Eklavya

Chapter XLIII

Of all the times they were together Anamika cherished these kinds of the most. The kind where they would sit side by side, with their hands entwined and basking in each other's companionship. Anamika loved how free she felt with him.

There was no pretense. No affectation, but just them. She relished how his fingers would caress her palm tenderly, almost sensually. And every time it would leave her face flushed with the deepest hues of red.

She enjoyed their ardent conversations but the serene silence they shared, felt immensely intimate. And most of the times it would overwhelm her senses so much that she would purposely break it, just to calm her rampant nerves.

Like she was doing right now, while they were sitting in the quaint lush green top of the hill where the ancient Shiva Temple was situated, after paying their respects to the deity of the Temple. It was her this time who'd suggested that they go and express their immense gratitude to the Lord.

More like she wanted to come and offer her immense gratitude for always keeping watch over them. Especially after the accident. And like always she'd felt an inexplicable sense of peace seeping deep into her pores all the way to her soul as soon as she'd stepped in the holy premises.

Heaving a deep sigh of content, Anamika leaned into his warmth further and said, "Tell me something about yourself Eklavya."

Eklavya quirked a brow at that and with mild amusement asked, "Why the sudden interest?"

"Nothing. I just... it suddenly occurred to me how I know absolutely nothing about you?" Anamika shrugged her shoulders as she replied, looking at him.

"That's not true. You know about –

"I know about the present you but I want to know the you from the past." Anamika incised sharply; she had been wanting to ask that question for a while now. And today it seemed the perfect time to ask it.

"What do you wish to know?" he finally asked, his voice soft and tender.

"Everything, I guess. Like how you were as a child, calm or raucous. Your family, your friends. Your favourite places in Lucknow. Your favourite food and most definitely the inception of your love for football," she narrated every minute detail to him, making him chuckle warmly.

Seeing no point in not telling her Eklavya decided to open up the gates to his past so she could sneak a look.

Anamika stared intently as he threw his head back and had a hearty laugh. And soon a look of pure nostalgia hooded his dark, intense eyes.

She could literally see the pain, the longing, and a wistful wish to have everything return back as it was in them. But neither did he need pity nor any sympathy. So, she simply put her head on his broad shoulder.

"Papa had this beautiful garden in the back of our home to which he tended personally. I guess I inherited it from him. In my childhood you could always find me back in the garden, covered in mud, running amok behind the stray cat that had made it her home." He started; his lips curled up in a soft smile as he dived deep into the past memories.

Anamika watched him reminiscing precious memories and inadvertently a loving smile made it way on her ivory complexioned face.

"Maa used to get so worked up every single time she saw me bathed in mud. And God how I loved her reactions!" Eklavya chuckled, "Apart from that my favourite time pass was to annoy the hell out of Chuski, she was a Rottweiler. Papa brought her when I was born. As a result, me and her were practically inseparable. And then came Rudra –

"Rudra?" Anamika furrowed her brows at that, Eklavya looked and her and reading the confusion in her eyes answered.

"What? You thought we're twins, didn't you?!" he mocked, then said, "Actually it's not your fault. Everybody else think that too. But we aren't. Maa and Papa adopted Rudra when he was three, basically the same age as me,"