First Love

Chapter 7

Aditya had been watching Anjali from the corner of his eyes, and noticed she had once again withdrawn into her quiet solemn self. He had been hopeful when he had seen her smiling a genuine smile in a long time, and thought this is a good time to talk to her, and that's why he had sent his family ahead of them so he could talk to her alone.

But it seems she was not interested in looking at him let alone speaking to him about anything, and he didn't know how to start a conversation with her. It's obvious something is bothering her again, but if he asks, she is only going to deny it.

His sister is coming back in two days from college, maybe she will be able to help him. Kajal has also been little mad at him from that night for jumping to conclusions. It all goes back to that night three months ago, if only he had paid attention to what was going on around him, instead of being so focused on the business discussion he was having with a colleague.

The party had been given by Umang, Anita's brother, for her birthday, and Aditya hadn't been able to refuse when she invited him along with Vishal and Kajal also. Anita and Kajal had become friends after she started working for him. Although she hadn't specifically invited Anjali, he refused to go without her. It had taken him Vishal, and the whole family badgering her until she had agreed to go to the party. He didn't know why she had refused to attend this particular party, after all she had attended many other business parties with him in the past.

When they arrived at the party he had been pulled into a discussion with some of his business associates, and didn't think about what Kajal and Anjali were doing. He had noticed Anjali's friend Shruti along with her husband Ajay, so he had assumed she was with them.

The party had been in full swing when someone asked him about Anjali but she was nowhere to be found. He started to look for her, and ended up on the second floor. He was searching for her when he heard muffled noises coming from one of the rooms, he went towards the door and opened it to see her struggling with a guy on the bed, when the guy saw him he started pleading with Aditya to save him from the woman, he said the woman was forcing herself on him.

Aditya had not been in the greatest state of mind, all he kept seeing was Anjali laying on top of the guy and his temper had erupted. He hadn't paid attention to the bruises on Anjali's arms or scratch marks on the guy's cheeks. He had been unable to control his anger at seeing her with another man, and blasted her. He had said some things to her that he should not have spoken just like he had back in college.

He had started to walk out the door in fit of anger leaving devastated Anjali behind, when he noticed Kajal and Vishal standing behind him glaring at him. His sister had walked past him, straight to Anjali. He had watched as Kajal wiped Anjali's tears and hugger her, she then walked out of the room with Anjali followed by Vishal. He had stood there frozen realizing that something was not right. Kajal, who had not liked Anjali up to that point, had taken her to the hall bathroom to make her look presentable before going down the stairs and out the door. He had made his excuse to Anita and they had left the party.

Once they got home, Anjali had gone straight to their room and locked herself in the bathroom. Kajal had come in his room and yelled at him for jumping to conclusion without knowing any facts. When he had tried to ask her what she meant, she had refused to tell him, and left in a fit of temper.

When Anjali had come out of the bathroom he had noticed her red rimmed, swollen eyes, as if she had been crying in the bathroom the whole time. She had done her nightly routine and walked out the room without once looking at him.

When he came out of the bathroom after his shower, Anjali had been in bed sleeping, or so he had thought at the time. It wasn't until the next day, when Vishal told him what had really happened, he realized that once again he had let his anger get better of him.