Forget-Me-Not : Bound by Secrets

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

Time was flying by on wings. It had never been so easy to go through the day and have no regrets. Instead of dragging on and on, she was skating on a particularly good day, surrounded by good but strange people, and a sense of adventure that she'd craved since a long, long time. After surviving breakfast, Ananya had felt pleased with herself. Abhay's mother was a simple woman in her mid-forties, someone who gave off the impression of always being silent. But it was not so, she'd soon found out. During breakfast, she'd grilled both of them with numerous questions, all that time feeding them like they'd come home starved after being put through hard labour for, say, years and years. She hadn't been able to stop smiling the entire time.

Ananya had never felt so pampered, never been given such attention at home. When his mother sat with them during breakfast and asked him how many times he got drunk in a week, she felt unreasonably jealous of him. He had a mother who obviously cared how he spent his days, whether he picked up girls or got drunk, and whether he did anything in his life that made him happy. Her parents, on the other hand, had never cared to ask. And it wasn't only Abhay who got all the weird questions-no. His mother had given her equal attention, asking her about her life, her family, her hobbies, and even warning her to stay away from his son, player as he was.

After a heavy breakfast and a dose of humour, she'd run into a wall of reluctance. Literally. Abhay had introduced her to his sister, Kaira, who was four years younger to him. All the while that they'd stood standing in awkward silence, it had told her that things were hardly normal between the siblings. Kaira had radiated such animosity that it had been hard even trying to smile at her. She'd seen Abhay making an effort, trying to break through the wall she'd created around herself, but his attempts had been thwarted. Kaira had walked off, claiming that she had things to do, and exited the house.

Later that afternoon, Abhay had knocked on the door of her room and asked her if she wanted to see Pune. She'd jumped at the idea, and they'd set off for sight-seeing.

All in all, the day had been good. Eventful. Very different from what she was used to doing at home. Well, at least she was not alone, she thought to herself. This weekend would have sucked if she hadn't agreed to come. But she had, and here she was. In Pune. With Abhay. At his mother's house. She'd spent a day getting to know him, his family, his habits, and his life. It wasn't something she'd seen herself doing. She had never imagined that she'd like it.

It was past dinner time now, and she was sitting on the swing in the patio, watching the dark tinted sky and mulling over her day. It was too soon, she knew, but she wished this weekend would never end. She wished she could stay here, with these people; find a life that gave her more than just luxury. She didn't want money or glamour or designer clothes. No, her requirements were pretty basic. She just wanted something that could make her happy, someone that could make her feel at home. And strangely, Abhay made her feel at home. She sighed, looking at the clear lapping water of the swimming pool, wondering if she would ever be able to figure out the whys.

"Penny for your thoughts?" someone said in her ear, and Ananya jumped.

"It's you," she said, shaking her head when Abhay plopped down next to her on the wide swing, a half grin on his face.

"Who else would it be?"

"Right. Finished with the kitchen work?"

Abhay had declared that he'd do the housework today, and his mother had snorted and said that she'd be damned if he didn't break anything. Ananya had watched them with amusement, seen how they argued and then his mother took her by the arm and led her outside, where they'd talked some more. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the tell-tale sound of a utensil crashing to the ground had made them both jump and his mother had shaken her head with a sigh.