Chapter 41: Chapter 41
*Prathap Pov*
“This is what you mean by staying beside you?” I asked looking at her and she nodded arranging the blanket as if it is a natural thing to do right now.
I turned to look at the bed… beds actually as she just separated the beds leaving a lot of space between them.
When she walked away to her room after finishing the lunch, I expected her to be asleep by the time I come here as a way of removing the awkwardness she must be feeling with this.
I know the moment she asked me to be there beside her, she regretted it but I am shameless enough to ignore that fact and take a chance.
What I didn’t expect was this when I enter her room. She sat down on the bed before laying down and closed her eyes while I continued to stand near the foot of her part of the bed.
Why did I ask Kanika to buy two small beds and use it as one instead of a middle size bed? Right! For the love, Anitha has for this mattress.
But I never thought that one piece of advice would affect my plan like this. I sighed still staring at her sleeping form and she opened her eyes frowning.
“What is it?” she asked as I didn’t look away.
“I allowed you to sleep on my bed when you crashed at my place every time. This is discrimination, Anitha.” I replied and she sat up hearing those words.
“Discrimination?” she asked in a shocked tone and I nodded not backing away from my words.
“You are right! So, you can leave anytime and make sure to close the main door while leaving.” Saying that she again laid down and this time even covered her face with the blanket.
That’s what she wants right now but I will not step back away from this chance. I sighed walking to the side of the bed which I would be using and sat down on it.
Hearing the moment she shifted to lie on her side with her back facing me. I stood up before walking to her sleeping form and pulled down the blanket a bit making her stare at me.
I leaned down to press a kiss on her cheek whispering, “Have a good sleep!” before she can say anything and returned to my bed to lie down.
I waited for her to scold me but surprisingly she didn’t and I stared at the ceiling for sometime before closing my eyes.
After some time I opened them hearing a knock on the door and got down from the bed to open the door before she wakes up.
“What is it?” I asked the servant who is standing near the door.
“There is a parcel for madam and the watchman asked the person to keep it there itself but the delivery person is insisting on Madam’s signature.” She replied and I frowned hearing that.
“Okay! I will come with you.” I mumbled slowly closing the door behind me and followed her outside to find the delivery person still arguing with the watchman.
“I will sign instead of her.” I said reaching them and the person turned around hearing my voice and his eyes widened.
I frowned seeing that expression but he cleared his throat asking, “What is your relationship with her?”
“I am her fiance! But which service center do you work for?” I asked reaching closer to check his name on the card he is wearing which he immediately covered.
Somehow his expression and the way he behaved is nowhere near the normal delivery guy for sure. He stepped back to reach his bike but I gestured to the watchman who immediately moved to hold him.
“The police will find out your name for sure.” I said taking out my phone and he shook his head.
“I didn’t mean to. I was just ordered to take some pictures of hers and that’s it.” He pleaded after my words.
I frowned at him before calling Vikranth and told him everything while he calmly listened before asking, “Will it be fine if he posts the news about you?”
“I am fine! But I don’t know whether Anitha will be fine with it.” I replied and he sighed but didn’t say anything.
“Let him post and I will talk to her. He may not even post anything after getting caught like this. So, just let him go.” Saying that he cut the call.
“Let him go!” I said nodding at the watchman.
“Don’t come here again otherwise the first call will be to police.” I added and he immediately nodded before leaving.
I nodded at the watchman before walking back into the building with the servant following me.
“I will get some snacks ready, Sir.” Saying that she walked away while I continued to climb the stairs and opened the door to find her sitting up.
She stared at me with half-opened eyes asking, “What happened? I heard a knock earlier but when I finally opened my eyes no one was there.”
I calmly explained what happened and she didn’t say anything even after I added the part where Vikranth is going to let the article be published about me being here.
“I am sorry that you are involved again in this. It was my mistake to ask you to stay here.” Saying that she got down from the bed and I immediately reached her side before she can take a step.
“Don’t apologize for that, Anitha! You don’t know how happy I am that you made such a request. And I don’t even care about this article at all.” I stated while she stared at me.
“But I don’t want to use your name again to solve any of my problems. What will I do after the contract expires?” she asked frowning and walked away while I continued to stand there hearing her words.
What should I do to make her stop saying it? Nothing! All I can do is to show my sincere feelings and be there for her.
*Anitha Pov*
“Are you coming with your fiance for the premier?” I glanced up hearing that question and found Lucky standing near my chair along with a senior artist.
“Huh?” I asked back not understanding his question as I was not paying any attention to my surroundings and just at the script.
Today is already the first day of shooting and as usual, I am a bit nervous and trying to keep the lines on the tip of my tongue to not make any mistakes.
“Premier of our movie?” I asked and he nodded.
“But he must be free on that day, right. So, we didn’t release any notice regarding that.” Mehtab replied instead of me.
“Yeah! Running a restaurant is not a small thing and that too at the place he is running it.” Lucky nodded in an understanding way.
Even I thought that but these days the way he is always there for me no matter whether it is a counseling session or the night calls and even cooks for me at least thrice a week, I am supposed to question.
However, all I can feel is guilty about it. I don’t want him to ignore his work like that just because of that incident.
Maybe I am dragging everything more than what it really is but I never wished for him to be with me by ignoring his work no matter what.
I am trying to express the same but he is not even listening to me whenever I bring that topic and just apologize.
It’s been three months and I can’t bear to hear any kind of apology from him. I am not even angry at him anymore and I don’t blame him too.
However, I am scared of being back to the earlier relationship stage as this fear is still there that I will be left alone anytime he would wish to.
“Anny!” I blinked my eyes and glanced up to find just Lucky standing beside me.
“Where are you lost?” he asked smiling and I shook my head.
“If he is not free let me know, I don’t have a date that night and we can go together.” He offered but I declined the request.
“I don’t think it is a good idea when the agencies we are working for are fighting right now.” I pointed out.
“It’s fine! I am thinking of changing the agency too. Until now I was keeping the actual head of the agency in mind and stayed there no matter what is happening but now the situation is going worse. They are favoring over the artists under their agency to choose for the roles and not the talent.” He mumbled sighing.
“The actual head?” I asked shaking my head.
“Yes! Mr. Nitish Kumar is a good head to this agency and even at a young age, he managed everything. But now he is missing from the picture and everything is getting ruined.” He pointed out.
“I don’t want to say much. But Mr. Nitish Kumar is the one to start favoring regarding the roles the artists get. I am impacted by it directly and you can believe it or ignore it.” Saying that I walked away when the director called me over to discuss the earlier scene we shot.
****
I sat in the car thinking about Lucky’s question regarding the premiere and glanced outside.
If Vikranth asks him then he will definitely accept it without thinking about anything else and what if this just continues for a long time.
I shouldn’t be this cruel and letting him continue like this. With that thought, I glanced at Manoj and asked him to drop Mehtab first and he followed it without asking anything else.
“Take me to the restaurant.” I said after she got down.
“Which restaurant?” he asked but continued to drive.
“You know which restaurant.” I replied and he sighed nodding while I bit my lip thinking whether this is the right thing to do.
It’s been so long since I went there and I don’t know whether I should call him first to inform him or just go like this.
But if I call him then how would I know whether he is lying about having less work to do or not. Right! It is better to go uninformed.
After he stopped before the restaurant, I placed my hand on the door handle but couldn’t move at all.
“I can still drive away from this place. No one found us being here yet.” Manoj offered when a few minutes passed.
“No!” saying that I turned it before stepping out of the car and calmly climbed the stairs before glancing at the person standing near the door.
“Ms. Anny! It’s been a long time.” He greeted me smiling and I smiled back while he opened the door.
This is past lunchtime and they must be preparing for dinner time as far as I remember. So, I didn’t find the customers present but I found Deepak instructing someone and not even realizing his surroundings.
“Ms. Anny!” the person he is talking to finally saw me and smiled at me.
He turned around in shock while I waved at them and she rushed away from him to the kitchen while he still stood there.
“Anny!” I heard another voice and found Bhraghav stepping out of the kitchen doors along with a few staff.
“How are you all?” I asked and they just replied at a time while Deepak slowly started walking back towards the cabin.
“I will talk to you guys again.” I apologized before following Deepak to not let him warn Prathap ahead and hide all the load of work he is handling now.
However, when I entered the cabin along with Deepak, I don’t know what to even say after seeing what is happening here.
“Wake up!” Deepak whispered shaking Prathap’s sleeping form on the couch which didn’t exist before in this cabin.
“Don’t wake up, Deepak! This is my afternoon nap and I will check up on you guys after the preparations are done.” He yawned not even opening his eyes.
“It’s four already!” Deepak mumbled still shaking.
“I watched that movie at night and didn’t sleep until two. Let me sleep and don’t disturb me.” I sighed shaking my head at his words while gesturing Deepak to leave who didn’t even stop for a second before leaving the cabin.
“Wake up, Prathap!” I mumbled tapping on his shoulder and his eyes moved a bit and he even frowned before opening his eyes in a flash.
“You!” he started and immediately sat up only to hit his head to the cupboard over his head.
“Are you okay?” I asked rushed closer and removed the hand he is using to rub the place he got hit while closing his eyes in pain.
“That’s why Deepak told me to not place the couch here.” He mumbled while I rubbed the spot while checking whether the wound is bigger or any bruising present.
“Why didn’t you listen?” I asked frowning while moving his hair a bit to check and slowly rubbed it.
“I felt lazy to go to my room for just an hour nap.” He replied and I shook my head at his weird reason.
He opened his eyes when I didn’t say anything to stare at me before shifting his hands to circle my waist.
“You are really here! Did I do anything or not lifted your call?” he asked while I was trying to remove his hands with my one hand.
“No! I just missed Bharghav and Deepak and others.” I replied and he sighed looking down while my hand stopped from removing his hands after seeing his expression.
Why do I love him so much? I thought frowning and ignored his hug to concentrate on his wound.
“I will ask them to get an ice pack from the kitchen.” I mumbled while he hugged me tighter.
“It’s okay! I am fine!” he mumbled and I know after hearing those words I can stop caring about it but somehow my fingers started to caress his hair and we stayed like that until we heard a loud knock on the door.
“Whoever it is I am going to fire him.” Prathap mumbled and I smiled hearing that and pressed my lips tightly to not let out a chuckle.