bonding in any way. She was nervous about meeting Anurag as she didn’t trust him and feared landing in a mess. However, she had to take the risk with him to escape ragging. As soon as she reached Connaught Place, she saw Anurag waiting outside his car in the parking spot outside Q’BA bar and restaurant.
After greeting her, he escorted her to the restaurant. They entered the lounge area which had a swanky bar in the middle and was decorated with beautiful lamps all around. They took their seats and Anurag called for the menu card even though he had decided what he wanted to order.
‘Beer and one smoked chicken pizza,’ he told the waiter.
‘Hey, I love smoked chicken pizza. How did you know?’ Anamika exclaimed.
‘Just took a wild guess,’ Anurag replied with a smug expression. Things were going according to plan.
Anamika was looking dazzling in black shorts and a tank top. She flaunted her tattoos on purpose.
‘After visiting the same old eateries over and over again, this place is like a breath of fresh air,’ said Anurag.
‘I completely agree with you. All the other places are so loud,’ Anamika added.
‘That’s the reason I brought you here. So I could listen to your sexy, mesmerizing voice,’ Anurag said taking her hand in his. Anamika simply smiled and looked away shyly.
The warmth of his touch flowed from his hand to hers. It felt like a promise of togetherness. With every passing minute, his grip on her hand became stronger. He gently kissed her on the palm like a thorough gentleman. After they were done with drinks and food, Anurag dropped Anamika home. After she got down from the car, he gave her a slight peck on her cheek. Anamika didn’t object to it. She was expecting him to say those three golden words. But he didn’t and zoomed away in his car.
After reaching home, Anurag sent her a text message.
When I first interacted with you, you were sweet and genuine. It felt like a string connected me directly to your heart. There is something strong taking place between us and instead of letting it pass, we should act upon it. Now sleep tight and get ready as tomorrow will be special for you.
Rabb kare tu sada hasdi rahe,
Koi dukh tere nere vi na aaye.
Hor ki dua maanga rab to,
Tenu sadi vi umar lag jaye!!
Anurag kept his phone on silent mode after sending the text. He knew he had hit the right chord and in the process of doing this, he had actually developed a soft corner for Anamika! A relationship that was meant to be mere fun was heading in a completely new direction. However, he was unaware of Anamika’s real intentions. Anamika didn’t reply back.
Rajhans College, Delhi
6th August, 2012
Anamika was one of the first students to reach college the next day. Though it was Anurag who had called her so early, she couldn’t see him anywhere nor was he picking up calls. Anamika was surprised by this strange behaviour of his and asked a few students hovering around if they had seen Anurag, but they had no clue. Finally she gave up her search and thought of waiting for her band mates in the canteen. She was extremely hungry because she had skipped breakfast in a rush. She ordered chole bhature and again called Anurag, but his phone was not reachable.
After a few minutes, the canteen boy brought her order. She was annoyed to find the steel bowl containing the chole covered with foil. She opened the covering and found one paper inside it.
‘Anamika, today you can only eat Anurag’s love for breakfast. He is waiting for you in the library.’
This brought a big smile to her face. The canteen boy was looking at her with a quizzical expression. Anamika understood why Anurag had avoided meeting her that morning. He wanted to surprise her with a note.
Anurag had already done ‘setting’ with the canteen boys and considering he was the president of the Student’s Union, they had to honour his wishes. Another canteen boy came and handed her a bouquet of red roses with another