Forget-Me-Not : Bound by Secrets

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Saturday, September 2, 2000

At exactly six in the morning, Abhay drove his old, red Maruti inside the driveway of Nanda mansion. The morning was pleasantly cool, the sky was still a few shades darker than dusky orange, and for the first time in weeks, his mind was at peace with his surroundings. He'd already called Ananya on his way, and was expecting to see her outside any minute. As he turned off the ignition, he saw the front door open and the Nanda heiress walked out, carrying a handbag and a small purse, looking like she just stepped out of a TV commercial. She was snugly dressed in a white full-sleeved knit sweater and red denims, with tousled hair and bright eyes.

Abhay got out of his car, looking her over with an amused smile. Someone was excited for the weekend trip, he mused as he saw her break into a smile when she saw him.

"Morning, sunshine," he greeted, and her smile morphed into a sexy snort.

"Playing Romeo, are we?" she returned, walking up to him. He gallantly opened the back door and the passenger side door for her, his eyes twinkling at her response, and somehow he felt better just by talking to her. She looked like a bundle of happiness and self confidence, with a warning label that probably read: Too sexy to handle.

"You're on time. I thought you'd take hours to get ready," he said as she put her handbag and purse in the backseat, and then settled down in the front.

She snorted again. "I don't take hours getting ready."

He grinned. Then he went over to his side, getting in and putting on his seatbelt, and brought the engine to life. "Well, most girls do. And I'm speaking from experience."

"Your experience is pretty limited, then," she retorted.

"Or maybe you were just too excited, who knows?" he quipped. "How can I be sure you didn't wake up two hours ago?"

She laughed. "Fine. Take it as you will."

"So, I'm guessing you told your parents about going to Pune," he said a moment later. When she didn't answer, he glanced at her and saw the thoughtful expression on her face.

"Yeah, I did," she admitted. "Can you guess what they said?" she was smiling. Okay, maybe not that bad? He pretended to think, then gave up.

"Nope."

She chuckled. "They said, 'Oh.' Then mom said, 'Well, take care of yourself, and keep informing me about your whereabouts.' Then dad said, 'Do you want me to summon the chauffeur and our car?' when I refused, mom said, 'I hope you're not going to spoil your designer dresses during the ride.' Then she turned to dad and they started discussing office-work. And all this was last night. They're still in bed right now, oblivious to the fact that I already left."

He couldn't help it-he broke out laughing. There was humour in her voice when she'd imitated her parents' voices, and something in her appearance had said she didn't really bother that much about it. It was good; he didn't want her getting upset because of parents who couldn't give her the love and attention she needed. When she'd called him up Thursday night, she'd sounded glum. Her subdued voice had seemed strange and alien compared to the utter self confidence she'd exuded every other time they'd met before. He was glad that it was not the case today. Today she was in her element, happy and excited and haughty, and that was how he liked her.

"Glad to know you're not whining about it," he teased.

"Hey! You wouldn't be laughing right now if I wouldn't have told you this," she reminded him. Then she rolled down her window, resting her forearm on top, and smiled as they pulled out of her driveway, the air whipping her hair back. She looked around herself, observing his car, then him, and then his music system.