When Anitha opened her eyes, she was lying on her bed, in her apartment. It's morning, room was brightly illuminated by full of sunrays. It must be beyond 8 she thought, her eyes stuck the clock, it said past 10, "OMG!!! Office..project submission..." , she woke up suddenly and winced in pain.
She ran her fingers over her forehead, there was a bandage plastered on its left corner.
Then only she able to remember all the yesterday's events sequentially.
" What happened after that?, How I reached here?" She closed her eyes, tried to recollect,
"It was Vijay".
"I saw his face, how could it be? Or was it in my dream? Who brought me here?"
While she tried to decipher her thoughts, the door got opened and Vijay entered inside.
"I thought you were sleeping, otherwise I would have knocked the door" he smiled at her warmly.
"How do you feel now?" He asked in a calm and composed voice tended with care.
" Ya.... better.." she fell silent, not sure of what to say next.
He placed a plate on the bedside table. Then only she noticed he was carrying that plate along with him. There were two ' moru moru ' dosas, with coconut chutney in a small cup and a tumbler full of milk.
" Who made it?" She asked instantly and bit her lip, he narrowed his eyes, " it doesn't seemed bought from outside" she added. She felt so awkward.
"Try to eat completely" he said and started leaving.
" Did you bring me here? How do you know my place?" She asked quickly before he leave the room.
He smiled back at her, and left the room closing the door behind him.
It's weird she thought, and sat there for few minutes, and her thinking changed to office. She searched for her mobile, it was on the table. She took it and called Gayatri, she didn't pick up the call. She also tried for Aparna, there was no answer. They must be in meeting, she thought. "Anyway the project was completed yesterday itself, they can submit it today" she somewhat pacified her mind.
Then she started to the washroom, she felt too tired to walk. While washing her face, she noticed in the mirror, something was different about her. At once she realized, "this is not the chudidhar I was wearing yesterday, who changed my dress?, is it Vijay? She jolted with sudden anger.
She wants to clarify immediately, she came out of the bathroom, and started towards the door.
At the same time, the door was opened followed by a gentle knock, and he came inside.
"Who changed my dress?" She asked straight away.
He didn't answer for a minute, his face went dark.
" I asked you a question and I want a reply now" she said with a built-in anger.
"Your friend Gayatri" he muttered.
"What?" She blinked like not understanding what he said. Before she could speak further, he started saying,
"Yesterday night she texted you" he pointed her phone, " to confirm your safety, I replied her", today morning she called you, I attended the phone, she came here before going to the office, since your dress was full of mud, I asked her to change it", he said in a deep, clean muted voice without any expression.
She fell silent..
" Don't think too much and trouble yourself, you need to take rest now, then I'll answer all your questions."
"Here is your tablets, don't forget to eat", he said with a stone voice and left the room.
"He had saved me, I didn't thank him yet, instead i am getting angry with him, shatterbrained I must be", she felt embarrassed.
She finished eating, took tablets, rested on the bed.
"How he came there yesterday at that time? They said it's 7 years of imprisonment that too non bailable.. that day the events took place in the police station, came into her mind...
Is he escaped from the jail?! Is he using my place to hide?! She was lost in thoughts and fell asleep....
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To be continued
