Chapter 11
2233 Words
After getting fresh and brushing my teeth, I came out of the washroom and saw Ahaan, standing in front of the window, wearing his t-shirt this time. Thank God.
When I walked closer, I heard him talking on his phone.
Who is he talking to?
"I am on a break." I overheard.
The day we both met, he told me that he wanted a break. But being an owner, he sure has a lot of stuff to do.
Work. God! How much I miss working. I loved my work, I don't know when would I be back to do the work that I love, without seeing Sameer's face again.
For some strange reason, I felt nothing on recalling his name.
And then suddenly, Ahaan must have felt my presence as he turned his face and his eyes locked mine.
"Email that to me" he said and ended the call.
"Work?" I asked
He nodded.
"I have ordered breakfast in the room" he added
"Great" I am starving!
We both had a very basic breakfast of omelet, toast and a big mug of coffee on the bed.
After that I took a bath and changed my clothes in the washroom itself as I didn't want to send him out this time. When I came out I saw Ahaan working on his laptop.
Really?
He looked up at me and froze for a second.
"You look gorgeous"
I felt my face heat up. I was wearing a yellow short dress, with lacy strips on the shoulder. I loved the dress but never realized that I would be getting a complement from someone like Ahaan.
"Thanks" I said, unable to hide my blush.
Then he went back to work and I walked to the mirror and started a bit of makeup. I let my hair free as they were wet, put on some mascara and wore a nude lipstick, all the while, kept peeking him through the mirror and caught him once looking in my direction.
Is he affected to me the way I am to him? The way we woke up today, can I in any way forget that? I keep feeling his hand on me.
"I thought you were on a break" I said and looked at him through the mirror
His fingers stopped moving and his eyes caught mine in the mirror.
"Yes and I am."
Then why is he working? God! Why can't he elaborate his answer?
"You don't look like you are on a break"
I saw a small smile formed on his face. "I love my work, Sana. There were other things that I needed a break from, not from my work. But of course I won't be working much." He kept looking at me. "You ready?" He asked
"Yeah. I wanted to shop today" since, I literally had no more clothes. I didn't plan Prague after all.
How crazy is that!
"Okay then. Let's take you shopping" he sounded excited.
"Oh no. I can go out alone. You don't have to stop whatever that you are doing for me" I stood up and grabbed my bag.
"It's seriously fine with me, and.." He paused as if he suddenly realized something and looked straight at me. "You don't want to go out with me. Is that it?"
What?
"No! That's not the thing. I just.. I don't know, I want to shop and that could be very irritating for guys and I promise I'll be back real quick" I said and hoped that he won't take that in any wrong way. Who would not want to spend time with him? But I seriously think he has something important to work on, else who would want to work on their holiday?
He put down his laptop and stood up.
"Do you seriously want to go out alone?" He asked.
I nodded.
He looked as if he was resisting himself to stop me.
"Then please would you give me a call if you know, there's any problem?"
I nodded.
He stretched out his hand. At first I thought he was asking for my hand but then I realized, my phone.
I gave him my phone, he dialed his number and gave a miss call to himself.
Minutes later, I found myself walking on the side ways of the roads of Prague. I preferred walking for a bit as I just had my breakfast.
After half an hour walk, I booked myself a car and in another half an hour I was dropped at the big square of the city. I paid the guy with my card and stepped down.
The place was enormous. There were so many showrooms, cafes, ice cream parlor, salons and what-not. So I started exploring each and every mall I could see.
I picked out t-shirts, dresses, shoes and shorts, even changed the currency and got cards, and I don't know what got to me but I wanted to buy something for Ahaan too. So I ended up in a men's showroom. What thrilled me the most was that the showroom belonged to an Indian! How did I know that? Well, may be because there were things that were written in Hindi.
I picked out two-three t- shirts for him. By the time I was done with my shopping, my hands were full. I checked the time and hell!
Did I just spend 5 hours in shopping?
Ahaan asked me for my number but he didn't call. He must be busy.
That thought pinched my heart. I tried to book a cab for me, but couldn't get any signal.
So, I opened the door of the showroom and hell!
It was raining! Not just a normal rain. But cats and dogs kind of rain.
I quickly shut off the door. How the hell was I supposed to go back?!
I looked around and it’s then that I realized that there were not much people inside.
Shit Sana. You shouldn't have said no to Ahaan.
But, what now? I tried to call him, but couldn't get any signal in there.
Fuck!
There were mostly men inside. Of course Sana. It's a men's showroom!
Oh my God. Ahaan doesn't even know where I am. Even if he did know, why would he come out of the hotel in this rain!
Oh God!
Panic was building up inside of me. All I could feel was that people were staring me, my dress was too short and that I was not safe.
Stop it, Sana!
I sat down on a bench that was placed at the side of the room, covered by an indoor plant on its one side, where I thought no one would notice me.
Just then I saw a man, in his mid-thirties, coming towards me from inside of the mall. He was of an average height, brown complexion, black hair and was wearing a suit.
"Are you here with someone?" He asked once he reached my place, and his accent gave him away. Indian.
Relief flooded through me.
"No" I shook my head.
"The rains’ too heavy, it won't be stopping anytime soon. I have a car, you want me to drop you?" He asked.
His eyes were kind. But I wasn’t careless enough to trust a stranger. Except for that one stranger, who must be busy on his laptop right now!
"No. I’ll wait." My voice came out tired and low. He sat down beside me at an arm's distance.
"I was planning to close it off, since you know" he directed his chin outside.
Oh. My heart thudded loudly. Oh God!
I wanted to stand up and walk out since he clearly indicated- he wanted me out.
"But it's alright. You can stay, until we get the signals"
I kept looking down on the floor. Thankful to him.
"Thanks" I managed saying that.
"Is this yours?" I asked indicating him the mall, my voice was so low, I felt ill, my breathing rate was shallow. But I had to talk so that he won't shut me out.
"Yes. You, Indian?" He asked, surprised
I nodded. Unable to say anything else.
Oh God! What am I supposed to do? Tears were forming in the back of my eyes. My throat was tight and my head was spinning. Oh God, oh God, oh God.
And then suddenly, I heard a voice, my favorite voice in this entire world at the moment. Ahaan's.
He was asking for me on the reception desk, which was on the left side of me. I was hidden by the indoor plants and no one could see me there.
"She is wearing a yellow dress. Can you recognize someone with that appearance" his voice sounded worried, urgent and his breathing rate was fast.
I don't know, what talk they had after that. Because I was busy crying my eyes out. I felt so glad that he was there, finally!
"What happened?" The man beside me asked
And then suddenly, at the same time Ahaan appeared, standing in front of me, completely drenched, his face was wet as if he had just splashed water all over his face, he was dressed in blue jeans and white shirt, sleeved rolled up till his biceps. My vision further cleared when the tears dropped down my cheeks.
"Oh my God Sana" he whispered and rushed to me in no-second, I stood up hastily and buried myself in his arms.
My face rested on his shoulders. The grip of his hand was so tight around my waist that he managed to lift me up with that hand. His other hand kept soothing me, kept moving up and down, my back.
"Ssh. I am here" he whispered. His voice came out broke and loving at the same time.
My face, my clothes and my hair all got wet but I didn't care. All I wanted was the assurance that everything's fine.
Finally, when there were no tears left and I started to calm down, it was then that he loosened his grip around me. He placed me down and pushed my head back gently, just a little, so that he could see my face.
I could see tension, slowly radiating away from his face.
"I am so glad you are okay" he whispered and tucked a strand hair behind my ear.
I could feel the anxiety, the fear, the tension all going away just because he was there.
"I am so glad that you are here right now" I looked in his eyes and they twinkled on hearing that.
"Let's go" he said
I nodded and turned to pick my bags up, but just when I started to bend down, Ahaan placed his hands around my waist and pulled me back.
"Don't bend." He whispered in my ear, so slow and in a very low voice that only I could listen.
He walked around me and bent down to grab the bags, the man who was the owner of the showroom helped him pick the bags up.
I took the bags from him and saw him smile and finally I smiled back "Thank you so much for not closing off" I stretched out my free hand.
"That's totally fine" he shook my hand back.
"And thanks for keeping her safe too" Ahaan spoke up behind me.
When Ahaan started to shake hand with that man, I saw the man looked kind of surprised.
"Oh my God" the man's voice was disbelieved and glad at the same time "You are Ahaan Hooda! I am sorry I didn't recognize you earlier. Just this place, Prague you know. Outside India and all" he started blabbering and I stood there, confused.
Ahaan stood back, with shopping bags in his one hand "It's alright. We need to go now."
"Sir, please sit and have something. I can't believe that it’s you"
The man genuinely looked pleased.
"How do you guys know each other?" I asked, looking up at Ahaan as I couldn't resist asking.
Ahaan looked at me as if he had no idea about what I was asking.
"Sir must not know me, but I am finally able to get a deal from one of his industry" the man clarified.
One of his industry? How many does he have?
"You must be capable enough to get that" Ahaan quickly replied and placed his hand on the small of my back.
"Shall we?" He asked. His expression clearly revealed that he wanted to leave.
So I nodded and said good bye to him. The man walked us till his door, even opened the door for us by himself.
Who the hell is Ahaan? Do I even know him?
How big is his status?
My dress was already half wet because of hugging Ahaan and got completely drenched when we came out of the showroom.
When we both came out in the open, I saw a vintage car, parked outside.
"How are we going to..?" I said and before I could complete the sentence, Ahaan was already opening the back door of that vintage car.
"Here's our car" he had to say that out loud, because the rain was just so heavy.
Holy s**t!
I ran to the car and placed the remaining bags inside, planning to bombard him with a dozen of questions in the car.
- Writer
