Manjha A String of Complicated Relations

Not That Naïve Girl Anymore.

They went into the bastard's class again and again. Pranjal was surprised to see her in class the following day but she was unlike the previous day. That day, she was meeting his gaze head-on, and her eyes held so much contempt and disgust for him that he had to look away from her.

Advith had seen her look at him with that look of utter disgust and knew who he was. After all, he was the captain to interview her and knew about her mental health issues and the cause of those issues. He did not know who the villain in her story was. He had gone to Aniket and in his anger, ranted everything. Aniket was silent and let his friend vent out his frustrations.

The girls were just sitting in the library when he had approached them. "Anisha what a pleasant surprise," he said in a honey glazed voice.

"It is a surprise, though, not a pleasant one. Nothing in this world that is associated with you could ever be pleasant," Anisha replied in a steady voice.

He was shocked to see the change in her. She used to be a shy girl, quiet and meek, definitely not who she was now.

"Now, now, that is not the way to talk to your seniors," he said in a ticked-off voice.

"I have not disrespected you in any way, and as long as I don't do that, I am not breaking any rule. Not that you deserve that respect," Anisha replied in a controlled voice as if not wanting to explode on him or create a scene.

He was going to say something when but stopped when he saw someone behind the girls. Advith and Aniket were both coming their way, overhearing their interactions.

He looked back at Anisha and said, "This is not over."

Anisha smiled and replied, "On the contrary, it ended 3 years back."

Shambhavi smiled at Anisha's answer and they got up to leave, trying not to laugh at Pranjal's face. If they would have looked back, they would have seen Aniket and Advith were also smirking at Pranjal.

Pranjal's ego was hurt and he was planning to show Anisha that he held an upper hand.  He was in the academy for one more day and he was going to tell everyone about Anisha and his history. He was not aware that most of the staff were already aware of it.

It was Pranjal's last day at the academy and he was again observing Anisha in the drill. He wanted to ask her how she had joined the army and wanted to tell everyone about the fact he was her ex.

She suddenly seemed interesting to him again, and he was sure he could charm her again or so, he thought. While he was observing Anisha, Advith was watching him from afar. He wanted to go and punch Pranjal in his face for looking at Anisha like that.

After the drills and breakfast, it was again time for his lectures and Pranjal tried his best to gain Anisha's interest but to no avail.

That evening Shambhavi, Anant and Anisha were resting in the ground after a good game of football. Anthony and Shreya were also sitting not so far away. Pranjal came up to him and asked, "Can I talk to you Anisha?". Then looking at the other two Cadets, he added, "In private."

Anisha looked at him and said, "I would rather that you don't talk to me at all, but if you must, then you can continue right here with my family present." Anisha's response was clear and it had left everyone else present in different varieties of shock. Anant was smug and happy that Anisha considered him to be family, Shambhavi was proud to be Anisha's family and Pranjal was shocked to see this confident Anisha.

"It's a private matter Anisha, something that they probably don't know about," Pranjal insisted but Anisha was adamant as well.

"They know everything about everything, so please talk if you want but I will not go anywhere with you," Anisha said firmly.

"I wanted to ask about our –" before he could continue Anisha had held up her hand to stop him.

The anger in her eyes would have been enough to make Major Khan back away from her, "Don't you dare, You have no right to call her yours, and to answer your question, she would have been three if she had actually survived to live, but she didn't and it was your fault."  Anisha said in a voice that was full of contempt and heartbreak.

"How is it my fault if It didn't survive?" Pranjal asked hotly.

Anisha was livid. He had the audacity to call his child 'it' as if she was a thing and not a living being, So, Anisha did what she had been wanting to do since the first day she saw him. She slapped him so hard that his whole body swerved to one side.

Anant and Shreya had actually clapped for her and Shambhavi would have whistled if she knew how to.

"First of all, it's she or the baby, not an 'it' and secondly, it is your fault because it was the stress that you gave me, by rejecting me that I miscarried. It is your fault because you were not man enough to accept your responsibility; it is your fault because you were cruel and did not give two cents about her or me. You have brought nothing but misery to my life and you are the reason another life could not be brought into the world. Now, you have the audacity to question me how is it not your fault?" Anisha was furious and it was showing from her trembling figure.

"You are the reason I am here. You are the reason that I am not that young, naive girl anymore, so don't try and charm me because that won't work on me anymore. I am not the girl you left standing alone," Anisha continued and trampled his attempts of impressing her today.

"You should be grateful I did not report you or sue you because I have the cause for it. And if I had wanted, I could very well destroy your career in the army, so I suggest you leave Lieutenant Pranjal Sharma. I suggest you steer clear of me because the next time, I won't stop at one slap," Anisha said with such ferocity and finality that Pranjal had to leave.

Advith and Aniket were watching from Aniket's office's window and they could not have been prouder of her. Shambhavi, Anthony, Shreya, and Anant all clapped after Pranjal left and Anisha looked around, bowing in thanks, and laughing along with her family.