Serpent in the Garden

Chapter 13

After a few seconds, Sam opened the front door to let her in. Tanya looked stoked to see him. Sam did not try to conceal the disappointment he was feeling. At least he can stop being patient with Tanya. She failed him on the one thing he wanted her to do.

"You are alone" he stated when she entered the foyer. She looked around his house in wonder.

"Yeah, Parveen did not want to come." She shrugged at him. She tried to look disappointed but her face barely concealed her joy.

He was not surprised, a part of him expected that Parveen wouldn't come. But he was disappointed.

Rage bubbled up in his mind. He had created the perfect excuse!

Why couldn't she take the hand he extended?

He needed to bring an end to this charade with Tanya. 

He hardly realized that Aby was beside him, smiling at Tanya nervously. As they moved to the living room, Tanya kept trying to talk to Sam. He felt like he couldn't take her pestering anymore.

"Hey, I will be in the upstairs living room, you guys look around the house" he excused himself and turned away to go to the stairs. Tanya's excitement dimmed, but he paid no mind to her. Before he could get away she was right behind him.

"Sam! Don't go!" she cried, pulling his T-shirt sleeve from behind.

Sam's last resolve to be agreeable snapped. He turned around staring down at her hand that grabbed his sleeve. She immediately let go and dropped her arm to her side. Her playful smile lost its joy and was stuck on her face as she processed the change taking over him. A sardonic smile flashed on his face, sending chills down Tanya's back.

"Who is Sam?" he asked as if mocking her.

"Isn't that what you are called at home? Parveen says so" Tanya replied, smiling nervously.

Another wound on his ego. Parveen is helping Tanya harass him. What else did she tell her, he wondered. Did Parveen gossip about all the personal things he had shared with her to curry favour with Tanya? Silent rage took hold of him like a vicious serpent.

He squared up to Tanya, who almost cowered under his stern gaze.

"Tanya, just because I am nice to you doesn't mean you can be so casual with me," he said without a hint of emotion.

Tanya's smile vanished and she looked stunned. Behind her, Aby was taken aback as well.

He continued, raising his eyebrows, "I am your senior after all".

Tanya mumbled an apology but he turned away from her and went up the stairs before she could finish her words.

Tanya gripped her shaking hands and fought the tears threatening to escape her eyes. Poor Aby was at a loss for what to do. He looked at Sam's back as he climbed up the stairs and vanished from view.

After he was out of earshot, Tanya looked up at the ceiling to get a grip on herself and laughed bitterly.

"What is his problem?" she asked no one in particular.

"You shouldn't have come alone, Tanya" Aby replied gently from behind her.

Tanya realized her mistake. She got too excited and had a lapse in judgment. Sam did not like her like that, at least not yet. She should have brought Parveen with her. It was not appropriate to visit his home by herself. Hot shame coursed through her and she felt like she wanted to crawl out of her skin.

"I better go." she turned to go but Aby could see that she was deeply disturbed. He wanted to show some decency towards her since the host had flaked out on them.