Chapter 26: chapter 26

Shreya Sat on an empty stool and had her Cocktails . It did her little help to calm her nerves . Her eyes scanned the entire floor.her .Many were gnawing her. She wasn't comfortable in gaining attention . So she headed to the dance floor to get lost in the crowd . She danced with ease , swaying her hips. Many approached her . Yet she was able to dodge them away . After nearly an hour she felt relaxed and moved out of the crowd.She danced with ease, swaying her hips. Many approached her . Yet she was able to dodge them away . After nearly an hour she felt relaxed and moved out of the Crowd . It was about midnight and the crowd was getting thin . She again reached the bar and this time there were many empty stools . She sat on one and held her head in  her hands.  She knew her mission was a failure . There wasn't single guy who seemed to gain her attention . She scolded her stupid heart. She heard someone laugh and looked up. A guy was sitting beside her on a stool and smirked at her. His eyes were the colour of blue ocean and she found herself lost in it for a moment but recovered quickly. He had strong straight cheekbones and nose. Had a early stubble too. Seeing him laughing at her she raised her eyebrows questioningly . He apologised and said , that it was kind of cute when scolded herself with a boyish grin. Surely he was and quiet intimidating . The stranger looked her from head to toe , but this did not make her shy away instead she felt confident in his gaze, as if his eyes were appreciating her inner beauty rather than just raking her physical appearance.When he looked at her face, she was sulking. He felt an unknown feeling was stirring within him by looking at her. He offered her drinks and she accepted. Both kept on having their drinks. Shreya was already high, yet she doesn't seem to stop. He understood she was off about something, so let her lose, he asked is she a boozer, she smiled at him suddenly and said nope. But that might change in few days assuming her current state. He asked why and she wanted to let out everything that's been occupying her heart and mind for the entire week. She told him everything about her and Rakesh and her fucked up state. He could understand her pain through her words and wondered whether a girl can love a man so much. Then she suddenly started crying, he was astonished as other people started looking at their side. He tried to calm her but no use.  She told inbetween her sobs, about her plan of having an one night stand with a random man, to get Rakesh completely out of her heart and mind, and how pitily she failed in that attempt. He felt amusing. No girl can ever openly speak something like this. But he also knew it was partly because of alcohol. Suddenly she pointed her fingers straight in his face and asked whether he will fulfill his wish. He was stunned, his open opened and closed, but no words came out. He was blank and couldn't think of any response. He asked him again pocking his chest. She looked at him accusingly and said that he is not manly enough to do that??? . This really stirred his inner pride and he was about to open his mouth, when she muttered something like 'useless' and fell unconscious on the bar counter. The stranger has not yet recovered from his shock until then. He slowly looked at the surrounding and back to the counter. The bar tender gave him a sympathetic smile. He just nodded at him and looked at Shreya who was peacefully dozzing off. That image made him smile. For a moment he looked at the petite figure in front of him, and saw how much she was holding in, the sadness, the ferocious one, amusing and overall very cute. He thought, the man who hurted her must be the biggest living fool on earth.  He doesn't know anything about where she lives or who her friends and relatives were. The whole story indicated only one thing, that she is living alone in the city, since her ex-boyfriend got married and now he has got no other details about her. He stood up to leave, but looking at her serene face stirred an urge of protectiveness within him and also the question of his manliness. He removed his coat and draped it over her and carried her to his car. The soft glow coloured the sky and early rays of sun fell inside the room through the blinds covering the windows. Shreya stirred and moaned. Her eyelids were heavy and her head felt like rotating inside. She managed to open her eyes and looked around and was bewildered. It's not her room, neither her farm house. She got out of bed, her dress were gone instead replaced with a man's t-shirt, that stretched to her knees. Her whole body felt limp and even taking a step made her hands and legs ache in pain. She held the heard board of the cot in one hand and the other hand reached her head. She squeezed her eyes shut. Memories of last night came flooding. The man she met and the story she narrated. She also remembered how she asked him to be her one night stand and the way he looked and her questioning about his manliness, everything came as a blur in her mind. she closed her mouth with one hand and clutched her stomach with the other. She was about to puke, realising what she has done. She rushed out of the room and opened the door to bang on a wall off muscles. The rock of the man from last night stood in front of her with a sweet smile. He was holding a pill and a glass of water in one hand and said "Morning Sunshine"! She looked down unable to meet his eyes. He looked her in his tees and said "Sorry your dress got wasted last night", drops of tears started flowing down her cheeks. She squeezed herself away from the man and ran down, not knowing what to do. He rushed down behind her.