Chapter 19 A NickName

Arjun's PoV

I went home, had a hefty dinner with my mom and went to my floor. It's actually been a week since I came back from Coimbatore and I could still not forget her face. The way she closed her eyes when I tried looking at her cheek, it was like she went into trance when I touched her. I felt like she yearned for that touch but I also know that it was wrong. She is an arrogant girl with very rude behavior. It is still fresh in my mind. I know she is a little girl just out of college and possibly wouldn't know how this world will treat her if she goes on with her behavior. I almost feel pity for her, for she is going to suffer hard if she is not going to change her attitude.

I could not take her out of my mind so I decided to take a swim to relax my disturbed mind. I got rid of my clothes and jumped in the pool. It is so relaxing to have a swim in this silence. I was floating when I heard my phone ring. It is 11pm and I have never got phone calls this late ever. I wonder who that might be and if it was an emergency. I swam back to my phone and saw a number. By the time I got there, the call was missed and I decided to call back.

"Hello, who is this?" I asked once they picked up the phone on the first ring.

"um... hello..." I heard a girl with a very unsure voice.

"Yes, I got a missed call from this number. Who is this?"

"um... can I talk to Nithya?" I heard her husky voice. I knew it was her. She called me for something without her parents knowledge but now she doesn't want to accept it. How funny.

"Sorry, looks like you have dialed the right number and asked for the wrong person." I sarcastically told her wanting to let her know that I knew it was her.

"um... sorry!" she hung up on me.

Whom did she think I am? People who know me are scared to even talk to me and here she is disrespecting me and calling me up at unusual hours. People get my appointment to even call my personal number and here she is taking it for granted? She needs to be put in her place before she exceeds her limits.

This must be her number. I saved her number on my phone in the name 'Annoying Anika'. Wow, a perfect name for that girl. Look at the way it rhymes and compliments each other. It made me smile looking at myself. I am giving puppy names to a girl. I wonder now, how did I even know that it was her in her husky voice? This girl, even after her rude behavior, I feel like helping her out of her misery. It really bothers me to see her doing assisting work in her college when she is educated. I have helped many people whom I have seen in misery and everyone has accepted my help gracefully and no one ever denied my help. But this girl is something else. An egoistic, arrogant, rude girl with a sharp tongue.

She spoiled my happy hour in the pool. I went to bed pushing her aside from my mind.

Anika's PoV

How can I be so dumb? I thought that if I hid the visiting card, my mom would stop from getting his help. Here she is now calling Prakasam Periyappa to get his number. Gosh! Why is she making it hard for me? She got his number and decided to call him tomorrow to ask for his help to get a job for me. I don't know how to stop this. But he was right, my ego won't help my family now. The sooner I get a job, the better. I am a BSc computer science student and I know it is no joke to bag a job in this current world. My seniors and lecturers gave me references but nothing has turned up into actual interviews yet. At this point I have no other go than to accept his help. Now I just wish he would help me get a job that is not in his office. I don't think I can work under him with the possibility of running into him often.

"Nithu, I don't like anything that is happening right now. Did you talk to Arun?" I asked Nithya on the phone. I have been telling her everything about Arjun except that I have an attraction to him. I feel so cheap on myself to even think about it, no way I am going to share it with anyone.

"Anu, your likes and dislikes are not important now. I know you don't like that man but I don't think he has bad intentions. You are overreacting and I have never seen you say that you dislike someone for no reason. A good paying job is more important to you right now. Stop being a playful girl, now it is your responsibility to take care of your family. Do it right setting aside your likes!" she said the very same thing my mind insists on.

"OK! So how are things on your end?" I asked her.

"I think my parents have finalized a groom for me. Just today they confirmed that they are coming to see me this weekend." she said.

"Wow, congratulations de!" I said. If everything was well just as before, I would be fighting with my parents to stop them from looking for a groom for me. But now, everything is chaotic here. What should I feel about my situation? Should I be happy that I will get enough time to settle down in my life or should I be sad that my dad is not in his best self and I am the reason for that.

"Wait wait. This is not the confirmation yet. They are just coming to see me in person." She said.

"Come on, they might have seen you in the photo. Send me the groom's picture."

"Wait, I will send you. Arun has sent me a message, Anu."

"What does it say?" I asked in a hurry.

"Well, congratulations! He's got a job in Chennai. His salary per month is Rs.20,000 as of now." she said.

"Oh, Thank God. At Least he got a job. What else did he say? Did he ever ask about me?"

"Nothing else. Yeah, he will ask for your wellbeing. I think you don't have to punish him this way, Anu. He is in Chennai and anyways you guys are not going to meet. What's your problem in talking to him through the phone?" she asked me.

"Let him focus on his career, Nithu. I don't have any happy things to share with him. All he would hear from me would be sad things. I don't want to burden him with my sorrows. Let me get a job first, then I will surely resume talking to him. Let it aside, do you like your groom-to-be?" I asked her.

"um.... I don't know. He looks good in the picture. Mom and dad inquired about his family and job and they were very much satisfied. I feel in my heart that he is the one." she said with a little shyness. I wonder how she could even know anything about someone whom she hasn't yet met and still think that he is the one. I wish he should be the one for her and she should never feel disappointment in her life.

"Awe, look at you! You knew he was the one just by looking at his picture? You should be born in the 50's. But I am happy for you, Nithu." I told her. We spoke for a bit and hung up.

Now back to my problem, I looked at the card he gave me. It is 100% sure that mom is going to ask for his help and now I think that I should stop disrespecting him. I am in need of help and I must find a way to stop my stupid mind and body from getting goosebumps near him. It is completely not his fault and disrespecting him for that is totally wrong. Looking at the bigger picture, I know that if I happen to meet him often, I may not be myself. The only way to stop that is to request him to find me a job in Coimbatore itself. I decided to call him with a real heartfelt apology and a request.

I called him straight away and dang, I didn't see the time, it's already 11pm in the night. I disconnected the call once I realized it is not right to call someone at this hour. But soon after I disconnected the call my phone rang with a loud noise. Startled, I attended the call instead of disconnecting it! DOUBLE DANG!

"Hello, who is this?" I heard his manly voice loud and clear. My throat dried up and I couldn't form any words.

"um... hello..." I responded after collecting myself together. Why the hell do I feel butterflies in my stomach?

"Yes, I got a missed call from this number. Who is this?" he asked me, his voice laced with concern or that is how it seems to me.

"um... can I talk to Nithya?" I asked! I know, lame! I wanted to cut the call but another me that is behaving like a crazy lunatic wanted to hear his voice again.

"Sorry, looks like you have dialed the right number and asked for the wrong person." he said with a tinge of sarcasm laced in his voice. EMBARRASSMENT!

He knew It was me?! Or did he mistook me for someone else? I loved his voice. It feels like he is talking sitting very close to me. Why the hell do I think like that? I don't know. He is my sister's husband alright. It is so wrong to think of him or admire him in any way.

"um... Sorry!" I hung up on him before he made sure that he knew it was me. I saved his number on my phone as 'Ardent Arjun'. Don't tell me. I am an idiot! I know!

I am now very sure that I have sexual feelings for him by the way my body reacts to his voice and his nearness. I could still feel his finger on my chin and his fingers that brushed my hand. This is madness and I should stop this. He is way older than me and I should see him with respect not with lust. There has been some problem with my mind since I saw him. I don't think I have disturbed him like the way he disturbs me and that thought hurts me inside. The pathetic thing in all that's happening is, I know very well that this is soooooo Wrong!