Ray of light

Chapter 10 - Energy

Nervous energy.

There was nervous energy between them.

Both were tip-toeing around each other as if trying to avoid the obvious.

Abhimanyu would catch her staring at him when she thought he was not looking and he would find herself looking at her when he felt she did not see it.

Her normal morning rants had also stopped, but not because she was angry, no. This time the difference was entirely different. It was because of the tension that existed between them. A nervous tension that did not exist before.

And now here they were - she stood in his office, so close to him but so far away.

They worked away in complete silence.

He should be focusing on the work in front of him, but his attention was completely consumed by her.

Her floral vanilla scent.

It had caused him so many sleepless nights by now.

All he wanted to do was bring her close to him and completely envelope her in his arms.

He cleared his throat as he looked at her.

"How is your project going Akshara?" he asked her as she was busy organising some of his files in the distance.

She stopped what she was doing and then a moment later continued.

"It's good Sir," she said casually.

"And Parth and Shefali are being helpful?" he inquired.

"Yes Sir," she told him.

Abhimanyu sighed.

"So you don't need my help?"

"No thank you, Sir"

Abhimanyu internally groaned, he wanted to wipe the word Sir out of the dictionary entirely. It was giving him the biggest headache in the entire world.

He stared at her.

She was so beautiful.

Did she even know it? So simple but so beautiful.

Her beautiful doe-eyed eyes, chota chota chehra, bade bade aankhein. And her lips, her beautiful plump lips. His thoughts better not even go there.

He noted as she flicked through the papers, the speed by which she was going through them became faster as she became aware of his stare.

No, he would not look away, he decided.

Fine, she wanted to draw a line?

He would challenge her not to.

She bit her lip and he sighed.

"Akshara" his heart cried.

Her speed at sorting through the papers increased, and she quickly whipped through the tasks. Too aware of his stare, she began to tremble, he had this effect on her.

And before she knew it, a sharp file edge had creased her finger and caused a gashing wound. Blood pooled on top.

"Ouch..." Akshara cried as tears instantly pooled.

Abhimanyu stood up straight away, his own heart racing.

"Akshara... Akshara" he snapped, walking up to her, "what the hell are you doing.. who told you to work so fast?" he yelled at her.

"Ouch Abhi.. it hurts" she cried, yelping as she hung onto her finger.

He gently examined the sight and then looked at her with a pained expression on his face, blowing on it gently, "I know... I know baba.. just breathe"

His own heart was in pain witnessing her pain, he couldn't see her hurt.

He carefully got the FirstAid kit that was in his office and then sat her down.

Blowing on her finger, he then gently opened the kit and found a bandage, and wrapped it around her finger, all the while reprimanding her for being so careless.

Akshara ignored his chiding and watched his care and concern, her eyes now pooling with tears for a different reason as she wept.

He looked up and noticed the tears that were dropping down her cheek, piercing his heart.

"Is it hurting a lot...?" he asked her, his expression in pain as he cupped her cheek.

Akshara let out a deep breath, trying to hold the tears that were threatening to come out.

"Haan..." she whispered, "it hurts a lot"

But she knew.

And he knew.

She was not talking about the cut.

But her heart.

And then she let out a sob.

Getting up, she ran out of the door.

Leaving Abhimanyu sitting there lost in his own thoughts, as tears pooled in his own eyes.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in as he tried to control his emotions and his raging heartbeat.

And then he realised.

"Ouch Abhi... it hurts"

She had called him Abhi.

Enjoy! See you all in one week.

Leave me your thoughts and opinions till then.

N x