Annie

chapter nine

This place is packed. Every chair is occupied and in front of each shelve is at least one student browsing through books.

My eyes roamed around until they spotted a heap of unruly black hair. She stood between two bookshelves with a book opened in her hands, away from the rest of the world. Her eyes scanned the page she's reading, unknown to my presence.

'Why didn't you lift my calls?'

The book in her hands fell and I caught it before it could hit the ground.

'What are you doing here?! How come you're here?!' She whispered with eyes wider than tennis balls.

'No, the actual question is, why didn't you lift my calls or text me back the past couple of days?'

She snatched the book in my hands with her eyes narrowed and faced the book shelve.

'Go, I'll talk later.'

'Oh really? I don't think so, not after you left me alone in that book fair. And where did you go that day? I searched for you everywhere and when I call, you don't lift my calls. If you don't like the joke, all you have to do is say it.'

'Okay, calm down.'

'What calm down? I looked like a fool for asking about you. Some even warned to call the security. I went through a lot of convincing to get out of there without a scratch.'

She eyed the floor and groaned, which suspiciously sounded like a croak. Something is wrong, she blushed pink, didn't meet my eyes and is murmuring. I don't remember making her feel uncomfortable.

'Look around.' She muttered.

'Why look around? What—'

I choked on my words at all the eyes on me—some with curiosity, some suspicion and a few highly annoyed. Blinded with stupidity is fine but letting go of common sense is deadly, the same I did right now. I wouldn't mind if I'm stabbed to death by one of them, but the silence and all their attention are worse than being stabbed.

How did I forget that I'm in a library?

*

She zipped her bag rather harshly and swung it over her shoulder while her eyes are still throwing daggers at me. It's not my mistake that I didn't pay heed to my surroundings, and besides, no one cared about us after we walked out. I would be the topic of discussion for a while and when something more interesting happens, I'll be history. No damage done.

'Annie—'

'Don't! What do you think you're doing up there?!' She yelled and I managed to smile. No matter what I say or do, she won't be convinced. It's better to surrender and hope for a miracle.

'Why are you smiling like you did something great? Coming here is wrong. If you came, you have to wait but no, you're too impatient for that to barge into the library. I told you that I'll talk later, didn't I?'

I nodded.

'But still, you started with your ranting, and did you flush your mind before coming here to not notice these people studying?' She gestured to the few students around.

'I'm sorry.' I said.

'Your sorry won't stop them from asking who you are or why you were yelling like that.' She turned and walked away.

'Annie!'

Neither she stopped nor slowed down. She continued with her race walking as I ran to catch up with her. Her feet has inbuilt rollers to walk swiftly like that.

'I'm sorry, its all Abhi's fault. He said you'll be here.'

She kept walking, ignoring me.

'Okay, it's my fault but what should I do when you didn't lift my calls? I was so scared when I couldn't find you and to top it all, you didn't lift my calls. What else should I do other than showing up in your campus?'