Broken But Beautiful

5. Aunties and Autographs

Manik

Emma looked like an exquisite armor in the red dress she was wearing. Blood rushed through my veins, my eyes only concealed in her redness.

Emma Carter would be the death for me.

I knew it the moment I first had my eyes landed on her, 6 months ago from now. Under the hazy dim lights, drinking her delicious beauty I knew I wanted her in my bed.

But now I wanted her in my everything. And until now, I've successfully fucked up every possible chance of that to happen.

Not tonight, though. Tonight, it's time I win her back in my life. This one month was enough of hell without her in it-

A sudden knock on the door paused my fingers on the keyboard.

Argh. The 90th time today. I swear on fucking-

"Come in," I shouted at the door. A girl I've never seen before peeked through the door, looking a little excitable though she desperately tried not to show it.

No. Not again. Not another one of Mukti's cousin or neighbor or-

"Manik? Hi, I'm Navya. Umm, Cabir's girlfriend?" she introduced herself, smiling from the door.

Oh, that Navya.

"Oh, hi," I politely said back, getting up, "Nice to meet you.. you could just-"

"No, no, please, no formalities right now," her excitement creased a little, "We can have our introduction later. Mukti just told me to tell you.. we're all going out for dinner. You joining in?"

I showed her a smile, "Yeah, sure,"

"Perfect!" She replied, "We'll be most probably leaving in an hour. So, see you,"

Just like that, she was gone.

That was... awkward.

Maybe I should be already habituated with these 'awkward' things that keep happening here every now and then. I had landed to India 4 days ago, and I've lost count of how many girls, and boys, and people have come to me and got away just like this. Sometimes just introduction, sometimes just an autograph or book signing and sometimes just random short discussions.

But one thing very common: Everyone is as awkward as the other. As if I had come from another planet, and however much they wanted to, they didn't know how to communicate with me. Which, at some point I guess was good, because I didn't think I was up to be communicative with anyone of them.

I swear I didn't know so many people in India had read my book already. I mean, come on- my book wasn't that famous.

I guess even if they didn't, they were reading now that I was here. Just to take an autograph of a near 'celebrity'? I don't know. Typical Indians could do anything. You should've seen those aunties coming to me for book signing, with broad smiles more sheepish than those teenagers.

They read that book? Aunties?

Fluttering those thoughts out of my mind I stared back at the laptop screen. I read the part I managed to write without 'interruption' in last half an hour.

I shook my head in disruption, conflicting with my own words that I had written till now. Lucas had to be vulnerable, and here I was, defining his authority over Emma. He had to be vulnerable as he realized Emma had left him for what an absolute fucked up ass that he was...

I pressed the backspace, watching as all those things I wrote earlier wiped out leaving the screen blank again. Even though I was disappointed with myself- not being able to write anything fruitful for two months now, I wasn't totally mortified. I still had some months left before my installment with my agent. It was July, December was still a little away. I just needed calm and peace of mind, a month of lock-down in my own bed...