Halfway Through- Part 2

Nakul had a tough time dealing with his emotions regarding Minisha. He couldn't figure out the kind of attachment he shared with her. He was quite protective of her, always trying his best to shield her from all sorts of trouble. Her smile was enough to brighten his day. He loved her company so much that he didn't mind sacrificing his nap after a hectic day and preferred spending time in having conversations with her. Inspite of all this, he never felt the urge to make sexual advances towards her. Given the age difference between them, the protectiveness he developed for her restrained him also from making any such moves which could be detrimental to her life. He lived with the belief that they both can never be together, and he acted accordingly.

Since Minisha heard Nakul's story, she started staying more formal with him. She held only professional conversations, avoided spending time with him and started giving excuses for it. Nakul noticed it, but never said a word. Their friendship was now in it's awkward phase, where they both knew the reason, but none came forward to break the ice.

One day, she saw Nakul in a bad mood, sitting alone. Though it was her choice to maintain the distance, yet she thought it was unjust to ignore the person who always stood by her side. She walked up to him and asked "What's the matter? You seem upset." "Nothing, just stressed out, can't handle the work pressure." He replied in an indifferent tone. She took a seat beside him, just in case he wanted to talk more.

After a minute or two, Nakul looked up at her. She was dressed in a white and turquoise traditional suit, with floral laced full sleeves. Her hair was tied in a fishtail braid from sideways, with tresses flicking from the other side. With the little pearl studs adorning her ears, and a tint of hot pink lipstick going well with her fair complexion, she looked like an archetype Disney princess, thought Nakul. He hadn't seen her for days, and perhaps it was the first time he noticed her so closely. He was mesmerised by her beauty and for a moment forgot his stress and murmured softly "You're so beautiful." Minisha heard him, was taken aback a little. It was the first time he complimented her for her looks.

She blushed, and faintly replied, "Thanks." In a moment, Nakul's grave expressions were back again, and he replied with disappointment, "Many people would have told you so, and I am just another one in that crowd." She couldn't decipher the reason behind such drastic shifts in his moods. She thought of sticking to her resolution of maintaining purely professional relations with him. "The presentation we prepared for the new ad got approved by the boss. He said he loved the idea and it's novelty, and instructed others to take inspiration from this and bring in more creativity to the work." Nakul smiled at her, and said, "The credit goes to you. I only gave you the necessary instructions. It involved your idea, creativity and efforts. I wonder how you manage to work so efficiently while managing your home too, all by yourself in this new city, you're quite talented. I am so proud of you." His words brought a wide smile on her face, and gratitude in her eyes. She spoke to him in a soft tone, "You were right, many people complimented me for my looks, but you're the first person to praise me for my efforts and tell me that you're proud of me. Even my parents never spoke such words for me. It really means a lot to me. Thank you." Her eyes became moist, and Nakul was moved by her words. "You deserve it, and one day your parents will also say the same."

"Nakul, do you have Divya's number?" Kartik, a colleague came and interrupted their conversations. "Yes, wait a second", Nakul replied as he fished out his phone from his pocket and searched for her number. He gave the number to Kartik. While he was dialling her number, Minisha asked, "Who's Divya?" "Our former employee, she just left the office a month before you joined, due to some personal reasons." Nakul told her.

Meanwhile, Kartik came back and said, "Her phone is not reachable. I need to contact her urgently, I need the soft copy of the presentation she made for the cosmetics' ad." "Wait till her number is reachable." Nakul replied. "Man, I've texted her, but I can't wait, I need it ur....hey, you know her address right? You used to drop her home, please do tell me."

Minisha's heart skipped a beat. Did they share so much of bonding that he used to drop her home? Strangely he never told her about Divya. Her heart was racing now, and it was unexplainable as to why she even cared about it.

Before Nakul could say anything, Kartik's phone beeped, "Hey I received her message, see you guys." Saying this he went away. Minisha tried to pacify herself, and casually asked him, "So she is quite a good friend of yours?" "Not much, I just used to drop her whenever it got late because her place was near to mine." Nakul answered. "What's her age?" She blatantly asked. "She must be 4-5 years older than you."  He replied, sensing the curiousity and restlessness in her voice.
Minisha didn't stop, and proceeded further, "Was she a friend like me, or better than me?"

Nakul tried to suppress his anger, and blurted, "Whatever you want to know, you may ask directly." "What kind of bond you shared with her? Were you protective of her too like you're for me.? Was she special to you the way I am? Were your meetings restricted to office or were extended to the nocturnal trysts in her home too?" Her voice exhibited anger and distrust.

It was too much to bear for Nakul. He got up in anger and spoke in a suppressed, aggressive and angry tone, "If I went to drop her home, doesn't mean I slept with her. Do you think every girl who enters this office becomes special to me and I develop a fondness for her? Just because I am single does that make me a desperate moron looking after a female body to prey upon?."

Even if I am going around with other women, how does that even bother you. You've started controlling me like a wife or a girlfriend. Why can't you decide what you have to be? Don't stand in the midway, you'll create more problems for yourself and me. Moreover you've been putting such allegations on me, branding me a casanova or a sexual predator. Do you know how much it hurts, hearing it from someone who is so close to me. Have I ever given you any reason to believe the things you just said? Did I touch you ever without your consent? Still if you feel I am an unsafe man to be with you're free to stay away from me."

This angry rant was enough to anger her more. "I don't care whom you talk to and whom you care for, you don't need to throw tantrums on me, you're nobody to do that." At that moment Nakul's phone rang. It was Divya. She looked at the screen, gave him an angry, sarcastic look, and stormed out of his cabin.

No matter how hard she tried, she could'nt find the reason behind her jealousy and possessiveness for Nakul. Just the thought of him caring and being protective of another girl was enough to catalyse her anger. The mere fact that she never knew about Divya created serious doubts in her mind about Nakul. Yet again, he was just a friend, she told herself. It was hard for her to deal with the agonizing complicated web of feelings she had for him. She now resolved to stay away from him, that was the only way to save her skin and to filter all the opinions Nakul developed about her on account of her behaviour.

Next day, when he didn't turn up, she heaved a sigh of relief. She thought if they don't see each other for sometime the matter would be resolved on it's own. If it was just an infatuation, it would fade away after some point of time if they maintained a distance. Moreover people in the office were now talking about the two of them, most of them started thinking of them as a couple. She thought that staying away was the only alternative to suppress these rumours which could have harmed their career and reputation.

She couldn't see Nakul for the next few days. Nor she had the courage to call him, as she was tagged as being dominant and possessive of him. Her relief now shifted to anxiety. Few of the colleagues even asked her about his whereabouts. She indifferently told them that she had no idea. Deep down in her heart she was panicking with each passing day. She was now worried of his well being. What if he left the job? What if he was in trouble? The last time she met him, before those angry rants, he seemed upset. She now started blaming herself for being so cold to him. The egoism was now replaced by guilt.

Everytime she picked her phone to call Nakul, those last words of him echoed in her ears and stopped her. He thought that she was showing signs of love. Her anxiety would make him believe his words. Though she restrained herself from having any soft feelings for him, but deep down she was craving for him, missing him badly, checking her phone every minute hoping for a message from him. She still couldn't dare to call it love. It was better to destroy the roots of that relation which her own people would never approve of.

She was fighting the dilemmas in her heart and mind. To call him or not to call him? Was it love, infatuation, or just a deep friendship? Each night passed with the tears in her eyes, soaking her pillows, as they were the only companions in times of distress.

Her anxiety was now crossing the barriers. With sleepless nights and impatient days, she was now determined to know about him. She mustered up the courage to call him, regardless of what he would think about her. Her softer side for him conquered her ego, and she was ready to assert her right over him again, even if that meant strengthening the belief in his mind that she loved him.