MODERN CINDERELLA

CHAPTER-21

Nick was driving his car at full speed on the highway. He was a mess in his mind. His mind reflected the acts what he did just now, repeatedly........ He just kissed Aahana. Why the hell he did this? And after that he blurted out 'Sorry' and ran out of there. He couldn't look into her eyes. He didn't know if she hated him or not. But... 

                      The concerned eyes of her, her expression, her sad smile for him, everything about her were screaming to him that to kiss her, but he had been controlling himself. His heart was tight, full of herself. But why?? Damn!!! And when she hugged him for comforting him and cried for him, he couldn't control the urge of kissing. He kissed her suddenly. And she also responded to his kiss. Why the hell the scenes were playing repeatedly? It was just a kiss on the moment of spur. Nothing else!!! That's what he thought in his mind. Or it would be proper to say that it was what he tried to tell his heart and mind.

               Suddenly a car was coming from opposite direction and its headlight flashed in his eyes, he was blind at that moment. To stop his car he wheeled the steering and bumped it with a light post. He hit his head a little with the staring wheel, but nothing else. "Shit!! Not again", He slapped the steering wheel and said to himself, "Every time I think about the girl I like, I hit my car." He stopped the sentence and thought carefully what he just said 'the girl I like'.....

First time he hit his car when he first met with Aahana, that time he thought about the girl from the party "the lady in golden".He suddenly thought to himself, "Right.. lady in golden. I didn't find her after meeting with Aahana. I forgot about her. At the party I was attracted towards her, so I wanna find her. But after meeting with Aahana, spending time with her, I forgot about lady in golden completely? How can this happen to me? This type of thing never has happened to mebefore. When I was attracted to something or someone, until I had that I didn'tsit silently. And here I am. I forgot about 'Lady in golden'. And now what Ijust said... Do I like.....? Damn man!!! What the hell is happening with me??" Nick was really confused with his emotions,his mind was really messed up. He took a deep breathe and took the decision to go to home. He was now driving at normal speed and went to home. Entering the home, he went straight to the bar and made himself a strong drink and sat on the bar stool. 

                     Sipping his drink slowly, he was thinking what happened today. It was a beautiful morning. He never got up in the early in the morning. He did get up after joining the company, but at 9 a.m. Today he got up at 7 in the morning  in the over-excitement to meet with Aahana. He was so over-excited that he was ashamed with himself. What was he doing? He thought of taking a long shower to calm him down. After taking a long shower, he was deciding what to wear from 8 a.m to 9 a.m. Too long time that one man could take to decide what to wear. Of course, it took time long enough when they were in love. But, the Nicholas was never taken long to decide what to wear, it was first for him. But what to do, right? After he was ready, he drove the car towards Aahana's. In the way he noticed a flower shop and stopped the car for buying bouquet, where he took another half hour. He never took time to choose a bouquet before. Before he didn't care what he gave to others, it was just a formality. But today, he wanted to give Aahana something that she would like, but he didn't know what her favourite flower was. Then he noticed the bouquet of lavender, it had a very sweet aroma. He took it and went to his car. Then he reached at Aahana's apartment. He pressed the calling bell on the door. He listened that there was a faint sound of opening the door. He thought that Aahana would open the door, so he held the bouquet in front of him. For his disappointment, the door was opened by Kait, her roommate. Kait was pulling his leg for the bouquet.. but that was fun. Then she entered with a bright smile on her face. She wore a light sky blue t-shirt and gray pant--- nothing fancy, but in that moment she was the most beautiful person to him. He didn't know why, but his heartbeat was getting quickened. After giving the bouquet to her, she thanked him. Then they together ate some bengali food items as tiffin. Then they together cooked the lunch, it meant he and Kait just helped Aahana to cook, but it was so much fun. It was his first time to enter the kitchen also.

                      But there was some incident happened at the kitchen, not like any incident, it was just a conversation which turned down his mood. He knew that Aahana was just teasing him, but what she said was true. After listening that he was disappointed in himself but he didn't show on his face. But Aahana saw through his expression, she asked him if anything was wrong. He nodded his head in negative way. Aahana didn't question him after that. But after the lunch, (there were so many items, each of the item was sooo good, tasty,yummy) they were sitting on the couches. Kait was going out, since she had gotten a call from work urgent. He and Aahana were at home, then they decided to take a walk at the park.

Although they walked together, Nick wasn't there at all since he was still thinking back from the conversation. He was so in his thought that he didn't notice Aahana had been watching him all the time. After some moment she couldn't stop but asking that if he felt hurt for her early teasing. He was surprised that how she knew it. He denied at first, but told the truth under her scrutiny. Then he opened up himself fully near her. He didn't ever open up about himself or his past to anyone. Not a single one, not even to his father. But don't know why he wanted to tell her all his  pain, sufferings, his past and about his mother. Whenever he saw her concerned eyes for him, he couldn't control him. And her concerned eyes were told him to not control himself, just let all out for once and she was here to listen. So he did. He did let go and told all of his secrets, his past which he was carried alone this whole time.    

After hearing his fear to judge by everyone, how he started to act like a heartless, careless, playboy type guy, how his relation with his father was, Aahana suggested him that he should talk with his father, to show the real emotions,  to bond the father-son relation. He was hearing that then he noticed a scene in front of him-- a loving family of father, mother and their son were playing at the park. 

                            Until now, he told her about his fear, not about his mother. But he wanted to, very very much wanted to tell her. But there was some dilemma in his mind that if he should tell her about his mother or not. He knew that Aahana wouldn't judge him for how his mother was, but he hesitated since he never told anyone about his mother before. But after seeing this loving  scenery he couldn't control his emotions and told her about his mother. She listened carefully him and when he told that he disgusted himself for thinking about his mother and longing for her love till now, she shook her in a no and tried to tell him that it was a natural for a son longing her mother's love. But it fired back on her. Nick was so angry to hear this and took his anger out on her and also hurt her unconsciously. But she didn't bother about that at all, she was more concerned about how he felt up until now. She felt so helpless right now. Nick dropped his hands from her shoulders and turned his back from Aahana. Then he felt Aahana was hugging him from behind. He turned around to see her cried face and when he asked her why, she replied that it was for his sake. And it was true. He saw through her eyes that she felt what he felt. That was his breaking point.... He hold her face in both of his hands and kissed her. The kiss was gentle, sweet, pure......         

                      Reminiscing the kiss, Nick touched his own lips, it was tingling till now. And it was bothered him so much. Up until he kissed so many girls, hooked up with plenty of girls, but he never felt anything like this. He never felt a pure, gentle feeling from the kiss, not even from the sex he did-- like it was right, so natural to kiss her. 

                     In the moment he did what wasn't control in his hand, but after that..? He blurted out "sorry" and just ran out from there. He didn't want to go under her scrutiny again so that she would ask why he kissed her. He didn't know himself why he kissed her. "What an idiot I am?", whispered to himself and swallowed the last drop of alcohol from his glass and poured another glass. After a glass of drink, now he was starting to scare to the thought that if she wouldn't want to be his friend after this silly kiss. She wasn't the type of girl who could take the kiss as jokingly. She was a very serious person. And he didn't want to lose her for a silly kiss. She was his true best friend ever. Not infatuated with his money, influence or his body. How would he face her tomorrow? And what would he explain about the kiss when he would meet with her tomorrow? Also it was popped on his head the liking of her. Did he like her? Of course, he did like her. But did he like her in that type of like where he kissed her......?