Stay Mine

Chapter 3

There were a few more months left of their internship. Fiza and Alan were both studying as hard as they could, taking mock tests for their entrance exams in addition to their internship duties.

One day, they were both free. Fiza was in her pediatric rotation, and Alan was in psychiatry. "Fiza, stay with me tonight," he said.

"Yes," said Fiza, smiling up at him. Alan was walking with her from the hospital to her hostel. "I want to watch a movie first," said Fiza. "In the theater."

Alan smiled. "It's a date. Get ready. I'll wait for you in the library."

Fiza was excited. It had been a while since she got dressed up and went out. She put on a knee length blush cotton dress and accessorized with an elegant gold pendant, matching earrings and her watch. Her dressing sense over the years had evolved and she had developed her own unique and elegant style. She even got approval from Priya, her friend and fellow hostelite, who was known for her fashion sense and style. She packed her clothes for the next day, texted Shahana, her roommate that she won't be back tonight and walked over to the library to meet Alan.

"Hello, princess!" he greeted, shamelessly admiring her, absorbing every intricate detail. His heart skipped a beat, a reminder that she belonged to him alone. "You clean up exceptionally well," he complimented, tucking his book into his backpack as he stood. "You're not too shabby yourself," she replied with a playful smile.

Alan had changed into fresh clothes at the boy's hostel. Srinivas, their mutual friend, had moved into the hostel to avoid the daily commute given the long hours of work that internship entailed. Alan had left a few extra clothes, his cologne, and shaving supplies in Srinivas's room.

They headed over to PVR cinemas - a luxury they seldom allowed themselves. Alan wanted to make sure that this wasn't just another day and that Fiza would experience an actual "date" with him. He opened doors for her, insisted on paying for her food and the movie tickets. He got the luxury seats, the ones that reclined and gave them some privacy. He held her hand as they walked into the movie hall. Fiza reclined her seat all the way back and pulled her blanket over herself.

About 15 minutes into the movie, Fiza felt Alan's hand on her thigh, stroking her. She gasped and pushed his hand away. She knew it was dark, and there was a blanket over her, but there were people around. She felt uncomfortable.

Alan withdrew his hand momentarily, but after a few minutes, he daringly slid it under her shirt. Resisting her attempt to push him away, he persisted, ultimately cupping her breast. "Stop it," she whispered harshly, tears stinging her eyes. Frustrated by his lack of response, she got up and left the theater.

Suddenly aware of crossing a line, Alan, now freaked out, trailed after her. She continued walking, descending escalators and reaching the front of the mall.

"Come on, Fiza," Alan urged, attempting to justify. "No one could see us." His pleas fell on deaf ears as she ignored him. "Fiza, let's not fight. It's been ages since we've spent time together," he implored, realizing his mistake. He loved her deeply, and what he thought was playful teasing had only upset her. Alan remembered that Fiza attached profound meaning to physical touch and didn't take it lightly. He closed his eyes trying to compose himself.

"Fiza, sweetheart, I'm truly sorry. I wasn't thinking," Alan apologized sincerely.

Fiza turned to face him directly, asserting, "You need to respect me when I ask you to stop."

Alan was stunned. He respected her. He hadn't intended to touch her without her consent like she was insinuating. A tinge of anger now took over. "Don't act like I assaulted you," he said curtly. "You are my fucking girlfriend, my fiance, for God's sake. I'm allowed to..."