If We Could Have It Again

10- WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING

I was scared.... I double checked the door and balcony, even the windows.
Is it Ishaan? Is it just a prank? Ishaan loves pulling pranks on everyone. Should I ask him?
I should, or I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight!

"Hey!" I said, as he picked up his call.
"Busy?"

"Hey! Umm... Yeah... I was in the shower!" He replied.

For some reason I felt a little awkward because of that information.

"Ishaan.... Ummmm.... I don't know what to say...." I wasn't sure if I should ask him or not.

"I received a bag... I mean not received, received, but it was with all of the stuff we got from the mall....." I paused for a bit.

"I have carried so many bags to your apartment Diya I can't remember which one you are specifically talking about." He said.

"Umm.. it's a red bag with golden handles... It has nothing in it but one note..... And it says hey beautiful I see you! It's a printed text." I read out the content from the paper. Crumbling it back into a ball I threw it away.

"Oh that one, that must be me... You know how I like to prank...." He replied, his voice sounded uncertain though.

"Don't lie Ishaan!" I said.

"Diya!! It's me! Okay... I kept it with the bags... I just wanted to tell you that I will always look after you, the message just didn't came off correctly." He said, his voice has always been soothing, it often left me thinking is it because Arjun never spoke to me nicely or is it because he genuinely is a good talker.
There are some people who makes everyone feel so good whenever they talk to them.... Ishaan is one of those people.
Our friendship didn't start quickly, we were initially really professional.... His company was new, when I joined it was just 3 years old and I was just an intern. So many eyebrows were raised when I was promoted to senior position a little early than expected.
But as far as I remember, Ishaan never ever crossed a line and all the silly rumours died as early as they started.

Our friendship started around one and a half years ago when we were in Mumbai to attend a seminar about green architecture. Since then we were really close friends. Though he didn't know anything about my family yet. He never asked.... I remember once asking him that why don't you ever ask me anything about my family.... He said because he believes I will tell him when I feel the time is right.

"Diya! Don't be scared okay! Do you want me to come over!" He asked.

"No you don't have to come!" I replied without thinking much.

"It's okay I understand!" He said slowly.

Then it hit me... I sounded a little rude. He was the one who helped me finding a place to live and is now helping me with setting up my place, I shouldn't have said no too quickly.

" I didn't mean it that way Ishaan.... Actually I don't want to you to worry about me.... And when you told me that it was you I am not scared anymore." I said "I am sorry!"

"Diya! Never ever apologize for speaking your mind.... It's late and usually any girl would do the same...." He Chuck lightly.

"You are not upset?" I asked.

"No! Why would I be? It's just too late and you never called me this late,so it just got me worried!" He replied with so much genuine-ness.

Arjun in past 7 years never showed this kind of concern for me. It was always Aarohi. In the first year of our marriage, whe he was told that she was dead, he would look at her old pictures for the whole night, while I slept on the same bed. That time I thought he was grieving his first love. Now that I look back it felt like insult to me.