The Addiction of Love

IV

"Ouch," Nandini cried in pain as she cut her finger while cutting onions into rings.

"What happened?" Avira hurriedly held her hand to check. "Why can't you be careful?"

She put her finger under water and then grabbed the first aid box and took out a bandage. While Avira was tending her wound, Nandini pretended to wipe her fake tears,"What will happen to me after you marry Ashar and go away?"

Avira glared at her best friend.

"What?" Nandini asked at her expressions.

"Stop teasing me about it. I don't even know if I want to marry him." Avira said while keeping the first aid box again.

"You do want to marry him. You just don't know that yet." Nandini got back to cutting the onions.

It was Sunday, a day later than Ashar had asked Avira if she wanted to marry him. Nandini had come over to Avira's place and they were cooking dinner together.

"If I don't know it yet, then how do you know it?" Avira kept her one hand on her hip, while the other one was stirring the gravy.

"Because, I'm your best friend and I know you better than you know yourself." Nandini put the cut onion rings in a bowl and poured vinegar on them. "You've always been like this. Your heart knows what it wants from the very beginning, but your brain takes forever to understand that."

Avira knew what she was saying was right, but she didn't want to agree to it. "What if it is too soon? What if I later on regret it?"

"Some people date for years before marrying and their relationship still ends in divorce. Time doesn't decide if your relationship will last, your efforts do." Nandini said while popping a vinegared onion into her mouth.

Avira didn't reply to her. She switched the gas off and took out the paneer gravy into a serving bowl. They both took all the dishes on the dining table and set the plates.

They sat down to eat and Nandini served the rotis.

"What if he's not the right guy for me?" Avira questioned while taking a bite.

"I don't think so. As much as I've heard of him, he seems like a nice guy to me."

"But.."

"And it has been just one day since you've last met him, and you're missing him already." Nandini smirked at her.

"I am not!" Avira gasped.

"Really? Then why have you checked your phone five times in the last one hour?" Nandini was still smirking.

"I.." Avira opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to find an excuse but no avail. It was true. She was missing him. In the past two weeks, she had started to look forward to his texts. They used to talk about their day and share things. But since she dropped him back yesterday, he hadn't texted her once. And it was bothering her.

Even after Nandini left after dinner, Avira kept thinking about what she had said. She picked up her phone and opened WhatsApp. Opening Ashar's profile picture, she kept staring at his face. It was a picture of him sitting in his office cabin. He was staring right at the camera with a subtle smile on his lips. Apart from being insanely handsome, Avira also noticed honesty in his eyes. She asked herself if she could watch this face everyday for her entire life, and her heart gave her the answer.

Closing the app, she opened her contacts and dialled her mother's number.

___________

Ashar was about to go to bed when his phone rang.