Forget-Me-Not : Bound by Secrets

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Two weeks later, September 2000

Ananya sat in the sanctuary of her room, sulking at the wall opposite her bed. The silence was getting on her nerves. She was all alone at home-her parents were attending a business function, and would come back late. Much too late for her to wait up. Even if she did wait up, they wouldn't have time. They'd be tired. Her mother would look a little guilty, then tell her to have some compassion for them, and head off to her room. Her father would try to undo years of negligence by another guilty kiss, and follow her mother inside. And then everything would be just as it had been before.

She sighed in exasperation. So what if her parents had gone out and were busy? She had a life too. She looked about at the mess in her room-her drafting board, the numerous designs she'd made for the next project, the small notes she'd taken during class and also her diary that she used to jot down her own ideas. Instead of feeling the usual surge of love and passion for what she did, she felt exhausted. Of late, her work had become a place of escape rather than her personal paradise. And if she kept doing that-kept escaping into it instead of immersing into it, she'd lose herself.

I need to talk to someone, she thought. I need to get this out of my system.

She grabbed her phone and dialed the only person she could think of.

Vidhi.

Although she spent more time fighting or arguing with Vidhi than actually talking, she felt a certain kind of protectiveness for her. They were joined by more than just friendship-they were joined by mutual respect and trust. And even though they were total opposites, she could count on Vidhi to pull her out of the sea of depression that she was lately surrounded by.

Ten rings later, she gave up. So even Vidhi was busy. Great, Ananya thought. I have no one to talk to. Except if she called Dia or Geet.

When the other two phone calls proved to be similar vain attempts, Ananya stared at her phone dejectedly. Where was everyone when she needed them?

As she scrolled back to the top of her contact list, she suddenly stopped. The name stared back at her, throwing her into a dilemma, and at the same time, a sudden urge to press the dial button filled her. She debated in her mind, her eyebrows drawn together in doubt. Should she? Should she not? Would it look weird? A desperate attempt to gain attention? A ploy?

Oh, to hell with the assumptions. She dialed Abhay's number, which she'd taken on the day of their outing at the Marine Drive, and waited for him to answer.

Moments later, his deep, sultry voice said, "Hello?"

She paused. "Uh, hi." She had never been doubtful before calling someone. She had never felt awkward talking to a guy before. And she sure as hell had never felt nervous just because she was talking to one. Now it seemed like she'd suddenly forgotten all her tactics of conversation, and morphed into an inexperienced teenager. She cleared her throat and prayed that he didn't realize just how awkward she was feeling.

"Hi. I didn't think I'd ever see your name flashing across my caller ID," he replied, and he sounded vaguely amused.

Me either, she thought to herself. "I just realized that I never thanked you for taking me to the hospital that day, you know. When Geet got admitted," she said. "So I thought I should."

"Oh, but you did thank me. Plenty of times."

"Did I? I don't remember."

He chuckled. "Don't you, now?"