Chapter 66: chapter 66

CHAPTER-26SHIVA“I miss her,” whines Aravind.“Oh, come on, it is only six hours since she left,” I tell rolling my eyes at him.Dharshana has gone to her parents’ house for the delivery. Since Gowri is still on the trip, Aravind called me up to his house and we both are spending time together. But I regret coming now because he is whining and complaining about how lonely it is without his wife and that somehow makes me think of Gowri. Something I am trying not to do for the past two days but with no success. “You don’t miss Gowri? It is been two days since she left. How is her trip?”Super! There is no way I can stop thinking about Gowri after this question.“Yeah, I do miss her a little,” I lie. I miss her a lot but I am not ready to accept it, “but her coffee is what I miss the most. I spoke to her yesterday and she told me the trip was going great. She has not yet called me today.”“So, do you like her?” he asks.I nod without thinking. Of course, I like her.  But to what extent is what I don’t know.“Do you love her?”“That is what I am trying to figure out. I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”“What happened between you and Riya? You owe me an explanation of your break up,” tells Aravind narrowing his eyes at me. Yes, I do owe him one. It is time to come clean. 🍀🍀🍀🍀“So, Dharshana’s guess was right,” tells Aravind.“Huh?” “You know, when you refused to tell us exactly why you broke up with her, we both sort of guessed. I thought it was you who broke up with her because of your job and Dharshana guessed that it was Riya who broke up because of the abroad job.”I stare at the ceiling. So, this is how rumours spread. Random guesses. “But seriously, Shiva, when I think about it now, I feel you both were not that compatible with each other.”“Yeah? You are not saying that to make me feel better, right?” I ask giving him a serious look.He mirrors my look and replies, “No. I mean it. You know, when you were with Riya, most of the time you were not yourself. You never disagreed with her. You did make a lot of compromises and in the past years I felt she just took you for granted.”I nod my head totally getting his point. I always had a constant fear that I am not enough for Riya and that one day she would leave me. So, I did my best to make her comfortable and in the process I became uncomfortable.“Do you think I took the right decision? Or should I have gone with her abroad abandoning my father’s company?” I ask. This was one of the reasons why never told anyone about the breakup. Because I thought I made a mistake by staying back and when people know the story they would tell me that I must have followed Riya abroad. “I personally think you took the correct choice. Because look at you now. You own the top company in the state and you have your family-”His phone rings. He looks at the screen and his eyes gleam with excitement. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who is calling.“Hey, why did it take you this many hours to call me?” he asks on the phone.I smile at him. I feel light and better after confessing the truth to him. I am not sure what would have happened if I had chosen the other choice but as Aravind put it I am satisfied with this choice. Because if I had taken the other choice, I wouldn’t have ever met Gowri and that would be the biggest tragedy in my life.🍀🍀🍀🍀SHIVA“That is the fifth fourth time you are checking your phone,” Aravind comments.“Seriously? You are keeping count?” I ask. It is eleven the night and Gowri has not yet called me for the day. I am a little worried. “You know, if you are so worried then all you have to do is call her.”“Yeah, I know but I don’t want to look like a husband who keeps calling his wife when she is away. Maybe she forgot to charge her phone. Or forgot to call me,” I reason. It is frustrating to think that she forgot me when I am filled with her memories. It is not just memories but dreams where my mind keeps playing the one kiss we had in different locations. Damn, just thinking about that kiss heats my body and makes me unsettled. I sigh. I just hope Gowri is enjoying the trip. How I wish we both could go on a trip somewhere. Maybe to a cold and freezing place where the only way to keep you warm is to snuggle closer to a person.HECK! Why are my thoughts getting this dirty?But I miss her. Her absence affects me in ways it had never affected me even during the first month of my breakup.“Look at your face, you look like a little kid who has lost his favourite thing in the world,” Aravind says laughing.“Says who? The man who kept whining like a kid about how he missed his wife,” I retort.My phone vibrates and I look at the screen. FINALLY!“Whoa, that is the fastest response I ever received in my life,” she tells with a laugh. I hear background noises of music playing.“Hello to you too,” I tell smiling like an idiot. How can hearing her voice bring a smile to my face?“Sorry, for calling you this late. We are having a campfire going and I forgot the time. Why aren’t you sleeping? Are you skipping sleep again?” she asks and I can picture her narrowing her eyes at the last sentence.“I was planning to skip sleep until you called me and let me know that you are alive.”“Alright, Shiva. I am alive. But seriously were you staying up and waiting for my call.”Yes, I am. But I don’t say that because I have some dignity.“No, I am at Aravind’s house and we are watching a movie.”“Oh!”Wait. Is her voice disappointed?“Anyways, enjoy your movie. I am all safe and enjoying the trip. See you in a day. Bye.”“Hmm, bye,” I tell and hang up the call with a goofy smile.“Shiva, you are glowing as if you are in love. I have never seen you smile like this.”“What do you mean? Did I look this during college time?” I ask with panic in my voice.He shakes his head, “Nope. In college never looked like this. Maybe the first few months, I have seen you grin but not to this extent where I can see light spilling out from your body.”“HOLY HEAVENS!” I say raking a hand through my hair.My mouth hangs open as I realise he is right. I have never felt this joy with anyone as I feel with Gowri. The more I spend time with her the more I smile and grin. No one has affected me like her. A smile on her lips is enough to make my heart bursting joy. I AM A CHESSY ROMANTIC! So, yes, I am allowed to say this. Gowri is the sunshine in my life. I feel like she is the one. The one who can see through me. The one who can ease me into any situation. The one with whom my ego will never withstand. Everything I feel towards her point to it. She is no more a stranger to me. She is no more a friend to me. She is no more a crush to me. She is no more the woman to whom I am attracted only.NO! NO! NO. What I have for her is beyond attraction and friendship.It Was A Long Time Ago, Those Things Changed.AND YES PEOPLE!TIME TO MAKE A CONFESSION.I AM FALLING HARD FOR GOWRI.Falling Hard In Love With Her That It Hurts Me To Think That She Will Not Return It.🍀🍀🍀🍀