An Introvert's Guide To Finding Love

twenty six | pain |

Pari had planned on drinking until she had drowned her pain and sorrow in the intoxication and that's exactly what she had done on her trip to the bar. She had drunk until she was numb and could no longer remember why she was there or stand up straight on her legs. She was at present trying to tread through the hallway to her apartment but she found it difficult just like she had one her way from the bar to the cab outside, unstable more from the emotional pain than the intoxication from the alcohol. Pari somehow reached her apartment door, stumbling here and there, she was trying to unlock the door to her apartment when she heard the opposite door click.

Damn you, keys.

Pari mumbled to herself frustrated that she wasn't faster, she had wanted to vanish before anybody could see her in that condition but here, he was, Siddharth looking at her as she sways from end to end. Pari saw a worried looking Siddharth looking at her from across the hall. She shakes her head vigorously trying to clear her vision because she wasn't sure why Siddharth should be worried. Last time she checked he was very happy with her friend.

Siddharth slowly stepped forward, his hands extended ready to catch Pari if she falls any moment. "Pari, you are here."

"Yes, I am here and my door won't unlock. Stupid door." Pari said chuckling and drunk to the core, leaning against the door for support.

"Sshh, it's okay. You come here." He said walking forward, hugging Pari sideways and then walking her into his apartment, making me sit down on his sofa that they had last shared when she was there to meet Mr. Chopra. Pari flinched as he touched her, to lead her inside because she had wanted to be left alone, but his touch felt comforting at the same time too, and she relaxed under his hold.

"I had been worried about you, where were you?" Siddharth asked now facing Pari from the other side of the sofa.

"The bar, getting drunk" Pari said nonchalantly, her eyes on the ceiling.

"Yeah? And how much did you drink?" Siddharth asked moving a little closer to her intoxicated body.

Pari tried to show him how much she had drunk by spreading her arms wide indicating that she has had a lot of drinks. Siddharth smiled to himself, at her childish antics aware that Pari was hardly noticing anything but Pari had already noticed that Siddharth seemed tired.

"You are drunk too?" Pari asked having gotten the alcohol smell from him.

"Yeah, I had been worried about you?" Siddharth said running his fingers through her hair.

Pari moved closer to him surprising him, her face inches apart from Siddharth's while she pointed herself asking almost in a childlike manner. "Me? Worried about me?"

Siddharth nodded, his eyes on the floor, feeling guilty for having left Pari alone at the party.

"But why?" Pari asked throwing her hands in the air.

"Because you are my friend and I care about you so much." Siddharth said holding her arms, that were above her head bring them down, placing them on her lap.

Hearing the words coming out from Siddharth's mouth Pari stared at him for some time and then laughed out loud as he had just told her a joke. She held on to her stomach, rolling on the sofa laughing. Well, to her it felt like a joke because she knew that nobody cared for her in this world except the people back in London.

* Siddharth's POV *

I and Aparshakti were fighting on who should take her home when she freed herself from my grab and ran towards the road. We were already behind her but it was too late, she had already gotten in a cab, shouting instructions to the cab driver and taken off.