The Balcony

Chapter 21

He looked at her quietly and said, "No I have not."

She shot back irritated with his behaviour, "Well we're not neighbours anymore."

He looked ahead of him this time and said, "Yes but that doesn't stop me from being who I am."

She wanted to whack him on the head. With great restraint, she asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

He looked at his watch and then at her to reply, "I don't want you to be alone."

She blinked at that. She knew what he meant but she didn't let it go. She said, "I'm a big girl, Vikramaditya. I can take care of myself."

He saw the train approach the station. He gestured towards it with a nod of his head and said, "And I don't dispute that. I am doing what I am doing for my peace of mind."

She watched him walk up to the train and followed him. He got into the general compartment and looked at her. She nodded and followed suit. As they settled into their seats, she looked out of the window and muttered, "Selfish..."

He must have caught that as he chuckled softly. She looked back at him and stuck her tongue out at him. He threw his head back and laughed his deep and affectionate laugh at that. She looked right back out the window for want of change of scenery. She asked the bars of the window quietly, "Why did you leave?"

He took off his jacket and laid it on his lap. Then, he answered, "My apartment got flooded. I needed a place to stay. My friend was generous enough to offer his apartment for a few weeks."

She looked at him and focused her gaze as she said, "I meant why you didn't tell me."

He held her gaze and then suddenly looked down. She tilted her head to one side and tried to read his expression but she couldn't. In the end, all she got was, "I...prefer to keep my professional and personal lives separate."

She leaned her head back and understood the gravity behind that statement. She asked, "Have they crossed paths before?"

He didn't answer her. The silence gave away more than his words usually did. Before she could ask anything else, he posed her a question.

"How did you know I'd left?"

She balked at the question. She turned red when she realized that no matter what she said, she would give away her stance. She looked at him and saw him studying her with a slow smile forming on his lips. She said stoutly, "Mr.Joshi told me."

He crossed his arms across his chest and continued smirking as he said, "Mr.Joshi as in my neighbour from the eleventh floor?" He put more emphasis on the words "Eleventh floor."

She nodded and shot back, "The very same. You see unlike you, he hasn't moved and he continues to be the building manager. I can depend on some people to not run away." She put emphasis on the words "run away."

He frowned and said, "I didn't run away, Kajal. I just went back to my own apartment."

She looked up and said thoughtlessly, "Yes well you're all the same."

He stopped short and looked at her wordlessly. He then asked, "Who are you categorizing me with?"

She shook her head and said, "No one." She looked out the window again. She closed her eyes and willed herself to think of something else. Something other than that day. A moment later, she found a cold metallic square being slid into her hands. She looked down at her hands and saw an iPod shining back at her. She looked at Vikramaditya and asked, "What's this?"

He looked at her incredulously and answered, "I should have known you wouldn't know what this is. It's an iPod. It's what you listen to music on."

She let slip a giggle and said, "I know what it is."

He shot back, "Then learn to frame your questions better, my dear."

She said slowly, "I meant why you are giving me this."

He plugged the earphones in and held them out to her as he said, "Music can take your mind off things."

She didn't take the earphones. Instead, she replied, "Be that as it may. However, it's rude to do something else when you have company. Besides, I know your taste in music. I prefer your company to noise."

He shook his head but not without a smile as he said, "Still harping on about that, are we?"

She shot her eyebrows up and down as she said, "I don't think we ever got past that."

Author's Note: I am dedicating this chapter to my friend, O who made the lovely cover for this story. Thank you, O! Hope you like this chapter guys! Seeya later! :D - S