MY REDEMPTION (MINE SERIES #2)

27. ARUSH

As expected Dhara is avoiding me.

After the night of the event, she is completely ignoring me like I didn't exist at all. I have tried so many times to talk with her, to make her look at me at the very least but she avoids me like a plague. Like not talking about what happened will make it any less real.

I know she is having hard time to accept it all but her cold shoulder is hurting me now. Whenever I try to have normal conversation with her, she runs away like a cat whose tail is on fire. She even stopped coming to my house anymore and Maa also misses her. She talked to maa on call and saying she is being busy with work and will visit her soon.

I approached her on a visit the other day and she just snapped at me saying I shouldn't mix my personal matters with professional ones. If it were a normal situation, I could have reasoned with her but there's no point to it. Knowing Dhara, I can tell she will just keep stressing about every little thing.

I close my eyes leaning against my couch. I can still feel her burning touch on my skin from the other night. I know she feels this too. She knows as well as I do that a connection like ours is unforgettable.

I was still in my own head with my eyes closed when I heard the sound of door opening. I sit straight thinking Dhara has come but when I see the person standing in front me, my face falls.

"Hey stranger" Ruhi calls teasingly

"Hey" I reply absentmindedly

Ruhi is the daughter of one of our business associates. She used to be my friend once upon a time but we lost touch when she moved to US. I don't even know when she came back and why. It doesn't matter anyway.

"You got even more handsome in recent year" she winks sliding beside me on the couch.

"Like you care" I snort. She has always been flirty with everyone but only few people know about her sexuality. Her family is traditionalist so they didn't allow her to date women openly. That is the reason she moved out of India. I remember few times when I accompanied her to events as her date because her family didn't want any 'negative articles' as they say.

"Touche! But you can be an exception" she grins

"Thanks, but I'll pass" I laugh feeling slightly better

"Okay that definitely didn't hurt" she pouts

"You didn't change, did you?" I shake my head smiling

"Nope. But you surely did. So????? Who is the lucky girl?" she asks waggling her eyes

"What gives it away?"

"That look in your eyes that scream 'I'm hopelessly in love'" she replies chuckling

"I am in love but it's definitely not hopeless" I say. "It's just...a little complicated" I add after a pause.

"Arghhh!! I hate that sentence. Dude nothing is complicated. You people made it that way. If you are having issues then fucking solve it like adults. And wait a minute. Is she the same girl you talked about when we met last time?" she frowns

"Yes. She is the same girl I told you about" I admit. I told about Dhara to Ruhi when we met at an event last time. That was after my accident and before I went to find Dhara.

"Fuck. I really feel bad for you Arush but you can't stay like this forever. Either take it one step ahead or leave it. Your condition....is not good." She says softly.

"I know" I smile sadly and after a moment she hugs me. I didn't realise how much I needed that comfort, a friend, being understood a little.

Suddenly the door burst open and Dhara strolls inside with files in her hand. Her eyes lift upwards only to freeze back in her place. She looked at me and then at Ruhi. We are still holding each other and now that I think about it from Dhara's perspective I get what it must look like to her.