Love, Arranged by mother nature

Part 14

The next morning Amrita walked into the living room to see Arjun sitting with her father, ready to go.

"Are you leaving already?" she asked.

"Well, before I do, I had hoped you would show me around the town. Maybe take me to your shop," Arjun stated rather than asked.

What! He wants to go out with me now? Why is he making things difficult? Amrita thought to herself.

"I have a thing at the bakery today. It might be kind of busy..." she tried to sound apologetic.

"Nonsense! Of course you can take out some time for our guest. Don't worry Arjun, she will take you. After all, you came all the way here and have even given us so much good advice about colleges for Amrita." Amrita's father announced in a tone which left no room for argument, leaving Amrita fuming, with eyes glaring at both her father and Arjun.

Once in her car, Amrita asked Arjun, "Arjun, what is going on?"

Arjun looked over at her from the passenger seat. She looked quite perplexed and he concluded giving a straight answer would be the best. After he had been told by her that she was going far away, he had gone into a frenzy. He had acutely felt the same sense of loss he had felt the day she had driven away in her car with her family from the hill station, leaving him behind. He had to make her stay.

"Amrita... I... am... I am," he released a long breath. Amrita looked over at him, hopes rising in her heart, despite his behaviour, which she crushed before they bloomed.

"What? Say it," she stated. But it came out more gently than she had intended.

They reached a large fence with lots of trees inside. Amrita parked the car outside. They got out and entered the gates to a beautiful path with trees and flowers on both sides.

"This is a famous walk in our city. If we go further on, the path ends and there is some wilderness where there is a brook. Let's talk about what you were saying in the car here."

They walked on, side by side. Huge trees fenced their path. Their shadows were of no use today since the two people walking underneath them were so lost in each other that they did not realise it was an exceptionally hot day. Arjun was trying to gather his thoughts and get a sentence out of his mouth.

"The thing is I thought so before, but I was not sure. But when you said you are going away... I just... I had to do something," he managed to speak.

"So you come here and stomp all over my life and decisions? How can you force me to do things I don't want to?" she asked.

Arjun looked stricken. "Please don't make that face. I can't seem to handle this disappointed look that you have on."

It was Amrita's turn to sigh, "What do you want Arjun?" she asked.

"Let's sit on that bench there, you will be able to hear the brook, it's not too far."

They sat on the bench both lost in their thoughts. Arjun saw her hand kept on the bench beside him. He ached to hold it within his own. "I like you Amrita. I like you more than I have ever liked anyone," he said, releasing a breath he did not know he was holding.

Amrita's tummy did a somersault. She looked over at him slowly, trying to gauge if he was being serious. "You... You like me? For real?" she asked, her eyes wide with amazement.

"Yes, I do," he answered plainly.

"Huh. Why?" she asked sincerely.

"What do you mean why? I like you because I do. I had thought it was just an infatuation and I would get over it. But I can't. It is true you have me in too deep, in too short a time, but I have already drowned in you now. All I think about is you and being with you. My secretary has been quite worried about me and my work lately," he finished with a sigh.

Amrita was staring at Arjun with fascination. This handsome, intelligent and kind man, who kept giving her butterflies, was it really okay to hope for him to be hers? Was it really okay to open her heart to him? But why would he like her?

"Would you like to go sit by the brook? Many people don't know about it so it is quite secluded," she asked. Arjun nodded, trying to read her expressions. A small blushing smile was creeping on her face, but there was doubt in her eyes.

They walked to the end of the path from where they took a short distance along the trees on a different path. The sound of water got louder as they approached a small brook of crystal clear water.

Amrita sat on the bank, patting on the ground for Arjun to sit. Amrita spoke first, "I really liked a boy for a long time. His name was Kabir. He never liked me." Arjun chuckled. Amrita looked at him with her mouth open, shocked. "Did you just laugh at what I told you? It's not funny!" she implored.

"Wha?" Arjun looked genuinely confused, somewhat drenching her anger. "I thought you were joking."

"No, I am not joking!" she replied.

"How stupid? Why won't anyone in the world not want you? You are sensational." Arjun stated with obviousness.

Amrita gave him her most charming smile, making his heart go thumpty-thump. "Yea?" she asked. Leaning her head on her arms as she looked at him.

"Oh yeah!" he replied in a husky tone.

They sat silently for a while listening to the birds, feeling a sense of belonging in the wide world. Amrita thought she felt a pull towards Arjun, his behaviour at her house had been extremely selfish she concluded. He had made her feel as if her mind and wishes were unimportant. Arjun was waiting for a reply, but she didn't say anything except, "I am not sure what I want right now."

Arjun nodded understanding, "I am sorry if I was way out of the line today. I'll leave now."