7 Years & Waiting

Chapter - 48

Sarthak....

She called....After 15 antagonizing days...she finally called! I would have basked in this joy a bit longer if not for the fact that she had been crying.

I was still drowsed with my early morning slumber when my phone rang. I answered groggily and the first words I heard out of her mouth after fifteen days were...I need you Sarthak!

That's it! That did it...I wasted no time and jumped out of my bed and in less than ten minutes I was out and about on my way to her place.

As I was on my way, all I could think about was her terror filled voice. I could pick up bits and pieces from her sobbing about something not finding Vivaan but right now I didn't care what she wanted me for. The bottom line was... she wanted me. I had started to think in the last few days that may be...may be if I don't talk to her for a few more days it would get easier. But one call from her...one call! And I was racing my bike over eighty at nine in the morning.

Damn! What does she do to me..These last two weeks had passed like years. Being a prospective psychologist I should have been more mature than pinning for someone so badly and behaving like a stalker, checking her status and Last seen on social media. Very mature dude!

And considering the fact that I should be hurt and agitated at her for not choosing me over that guy, my feelings for her were quite contradictory. And how  can they not be...I loved her! And most importantly, I knew her! After so many years of friendship and counselling that we shared, I could not blame her for doing something that I already expected out of her.

Aah! Sometimes I hated my logical brain..

Once inside her apartment complex, I parked my bike beside her Scooter and rushed for the elevator. I pushed her apartment door to find it already unlocked and witnessed a disheveled Amara pacing the length of her living room frantically, speaking rapidly over the phone.

"Yes..Yes! Two hours...He doesn't know the city well! How could you guys not notice people coming in or going out of the complex gates. You waste no time in collecting the maintenance charges at the end of every month but when it comes to provide services against it, you are so irresponsible!" she literally shouted at the person on the phone. I guessed that the person facing her wrath right now was the Secretary of this building.

I knew she has noticed me as soon as she stopped talking.

"Saru!" she disconnected the phone without a parting word and made a run towards me until she was totally engulfed in my arms. "You came!"

There was an element of surprise in her voice but all I could think at that moment was...how could I have not come! She felt so good in my arms that for a moment I forgot all our problems...until she started speaking.

"I...I...I can't find him, Sarthak! I woke...woke up this morning and he...he was not there" she sobbed on my shoulder and I held her at arms length.

"Hey...Hey! Relax Firebolt!" I cleared the water under her eyes using my thumbs. "Lets sit down! Then tell me everything from the beginning...Okay?"

She nodded vigorously and I guided her towards the couch. I held her hands inside mine as she told me everything...yesterday's session with the counselor...whatever he said...Vivaan's restlessness after the session and his disappearance this morning.

"I have looked everywhere he could go, Sarthak! What if...what if he realized that I am not good enough for him and....and he left me!" she exclaimed in a horror-filled voice.