I am late, late, lateeeee... I need to run! No! I must take a shower. No! I must get dressed. My stomach growled. Oh, for Christ's sake NOT NOW!
I sat on the foot of my bed and took a deep breath. I need to calm down first. I fetched my phone from the bedside table and checked the time. It was 8:45am. Oh god!
I called Linda and told her that I was caught up with something and will be late by an hour today. She politely agreed and was okay with it. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. I quickly got up and decided to eat first and then hopped in shower.
I instantly relaxed, with hot water streaming down my body.
I had cried all night, he had hurt me. I wanted to forget what he had done to me. He trapped me again, like he always did. He is not the same Mayank. He is the bipolar image of the Mayank I had left. He changed into an arrogant bastard, just like his dad!
Flashback
December 2012
"Maya, Maya!" I shouted over my lungs outside his house. Why can't he be on time?
"Coming in two seconds, just wait outside!" he shouted, but I knew he had just woken up. I decided to walk inside his house instead of waiting outside. The moment I stepped in, I saw his dad. Maya can come on his own. I need to leave. I really, really hate this man.
I tried to go out when he noticed me. "Mehek, wait." Of course, the entire block must have heard me shouting.
"Go.. Good morning, Uncle." I said, looking at my feet.
"Stop shouting like a maniac outside my house! And why are you here?" He barked on my face. I hadn't noticed his proximity as I was looking down.
"I... uh. I... was...here for...Maya...no, sorry... Mayank..." He never liked me calling Mayank as Maya. But Mayank was okay with it, but I still thought I needed to change this.
"Shut up! I don't want to see you here again! Did you hear me?" He didn't even let me finish what I wanted to say. I couldn't make up anything. He had always hated me, but I didn't know why. And with time, his hatred was going to the next level.
"Yes, okay. I won't come..." I didn't get to finish my line.
"YOU WILL!" Maya came out of nowhere and pulled me to his side.
"Why don't you understand what she is doing to you? She is a bad news son! It would be great if you understand that before she destroys you." Jatin uncle said. His tone changed to a sweeter voice.
"She is not a bad news dad! She is my best friend, and you need to understand that clearly." He pulled me towards the door before turning back and giving him one last look.
"And I won't leave her, ever." With that, we were out and Mayank slammed the door, loud enough for his dad to understand what I meant to him.
He started his bike and asked me to hop on. Since his dad had arrived, he must have taken the car for himself. He didn't like Mayank driving. But I was too lost in my thoughts to notice his gesture. He stepped down. Holding my hand, he looked at me.
"Mahi, look at me." I did look at him. I didn't realize I was crying when he wiped the lone tears which had escaped my eyes.
"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can never ask for anything which could match or even come closer to what you are in my life. Don't listen to what my dad says or feels about you. He hasn't seen you the way I do, Mahi. The only time you need to be sad or shed these valuable tears is when I start hating you."
He said I was still looking at his eyes when he came close. He was mere inches away from my face. Is he going to kiss me? That's when he moved his face from my face to my left ear and said,
"And that's never gonna happen." What, the kiss? No, no, no, it's for the hate part. Yeah right. Huh. One second, what is happening to me? I changed my expression to a smile when I felt something on my left cheek. It was just a two-second peck, but I could tell very well that my sobbing face had turned red as a tomato, but not due to crying.
But I could certainly cover that up with the crying part. Mental note. Besides, this was the first time he had kissed me after our camping trip. I won't count that one because he was drunk then.
"You look like a red wolf caught in light, hahahaha." He started laughing, holding his stomach, pointing at my face. Ohh, the maya trap, I fell for him again.
Bring it on...
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Present day
I turned off the shower and quickly got dressed.
Things are a lot different now, as compared to how it had been in the past. I was about to head out when my phone rang. It was still on my bedside table. Ohh god, I was about to forget my phone.
I quickly marched towards my bed to fetch my phone and disconnected it from charger. It was Ryan calling. Ohh shoot! I forgot to inform him that I'm running late. I quickly answered.
"Hello Ryan."
"Hey there, are you alright? I didn't see you at work today." he asked.
"Yup I'm on my way to work, will reach there in a few minutes." I didn't feel like explaining why I was late and blah blah blah.
"Alright Mehek, see you soon." He said and hung up the call.
I decided to take a cab and reach YP asap. The moment I entered, Hailey, the woman from reception counter, stopped me.
"Hi there, Hailey. Good morning." I greeted her in a hurry as I wanted to reach my desk as soon as I could.
"Good morning, Mehek. I guess you are late today." She said.
"Yes, I am, I was caught up with something." I said, giving her the same excuse as Linda.
"I see, I wanted to tell you something." She said, coming closer and whispering. "Our new boss is not very fond of people who are late." Oh yes, the man who never woke up on time is now the most punctual man alive. I know that very well.
"Noted, Hailey." I said, giving her a sweet smile and waving her goodbye.
I tried to hurry to my desk. I released the breath I was holding when I reached my desk.
"Finally, I'm here." I huffed, attracting Ryan's attention. He was on call with someone when he gestured to me to come to his desk. I obeyed and reached there.
"Alright, thank you very much. I owe you this one Daisy." He was speaking to someone named Daisy and hung up quickly after muttering goodbye.
"I need to show you something, Mehek." Ryan said. I was curious now with what I saw on my screen.
"It was in the news this morning, I'm sure you wouldn't have seen it." My mind was totally blank, matching my expression.
"I know, see YP has decided to host a contest. It includes internal employees across states who will get a chance to become a published author." Wow! That's great but how?
"Let me tell you how." Ryan said as if reading my mind.
"All employees who aspire to become a writer need to submit a story in any category before June 30, and they will select the best one and publish it."
"I don't know what to say Ryan." I was lost in my trail of thoughts. This is something I have been waiting for so long. And I am getting a chance. It's too soon, everything is happening too soon.
"Mehek!" Ryan called me, bringing me back.
"I know you are a really good writer. I have read your work and I know you have it in you. Don't let this situation or anything ruin your dream. Not everyone gets a chance, but you did, so let the world know that you are the best."
I felt like hugging him, but I didn't. I really need someone who could remind me of what I am. I was too engrossed from the past few months to focus on who I was and what I wanted in life.
"And let me tell you something, you don't even need an editor. And if you do, you know who to call." He said, pointing his fingers towards his chest. We both chuckled in unison.
I wanted to think about this. Entire YP across states will be participating in this task. I need to write the best story while managing my work at the same time. What should I write, and where should I start? I will think about this later.
"Thank you very much, Ryan. I really needed this." I said, matching my thoughts. He was looking at me with his twinkling eyes. Sometimes, you need to tell people how important they are, before it's too late.
I didn't notice that we were standing close to each other. I tried to make distance between us, but just then, someone interrupted. I could tell who it was even from my grave.
"Am I interrupting something?" Ohh shoot! Here we go again!!!!
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