RUE

Mr. Popular

As much as I hated agreeing with Aadrika, but she was right about one thing. The food did suck at the rehab. But considering the fact, that the buffet table in front of me consisted of around fifty items to eat, food anywhere else would suck right now. I was starved from the tiresome journey and my dress debacle, courtesy my sister, so as soon as people started approaching the food, I jumped at the opportunity and grabbed as much as I can adjust in one plate.

I felt him before I saw him and stiffened even before he started speaking. "Someone is really hungry, huh?" there was a playful edge at his voice that he knew very well would ruffle my feathers. I will not provide him with the pleasure this time. Bring it on.. Mr. Singhania.

"Well. It's very gentlemanly of you to point at my food habits Mr. Singhania" I smiled sweetly but sarcastically. "But as you can see, there is plenty for all of your esteemed guests, you wouldn't mind me stowing my hunger at your expense. Would you, Mr. Singhania?" I raised an eyebrow waiting for some sassy reply, but instead he grinned and shook his head, speaking to himself.

"You are something else, Miss Tamanna" he smiled but the colour drained from my face. The crowd vanished and I was deported back to the classroom of my college, to a nineteen years old Tam chatting up with a boy.

"So you are like Harry Potter! You have your mother's eyes" I said.

"I am sure me and him are not the only two to have their mother's eyes" he was amused by my comment.

"Well...the only two I know of! Besides it's like mentioned ten times in the movie about the similarity of his eyes with his mother's".

I thought that it was a good thing to have anything similar to Harry Potter but he didn't seem so bothered about it. Instead he was amused. "You are something else Tamanna Sehgal" he shakes his head as if sharing an inside joke with himself.

I jolt back to reality when I feel a firm hand shaking my shoulders and concerned brown eyes looking down at me. "Are you okay Tamanna?" Rajat asked, sincere concern evident from his voice. Oh my Gawd! It happened again. I saw him!. Two times in a day! What is happening to me..Am I...Am I getting mad! I need to get away from this crowd. The packets stowed inside my boots were now twitching, shouting to be brought out and used.

"Hey..Tamanna!" Rajat shook me hard by the shoulders and it was like a bucket of cold water being dumped at me. I looked up in his eyes which were now filled with concern and a tinge of fear. I realised how I much have appeared to him, frozen and unmoving looking into space.

"I. AM. FINE" I replied a little out of breath and his demeanour relaxed. He grabbed a glass of water from the nearby table and held it before me as if ordering me to drink. I, however, took the glass from his hand without retorting and had a welcomed sip, my mouth dry after the blackout.

He took the glass from my hand along with the plate of food, which I forgot I was holding until now. He set both the things on a table set for people to sit and eat and pointed at the closest chair. "If you are going to freeze out again, it is better you sit down" he spoke authoritatively which made me angrier. However, anger was not the dominant of my feelings right now , so I stowed it.

"Look! I am fine..Thank you for your kindness, but I need to go" I mumbled under my breath and started moving towards the exit of the garden, but it seems Mr. Nosey could not stow his nosiness after all.

"What you need Miss. Tamanna, is to sit and finish your meal" he continued in his authoritative tone as if chastising a child. "How long it has been since you ate anything?" Boy! He is infuriating! I was wrong.. Right now Anger is definitely my dominant feeling.