Not You

Chapter 24

It had been four days. True to their word, Aditi hadn't heard from either one of them. Purab was being patient she guessed, waiting for her. Adi on the other hand had stopped visiting the house completely. She tried to think of a time in the last two weeks when he wasn't at home and had a tough time remembering such a thing. She had grown so used to his presence, his constant teasing and the banter, let alone how she felt around him. She didn't even know how to talk to Mads about this. The whole situation was a complete mess. Aditi came home and heard a phone buzzing loudly. She squinted around and found Mads' phone on her couch. She walked up to it and found Adi's face flashing on the screen. He had a big smile on his face in the picture. Just looking at the picture made her smile. She reached out for him. Before she could touch the phone, the screen went blank. Her fingers paused just as the screen lit up again with a message.

Aditya: Why don't you ever pick up when I call?

Aditya: Madhuraaa

She smiled and snatched up the phone before plonking herself on the couch.

Madhura: Need to be bailed from another hapless wedding party, do we now?

Aditya: Aditi?

Aditya: Sigh. It's bad manners to read someone else's messages.

Aditi...It was no longer Turtle, she noted with a pang.

Madhura: I don't remember it bothering you a few weeks back...

Aditya: It was a different time then. Where is Madhura?

Aditi felt a sinking feeling of dismay in her stomach reading his words of indifference.

Madhura: Gym.

Aditya: Damn it.

Madhura: Why?

Aditya: I need something from the house.

Madhura: What?

Aditya: I left my USB drive on the desk in her room.

Madhura: And where are you?

Aditya: In the cab.

Madhura: Well then come and take it.

Aditi was hating the sharp and to-the-point conversation. She didn't know what to say or do to make it all better and the way it used to be. It felt like something had been taken away before it could even begin. Then before she could regret it, she quickly typed out and pressed send.

Madhura: Why don't you come home anymore?

Aditya: I'm busy.

Madhura: That didn't stop you from finding time before.

Aditya: Aditi, please. I don't have the time for this.

Something flared up inside Aditi. She snapped and wrote back

Madhura: The time for what? A normal conversation? I am asking you a simple question. I'm sure it has a simple enough answer.

Aditya: No. It does not have a simple answer. In fact, it never did. Why do you think we're here right now? It's because nothing about us is simple.

Aditi read the message and took a deep breath.

Madhura: So what now?

Aditya: So nothing. I leave by end of this week anyway.

It was like a suckerpunch to the stomach as she read that last message. She felt a combination of anger and sadness taking over her. She wanted to set the phone aside and walk away before she said something she didn't mean to. But she couldn't. Instead,

Madhura: Fine. Go. Chase your simplicity and be happy.

Aditya: Whilst you chase Purab.

She should have known this was coming.

Madhura: Oh look who's talking!

Aditya: What is that supposed to mean?

Madhura: Nothing.

Aditya: I would have asked why you felt the necessity to hide the fact that you're dating someone but I don't see the point right now.

Madhura: Oh my God, we've been out once! And why should I have told you? Give me one good reason.

Aditya: Madhura is right.

Madhura: About what?

Aditya: You're really dense.

The doorbell rang. She got up and marched to the door with an unnecessary force. She wrenched the door open, still clutching Mads' phone in the other hand and saw Adi standing there. He was again dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans. He looked at her with an odd look on his face.

She still had the phone in her hand. Without lowering it, she raised a finger, jabbed him in the chest and said, "No, you're really dense!"

He sighed and stepped in, closing the door behind them lightly. He ran a hand through his hair and said, "You think I don't know that?"

She lowered the phone from her ear but held onto it tightly as though she needed something to hold onto.

With a shaky breath, she asked, "Why are you so mad at me?"

He broke into a smile at that. Almost as though he was going to start laughing. And then he did. Let out a laugh. He couldn't hold it in.

"What??"

With the same smile, he took a step closer to her and said, "I didn't even know you a few weeks ago. Logically speaking, I don't know why I'm mad at you. It sounds so stupid to me. But I'm clearly not functioning from a place of logic when it comes to you."

She didn't realize that her heart was beating so rapidly until then. She took a step closer to him and looked into his eyes. He was so close now. She could see what he was trying to say but she wanted him to say it.

"Why not?"

He shook his head and covered his eyes with a hand to say, "Ugh, you're killing me here, Turtle."

Turtle. She smiled so wide when she heard that again. It was like something unlocked in her. She reached out and plucked his hand from his face. He looked down at the hand and then at her. Before he could say anything else, she pulled him in and kissed him. And Adi? Oh, he kissed right back.

He closed the distance between them and held her face. She wound her arms around his shoulders and held tight. Mads' phone slipped out of her hand and fell to the ground. For a few moments, she had something new to hold on to.

She wanted to describe this feeling somehow. She wanted to write it down so she could tell someone about it later. There was a swooping sensation in her stomach that she had never felt before. It felt so good to be here. To be kissed by someone who was trying to explain how he felt in those few select moments. Without words.

A little while later, he pulled back and looked at her. He slowly withdrew a hand from her face and put it on her arm to say, "Open your eyes, Turtle."

She smiled as she heard that name again and blinked her eyes open.

Author's Note: :)