The Big Swap - Part 21

~TWENTY ONE~

"So here's whatever you need to know about small firms. They need articles desperately and more often than not they don't have too many choices. But you've cleared both groups in your very first attempt; meaning you're the best they can get; so don't panic. They'll not ask you too many technical questions like the Big Four. And they might just ask you to join from the very next day. Don't say yes till you've appeared for all the interviews and have analysed the perks and stipends of each firm. Okay?"

Meera nodded curtly, trying really hard to suppress the grin that was deadly close to her lips. Vedant appalled her.

He'd basically read her diary, her diary full of rants and complaints. Meera knew she hadn't been her best self even when they actually met in person. And yet, all she had to do was message Vedant once, and he'd given his all to help.

How could she not develop a soft spot for him?

"Okay. That's about it I guess." Vedant mumbled to himself as he locked the screen of his phone and gazed up at Meera.

"So what's up?" he asked.

Meera just shrugged, as she sipped onto her coffee.

"How's everything back home?" she asked next, having evaded this question too long and not able to control herself any longer.

His face fell immediately; just for a split second; but it did and surprisingly it concerned Meera to no end.

"The same."

Meera gulped, thinking of a subtle but effective way of knowing more but he beat her to it with,

"So...I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Okay."

"You were like, really pissed with me before that day at Marine Drive. And you looked equally angry when our conversation started but then suddenly you...you actually started talking to me normally." His eyes gleamed with caution, almost as if he knew that he was treading on sensitive ground.

She sensed his cautious tone, looked at his expectant gaze and the coffee mug he gripped so tightly. And that was the instant, Meera decided to accept this tugging sensation she'd been feeling since the first time she'd met Vedant.

He really liked her; and not in the crazy, mushy kind of way but the awfully caring kind of way. And there was no denying that.

It warmed her insides, but brought along a weird sense of fear too. Fear of not knowing how to handle all this affection from him. All her life, she'd lived a rather secluded life. Even at home, she'd always felt lonely.

Rishi had been one person she'd opened up to, but he too shut her out. Every time she tried to get back up on her feet and loosen around somebody else, shit happened. And so, she taught herself to simply live with this loneliness.

Which is why when she suddenly seemed to realize what she meant to Vedant, she felt scared. Even a little overwhelmed, for somewhere deep down inside she knew she was developing feelings for him too.

  

She'd not realized how long she'd been silent until her thoughts were interrupted by,

"You don't have to answer that. I'm sorry I was just really-" this time, he looked visibly frightened.

Why does he look scared?

"-Are you scared of me?" she ended up asking immediately.

Vedant's eyes widened as he gaped at her with shock. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and then resorted to staring into the cup before him.

"I'm just scared of pissing you off again." Words spoken very earnestly.

A sudden tension seemed to fill the room, and Meera found herself unable to come up with a sane reply to his response.

Thankfully, Vedant's phone came to her rescue as his ringtone blared. His brows knit together and his face fell almost immediately as he slid his finger through the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Um yeah."

"Uh...no."

"I'm sorry?"

"No, I uh...I understand."

"Thank you."

Meera wanted to ask him who it was. What could've been so bad that his face had fallen so drastically?

But Vedant didn't say a thing, and instead resorted to staring at his phone with a blank look on his face.

"I hope you don't mind Meera, I uh...I think I'll leave now."

Meera had been quite guilty for all the times she'd been too cold to Vedant to his face. But it was that instant Meera realized just how Vedant must have felt when she'd left him on that coffee date without a reason. He was just asking to leave; mind you politely; and it still felt like he'd slapped her hard across her face.

She felt, rejected.

"Oh." She managed, already fumbling for her wallet in her bag. Her palms had become icy cold the way they always did when she were too startled. And that instant, she was more startled than she recalled having ever been before.

I've started liking the guy who read my diary.

Am I crazy or what?

She'd zoned out due to sheer shock and didn't realize where she was until she felt something warm on her palms. Her gaze shot up to Vedant with surprise, as she noticed the worry laced in his eyes.

"Your palms are freezing."

She pulled her hands out of his grip consciously, almost mumbling,

"Yeah."

Vedant continued to look at her, as if waiting for some sort of an explanation. Meera rolled her eyes,

"What?"

"Why are your palms freezing?"

Did he really just ask me that?

She shrugged, thinking of a good comeback; but failed. "It's a common occurrence with me. Nothing too major."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Urgh I must sound like a weirdo to him. "I mean, my palms get cold whenever I feel some extreme emotion. Anger, nervousness, hatred, anxiety...."

He nodded, as if letting the piece of information sink in.

"You know Kanika and Archit are a thing now?" Meera steered the topic instantly. Vedant obviously noted that, and wondered what the extreme emotion was that she was feeling that instant. Anger, nervousness, hatred or anxiety?

None of them sounded so good to him.

"Yeah. Archit told me."

Having paid the bill, both rose to leave for the exit.

"Archit's not too stable a boyfriend no?"

Vedant turned towards her guiltily, "I could be honest with you, or lie."

... continued The Big Swap - Part 22