Is it love or infatuation? Chapter 12

Ashmi was enjoying the attention lavished by Akhil. It was not that she was new to attention but for the first time someone had dared to come and ring her doorbell. She was apprehensive, scared because she was reciprocating to Akhil’s overtures and this was not the scheme that she had to pursue for life. Her plan was neat. Study at LSR, do Masters from JNU and then join million aspirants for UPSC and try your luck. If it didn’t work there was always NET (National Eligibility Test) to fall for.  But, Akhil came like a whirlwind in her plan who disrupted the whole scheme of things. Whether it was haywire hormones or the call of youth, Ashmi was getting attracted to Akhil. Akhil decided to make a giant leap in love and he woke up (post marriage). By then the damage had already been done.

Ashmi decided to let love envelop her bit by bit. Four days had gone by since Akhil had celebrated his ‘so-called’ birthday at Ashmi’s place and there was no communication between them. Then Ashmi received a phone call around 3.30 and fortunately she could talk because senior Mrs Mishra was taking a nap upstairs in her bedroom.

‘How are you doing?’ he asked her.

‘I am counting days for the vacation to end,’ she said.

‘Why?’ he needed to know.

‘I am bored and need to go back. Three months break is very long time,’ she said.

‘Then, let’s meet up over a coffee,’ he proposed.

‘ Why? Let me guess, are you infatuated with me?’ she said and Akhil was foxed.

‘No, much more than that,’ he said as he too fumbled to figure his real feelings for her.

 ‘What do you mean? Are you in your senses?’ she was scared now. This was not a part of the plan.

 Akhil had called her in one of the lazy summer afternoons. Before he could call it a friendship, she had uttered the word infatuation. He was taken aback. Certainly, he had not asked for it. ‘Should he retreat,’ he wondered.  

But, then his heart wasn’t ready for that. He loved to spend time with her. Was it love at first sight? He was uncertain. But, certainly, she had asked the most romantic question in the most unromantic fashion possible. No bells rang, flowers swayed and rainbows erupted in the sky but just a plain question which too was difficult for him to answer in that mundane surrounding.

 ‘I will call you later,’ he mumbled with a mysterious smile.

Ashmi was excited at Akhil’s response. She couldn’t sit still. There was too much nervous energy to expend and she decided to walk in her front porch ruminating over the conversation they just had. With every passing day, her attraction towards Akhil was increasing and she just wasn’t able to put a lid on it. Love was in the air. She calculated that she was few months more than nineteen and not even a Graduate. Her Post Graduation was due and no way she could marry before three years and the pace at which Akhil and she were moving was jet –speed and this trembled her. She decided that it was high time, she controlled her feelings and should stop talking to him. As it is fifteen days were left for to go to the hostel and she wanted those days to be as hassle free as possible. The days went by as usual, and just when four days were left……