Chapter 3 Her Secret Smile

Nidhi was waiting for Roshini. She is gazing at the passing vehicles and people. Standing in the bustling atmosphere Nidhi checked her phone again to see the time 6.00 pm. She decided to call Roshini again but before she could, Roshini came in front of her with a smile on her face. And she is breathing heavily that told that she ran here.

"Sorry Nidhi, I made you wait," she apologized.

"Oh stupid, don't be sorry," Nidhi patted her shoulders.

"Then today what happened?" Nidhi questioned in mischief.

"Nothing, the workshop is such a bore you know," Roshini gave an annoying face and stood beside her, but she didn't understand the fact that Nidhi is indirectly teasing her.

For all these days Roshini was so confident that no one knew about her hidden feelings but sadly Nidhi was familiar about her crush over Siddharth. She has noticed her many times when was staring at him in amazement, her eyes reflected something while Siddharth was near her.

After all, she is a girl who already experienced all these emotions. Nidhi has caught her while staring at him a lot of times and the way her expression changes when she hears names. They were beautiful to see.

Even today Nidhi noticed the excitement on Roshini's face when their professor asked them to go together.

But how she found that Roshini was seriously having a crush on Siddharth was in the first year-end. Where Nidhi constantly observed her near the playground. It seemed like she was studying and doing her work. But one-day Roshini without her grasp looking at the playground, Nidhi first thought that she's watching only the match then she perceived that she's watching Siddharth, not the match, her eyes were running along with his every move.

She can't believe that Roshini is having a crush! Since she never showed interested in that stuffs and even she won't listen when someone talks about any other guys.

After that Nidhi started observing her to confirm her doubt and she eventually learned that Roshini is serious, madly in crush, maybe in love with Siddharth.

Who can't have a crush on him, a guy with a beautiful smile, handsome face, charming and more importantly smart, just like her? Any girl can fall for his small smile in that, Roshini is not an exception.

When she was in her thoughts, Roshini patted her shoulder.

"Bus," she said and looked at the approaching bus which was crowded with people.

Roshini left out a sigh, "We are going to be squeeze today," she muttered.

After half an hour of travel on the crowded bus, they jumped out when they reached their stop.

During their walk, they conversed mostly about their upcoming exams and assignments. When they reached near Nidhi's house, Roshini waved her goodbye and asked her to arrive bus stop tomorrow earlier.

Nidhi watched Roshini until she reaches near the end of their street. She smiled and turned to go inside her house.

But when she stepped, a loud horn sound just stopped her. Her heart started racing to hear that. She doesn't want to turn and see him but she did eventually.

There is this guy, who's glaring at her. He was sitting on his Royal Enfield bike, he was all dressed up in lawyer uniform black slacks and white shirt. He didn't smile at her instead he looked her like she has done a big mistake. There's a frustration on his face.

Nidhi immediately turned as she didn't saw him and walked into her house. Truly she's hell scared to see his face and his gaze made her uncomfortable.

She went into her room and placed her bag on the desk. Her legs pushed her near the window and she slightly peeped out to see whether he's still there.

But to her surprise, he was still standing before his house and talking with his friends.

"Nidhi comes here," her mom suddenly called her.

Nidhi belongs to a conservative Malayali Family. Her father was doing business and her mom was a teacher. Being the only child of her parents, Nidhi was raised with a lot of love and also with a lot of conditions.

She never talks back to her parents and always a polite girl that everyone appreciates. Beauty with brain is what Nidhi is. She is more beautiful than Roshini, and she is more popular among boys compared to Roshini.

Seeing her appearance, no, one can say that she is a mature person. Her childish acts, her humor sense, and her height 5'1 showed her like a school going girl. But inside she's mature and an understanding person too. She can easily analyze a person, instantly she can become a friend to anyone. She is a go lucky girl that everyone wishes to be with her.

Nidhi went to see her mother; she asked her to prepare instant Noodles for herself since they were going out to attend a marriage function and she haven't prepared dinner. Nidhi nodded her head and went again to her room.

She closed her windows and door to change her clothes. Slipping into her pajamas, she stumbled on her bed. Closing her eyes, she felt the nervousness in her, she doesn't know why her heart is pounding to see him, Varun.

She nodded her head to forget his face but nothing seemed to work out knowing that he's out there, waiting for a perfect moment to talk with her. After refreshing herself, she went out to prepare the Noodles. That time her mom came out, all dressed up in a Pattu saree and with some matching jewels. Her mom looked beautiful so Nidhi clicked a few pictures of her mom and she also took a selfie with her.

Nidhi share a strong bond with her mom since she doesn't have any siblings, her mom and dad were the only companions for her. She loves them unconditionally and other than them nothing is important to her.

"Tomorrow pay the electricity bills, Nidhi," her dad said before walking out and her mom followed him to outside.

When they reached near the gate Nidhi's eyes looked the opposite house. There Varun was still standing and talking with his friends, he was smiling and laughing like a crazy person.

"Nidhi, money on the shelf, use that to buy the noodles," her mom informed and entered the car.

What!! Nidhi exclaimed. She doesn't want to go out and she is afraid of Varun.

After her parents left, Nidhi went into the house without looking at his side. She took the money and thought about whether to go out or not. But hearing her stomach screams she decides to go.

She came out of her house, wearing her slippers Nidhi walked to the shop that is near to her house. She bought an instant Noodles pack and again walked back hurriedly.

While she is about to reach the gates she felt Varun is walking towards her. She turned her gaze to look him and she saw him walking towards her, Nidhi took a long stride. But Varun successfully blocked her way.

Be strong! Be strong! She chanted inside and stopped.

She looked up to see his face, before his 5'9 height she is small in. With frustration, Varun opened his mouth.

"Am I looking like a thug for you or am I looking like a gangster?" Varun questioned clenching his jaw.

Nidhi didn't say anything and looked down.

"Answer me? Why you are silent?"

"No," she replied rolling her eyes.

"Then you're running away from me like I am a criminal," he asked pointing his fingers.

"Who said I am running away from you?"

"Then what you did for all these days, look Nidhi you're going too much, there's a limit for everything," he said and reached out his hand to hold her hand.

But Nidhi instantly brush him off and walked.

"Wait, I didn't finish yet," grabbing her hand Varun said.

Nidhi was hell scared, she looked whether anyone is watching them but thankfully there is no one on the road.

"What do you want, are you stupid? Leave my hand," she gritted and tried to take her hand out of his grip.

"Nidhi, will you hear me for a second!" he said louder to get her attention.

"I am sorry and forgive me," he apologized looking at her eyes.

Nidhi was astonished to hear that from him, the uncompromising Varun was asking sorry to her. She never easily apologized for anything, but for the first time, he did.

"Leave it. I am going," she didn't show as she accepted his apology.

Varun didn't stop her. He gazed at her with a helpless and hopeless expression.

Nidhi locked the door behind and stumbled on the couch. She gripped her hand, where Varun held her.

'I ... can't hate you' she sighed closed her eyes in frustration and went to prepare the Noodless.

***

"Nidhi, I am sorry!"

Reminding the words that Varun said yesterday has got something in her.

She can't forget him, his words or their almost a year secret relationship, even if she wants to, he is not letting her do that, she was bound to him by his extorting love and now she's regretting for letting him and his love into her peaceful life.

"Nidhi, what are you thinking?" Roshini asked Nidhi who was immersed in the thoughts without eating her lunch.

"Nothing Rosh, my head is aching," rubbing her head Nidhi answered and looked away. Nidhi wanted to tell about her confusion and this depressive relationship with someone. Roshini must be a good choice but still, Nidhi is afraid. She felt whether Roshini will think her as a flimsy girl who can't even control her heart and without properly knowing about a person fallen in love like a fool. She felt it is kind of a shame.

When the day they started this relationship, from that very moment she started having an unknown fear. The fear of losing her parent's love and this society's accusation if her secret love comes to the public. When she was chewing the food in slow motion her phone vibrated. She casually took that and noticed a message and that message from Varun.

Her eyes widened in a shock, she looked Roshini but she was in her world of thoughts. Before reading that she thought for a while, whether to read or to ignore just like whether to continue this relationship or to end.

But something inside her shoved her hand to open.

'Are you still angry with me? Yesterday I apologized right. I want to see you, will be waiting for you before your college in the evening. Love You'

Reading that message, she immediately typed No as a reply. But she knew that he won't listen to her words.

Now her mind clouded with the ways to escape from Roshini, she wants to do something to leave now and that too without any suspicion.

"Roshini, I am leaving." She said suddenly.

"Uh? Why?" she asked coming out from her thoughts.

"Yeah, my headache," Nidhi sounded like she indeed having a headache.

"Okay, do you want me to come with you?"

"No! I can go by myself." Saying that Nidhi stood up closing her lunch box. Placing that in her bag she left taking confusing steps. Roshini, what happened to her? Why she is acting weird too?

Nidhi thought here's something going on her mind and went to the library. She took a random book and sat at the place where no one can see her. By sitting simply, she starts to think about Varun, the more he ran over her mind, and the more she wanted to resolve the problem that's happening between them.

She can't help it. She can't push it. And she can't take it fully. She can't find a way to get over it.

The first time she landed her eyes on him, was two years before, that one fateful rainy day just changed her life into something much unexpected.

After completing her board exams Nidhi and her parents shifted to the new house now they are currently staying in. She was excited at that time, she got good marks, a nice college, and the house looked so pleasant. Everything seemed so beautiful and perfect.

When the day she came to this house, she instantly befriended with the lady living in the mansion opposite to them, Nidhi was happened to meet her when she came out of her house to ask where the convenience store is. Nidhi with her good attitude and reverence captured her heart greatly.

That day after finishing off the household work with her mom, Nidhi went to her room and started arranging her things in the places where she wanted to. While busily working her mom came in with a cup of coffee and asked to drink before it gets cold. She nodded and suddenly a huge thunderstorm paused her actions.

By taking her coffee, she came out of the house and stood before the entrance and watched the showering rain.

She doesn't like to soak in the rain but likes to feel the drizzle over the face.

By sipping the coffee, Nidhi watched the enchanting rain.

In that peaceful moment, she heard a disturbing loud horn sound of a bike. She turned her gaze,

Two guys already soaked in the rain stopped their bike before that mansion. The guy who is sitting behind ran into the house like running a marathon. But the guy who drove the bike stood under the thundering sky, he lifted his arms wider and his face plastered with a big smile.

Nidhi smiled looking at him, she never seen a guy who enjoys the Rain, more than an enjoyment his face reflected a kind of satisfaction. Seeing him her heart skipped a beat. She has not even noticed his face properly in this pouring rain but his physique was good. He is wearing a white shirt and black trousers that were entirely soaked.

Without her control, she stared at him forgetting to blink her eyes. Suddenly that guy turned his eyes to her and caught her admiring him.

Soon her expression changed to notice that.

Nidhi's heart just jumped out in a shock. She looked into her coffee mug and bite her lower lip out of embarrassment.

'But why I have to turn my gaze, it is not like I am admiring him, I am watching rain right!' the brave girl inside her encouraged and she hesitantly looked at him again.

He gave a curious look, but he did not even care that he is standing in a sinking rain and casually stared her back.

"Hey, Varun! Mom is calling you! Come inside!" the guy who first went inside the house shouted at him.

He came with an umbrella and Varun still looking at Nidhi nodded his head. He joined with his brother in the umbrella and walked inside. But he kept looking back at Nidhi who is awestruck.

Realizing her situation Nidhi strolled into her house. In a swift moment, she locked her room door and laid in her bed. Heaving a huge sigh, she smiled with a blush. In her eighteen years of existence, no one made her feel this way.

But soon she brushed off those thoughts away and continued her work. In that following days, she came to know that guy's name was Varun, and the other guy was his elder brother Bala. That lady she befriended was their mother.

Later she started to know more about him since her mom and Varun's mom became friends in a short time and Nidhi is one of the reasons for that.

Varun was pursuing Law and Nidhi felt that profession suits him. Because he is the kind of person who smiles very less. He always keeps a stern expression on his face. Only on that rainy day, she saw him smile and she never noticed him smiling after that. Within a month after that rainy day, his brother went to the US where he got a job in a multinational company. Varun's dad was doing business and his mom was a housewife.

She finds herself curious to know more about him, who can't be when a handsome guy who glances you with a kind of expression that stirs up your feelings like crazy. She sometimes secretly steals glances whenever she accidentally meets him.

But Nidhi tried her best level to avoid that and sadly she failed too. She never expected that Varun will have the same kind of feelings for her. Still, she can't believe that moment.

When she was in her thoughts her phone starts to ring. She took that from her purse and saw Varun's name. She left the library to talk with him since using the phone inside the library is prohibited.

"Hello?"

"Where are you? I am waiting before your college," he sounded irritated.

"Just two minutes, I will be there," Nidhi ended the call and walked in fear, instead of excitement. This relationship made her this way. She fears about him on how he will react. How he will talk and all.

Their relationship wasn't flying colors of love and compassion instead of misunderstandings and quarrels. Most of the time Varun is the reason, his short temper was the reason. Nidhi was tired of this dominative, overruling love. Now she has to do something to end this.

When she saw Varun, she gave a weak smile, but he didn't smile back. She stood in front of him and doesn't know how to start the conversation.

"How was your day?"

"Fine,"

"Get on!" he said.

Understanding the seriousness, she sat behind him without talking back. She looked around to find whether anyone watching them, especially her classmates but noticed no one.

Roshini without attending her last class, walked out feeling so tired. She doesn't want to listen to the lecture or anything now. This tiredness and irritation are all because of that Siddharth. Today she saw him talking with her classmate Aishwarya and that too in a very sweet way. He was smiling ear to ear while conversing with her. Seeing that she felt something burning inside her.

That Aishwarya was considered as her class's beauty.

But why she is talking with him? Roshini questioned. When she came out of the college, she looked left side to cross the road. At that moment what she saw just shocked her, she can't believe her eyes. Nidhi sitting behind a guy on a bike crossed before her.

"Nidhi!" she whispered. And again cleared her eyes to find is it her.

Yes, it is her.

But who is that guy?

Why you lied Nidhi?