Chapter 360

Akshar said, "I know that there are many things you do not know about me. And I understand why you feel that way. But I am happy to know that you like me. Especially for the very first time I am actually hearing it from you. I am glad that you feel the same way about me as I do. As for the subject regarding Pryag… “ He paused for a minute and continued, “He is a very nice guy. I have seen the way he looks at you. He really loves you. If you are sure about your feelings for him I will not come between the two of you. But at this point it is completely up to you to figure how you feel about the both of us. I will not do anything to influence your decision in anyway. It won’t be fair to the either of us.” He looked at her straight in to her eyes. She still seemed a little confused but was calm and was listening to what he was saying. He had her full attention. He took her hands and held hers with his and gently stroked them. Then he looked in to her eyes. His blue eyes were magnetic and powerful and expressed exactly what he felt for her. His eyes emanated with radiance of affection for her. He said while stroking her hand, “Diya, I like you very much. Well I should say I am starting to get a little crazy about you. Sometimes I wonder how our paths crossed and where we are today considering that we are from completely different worlds. I can’t say that I have fallen in love with you like Pryag. Can you blame that guy? But I would like to find out where this relationship takes us. You are a very attractive young woman and very intelligent too. But nothing is easy when it comes to the matter of heart. Take some time to figure out how you feel. If you feel comfortable we will always meet only in public places to avoid such situations like today to confuse you more. “
Diya smiled. Akshar continued, “As I said I am crazy about you. Or at least I am starting to feel that way. All I want to know is one thing? I know to some extent you feel I am a stranger. So I ask this question. Just as you take risks in business…. Obviously you do otherwise you won’t be successful as you can’t always play it safe.” He shook his head and said, “See. I am getting side tracked. All I am saying is even if you consider me as a risk…” He looked into her eyes. Diya had his undivided attention. Akshar took his right hand and gently stroke her and said, “Are you willing to take a risk to find out where this is going to take us?” Diya starred at him. She didn’t know the answer yet. She realized that she had a lot of thinking to do. There looked into each others eyes. Neither of them knew how long they were looking into each others eyes. Akshar turned around, away from her and leaned back on the couch. He said, “Oh! What do you want to know about me? I will answer all you questions to the best of my knowledge. Ha! What am I saying? That sounds like an interview. Let me rephrase it. …. Mmmm…. You have met my sister, and you know about my ancestral root and how I got my name etc… You know that my parents are no more but most of my family from my mother’s side live in the US currently and my father’s mostly in London. Of course you know that too…But I am not the guy who would say something like....A part of the rainbow with a colorful shadow descended the earth secretly. She became a princess who gave me a kiss that was lovely and dreamy". I am definitely not that guy. But what you can probably expect is something like coming up with a stupid nickname for you... like.... I don't know I can't really think of anything right now. See! There you go. That is the kind of guy I am."

Chapter 359

Diya was spellbound and shocked. Her face turned pale. She felt as if someone was slapping her right and left. She starred at him in disbelief unable to comprehend what he had just said. He waited for her answer but there was only silence. Akshar showed no emotion on his face. There was neither any concern on his face not was he worried about what she would say. He was very calm and he posed the question as if he was asking something like, “What is your favorite color?” Diya felt like pinching herself to make sure that she was indeed there and he had just posed such a question. She blinked once or twice and her finger tips were shaking a little. She wondered if he had some special gift to read people’s minds. She had dreaded this minute all along and had avoided this. But now with Akshar asking that question for which didn't know the answer to. She had made up her mind about something and now after today's meeting with Akshar everything had turned upside down and she felt like she was being sucked into a black hole. She tried to regain her composure but it seemed very difficult. She tried to speak but words wouldn't come out of her mouth. Akshar said, "I am going to get myself something to drink. I will be right back." It took him a solid seven minutes to get back. He sat besides her and put down the glass and turned reached down for his tee shirt. When he looked up Diya had almost finished his drink and it looked like she had just gulped it down. Akshar looked amazed as he didn't know what was going on with her. He smiled and said, "Would you like to have another drink? Maybe with some vodka this time? Something strong?" Diya put the glass down and said, "Ya. I think I could really use something strong right now." He got up to get her something and murmured something to himself, "For a change I decided to have something non-alcoholic...."

Diya waited until he came back with their drinks. Then she said, "Thank you. To tell you the truth and to answer your earlier question.... I really don't know how I feel about you. Yes. I am very much attracted to you and there is a spark between the two of us. But I don't really know anything about you. So to some extent you do feel like a stranger to me. But at the same time I feel like I have known you forever. She took a coupe of more sips from the glass in her hand. Akshar relaxed back on the couch and watched her, listening. Diya continued. "I came here to tell you that... Pryag is back in my life." She paused for a minute and they both took a sip from their drink and Diya said, "To be honest I don't know how I fell about Pryag either. As you said we have history and I do love him. I thought I don't feel that way about you and I just like you. But today every thing...." She seemed she was really confused and it was apparent in her emotions. She was emotional and said, "Now I don't know how I feel about Pryag either. If I could actually feel the way I felt today...." She put her glass down and covered her face with her hands and shook and head and said, "I don't really know how I feel about either of you. This is all so very confusing and complicated. I am excellent at crisis management. At least I thought so until now. When it comes to work and everything else... but now...I am...." Akshar put his glass down and moved over to her and held her in his arms. He rubbed her back and said, "When things get personal and especially when it comes to relationships like this, things are not easy. I am very glad that you are being very honest with me. I really appreciate it and it really means a lot to me."

Chapter 358

Diya didn’t say anything and rested her head on his shoulder and he was holding her in his arms. Slowly she reached of the remote and turned the TV off. He sensed that she wanted to say something and gave his full attention to her. She said, “You are a real nice guy Akshar. I really like you very but I really didn’t mean to….” He said, “Hey! That is fine. I understand. You probably thought you were ready. Forget about it.” She paused for a minute and gently lifted her head off of his shoulder and said, “There is something more to it. This is not really my first experience….” Akshar looked at her in surprise and said, “Really!” She reluctantly gave a half smile and said, “Well! I was a teenager… so….I was curious….” Akshar smiled and didn’t say anything. Diya looked at him, “Why are you looked at me like that?” Akshar smiled and said, “If you had told me that it was when you were with Pryag, I wouldn’t have been surprised but as a teen, that is interesting as I am trying to imagine you as a curious girl.” Diya said, “Actually even as a teen I never really trusted anyone…so you see.” Akshar said, “Oh! That makes sense…. You and Pryag go probably that far.” She said, “Yes… but when we were together, when we were engaged….” Akshar said, “I understand. You have a history with him. We don’t have that and it makes sense. To some extent you still feel I am a stranger and you don’t really trust me.” She immediately interrupted, “No! It is not like that.” Akshar said, “Then you probably still have feelings for him or even maybe you are thinking if anything happens between us the chapters between you and Pryag will be closed and you are not ready to let go of that.” Diya felt like someone slapped right on her face. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was as if he just read her mind. It was evident in her face that she had taken a blow from him. She sat there in dismay.

He looked at her for a minute and observed her. Then he smiled and said, “Are you there?” and waved his hand in front of her eyes as she was starring at the coffee table without blinking her eyes. She blinked and gave out a meek smile. Akshar said, “I almost forgot, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?” Diya replied, “Oh! ya” and paused as she was not sure what to tell him. But she felt compelled to be honest with him and said, “Well!... I wanted to tell you that….” Akshar said, “I am listening.” Diya paused again and said, “I have been spending a lot of time lately with Pryag, especially since my brother is back in town and we are over at his house so often….”Akshar didn’t say anything but was listening to every word that she was saying. Diya looked at him for a moment and continued “I wanted to tell you…” and she almost stopped trying to figure out the words so that it would come out correct. Akshar said, “…. That you still have feelings for him?” Diya looked at him in shock and before she could say anything Akshar continued, “Diya. I understand that you two have a history together and you have gone through so many things and faced some critical situations in life. So there is always going to be a bond between he two of you. That is very natural and I understand that. But if you are not sure how you feel about him and you still think about getting back with him that is something that you need to tell me.” Diya just sat there starring at him not knowing what to say. Akshar continued, “You were not very enthusiastic about our meeting as I was and I sensed that immediately when you came in. Did you come here today to tell me that you two were getting back together? Or you came here to end what ever is going on between the two of us?”

Chapter 357

Diya didn’t open her eyes. She was closing it tighter and tighter. She wanted to scream and yell for putting herself in such a spot. She wanted to break away from him but now she had taken the relationship into a whole new level. She was mad at herself for coming here in the first place. She was also mad at Akshar for being an amazing guy and a perfect gentleman. She always knew she liked him but today she was forced to face the truth that her connection with him was more than what she thought it could ever be. She held her head with her hands and sat up on the bed. Her sheet that was covering her over fell onto her lap revealing her skin above her waist. She pulled it over and covered herself with one hand and rubbed her fingers against eyebrows. She was definitely not herself but what she felt for him came out of hiding that night. She said to herself, “I came here to break up with him and now look at me. How could I get myself into something like this? Diya, I hate you.” Akshar knocked on the door and said, “How about a glass of water?” Diya paused for a second and said, “Can you give me a couple of minutes?” Akshar said, “Sure”. In a few minutes she could hear the noise of the TV outside. Diya got up and went to the bathroom and washed her face and gathered the scattered cloths and wore them. She was still partially clothed only with her inner garments and was both her skirt and her silk blouse. She searched everywhere but couldn’t find it. She realized that it must probably outside where Akshar was watching TV. She looked around and saw Akshar’s shirt at the end of the room that was freshly ironed. As she didn’t have a choice she wore it as she was not ready to step out without anything on.

Akshar was sitting there shirtless revealing his waist above. Diya slowly stepped opened the door and he didn’t hear her as the TV was on. He walked over and looked for her skirt and blouse to change into. Looking at her Akshar immediately noticed that she was distraught. He turned the TV off and took her hand and asked, “Are you all right?” There was genuine concern in his voice. She just stood there and said in a very low voice, “I don’t really know”. He immideately took her and made her sit on his lap and ran his hands on her hair and said, “You look ….” He didn’t finish his sentence. Diya said, “You know I am going to change” and picked up her cloths and rushed back into the room and closed the door behind her. Akshar waited for her to come out and after about ten minutes Diya was out. She had changed into her own cloths and had combed her hair but still she looked a bit pale and worried. She said, “I am leaving now. We will talk later.” Akshar rushed to her and stopped her at the door and said, “It is very late and you are not okay and I don’t think it is a good idea for you to get behind the wheel. Why don’t you stay tonight and leave tomorrow“. She starred at him and his expression was very sincere and he continued, “Hey! I will never forgive myself if I let you go now and something happens to you.” She reluctantly walked back and sat next to him. She took a couple of deep breaths and started to get a hold on herself. They both sat there hardly exchanging any words. Akshar turned the TV on as he was not sure what to talk to her and what to say. After a few minutes Diya said, “I am sorry.. I didn’t mean to…” Akshar interrupted and took her hand and said, “You don’t have to be sorry about anything. Hey! Things happen. There is nothing to feel sorry about.” He pulled her closer and hugged her and after a couple of seconds he said, “Hey! First time is …….” and he paused again and said, “is….. if you don’t want to that is absolutely fine. There is nothing to feel sorry about.”

Chapter 356

There was intensity in her kiss. She had a fierce passion that he had never noticed before. For a moment he hesitated but it seemed that she had control over what was going on over there. There was no way she was going to let go of him from her grip and he didn't want her to either. If it were a snake bite the venom would first spread to the near by parts and then all over the body. Just like that what she felt as a part of her imagination first manifested and spread like a venom all over her. Later the kiss affected Akshar more than he thought it would as the venom affecting a passerby. This was sweet venom in the form of passion that had taken control of every organ in their body and paralyzed them with passion. She pulled him much closer and he yielded to her every move and within minutes he hugged her by her waist and pulled her towards him. She clung on to his neck as if a baby Koala clings on to its mother. The weight shifted gently and was bearing her weight and they both collapsed on to the couch. His hand shifted a couple of inches below her waist and his lips moved towards her neck. Her silk button unbuttoned under stress and revealed more than it has ever revealed before. She was holding on to him with her left hand and ran her right hand gently on his chest feeling his silky golden hair. He kissed her lips again and turned over and she was on the couch and he was leaning on her with out putting any pressure on her. She hardly opened her eyes but leaned forward to kiss him. He gently reliever himself from her grip and took his shit off and threw it on the ground and kissed her back. Within minutes they were all over each other and neither of them seemed to have control over themselves or even their actions.

The movie had ended and the video had stopped recording but neither of them knew as they were not in that room anymore. The candles were burning out and the dimmers were still on. There were no light in the room and the pillows were scattered over the floor and the only thing that was moving around as if Tom and Jerry were chasing each other was the comforter. The movie on the TV ended with Debra Messing and the guy who she hired as her date falling in love but a new movie on its own had begun with a small story and was nearing its climax as the rendezvous was slowly emanating into something beyond expectation. The misty cloud that had been covering them was slowly dissipating and Diya came to a huge realization and almost screamed, “No! I can’t do this. I really can’t” The next instant Akshar let go of her and collapsed on the bed beside her. Realizing that she was a little distraught he asked, “Hey! Are you alright?” There was genuine concern in his voice. Diya couldn’t believe the situation she was in. It was a little too much to digest. She had ever expected it. Everything had taken a 180 degree turn and she was in complete shock. She desperately wanted to get out of there and disappear into think air but the position she was in all she could do is completely cover her and not say anything. Akshar moved closer and asked again, “Are you okay?” and gently ran his hands on her forehead. She closed her eyes tight. She wanted to say that she was fine but instead nodded “No”. He asked, “Do you want a few minutes alone?” She didn’t say anything so he stood up pulled his pants on and buckled up his belt and said, “I am going to get myself a glass of water. I will bring one for you too.” He walked out and when he was about to close the door behind him he said, “I will knock on the door.”

Chapter 355

Diya smiled and eased back on the couch. She decided to humor him for one last time. She felt it would the right time to bring up the topic that she had been postponing. Akshar continued with his narration,” I am going to take you back to the time when Romeo and Juliet first met. Diya was partially paying attention to what he was saying. She was thinking about how wonderfully he had changed his house in such short notice to make her feel welcome. She thought to herself that she has to gently let thing go and break it to him. Akshar continued with the description. He was saying, "Juliet saw Romeo from a distance and it was love at first sight. He was handsome and strong. When she described him to her maid she said that she could write poetry about Romeo. If she did, she would describe his shoulders as they were made on sandalwood. His eyes as that of the power of a magnet..... Diya was thinking about the kiss that she had wanted to avoid. She thought about it for a moment and she felt a chill over her spine again and she was not sure why she felt that way. Without her even realizing she was listening to Akshar. She was slowly drifting into his story where Juliet was sneaking out from the ball room with her maid's help to see Romeo. Romeo who was allowed nowhere near where Juliet lived came was in a complete disguise with his best friend as a commoner so that no one would recognize them. He had passed on the message to Juliet somehow and asked her to meet at the fountain near in the garden at the ball. When they both managed to reach and were at each others arms length, Romeo's friend who was on a watch out indicated that they have to get out of there and dragged him away from her. He signaled something to Juliet's maid and was gone in a flash.

Diya was again whisked back into the ball room and her maid whispered something in her ear. She mingled and danced with some aristocrat and later excused herself and disappeared when everyone was having their dinner. She was eager to see Akshar who was waiting near the willow tree that was at the end of the street which was a little far to get to. Diya with her maid's help reached there and revealed her face once she saw Akshar standing there. He looked much more handsome up close and she longed to be in his arms. He had a scar from being a warrior and he broke the silence. He said, "Your beauty surpasses anything I have ever laid eyes on my life until this day. I have fallen in love with thee. Please accept my love. I will stand by you and protect you for as long as I live." She took a step towards him and said, "I shall love thee for as long as I live." He moved closer and she could feel his breath. She could feel his strong arms brushing against her chest. He gently but firmly took her by her waist and kissed her. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back. There was no one around there. The two of them were all alone. He very slowly moved his hands and ran them behind her neck and pulled a string by accident and it loosened up a little gently revealing a little more below her neck as her blouse slipped down a little. He starred at her for a minute watching her reaction as it was an accident. She leaned forward and pulled him close and kissed him. Akshar who had stopped narrating a while ago and was sitting with great satisfaction of proving his point was completely taken by surprise when Diya pulled him over and kissed him.

Chapter 354

Diya nodded in disagreement and said, "No... I don't believe it. I am not convinced." He said, "Let me demonstrate." and put his glass of water down and asked her to do so. He turned the TV off and verified that it was still recording and only the display was off. He turned towards her and said, "Close you eyes." Diya smiled and did as he said. He said, "All I want you to concentrate on is my voice." She nodded. He continued. "Imagine that you are on an airplane flying in a business class. You have stretched your legs and you are leaning back. You are very relaxed. It feels very comfortable. You have a black eye patch to block any light so that you can fall asleep. You have had a very long day and you are flying to Miami to attend a meeting. You want to feel fresh when you get there. So you want to have a good sleep as you are over worked. The only thing that is missing is someone to give you a nice massage and relieve the tension that has built up near your neck and shoulders." Diya smiled and said, "At least in my imagination I can fly somewhere else, maybe Boro Boro? Why Miami?" Akshar said, "Hey! Forget it. You are a spoil sport. If you interrupt like this...." Diya opened her eyes and laughed. She said, "I am sorry I can't help it. Ok. Let us try again." Akshar waited for her to stop giggling and then he continued. She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes again. He said, "I want you to concentrate on my voice. No interruptions this time. Got it." She nodded in agreement. He started again. "It is very hot. It is so hot that when the hot air blows on your face it instantly dries up the sweat that just oozed on your skin. You want to get away from there. But there is no way you can. The heat is so intense you wonder why you are even visiting that place to begin with." Diya started giggling and Akshar stopped and turned away and turned the TV on.

Hearing the nose from the TV, Diya opened her eyes and said, "I am really sorry. It is really difficult for me to imagine something like that. I am sitting in a room that is so comfortable and with a nice ambience. You got to admit that I was right and this doesn't really work. This works only in the movies. But I have to give it to you, you are a good narrator. Maybe you should try reading story books for kids and telling stories to them. They might enjoy listening to you. I guess I am little old for this." Akshar smiled and said, "You have a point. Every body is different and I should probably try something that is different on you. I understand it is difficult to imagine something hot when you are comfortable." Diya felt very satisfied proving that she was right. She leaned back on the couch and relaxed and continued watching the movie. In about five minutes when there was an advertisement on the TV, Akshar turned it off and moved a little closer to her and looked her straight in her eye and asked, "Do you like Rome and Juliet?" As it was something completely unexpected it took a few extra second for her to reply. She said, "Yes." He asked "Are you familiar with the story?" She said, "Sure". He said, "Good. I am going to add a twist to it and narrate something. As this is a story that you already knew it is completely up to your imagination to bring the characters to life. If I fail this time I accept defeat. This is my last try." She wondered and said, "You don't give up. Do you? Ok. Agreed. And after that, I have something to talk to you about."

Chapter 353

Everything around her was very simple but very satisfying. It showed how much he cared for her and it made it even difficult for her to even begin the topic that she had wanted to discuss. She simply loved the lasagna. It was just impeccably delicious. She savored every bit of it. He looked at her and asked sipping his wine, "You really like my lasagna. I could see that it your eyes. I am so glad that it was not a disaster. I have to thank my sister for her recipe. She makes this to get some vegetables into my niece as she is a very picky eater. I like it too. But since you seem to enjoy it so much then this must definitely calls for celebration" Before he could finish his sentence the recorder on the TV turned on. Akshar immediately said, "Oh! I completely forgot. Good thing I set everything up ahead of time." He looked at Diya and continued, "My sister has gone to London for a wedding. She wanted to see this movie, so asked me to record it and gave me the time and details for recording. I was not sure if I was going to be home at this time so I set everything up ahead of time so that it would be recorded automatically." Diya asked "what is the name of the movie?" He replied, "I am not sure. I think it is something like, Wedding date or Wedding signer... not sure. Something with wedding in it. I think Debra Messing stars in it. My sister loves her." Diya said, "Can you turn it on. Maybe we can watch while eating." He got up and went ahead and the TV came to life. He came back and joined her. She was not really interested in the movie but wanted to steer the conversation into a different direction and hoped it would help her open the topic in her mind. She also realized that the more she delays the more difficult it was going to be. At the same time she couldn't bring up the topic abruptly.

In order to discuss something and keep the conversation going and to find an opening for her to talk she asked Akshar, "Can you give me the recipe? This is really good". He said, "Sure. It is very simple and easy and is figure friendly too." Akshar asked, "So tell me how the past few weeks have been with you brother? You must be enjoying his company. You must have missed him a lot? Diya said, "To tell you the truth I didn't realize I had missed him until he came back. He had a surprise for me. He is getting married." Akshar, "That is wonderful. So you will be helping him with his wedding plans and you are probably going to have a lot on your plate." Diya smiled and said, "I am not sure about that but I would be glad to help. His fiancée Kathy is from China and is very traditional. So I am not sure what their plans are." Akshar got up with his plate and walked towards the kitchen sink talking, "Interesting. Very interesting." Diya joined him and they continued their conversation while washing their hands. Diya had her juice and Akshar took a glass of water and they both sat on the couch. Their conversation continued and she told him about Kathy and her brother and how they met and how it was a surprise to her when they told her that they were getting married. Akshar said, "I would love to meet you brother. From what you say he seems to be a very interesting man." In the mean time Diya had shifted her concentration on to the TV and was watching the movie. Diya said, "I think I have seen this movie." Debra Messing was leaning on a car and the guy she had hired to be her boyfriend for her sister's wedding asks her to close her eyes and says something and says you will feel it. She opens her eyes and says he was worth the money he paid for him. Diya laughed and said, "This is so stupid." Akshar said, "What is?" Diya said, "You can't feel things like that. Just because he looks cute doesn't mean you can make someone feel something. This is actually funny." Akshar said, "That is not so true. Earlier just dimming the light played tricks on you. You can play tricks on your mind. Just like the movie, you can make one feel something even though it is not there."

Chapter 352

Diya kind of lost balance and almost fell on the door that closed on it own with a noise. As he was holding her by her waist she landed on his hands. She thought of avoiding his kiss in the first place but she realized it was a little too late and gently tried to relieve herself from his grip. But his grip only tightened and kiss intensified. He opened his eyes for just a second and looked straight into her eyes and winked at her. Diya had not expected that and she felt a chill go through a spine. It was more like the excitement when a child gets when holding an ice cream in hand that she had longed for ever to get it. She closed her eyes and for a minute lost herself in his arms and in his kiss. He let go of her after a passionate kiss and asked, “How are you? How is everything back home with your brother and all? You seemed to be extremely busy lately.” It took her a few seconds to come back to her senses and she smiled and gently walked towards the room. She was not sure if her eyes were not adjusting to light or if things had actually changed between the time she had closed her eyes and opened it. He walked behind her and hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek and said, “Surprised. The switch was just next to the door. I adjusted it so it gives a nice ambience. For the candles they were there when you showed up, but were too bright for you to see. Sometimes our mind plays tricks on us, just used it to my advantage. Do you like it? I wanted to do something nice for you even though it was a last minute thing.”

Before Diya could say anything the oven beeped indicating that it was time to take what ever that was cooking inside was done. He walked towards the oven and reached for the mittens and opened the oven door carefully and said, “I prepared lasagna. As you are a vegetarian I made some vegetable lasagna. I hope you like it.” She said, “You cooked. Wow! It smells wonderful.” She walked over to the kitchen asking, “Do you need any help?” He placed the Pyrex glass tray in which he had baked the lasagna in the center of the dining table. She moved things around to make some space. He said, “It would be great if you could join me for dinner and I really hope my first experiment in making vegetarian lasagna has come out good. Let me get the salad from the fridge and we can start.” Diya slowly opened the aluminum foil that was covering the lasagna. She said, “You have got to be kidding me. This looks amazing. You presentation… are you sure you are not a chef?” He laughed and bowed and said, “Thank you for you compliments Madam Monsieur.” They both laughed and while Diya helped cut the lasagna so that it is easy to serve, Akshar asked, “Would you care for some wine?” She nodded and said, “No. Thank you. I would rather have some orange juice instead.” Akshar replied, “One orange juice coming right up”. Just then Diya noticed, "I thought this table was much bigger?" Akshar said, "That is right. It was an oval table that seats six. I removed the leaf and made it small so that it gives a romantic touch to it when the two of us sit opposite to each other and have a nice romantic dinner. That is the best I could do in a short notice." Diya didn't say anything but it was obvious that she was very impressed.

Chapter 351

It was three on the Friday afternoon. Diya had been interrupted so many times when she wanted to call Akshar during the week. And when she had finally managed to call him it had gone to his voice message. She had left a message asking him to call her back but until them she had not received any calls from him. She called him again and left a detailed message saying that she wanted to meet with him that evening. By the time she was done with all her work it was almost five and still no messages from Akshar. As she was far from both home and work and was leaving a client’s site after a meeting she looked up his address that she had saved on her cell phone and typed it in the GPS. It buzzed for a few minutes and indicated that it would take about thirty five minutes from there to get to his house. She knew it must be closer from there but she had not expected to see thirty five minutes. As he had not returned her call she sat there for a couple of minutes wondering if she should try again or just go back. She sat there contemplating for about five minutes what to do. He phone buzzed and she eagerly picked it up to see if it was Akshar. Unfortunately it was not and it was from some number she didn’t know. She picked it up reluctantly and half heartedly. The voice on the other end said, “Hi Diya! This is Akshar.” Diya was excited to hear his voice and said, “Did you get my message?” Akshar said, “Yes. I did. I had been quiet busy all day and I forgot to charge my cell phone and was completely out of charge. Sorry I couldn’t call you back earlier. If it is not too late we can meet.” Diya said, “That is great. Where are you now?” Akshar said, “I am home. Just reached home and I am calling you from my home line.” Diya said, “I will be there in about thirty-five minutes.” Akshar said, “Wonderful”.

The traffic was usual Friday traffic as everyone was trying to get back home. The same signal where only three cars can take a left at one time and the others end up blocking the left lane completely and the never ending construction on the single lane road with bumper to bumper traffic. For Diya, it felt like it was taking for ever and as if she was getting nowhere. She checked the time at least ten times before she reached Akshar’s. After she parked the car, she freshened up a little by cleaning her face with a cleansing cloth and applied very little makeup to look natural. She brushed her hair a little and she looked at the mirror and felt satisfied. She had a planned in her mind what she was going to say to him when she was ready to open up the topic. She wanted it to be very casual and friendly and at the same time make it clear. She also wanted to remain friends. She felt ready and planned. She got down and straightened her cloths, a simple grey skirt that was just above the knee with a silk white front buttoned shirt nicely tucked in. She looked very pleasant, simple and sophisticated. She walked over and pressed the button next to his apartment number. Within minutes she heard his voice, “Who is it?” Diya said, “Hey! It’s me.” He said, “Come on in” and the door buzzed allowing her to open. She took the stairs as it was just one floor above. His door was ajar and she peeked in. he was wearing an apron from his waist and had a towel on his shoulder. Seeing her he rushed and peeled the apron from his waist and threw the towel over the kitchen counter and rushed to wash his hands. She was a bit surprised and raised her eyebrows wondering what he was up to. He was wearing a dark brown khaki with his usual signature leather belt with a logo in the middle. For a change he had a simple very light pink tee shirt with a tiny almost invisible Ralph Lauren logo. His shirt was unbuttoned revealing his golden hardly there chest hair. He rushed over to the door and before Diya could close the door behind her, he grabbed her by the waist and said, “I have really missed you” and kissed her.

Chapter 350

She never realized that her brother's visit would influence her life this much. He had visited her many times before and it didn't matter. But the last visit and this one had an impact on her. More than anything the last few weeks had changed the way she looked at her own life. Pryag was back in her life and Kathy was becoming a part of her family. Pryag played a major role in her decisions whether it may be personal or work-related. Her feelings towards him had intensified as her doubts had dissipated like the dark clouds in the sky. She liked Akshar very much. He was the guy to hang out with and party with and maybe even to have a crush on. But to spend the rest of her life, Akshar was someone that did not seem to fit her album of marriage. She knew things had gone a little more than that she had wanted to with Akshar. She probably would have just preferred to stop everything with just a couple of dates. But somehow he was charming enough to entice her for many dates and with more than a first kiss. She knew he was absolutely charming and she fell for it. What attracted her to him the most was the fact that he was attracted to her both by her charm and her intelligence. And to top it all he had proven to be a gentleman. As a matter of respect, she felt that she should not lead him on to anything as she had almost made up her mind about the fact that she would prefer Pryag to spend the rest of her life with. She decided that she should gently let him down and explain it to him that this was not going to go anywhere and she was just going out with him as she was trying to get over Pryag. But now that he is back in the picture she didn’t want to lead Akshar on into thinking something more could happen between them.

The more she thought about it she felt that she should not delay this meeting anymore that she has. She looked at her schedule and she was all booked and was very busy till Thursday. Friday seemed to a good day but she was spending the evening with Pryag and her family. Pryag had also yesterday that if she feels suffocated that the two of them can take a break from the family time and go out for a quiet dinner or so. She very much appreciated his thoughtfulness and turned it down by saying that she was actually enjoying her time with his family. It was very true and lately it had been the best way to relax and enjoy her free time. She had not been to any parties or events; not even dinners. Rather spent her time with his family. She picked up the phone and called Pryag. In just a couple of rings he picked it up. She said, “Pryag. Something has come up. I don’t think I will be able to make it for this Friday’s dinner. I am definitely going to miss all the fun. But before I commit to anything I wanted to make sure if you are okay with it.” Pryag replied, “Hey! You do what you have to do. You definitely don’t need my permission even if we were married. But you will be missed. We are definitely going to miss a hand in our deck of cards. My dad is not as good as you are. Let me see if I can find someone to replace you. I am pretty sure that is impossible. You are one of a kind. “Diya said, ”Thank you. I am going to miss all the fun too. But this is something I have been postponing for too long. I have to finish up certain things.” Pryag asked, “Diya. …” He paused for a few seconds and said, “If you need anything…. Anything at all, call me. My cell will be on at all times and will be with me. “ She sensed a concern in his voice and said, “Don’t worry Pryag. I am not in any kind of trouble. I have to do this for a friend. You know me very well so I think you will understand.” Pryag said, “I feel better now. As I said, you can call me anytime. Take care.” Diya said, “You are wonderful. I really love you for that.” Pryag replied, “Thank you. I can say I love you too but it probably won’t mean what you meant. So I will leave it at that. Take care” and he hung up. Diya wanted to say something in response to that, something like that she indeed meant what he means and they won’t be just words but as he hung up before she could say anything she decided that it would be best if she discussed this when she gets back after talking to Akshar.

Chapter 349

It has been almost three weeks and she had not returned any calls that she had received from Akshar. With her brother and Kathy around and with Pryag back in her life along with the new order that they had received it was actually easy to postpone calling him back. To some extent in the back of her mind she felt guilty not returning his calls and at the same time she felt that if she did it would not be fair to Pryag. She had feeling for the both of them and that was something that she didn’t want to confront herself with because choosing one over the other was not that simple. Something he brother said has been bothering her. No one in the family knew about Akshar as she never mentioned it as the time was never right. Being back as a part of Pryag’s family with his brother and Kathy to add to it felt very fulfilling. The dinner conversation gave a sense of satisfaction and she realized that she had missed it so much over the past few years with his brother not with her and especially lately with the disconnect with Pryag. On a casual conversation while playing cards after a nice meal on a Saturday evening the topic about love came into play. Pryag’s sister and his brother-in law, Diya, Pryag, Diya’s brother and Kathy were the ones having a late night rendezvous. Pryag’s brother-in-law asked, “I am probably an old school guy as mine is an arranged marriage and to some extent I thought if something went wrong I can blame my parents rather than blaming myself, but luckily every thing turned out great.” Looking at Diya’s brother he asked, “But I have a question for you. You guys seem so much in love; you know the kind of thing you see in the movies. How do you know that Kathy was the one for you?” He laughed and said, “It is very simple. I liked the instant I met her. She is pretty, smart and had a big heart. And unlike other women I have met she had a purpose in life. She was willing to go out of her way to help others. I wanted to date her and spend time with her and get to know her better. The only way was to get involved in her charity work and I realized that that was more to her that meets the eye. She didn’t cease to amaze me and to some extent she made me realize that I was living a selfish life and not really thinking about anyone.”

Kathy smiled and said, “I can’t say that I fell in love the instant I met him but the more time I spent with him I realized he was a wonderful person. It is not easy for me to trust men with my bitter experiences from my past. But with him, I knew that he actually loved me for who I am and I knew he is the one.” She leaned forward and kissed him and said, “I have no doubt about it.” The both kissed and Diya felt a little awkward sitting there. When the conversation had taken another direction and they had been discussing other things, her brother had said looking at Diya, “I don’t have any problem with whom you fall in love with as long as it is not some charming British guy. I just don’t trust them. “That had been bothering her on and off and that was also one of the reasons she never mentioned about Akshar to anyone. She knew very well she had feelings for Akshar. But lately that seemed insignificant. She felt more connected to Pryag. Being a part of his family made her feel wonderful. She felt as if it was her family and not just his. She had not felt that way before. With all these things going in the back of her mind, she wanted to make some kind of decision and avoid mulling over this issue over and over again. She couldn’t quiet relate to what her brother said nor Kathy said, but she felt more connected to Pryag, more than ever before. She thought about Akshar. She said to herself, “It was fun while it lasted. But that is not who I am. I love parties but I am not a pry girl. I have things to achieve and places to go in my life. I think the fun should end now. She walked over to her room and picked up her phone and called Akshar. It went to the voice message. “Hi how are you? Sorry I didn’t return you call. Well many calls. It has been crazy out here. I was wondering maybe we can meet sometime this week?” Before she could hang up Akshar picked up the call. He was a little breathless. He said, “Hi, I was wondering what happened to you. How are you? I missed you very much? Tell me the time and place I will be there to pick you up and drive you there.” She laughed and said, “That is really sweet. Are you free this Saturday?” Akshar, “I have to wait that long to see you?” She said, “I am too busy. I will call you?” He said, “Sure”.