Part: 17

The next day after college, it suddenly started raining. The weather became so beautiful, the sky turned dark and the clouds began to thunder. I love the rain. As the smell of the rain reached my nostrils, I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes. It feels so good. I just love the sound and smell of rain, it is so calming and peaceful.

"Anu, let's get drenched in the rain." I grasped Anu's hand excitedly.

She denied, nodding her head, I pouted sadly at her. "You'll catch a cold, Inaya." She said concernedly.

Her overprotective nature. Sometimes she behaves like my overprotective boyfriend.

"So what? How can I miss this moment by scaring of cold, Anu? Please, please." I implored, folding my hands in front of her and making a puppy face.

She shook her head in disbelief, seeing my drama. "Okay, fine." She agreed.

I hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. "You're best, my Annu." We both laughed. Then we stepped out of the college building.

As the rain droplets fell over my body, I instantly closed my eyes, moving my face up and head back to feel the touch of it. This feels so good and refreshing like the rain is taking away my all tiredness. I opened my arms and twirled joyfully, enjoying the rain to the fullest. I'm completely at this moment, nothing is going in my mind, I'm just feeling the touch of rain and loving it. I twirled gleefully, again and again, laughing and giggling. I played with the raindrops cheerily. I clasped Anu's hands and whirled her around with me, laughing crazily. We danced crazily like two little girls.

But suddenly I stopped because I felt something strange like somebody is gazing at me, I felt someone's presence there. My heart is beating rapidly. What is happening to me? What is this? I looked around, puzzled, but nobody is there. Maybe it is my illusion. Anu raised her eyebrows at me, asking me what happened. I shook my head and again started enjoying the rain with her.

***

I stepped into my room, sneezing constantly and my clothes are soaked up. I directly strode into the bathroom to take a warm and relaxing shower. I'm sneezing and snuffling, standing under the shower. I caught a bad cold. I hate it. Why do I catch a cold too fast? Now can't even I enjoy the rain? It was the first rain of this year's monsoon, how could I have missed it. I would be fine in a few days.

**

"Inaya, when you'll grow up? Look at your condition. You have a fever too. You shouldn't have got drenched in rain." Dad is scolding me like I'm still his two years old daughter. I'm sitting in the quilt, sipping the hot coffee. My nose has become red, and I'm sneezing and snuffling constantly.

"Dad, you know that I love rain and how much I love to get drenched in rain. Don't you know?" I sniffed and asked, pouting.

"I know, my Inaya, but I can't see you in this condition, mera bacha." He placed his hand on my face and stroked my cheek with his thumb. He's looking at me, having a concern in his eyes. I smiled at him.

I love him.

"I would be fine in a day, don't worry." I blinked my eyes and then I sneezed, covering my mouth with the hanky.

"God bless you." He instantly said and I smiled at him. "Don't come to the coaching Center, today, because you gonna rest today." He said sternly.

"Dad, I'm fine," I said, giving the empty mug of coffee to him.

He placed the mug on the side table and then glared at me. "No, means no. Now take a nap." He said in a stern tone, standing up and I pouted at him.

"Now lie down and take a nap." As he ordered strictly, I nodded at him and lay down. He covered me with the quilt properly.

He leaned down. "Take care, mera bacha." He whispered and placed a tender kiss on my forehead, making me smile contentedly.

"I love you." I confessed, smiling at him.

He smiled back at me. "I love you too."

He sauntered out of the room after turning off the lights and smiling at me for the last time. I fell asleep within a few minutes.

I woke up after a few hours. I'm feeling much better after the nap. I sat down on the bed, coughing. I poured the water into the glass from the thermal water bottle, that Dad had kept on the side table. After drinking the water, I picked up my phone from the table.

I saw so many missed calls and messages from Mr Stranger. What happened to him?

Mr Stranger: Where are you? Why aren't you picking up my calls?

Mr Stranger: Still no reply.

I shook my head in disbelief after reading his messages. So desperate to talk to me. I called him and placed the phone over my ear.

"Where were you until now?" He answered my call, shouting over the phone.

"Relax, I was sleeping. Were you getting so desperate to talk to me?" I asked, smiling naughtily.

"You could've slept after sending a message to me. I got worried for you, Inaya." His voice is filled with concern and I felt a sudden pang of guilt.

I think I should have informed him before sleeping. I thought after putting myself in his shoes. If I was at his place, I too would have got worried for him.

"I'm so sorry." I apologised, coughing and snuffling because of the cold.

"You have a cold and cough. You should have got drenched in rain." My eyes shoot up in shock as he mentioned about rain.

How does he know that today I caught a cold because of getting drenched in rain? I wondered, narrowing my brows suspiciously.

I sneezed, covering my mouth with the hanky. "How do you know?" I asked.

"I was there and watching you." He answered and my eyes widened in surprise.

"What? Really?" I asked incredulously.

"Yup." He replied.

This means it wasn't my illusion. Somebody was really gazing at me at that time and that person was Mr Stranger.

But What he was doing outside of my college? I wondered.

"Are you stalking me?" I asked, snuffling.

"I was just passing from there, then my eyes fell on you, and I couldn't able to stop myself from gazing at you because you were looking so heavenly beautiful." I instantly blushed as he complimented me.

Why I'm blushing? And I'm feeling something like a tickle in my stomach. What is happening to me?

"That's not fair, Mr Stranger. You can see me, but I can't see you." I complained like a small kid and he chuckled.

"You wanna see me?" He asked, making me frown.

Is that even a question to ask? Yes, of course, I'm dying to meet him.

"Of course," I answered, frowning.

"I'll meet you one day, don't worry." He reassured me.

But, Why can't you meet me now? Why?

"Okay." I pouted sadly.

It is useless to argue with him on this topic because I know he will not get ready to meet me.

After that, we talked for some time and then I hung up.

"I couldn't able to stop myself from gazing at you, because you were looking so heavenly beautiful." His words echoed in my ears as I cut the call, and I'm blushing again.

What is happening to me? I held my head because his words were, again and again, echoing in my ears. I'm going crazy.

At night, I couldn't able to sleep, just kept changing my positions and rolling on the bed. The whole night I was only thinking about Mr Stranger and smiling like an idiot.

"I love the way he calls me princess and I love to hear his pleasant voice." I again smiled, thinking about him. Whenever I think about him, I can't stop myself from smiling.

What the fuck is happening to me?

Is this love? Am I in love with him? Do I love him?

Shit! Shit!