The Heart Wants What It Wants

III_12

"Do you think I should cut my hair?" Anju asked, raising her head from the pillow in my lap.

"Do you want to?" I said, taking my eyes off the TV to watch her face.

She frowned "I'm not sure. I want to shorten but Anu will be at my throat if I did that"

"Why?"

"She thinks long hair makes girls more attractive" she answered with a roll of her eyes.

"You looked good in your pony tail" I offered.

"But boys like long hair" she mimicked in a tone I never heard. That must be Anusha.

I narrowed my eyes "Never change yourself for the sake of others, Anju. Not even me"

"That's contradicting" she observed "You don't want me getting into fights"

"Are you serious? The two are very different. I don't like seeing you injured. Or hurt. I don't mind you wearing a drab or going bald"

"Bald?" she said, looking horrified "Bald is not my style"

"That's not my point" I chuckled.

"You do like long haired women" she whispered under her breath.

I sighed. Nisha!

"Are we ever going to get past that?" I enquired patiently.

"That was true though" she mumbled, looking unhappy.

"I don't have a type" I said, unable to control my irritation "If I did, then it must be stubborn, grumpy, easily angered girls who speak without thinking"

A frown marred her face "I am that"

"Yes" I agreed with a nod "And more"

"What more?" she said, raising her eyebrows.

I sighed noticing her watch me intently; like a lot depended on my answer. She looked comfortable with her head in my lap and my hand in hers.

"You are loyal. Honest. Driven. A fighter" To my last comment, her lips puckered making me add "You are a woman, Anju"

"But I'm not beautiful like Nisha" she said sulkily.

I groaned inwardly. I have no idea how to explain that she is too, in her own way but I have no experience praising a girl's beauty. I never had to do that for Nisha because she always knew the effect she had on boys.

Anju on the other hand, didn't.

"I'm not asking you to compliment my looks" she added in a moody voice assuming my silence to be an acceptance of her statement "Just say that I'm not bad to look at"

"Who said you're bad to look at?" I asked gently.

"That's not what----"

"Who said?" I asked in a louder voice.

"You know what happened in college. And there was also the fact that nobody ever showed any interest in me. Well, nobody except Vicky" she mumbled the last part in whisper.

Vicky? I knew it.

I wanted to ask her about him; about what he said to her. But I'm sure I won't like it. Also what he said no longer matters because she preferred me.

Keeping my jealousy aside, I focused on what needed to be said "You really think no boy liked you? I can name at least five who liked you but were intimidated to confess their feelings"

She frowned "That's not true"

"Half of our cricket team was besotted with you when they saw you bat for the first time. Phani for one, had the hots for you and the only reason he didn't pursue was because he was scared of you"