Forget-Me-Not: Taste of Freedom

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six

Dia woke up to a strange, peaceful feeling. Like being suspended underwater. She was sprawled out in bed, tangled in sheets. Her eyes took in her surroundings-nothing different than before, yet so new. The other side of the bed was empty; Varun was up. Squinting in the sunlight, she turned over and felt the unmistakable soreness in her muscles. It was a pleasant ache; it didn't hurt, but it reminded her of countless things they'd done last night. Memories seeped into her consciousness, and for a moment, she smiled to herself. She might as well had dreamed of it, but it wasn't a dream. Last night had really happened. Her sore muscles were a proof.

She sighed, thinking of everything they'd done to each other, everything he'd said to her. Everything she hadn't said to him. A shadow passed over her expression; her brows knitted together. No, surely not. Last night had been about physical pleasure, nothing else. She'd told him what she wanted, and he'd complied. She was still the same. Nothing had changed. Last night had been beautiful. She'd enjoyed it. Why couldn't she leave it at that? Why did it have to mean more? Why did she have to get her emotions into the mix?

There are no emotions, she told herself. What happened was strictly 'in the moment madness'. She'd been carried away after everything that happened. Seeing that new side of him had made her lose her mind. Now she was normal. She was sober, and she knew that last night couldn't mean more. It just couldn't.

As Dia was trying to puzzle it out, her phone rang, and she shot out an arm to grab it. As she did, her eyes fell on the clock. God, it was half past eleven already? How could she have slept in for so late? Then she glanced at the caller, and held her breath. It was her agent, Sunidhi Roy. With her eager, trembling fingers, Dia answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, good morning," Sunidhi said, her voice signaling that it was anything but.

"Good morning. So, do you have any news for me?"

There was a pause on the line. Then Sunidhi said, "There's no easy way around this, so I'm just going to blurt it out." A pause. "Dia, I'm so sorry. They turned you down."

"What!" she said, going still. "How can they do that? There must be some mistake..."

"There's no mistake," her agent said.

Dia stared at her bare feet, wriggling her toes, as she felt a sudden coldness seeping into her. "Did they give a reason?" she asked, almost in a trance. Sunidhi hesitated.

"Well, the publishing company changed some policies this year, which means no inappropriate behavior in children's books."

The words surprised her. Company policies? Company policies were always a pain in the ass. Dia scowled at the wall, trying to keep her sudden, sharp anger and disappointment in check. "What inappropriate behavior? It's a children's book, for god's sake. The Lighthouse series is about a group of friends living on an island."

"I know. But... well, there are a few scenes..."

"What scenes?"

"Well, the ones where the main character, Tammy hugs her friend Jojo. And I think there's a part where they kiss..."

Dia couldn't believe where this was going. "Well, they're best friends, and that's what best friends do," she interrupted in a heated voice.

"They're both girls. And..." Sunidhi coughed. "Your editor is concerned that it might give the wrong idea. You know, the main character being gay and all. It's a tender issue."