Hide and Seek

2. Secrets and Exchanged Books

Finally, I'm here in Mumbai. My flight just landed and I'm waiting to get my luggage. After the flight landed, the anxiety level I had before started to increase. I wanted to prolong my meet with Ryan so badly. I don't even know why I felt like that. I was scared and I'm still scared. I soon got my luggage and went out. There were many people there waiting for their beloved ones but I couldn't find Ryan anywhere. I guess I should have expected that. I took my phone out to book a cab as the taxis present there were charging a high fare. That's when I saw Ryan's message.

RYAN: I am waiting for you in the parking area. You will find me near Parking Gate A.

Thank God he came. I thought I had to go alone.

I went to the parking area as he told me. I saw his car parked at the far end. I went near his car and tapped on the window on the driver's side. The window rolled down. He was smiling at me and I guess there was the glow that Tina told me to check. He definitely has the power to calm someone, just the way he did to me now. Ryan came out of the car and that's when I saw him completely. He looked the same except that he became taller and he became a lot more attractive now. He was wearing a blue shirt matched with black pants. I now understand why everyone goes gaga over him.

"Did you see any paparazzi while coming here?" Ryan asked as he helped me in keeping my luggage inside the car. That's one thing I forgot to mention - he is an actor. He has been an actor way before I met him but that time he wasn't a well-known actor but now he has become one of the leading actors in Bollywood. At the start, I couldn't believe that I befriended an actor but after some time I completely got the hang of it. Now, I hate if someone recognizes him when we are both hanging out. Thankfully, I didn't get any of it for three years. I hate being in the spotlight. I am happy that this parking lot is empty except for a few cars.

"No, why would they follow you here?" I asked.

"I came here after a photoshoot and I saw few people with cameras outside the studio. I thought they would follow me. Now get in the car. We have to catch up on a lot of things."

"Yeah, we do have a lot of catching up," I replied.

We both got in the car. He was driving and I sat beside him in the front. This is the first time I am seeing him in three years. I thought we wouldn't be close to each other now. Even when I was in London, I didn't chat with him much and phone calls were very less. I remember that I once called him after 2 months of not having any contact. It was not because we were angry with each other. We just didn't have time, he was busy with his movies and I was busy with studies. But still, when there was anything important happening in his life he used to call me first. Even the distance couldn't bring us apart and I'm really happy about it. We never had any secrets, we knew what all was happening in each other's life though we weren't talking regularly. But yeah, there was one secret that Ryan never told me. It was about his first love. He never told it to anyone but he promised me that he would tell it to me one day.

"So how are Aunt Lisa and Tina?" Ryan asked as he started to drive.

"They are fine. They were sad about me leaving but they were also happy that I decided to come back." I replied.

"Even I'm happy that you are back. I thought you would never come."

"Everything doesn't happen the way we think. Does it now?" I asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, but you didn't come for the last two summers and not even during the Christmas holidays."

"I had to do internships. I even applied for a job there. I don't know if they will hire me but if they do then I need to go back to London."

"No. Just tell them to hire you after few months and I am sure you wouldn't die if you didn't have a job," Ryan says looking at me for a second and then on the road.