Falling in Love, Again

Chapter 9- The Frenchman

Adya stepped out of her home and headed towards the park near it. There were children playing people walking and gossiping.

Looked like everyone was enjoying the evening. She walked to the swing and took the seat. She was having the glimpse of her surroundings when suddenly she was Interrupted by a guy standing beside her.

"hé excusez-moi mademoiselle."
(Hey excuse me miss)

"What?"

"Vous ne comprenez pas le français ?"
(Don't understand french?)

"WHAT?"

"Actually I was sitting at the swing where you are sitting now instead. " The guy said in French accent.

"So?"

"So if you can get  up and let me use this swing some more time?"

"Why? It's not yours. You were sitting here before and I am sitting here now. That's it."

"ça a l'air grossier."

"What?"

"That sounds rude." He said in same accent.

"In which language are you talking?"

"française. I am from France you see."

"Oh."

"Yeah and I came here two days ago. I was exploring different places around me here."

Adya looked at him. He didn’t look much foreigner. But his accent sounded like a foreigner. Maybe he was an Indian who settled in France some years ago. But what to her?

"I see. But you know, this is not France. So you can't accept everyone you meet to know your language. Please express your emotions in English rather than french. Then maybe some people will be able to understand."

"Oh yeah. But I have met few people here. And all of them were nice to me. But seems like you are a  exception."

"Excuse me. I am not rude to you. Just because you are a visitor here you can judge me like that." She rolled her eyes.

"And just because you are a resident doesn't mean you will judge me like that."

"I am not judging you."

"You are."

"In which sentence of mine did you face judgement gentleman?" She said in sarcastic tone.

"Atleast you admit that I am a gentleman."

"Though you are not, right."

"Why? What wrong did I do?"

"See dude I don't want to argue. Please leave from here."

"Let me use this swing. I won't. "

"Forget it."

"How rude!"

"Arghh!" She got up, "take this."

"No now I don't feel like it."

"What? Are you out of your mind?"

"No I am in."

"Oh my God!"

"Okay then, I'll leave, you enjoy."

"Was this guy high on weeds or what?" She exclaimed.

                             ******
It was silence all around. Aarushi looked up at Aryan. He seemed to be busy in his work. She too continued with hers. Suddenly Aryan looked at his watch.

"Oh its 7 already."

Aarushi looked up.

"I think I should leave."

She kept looking at him without saying a word.

"Umm...Aarushi?"

"Oh shit I was looking at him all this time!" She whispered to herself.

"Ye-yeah okay." She replied.

"If you find any topic weak please let me know I'll prepare that in a good way."

"Okay...same goes for yo-"

"I don't find any." He cut in.

"Umm...okay."

"How rude!" She thought.

"Okay then, see you tomorrow. "

"Hmm."

Aryan went towards the door. Aarushi followed to leave him till exit of her house.
He left without saying anything further.

"Hey, are you Aarushi?"

Aarushi looked around. It was Mrs Vandana, their new neighbor.

"Oh yeah, Hello auntie."

Adya returned back to her home probably after seeing Aryan going back from there.

"Oh this must be Adya, right?" Asked Mrs Vandana.

"Umm...you know me?"

"Yeah, your mom told me about you both. We are your new neighbors. We just shifted yesterday. " She smiled.

"Oh okay okay."

"Mom, are you outside?" A voice was heard from Mrs Vandana's house which seemed to be approaching towards outside.

"Oh yes son. " The guy came out.

Adya's eyes widened seeing the guy.

"Aarushi and Adya, this is my son, Pratik."

"He's your son?" She asked surprised.

Pratik looked at her, looked down and smiled.

"So you came from France auntie?"

Aarushi looked surprised at Adya.

"Oh no no child! We are from Delhi."

"What? So only Pratik comes from France?"

"Adya what are you asking?" Aarushi whispered.

"If we are from Delhi, how can he be from France?" She chuckled.

Adya looked at Pratik with a shocked face. He was laughing.

"So how he knows french?"

"Oh he has been learning french since two years and practice in regular talks." Explained Mrs Vandana.

"Its okay mom, maybe I look so handsome that she thinks I am a Frenchman." He laughed teasingly. Adya rolled her eyes with a weird irritated face.

                              *******

"How dare he? He fooled me at the park and made fun of me in front of his mom!"

"Chill Adya." Aarushi tried to calm her down.

"How stupid guy he is." She frowned. "Anyways, how was your time with Aryan. Didn't he trouble you?"

"No, actually,  we didn't talk at all. It was ju-just silence and nothing."

"Oh that's good. Keep it up."

Aarushi laid on bed and closed her eyes. Her mind flashed with she and him a few years ago. How they used to share everything they had in mind.

How they laughed together holding each other's hands, those small surprise gifts they gave each other, the late night chats and calls, the promises of always being there for each other. Then suddenly one day he left, and she could not say anything, that longing of seeing him again in all the time they were separated. But now when they were together, there was only silence, though there was a lot going on in mind, lips could utter literally nothing.

"A lot has actually changed in a year!" She sighed.