Deepika was typing on her desktop answering the mails she'd received on her official email id. After she was done she stretched her arms and hissed when she accidentally pressed the spot she'd cut herself in the morning.
“Hey? You okay?”
She closed her eyes hearing the concerned voice of her colleague. The man had confessed his feelings for her a few months back to which Deepika had politely denied.
“I'm fine Chirag.”
“You're not! Did you hurt yourself?”
He asked examining her from top to bottom, making her body tingle at his gaze. Why? Why would he not give up on her like everyone else? Like her brother did? Why would he make her feel things she did not want to?
“It's nothing. I just cut my thumb while cooking. It's not even visible.”
She answered a little frustrated from everything.
“It might not be visible but it sure is prone to infection. Why have you not tended to it?”
He asked, shaking his head in disapproval and took out a bandaid from his desk drawer. He carefully put it around her wound while examining it.
“Ghar jaake apply turmeric on it. Septic ho skta hai. Don't take any risks, please.”
His voice was soft and she could hear the genuine care in it. She gulped and looked away, pulling her hand out of his grasp and thanking him softly.
She felt his gaze on her and found him looking at her with a look that said he was trying to read her. Which he had always managed to do. How? This was beyond her understanding.
“What?”
She asked tucking her hair behind her ear, her cheeks warming up at the intensity of his gaze.
“You've cried.”
It was not a question. It was an observation. She sighed and turned to him.
“Why do you care? Why can't you give up Chirag? Maine aapko bola tha na that I don't feel the same for you. Then why do you keep trying to-to-to woo me?”
He looked at her with amusement and answered truthfully.
“I am not trying to woo you, Deepika. I just care about you.”
“Then stop! Stop caring about me!”
She snapped and walked away from there. He looked at her where she was sitting, shocked for a moment. He then got up and followed her knowing it wasn't ok to leave her alone when she was like this.
He saw her standing near the entrance area wiping her eyes. Sighing he moved closer to her and asked.
“Deepika? What happened?”
“Please stop this Chirag. Mai nhi kr skti ye. I can't -”
She croaked out looking down not wanting to cry in front of him and embarrass herself.
“So you want me to do what? Stop caring about you? You told me you don't feel the same for me, I accepted and respected your decision. And I am not going to force my feelings on you ever. But I can't see you like this. You think people don't notice. But I have Deepika. I have seen how your eyes have been puffy and swollen from the past few days, indicating how much you've cried. But I didn't question because I didn't want to interfere or come out as overbearing. But now you've started hurting yourself and it scares me. What is it, please tell me.”
His voice turned pleading and soft at the end. She felt her restraint breaking and the tears welling up. She quickly wiped the tears that fell from her eyes. He knew she needed to let it out but she won't with so many people around.
He held her hand and started walking somewhere. She looked at their joined hands and then at his back and asked in a slow whisper.
“Where are you taking me?”
He didn't reply until they stopped before the door to the staircase. Chirag looked around and when he was sure no one was around, he opened the door and pulled her along. The door was shut behind them and she looked around with confusion in her eyes.
“No one uses the stairs, so we're safe here. Let it out, Deepika. Please!”
He whispered and she blinked her eyes looking down trying to control her tears. But in vain. All the memories with her brother and his behavior played in her mind like a movie and the next second she was crying like a baby.
He was worried looking at her crying like that but he knew she needed it and did not utter any word.
“Why? Why is he behaving like this? Does he not care about me anymore? It is hurting me now. Dum ghutne laga hai mera. Why does he behave like we never shared a relationship before?”
She hiccuped and kept her head on his chest while sobbing. Chirag felt his heart sink in his stomach. He? Who was this he? Was she in a relationship?
“You-you know he used to be so observant towards me, mere upar ek kharoch bhi bardaash nhi thi unhe. When we were kids, he would tear the house apart if I got even a scratch. But aaj, when I asked him-asked him to help me put a bandaid on-you know-you know what he said?”
She looked at him with her big doey eyes shining with tears, her lashes wet with them, nose and cheeks red from crying so much and his heart had never ached this much. She looked so vulnerable.
“He said that I am not a kid anymore and that I shouldn't bother him with such small things. And not that only this-he-he would always do things that would bring a smile on my face lekin now he doesn't care if he is hurting me or making me cry. He even yells at me.”
She hiccuped more and rested her forehead on his chest again. Her body trembled with her hysterical cries.
“After maa and dad, he is my only family left. I don't want to lose him too. I don't want to lose my bhaiya, Chirag. But it feels like I already have. I can't recognise who he is anymore. I miss him Chirag. I miss him so much. Unhe meri yaad nhi aati kya? Does he not want his sister anymore?”
He didn't know what to feel. Relief that she was talking about her brother or pain that she was hurting so much.
He carefully put his arm on her mid back softly patting it, while the other cradled her head moving his fingers in her hair trying to calm her down.
It took her a few minutes and she finally stopped crying and shaking. Her eyes widened when she realised she was practically hugging him. He was holding her and she too clutched his shirt.
Blinking her eyes she pulled back slowly, not being able to meet his eyes. How can she allow herself to cry on a colleague?
She took a few steps back and created distance between them.
“I-I am sorry.”
Muttering quietly she started turning around to run back but he anticipated this already and held her wrist to stop her from leaving.
She still couldn't face him and continued to look down but what he did next made her stomach flutter.
**************************************
Please do leave your comments.
Also, please vote for the story.😊🙏🏻
Laters!!😘❤️
