My eyes moved back to Ansell as I thought that maybe he had stopped the car to attend to a phone or something else but there was no such case.
We were supposed to go back to his home so that he could once again lock me inside, like a bird in the cage, isn’t it?
Why has he brought me here?
“Because it’s been days since I hung out” he replied to my unasked thoughts.
My eyes flicked to the cafe where he had brought me and I was a bit taken aback. Though I saw the surroundings but before my mind was so occupied that it didn’t click in quickly. I didn’t think that he was planning to spend some time here.
“It is your favourite cafe, isn’t it?” He asked.
My eyes moved back to him and I was again surprised to know that he was stalking me so badly that he knew practically everything about me as I was unaware of anything except the way he was showing me from outside.
He stepped out and walked around the car to open the door like the gentleman that he was not.
“Com’on, it will lighten your mood and will give me something to have. As I was looking after you, I didn’t have anything since last night” he told me.
What a favor! I stepped out and we walked inside the cafe together. I don’t want him to blame me for his hunger. He ordered two hot cream chocolate coffees before we occupied seats.
I remained silent as I was not in the mood to talk to him but today he seems in completely opposite mood. He wanted to talk me.
“I thought that meeting your brother would lighten up your mood but you still seem lost” he said.
“I can never be happy if you want around me, Ansell ” I told him in a cold tone.
“You have developed quite a resentment towards me, haven’t you?” He asked.
“You mentioned just moments ago that me being in your arms and being yours is enough for you, regardless of how I feel about our relationship. Then you shouldn’t care if I hate you” I said trying to be a bit poisonous. “Enjoy yourself ”
He chuckled. I didn’t get what he found amusing in this.
“You don’t exactly hate me. You are trying to hate me because of what your brother has told you” he said.
“Seriously Ansell? X I asked in disbelief. “After what you have done to me I would have still hated you even if my brother was the culprit”
. “I accept that I have done wrong to you but now I am giving you a chance. Marry me” Ansell said, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.
“But the point is that I am not ready to give you any chance” I said straightforwardly.
I could sense him drawing deep breaths as his jaw clenched. He clearly did not like that I was declining his offer but I care less. He has already blackmail me enough. I will not be involved in this crime anymore.
He wanted to retaliate but before anything could come out of his mouth a girl came with our coffee. To my surprise, she also brought along a plate of my favourite cookies and I am sure he must have asked for them.
I suppressed a reaction and shifted my focus to the coffee, determined not be swayed by his attempts to appease me.
My eyes moved around as I remember those days when I used to visit here to escape the chaos but at the moment there is such a huge storm in my life that nothing seems to give me that peace.
Abruptly, the cafe’s ambiance shifted as the music changed to a more soothing melody a melody that was imprinted into my heart. “Come away with me” began to play, and as it’s first notes reached my ears, my eyes locked onto Ansell’s already fixed on me.
He remembered the song, he remembered what it meant to me, what effect it had one me.
“You remember this song?” He asked. I am sure he read my face.
How can’t I ?
I have listened to this song more than 2000 times Nd the only reason behind it is him.
I could could vividly recall that evening. The stage had been set, the spotlight illuminating the performers one by one. And then, there was Ansell, standing at the center, his fingers strumming the guitar’s strings with a familiarity that revealed his deep connection with music. And when he began to sing, his voice filled the air, leaving a hushed audience in its wake.
And what attracted me the most was that his eyes didn’t leave me even for a second. William was not around and maybe he took advantage of that.
He sang the whole song looking at me as if I was the sole audience listening to his song. It was a connection that sent shivers down my spine, and it seemed as if the rest of the world has faded away, leaving just him and me in that musical embrace while most of the time when so many girls were around and they were dying to get one look from him. He and William were among the most popular boys and the girls wanted them. They never miss any singing show of his and sports play William but none of them give any attention to any girl.
My friend used to tease me when they caught Ansell looking at me in such a way and this is exactly what happened that day as well.
Even with so many students, his eyes found mine and he sang the entire song looking at me as if he was dedicating the song to me.
I considered that day as one of my luckiest days at that time. And from then this song became my favourite and dear to my heart. I used to play it on a loop the entire day.
“You know why I sang this song that day?”
He was expecting me to ask him further but I stayed silent.
“That’s because a few days back William was singing the same song and when I asked him if he liked the song so much he told me that you were singing and dancing to this song and since then it has been stuck in his head. Annual festival fast approaching and I was not getting what to sing and from that moment I was sure which song I was going to sing” he told me everything.
The confession left me feeling flattered and embarrassed, and a hint of warmth coloured my cheeks as I recalled that day once more.
“Do you remember it?” He asked, his gaze steady and unrelenting. He was expecting a positive answer from my side.
I gulped as I stared deep into those green eyes which had now ruined my life and everything that he had done to me played back in my head.
“No, I don’t” I replied coldly and averted my gaze.
I know he is deeply hurt by my words but he has hurt me more than this. He is responsible for ruining this relationship.
I sip the coffee to distract my mind and suddenly a voice calls me from behind.
“Nara?”
I turned around, my eyes widening in surprise as I saw Resha standing there. In college, we were a group of three girls one of them was Resha.
“Resha?” I stood up.
Her eyes lit up with recognition, and in a heartbeat, she threw into my arms, hugging me tightly.
“Oh my god, Nara! I can’t believe it’s you” she exclaimed, pulling back to look at me. “I never expected to run into you here. Where have you been? No messages, no calls. I even tried calling you once, but your phone was switched off” she complained with a pout.
“Oh! It must be on service that time” I lied.
“What happened to you? Is everything fine? You always used to stay happy but the smile is missing from your lips, you have become so pale” her eyes moved around my body.
“No, it’s just that I fall ill” I lied again.
“How? What happened?’
My eyes moved to Ansell because he is the reason behind every suffering and her attention also shifted to him.
“Oh my god!” I flinched when she shouted once again grabbing my attention. “Are you guys dating?” She asked out of excitement.
I offered her a small forced smile because I couldn’t tell her the reality of the relationship.
“My god, Nara I am so happy for you” she jumped on me again. “I can’t believe that you finally got the love of your life”
I gulped and my eyes flicked to Ansell who looked amused listening to her.
“I always knew it would happen. Your devotion to him was on a different level ‘
Oh god, Resha. Please don’t say much things in front of him. He knows that he was my crush and nothing more than that.
“I am happy for you but this is wrong that you didn’t even tell us” she said.
“Sorry, there was a lot going on my life ” I told her.
“Oh sorry, Nara. How could I forget about William? The time must be tough for you and I understand that in times like this we often forget things. I apologize to you for not being here when you lost William ” she said.
“It’s ok, Resha ” I gave her a small smile “I understand that you were stuck somewhere”
She nodded.
“Resha ” someone called her.
“I will meet you soon, Nara. Call me or at least pick mine”
I nodded and giving me one last hug she left.
“Love and devotion, huh?” Ansell asked me in a teasing tone. I knew he would catch the word.
I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, feeling exposed in more ways than one.
“I want to go home” I said not meeting my eyes with him.
“But at least finish your coffee ” he asked and I saw that he had already finished his.
“I don’t want it. The coffee doesn’t taste like it did before. I want to go home” I said.
A soft chuckle escaped him, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of irritation at his seemingly carefree demeanor.
“”Let’s go. At least you are calling my home as home, soon you will accept my offer as well and call it our home” he said.
His dreams!
This is never going to happen. I will soon be free from him. I am just waiting to get my hands on the pieces of evidence and make Desy accept her crime with her own mouth.