Siya

I had to admit it to myself, even though the guy was weird he still had a heart, I mean he did stop to help a woman in distress! Unknowingly the thought seemed to bring a smile to my face. Wait! My car! How and when do I collect it? I'll need a mechanic to accompany me there tomorrow. I noted it mentally as I opened the door to my apartment. My phone buzzed signalling the arrival of a text message. And there it went again! Two messages. I opened up my phone to check them out and my face immediately lit up. It was a message from Sooraj on the group acknowledging my smiley. I turned back to check the second message, it was a private one from the same person. My brows furrowed together and I let out a soft chuckle as I read this one.

Sooraj: Two things again, one I did say thank you there for your warm welcome and two I've already asked a mechanic to accompany us tomorrow.

How thoughtful indeed, I thought about a witty way to reply to that. That man definitely had two faces to him and this one I had to admit was making me weak in my knees.

Siya: So this time I should probably be the one to thank you!

And then it pinged again,

Sooraj: You can but I won't get upset like you did even if you don't.
Siya: Funny. I wasn't upset.
Sooraj: Really? Definitely seemed like you were.
Siya: I wasn't upset I just thought you to be rude and arrogant.
Sooraj: Wow! I was just trying to use subtle words for myself I guess, but it seems like your thoughts do not filter words!

Eeks! I realised I'd pushed myself into a ditch further.

Siya: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, I guess honesty kills most of the times.
Sooraj: I was kidding, honesty is good. That's what makes you different from the others.
Siya: Thank you again!
Sooraj: How about we stop this formality of thankyou and sorry?
Siya: Well, we'd have to be friends for that!
Sooraj: Aren't we already?

Wait! Were we? The message did light up my face and soon enough the tiredness of the day caught up. I dozed up with the same smile pasted on my face.

'Oh shit!' I was late again. Plus I had no car today, double shit! I gulped down my breakfast as quickly as I could when my phone started buzzing indicating an incoming call, Sooraj. I was surprised, well more than surprised I was confused. What would he be wanting this early in the morning?

'Hey Sooraj, good morning!'
'Morning Siya! I hope you had a good night sleep!'
He just called to ask me that? 'Sooraj I am kind of in a hurry right now. I got up late plus I do not have my car with me today remember! Is it cool if I called you once I reach office?'
I heard a chuckle from the other side before he spoke, 'Well, I haven't called up to chit chat anyway, I am getting late here as well. I thought you'd need a ride today so I've been waiting for you downstairs for the last fifteen minutes, hoping you'd rush out but you seem to be in no such hurry!' I furrowed my brows together, waiting for me?! Was he genuinely this thoughtful all the time or was it just me thinking him to be so?! Or wait! Maybe it is the continuation of my dream! I pinched myself just to confirm it.
'Ouch!' that definitely hurt.
'Siya? You okay?'
'Huh?! I'm fine. Perfectly alright. Just checking if it's true.'
'Okay whatever! If you're done with your hoodoo would you mind rushing a bit, I'm getting late now!' I dashed downstairs as fast as I could gulping down my sandwich in two big bites. 'I'm sorry' I exclaimed as soon as I got into the passenger seat trying to catch my breath with my eyes closed hoping not to see the angry young man in him again! When I didn't hear any reply from him, I tried to catch a glimpse of him, slowly opening my left eye. A small smile was pasted on his face, his eyes twinkling like a star and wait, he even had a small dimple making its way on his right cheek! That dimple made him look even more handsome, or maybe it was just me who thought a lot about the dimple. And as if he had lost his voice somewhere he raised his eyebrows instead questioning me as to what was wrong. I was quite lost in his dimple theory so I moved my head in a no and looked away from him rather hurriedly. I just hoped he hadn't caught me blushing. But thankfully I heard the car spring up to life and could see it making its way along the road.

'So do you get up late like this every day?' I made a mental note to not glance at him again, it just made me look stupid! Well, because admit it he was looking drop dead handsome in his white shirt that clung to super strong, super developed muscles. And that face. That oh so gorgeous face, with the dimple and a slight stubble. Yes! That mental note even deserved to be highlighted! 'No it was just today, I got up late because of you!' I bit my tongue as soon as I'd said that. What was wrong with my thoughts since yesterday? 'Me?' I chose the silent treatment to that. Well, better to be quiet than to utter something foolish and fall into the ditch further deep. But I was sure I caught him smiling at that, but right now I didn't care as long as the discussion was over.

'Okay! I'll pick you up in the evening! The mechanic will accompany us till your car and then you can drive back!' I nodded at him before I got out and bid him goodbye! As his car made his way through the traffic I caught sight of the massive building behind me, sigh! It indeed was going to be one long day at work till I got to see him again!

As the day came to an end, I started making my way down, quiet happy with the fact that Sooraj was going to come pick me up today! I found myself standing at exactly the same spot where he had dropped me off in the morning when I noticed a woman approaching towards me, 'Hey are you Siya?' I looked questioning at the woman, 'Yes? Do I know you from somewhere?' I had slowly started to dig into my memory, but I was sure I couldn't place her anywhere. She was quite fair, short with long black hair tied up neatly. 'I don't think you know me, but I sure do know a lot about you and your gang. I'm Deeksha by the way!' I was intrigued, what did she mean by she knew a lot about me? 'Don't look so surprised, I mean no harm in fact I'm here to help you!' Now she definitely had my attention, 'Help me?'
'Can we sit somewhere and talk?'
I looked back at the road, Sooraj would be here any minute and I sure didn't want to miss him, I guess she took the hint.
'No issues, there isn't much anyway. I'm sure you must've heard about Shruti?' I looked back at her my eyes wide open, brows touching each other, forehead creased as I tried to recall the name. I shook my head as I realized I hadn't heard it in reference to our gang. 'No, I'm sorry. I guess you've got the wrong Siya here!'
I heard her give out a mirthless laugh, 'You must be the gang's protective kid then! Do ask your best friend about her and I do hope they tell you the truth.'
'They?'
'Well it depends who do you prefer asking the question to, will it be Rohit your usual life support or Sooraj the new charming soul in your life?'
'How do you know...?'
'Like I said I do know a lot about you!'

What did this woman want with me?! 'His charm does get to you doesn't it?' I chose not to speak, 'Shruti was a fool too who fell for it as well, and look where it took her!'
'I don't think I'm following you!' I recalled the abrupt conversation I had with Sooraj yesterday where he'd unwillingly let out that he had had a bad break-up. It didn't take much to join the dots. So the bad breakup was Shruti.
'I guess you'd rather want to find out from me, and in a way it'll be better for you. Shruti is no more, your boyfriend murdered her because he got bored of her.' I was stunned for a second, and in that second I could hear voices in my head. Rohit's voice asking me to give Sooraj a chance to start afresh because he had been through a lot in his past. Jay's voice telling me about how wonderful a person Sooraj was, and Sooraj's murmur that he had a bad breakup.
'I don't believe you!'
'I thought you'd say so. Well be amongst the ones to believe she committed suicide and move ahead in life, you're to be the next in line anyway.'
I had enough of this, I let out a chuckle before retorting back, 'She ended her life, what a waste! I feel sorry for her, I feel sorry for the fact that she believed there was nothing more to her life than her boyfriend! I feel sorry for the fact that she couldn't cope up with life!'
I saw her getting angry as soon as I'd said all of this, 'You do not know the half of it, and I feel sorry for you that you're making the same mistakes!' Saying that she turned around on her heel, 'Deeksha just a second I'm not done yet! I don't even want to know about her, and let me be clear here you can feel whatever you want, also just so you know I'm not that weak hearted or foolish to end my life over some guy. And Sooraj is nothing like the person you portray him to be.'
I trusted my gang and their instincts, if Rohit believed in him so would I. Also I knew deep down in my heart that the Sooraj I knew was definitely not like someone she portrayed him to be! This time I turned my back on her and started making my way towards the entrance where I found Sooraj waiting for me in his car. The sight brought a smile on my face, though his face on the other hand was quite tense, his jaw seemed tightened a bit but eventually he gave me a small smile.

The silence in the car this time was far more awkward than ever. I stole a glance at him, his face still reflected the tension I had glimpsed earlier. I couldn't help but wonder had he seen me with Deeksha? His face definitely seemed to give away the answer. But if he had, had he even heard my reply? Of course sound wouldn't have travelled that far, and plus if he had he wouldn't be behaving this way! 'We'll pick up the mechanic on our way to your car!' That simple statement from his mouth didn't feel the same anymore. His voice broke in between and sounded hoarse as well, but I decided not to barge into his thoughts at the moment. We needed some sole time, I needed some time. Sooraj being the perfect gentleman, picked up the mechanic and drove us towards my car, he even waited the entire time the mechanic was at work. Though during the said time he did not speak a word, nor did he even glance at me for a second. He just stood there with his back touching the door of his car, hands crossed over his chest. His forehead creased, and his eyes lost into some faraway land. My eyes started brimming with water, and the vision in front of me started to blur as I thought about the hardships and the life Sooraj must've gone through over the past years! I shut my eyes tightly holding back the water and stopping it from making its way down, when I heard the engine of my car roar. 'Your car is fine now ma'am!' The mechanic handed me my keys as I paid him his fees. I looked over at Sooraj and before I could even say anything he spoke up, 'I'll drop him back, you go ahead home. Be safe!' and just like that he sat in his car and drove off leaving me behind with my car and along with a lot of questions and haywire thoughts.