The next few days Anurag kept browsing her profile almost every time he logged in but her profile never turned green. Hapless he re read her message more than a thousand times and each time he thought, did he reply her message a bit too long ? What would she be thinking? Did she come online and never replied to him? Is she ignoring him? Curious he checked her activities on her profile. To his mercy there were no updates on her profile too. The last one was the day she had sent him a message.
“ Shweta Vishwas likes P.S.I Love you”.
Then one day while he was in his room couched on the floor stroking his pencil featuring the eye lashes of Shweta ,he heard his dad summoning him
“Anurag You need check with one of our client that the paintings are correctly installed”
Anurag was busy sketching his master piece, he thought he would gift it to Shweta this weekend.
“Can I go tomorrow dad, am a little busy today”
“That’s fine Son, I would go to Maheshwari house and check it myself” came the voice approaching towards him.
Anurag paused his sketch and looked into the air and squeezed his lips before he repied
“D-Dad,...Dad !I think I can go, I need to buy ...Umm …some of my painting brush on the way.”
Anurag could barely say without controlling his excitement.
“Really! Or something else cooking in the air. I knew you would never deny going there.”, his dad acknowledged with playful smirk for he knew Shweta and Anurag were kindof having a nice time ealier when they met together at her house.
“D-d-dad” he stretched his voice. “You know me…I am ....I am not ….”
“Take my car and come back soon my boy.”,His dad interrupted.
“ Thanks dad “ his voice trailed as he left his house
********************************
Anurag stopped his car just by the side of white duplex house where two-limousine kinds of car were parked royally. He ranged the bell.
As the door swung open he was startled to see Shweta.
“Hi”
“He-e-e-y”, she dragged her voice as pleasantly surprised.
“ I need to check the installation of the painting… Hope am not disturbing you”
She shrugged her eyebrows.“You are disturbing Mr.”
Anurag couldn't control his blush as he scratched his head.
“Come ... come inside”, she chuckled playfully."was just kiddin"
A slightly nervous Anurag walked in. He was amazed to see the opulent caricature stuck on the wall while climbing to the first floor.
“Where is Maheshwari uncle?”
“O, papa and mamma had gone for a meeting they organize in our community. He is the president there”
Anurag’s heartbeat hastened up as he heard she was all alone.Nevertheless he pretended to gaze around trying not to look Shweta.
“What are you staring at?
“That girl in the painting " he paused
"by the dining table, I mean,Isn’t she pretty?”
Shweta cupped her lips and with a playful smile she raised her voice “That’s all, you can’t see any other beautiful girl around?”
Anurag shrugged and smiled at her and then pretending to be normal he said “Can I see our painting installed? I need to go before its starts raining and my dad asked me to come asap”
Anurag scrutinized the painting, its symmetry with the background and the screws that had been drilled to the wall. It looked fine and for few minutes none of them said anything and in this perfect silence many questions swirled around his head.
“How come I have nothing to speak, am I that nervous because she is alone? Should I kiss her? No, that would be too much. What would she think?”, Anurag was lost, his eyes still at the painting making different eyebrow shapes as if analyzing the painting very seriously.
“Hey what’s there in your hand”, Anurag tried breaking the ice
“Love Story, by Eric Segal, I kind of like this book …reading it for the third time ”
“Oh! Nice…I like reading too…but that’s a sad book”
“Sad Books make good read,” she chirped coming closer to Anurag For the first time his eyes met her for a little more than what you call briefly. Anurag could smell her hair. It was exquisite and he noticed how she looked even more beautiful when she was alone.
“I think the painting matches the color of the façade of this drawing room.”… He took a deep breath as he continued.” Hmm…I think am done…Everything else is perfect. Can I have a glass of water?”
“Sure”, she called her servant.
There was silence again. However the moment was not as nervous as before. He wanted to defy the norm. He thought he wanted a little more of her now.
“Can I ask you something if you don’t mind”, Anurag broke silence again.
“Ummm” she uttered pulling few hairs behind her ear.
“Whose that guy in your facebook album… You never said anything about him.”
“O… he is my cousin from States. I had been to States last year when we clicked this”.
“By the way, don’t tell me that you are already jealous… Mr.” She squinted her eyes mischievously “No… O C’mon! Why should I? I mean...I dint that..." Anurag tried to fool Shweta.
Outside the overcast weather had suddenly transformed into sheets of downpour. They could see the straight lines of rain diagonally hitting the street lamps. As Shweta turned to shut the window, he could see how her salwar was semi-circular near her neck leaving generous amount of skin. The strap of her bra was thinly visible and he noticed a beautiful mole on her nape.She looked surreal and he was lost.
“What are you thinking… you are awfully quiet not like the Anurag who chats on Facebook ”, she questioned giving him the glass of water.
“Oh-No, I was just thinking about How…How I..”,Their fingers brushed gently as he took d glass from Shweta.
“I hope you are thinking good things Mr.”, Shweta Interrupted
“O good things of course, I was thinking when the rain stops and I go home.”
“O really”, Shweta folded her hand with a smile,
"I dint knew you are such a goodBoy...Anyways...Ok...Tell me soemthin?”
“yes Off course?”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
Well that was out of blue. But guys generally have a supernatural perfect reply for this, leaving the women mysteriously confused.
“No… I mean I dint knew but I had a friend a couple of years back but…. but I dint knew she was my girlfriend.”... He measured his words..."and on a serious note....none! I never had anyone in my life."
They continued talking thier sweet nothings and what you call "eventually" they dint realize that they were so close to each other.Perhaps both of them sensed that but no body tried to move back. Anurag's throat had gone dry. He saw how tresses of Shweta had artistically curled down scarcely covering her sleeveless shoulders. He felt the heat in his heart, as he wanted to hug Shweta tightly ,move those extra strands from her neck and kiss the mole on her nape. This could perhaps break the suspense of his love in a spur and he could relive this one moment for more than eternity. But he remained quiet for he thought some Love in life needs a little more time and it grows more intense and seems aesthetically pure if its not touched sometimes or may be he just wanted to caress those magical thin air between him and Shweta that was even more enchanting !!!
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To be continued...
