There, there. Calm down. I hope you don’t have a pen or scalpel in your hand. I don’t want to open my brain again" he continued with a chuckle.

That’s it.

I started punching him again.

Since when I feel this close to him?

He held both my hands and stopped me. We both were panting. He cleared his throat and left my hands.

“I need to finish my frooti", he started drinking his drink.

“I will wait for you in the parking after our shift. Let’s go to your hostel and grab whatever you need and go home. Is that okay?” he asked me cautiously.

“Yes sir"

“Arjun"

“Sir?”

“My name is Arjun"

“I know, sir"

“Stop calling me sir", he snapped at me?

“People would talk if I call you by your name sir"

He let out a sigh, “then stop calling me sir when we are not at work"

With that he stood up, “Come, let’s go. It’s time for rounds"

“Yes, sir"

He gave an angry look.

I raised my hands immediately in  surrender,  “We are still at work?”

He shook his head and started leaving with a smile.

I too followed him with a smile.

************

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