Forget-Me-Not : Bound by Secrets

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Abhay watched Vidhi and her friends as they stopped to talk to some of the people, make introductions, and then collect everyone with them as they went dancing again. And he wondered why instead of going home, he was still at the party. It wasn't like him to stay back just because he was intrigued by some girls. On the other hand, there was nothing about home that appealed to him. The more he'd stayed away from home, the more he would be able to bring his life under control. The chaos waiting for him there was too hard to confront just yet.

"So you finally decided to grace the dance floor," Yash Mirchandani said, coming up behind him. With him were a couple of his friends, and they all exchanged one armed hugs.

"Yes, apparently," Abhay grinned. "So, tell me what's new."

"Well, nothing except David making a fool out of himself out by the pool, the other guys enjoying the show, and Vivek breaking up with Avni. Oh, and by the way, everyone's been eating like hogs. The food is amazing."

"It's arranged by you, obviously. Everything has to be great. Tell me something; do you know those girls there? In the middle?"

"The red one and company? No," Yash said, looking curiously at them. "But I believe someone spoke of them. I think it was Sanaya-she said she was inviting some friends. I said go ahead."

Abhay decided that he was better off not thinking about them, since they had such a great ability to cloud his mind. So he said, "Let's do something we all like."

"Nothing better than dancing," Yash said, and one way or another, Abhay found himself being led back to the crowd. Honestly, though, he'd had enough of dancing for one night. His good mood was wearing off, now that he had nothing to do or look forward to. However, the presence of his friends was relaxing. They joked, danced, and Abhay was listening to Yash saying something about his classes when his eyes strayed and fell on Vidhi.

She was dancing with her friends, looking completely different than what she'd looked while standing alone earlier. All four of them looked like they were having the time of their lives. He couldn't help smiling when he saw Vidhi like that, free and unbound, completely opposite to what she'd seemed when he'd first seen her. And even though he'd spent a good part of his time flirting with Ananya, he couldn't help admitting that there was something about Vidhi that appealed to him more than he liked, more than he wanted. She wasn't a normal girl, that much he could guess. And from the way she'd been avoiding him throughout, from the time she met him, it wasn't difficult to see that she was having a hard time being around him, too.

As if he'd called her aloud, she turned and looked at him, and their gazes locked. The laughter vanished completely from her face, replaced by surprise, and then a warm blush spread over her cheeks, and she looked away hurriedly. That made him smile wider. Yes, she was nervous of him. Why did that amuse him so much? He almost had a mind of going over and striking up a conversation, teasing her, but he stopped himself. He didn't even know who she was, for god's sake! He looked away and concentrated on what his friends were saying.

A few moments later, however, his gaze went back to Vidhi, and he saw her slinking away from her friends, explaining something to them, and shaking her head vigorously. Then she started backing away, pushing her way out of the crowd.

"I'll be back," he told Yash, and eased his way towards her.

When Vidhi turned around to walk away, she smacked right into him.

"I'm sorry," they both said simultaneously, and her eyes widened slightly when she saw him. Her expression was quite funny-surprise mixed with shock.