Titaliya

Chapter 14

Veda checked to make sure he wasn't outside from the keyhole. Her bag was packed. Until college started in two days, she planned to live in Richmond Town. All night she'd spent worrying. She couldn't take further interaction with Arnav Singh Raizada.

She held onto her duffle bag and stepped out the door. She waited for the lift, tapping her foot. She planned to surprise Nani and Ayush. The lift arrived at her floor, and he was in it. She forgot he jogged in the morning.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

She stepped into the elevator silently and pressed the button for the ground floor. She waited for him to get out of the elevator. Only he didn't.

"I asked you a question, damn it," Arnav said.

There he was. Just like the old Khushi resurfaced at times, his real self came out too. Veda checked her watch and ignored his existence. He gripped her forearm and dragged her back.

Veda looked up at him. His anger was unchanged. Just like always, she was undeserving of it.

"Do I need to tell you?" she asked. "Is there any reason you need to know?"

***

She didn't need to tell him, Arnav realized. He was treating her like before again. He calmed himself down and let go of her arm.

"Sorry," he said.

She got off the elevator and headed out of the parking area.

"I'll drop you," he said, taking out his car key.

Veda spotted the headlights of his SUV after he pressed the car key. It was the same white SUV. The one he dragged her into to get married. So many memories were made in that SUV, and now when she looked at it.. She felt nothing. The memories all came back, but none of the heartbreaking misery she always associated with them.

It was like one of her books said. The opposite of love wasn't hatred. It was indifference. He jogged over to his car and held open the passenger door.

Veda walked past him and to her car waiting outside. She handed her luggage to the driver and was about to sit in the car when he caught up to her.

"Are you running away from me?"

Her grip on the car door handle tightened. She was frightened of him. He'd given her more than enough reason to be. She paused. Khushi had more than enough reason to be frightened of him. Vedanshi had none.

"People usually run away from unpleasant things," she answered.

"You're running away from the chance of you falling for me."

She cocked her head. She made up a lie about a head injury. The more she interacted with him, it seemed Arnav was the one with brain damage. They'd entered some strange parallel universe where he was the one that believed in love and sweetness while she was the bitter, jaded personality.

"Let's say I am afraid," she said. "I'm not going to let you bait me into staying here."

"So I have a chance then? You're scared you might fall for me?" Arnav asked. He smiled at her.

"I'm scared of you," Veda admitted. She didn't hold herself back. She put into her voice all the hate and hurt she'd felt because of him.

"What kind of man proposes to a girl that's known him for just a few days out of nowhere? You followed me to India, to my house. You continue to pester me despite me saying no. You claim to love me, yet you don't listen to me."

She got into the car and looked through the window.

"I'm going."

***

Arnav almost ran back to his SUV to follow her car. But that would be exactly what she hated about him. He had rushed. He pushed himself into her life without considering her feelings. And she wasn't a pushover, to take it silently.

He went upstairs to call Payal.

"Arnavji! Do you even know what time it is now?!" Payal yelled.

"She left, Payal," Arnav said. "She got into a car and left. I don't even know where she went."

"You ran her off so quickly? I was expecting at least another two days before she got reached her limit. Wow, Arnavji. You're a bigger lost cause than I expected."

"I don't need this right now, Payal."

"And I don't need you calling me before dawn."

"Payal-"

She cut the call. Arnav couldn't believe she cut the call. He wanted to ask her Veda's phone number. At least, to find out where she'd gone.

Now he had to do what he should've done in the first place. He had to wait until she was ready. He had to take it slow, when he wanted to do the exact opposite. Besides, her absence gave him time to work. He couldn't just be a lovesick failure. His company still needed him.

"Aman, I'm going to the office."

***

The man at the office hurried to set everything in place. He'd been hired by Aman Mathur from a rival company. He was warned about the cantankerous boss. Now, his boss was finally coming in and he wanted the office to be perfect.

His phone rang while he was arranging files.

"Papa, Bua isn't letting me go to school wearing my rainbow shoes!"

"Pari, listen to Bua. Don't argue. You have to go to school on time."

His daughter was wild, and only controlled by his sister. Ever since his wife died, they'd both spoiled her rotten. Now Pari tried to wear rainbow shoes to school and dreamed of being an astronaut princess. He shook his head and focused on the task at hand.

"Sir, what do I about this file?"

He spent the next half-an-hour preparing a presentation outlining their status and their objectives. At the end of it, even he realized there was a lot of work to do. The salary they offered him was certainly justified.

He heard the stirring of everyone in the office and checked to make sure the conference room was ready. Arnav Singh Raizada had arrived.

Writer's Note

Nothing to report. Just going to study.

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