AVANTIKA

I groaned, covering my ears with the pillow. I don't know who is banging on my door this early in the morning?

I turned to the other side, still sleepy. I covered my ears to muffle the noise but who I am kidding, the person on the other side is impatient as hell.

Groaning, I threw my blanket and stood up with my sleepy eyes, opening the door of the room I walked to the main entrance. The banging on the door was still there, I opened the door only to see an Overly energetic Hayat standing there fully dressed in her favourite Cream colour tank top and jeans paired with matching hijab.

I scowled, “ What are you doing here early in the morning?”

“ Morning? It's almost 12. It's afternoon Ava!” she tells me. That's when I glanced at the wall clock. It's eleven thirty. Okay? Nothing new. I have a bad sleeping schedule, I can't do anything about it.

Hayat successfully hijacked my couch as she made herself comfortable on it. “ Get ready, we are going shopping” she said, clapping her hands.

“ I am not coming” I walked back into my room not caring to hear her answer and plopped on my bed, hugging my blanket as I closed my eyes to sleep for another couple of hours.

Few seconds later, I heard footsteps approaching and the next moment I felt a sharp slap on my bum, “ get up you lazy ass” Hayat scolded as she landed another slap on my ass.

“ Ouch!!” I sat up rubbing on the spot to soothe the pain. “ Seriously?”

I gave her a disapproving look and yawned. Oh god, I'm so sleepy.

“ See, Ava from tomorrow our new life is starting and to that I want us to prepare ourselves” she said, keeping her hands on hip.

“ I don't want to prepare it's not an exam”

“ Shut up!”

“ It's an exam, from tomorrow onwards we are not normal residents. We are SR hospital residents!” She exaggerated the world SR hospital, waving her hands in the air as if she was declaring that we won a Nobel prize.

“ So, now get your ass up and get ready, we are going shopping” saying that she pulled me up from the bed only to shove me inside the bathroom.

I groaned while picking up my brush.

Fifteen minutes later, I was ready in a shirt and jeans.

My hair was up in a messy bun and Hayat was busy picking up my phone, lip balm and my wallet in her hand bag. I don't have a hand bag as I shop very rarely and also I don't have many things to carry.

Now, I can't buy a hand bag for a phone, a lip balm and a wallet when I can keep them in my pocket.

After another fifteen minutes of ride, we were at the mall. Hayat linked her hand with mine as she dragged me inside with her.

First we bought something to eat as i didn't have any breakfast then she again dragged me inside a clothing store.

Hayat jumped excitedly as she found the dress she wanted to buy for a month at a cheaper price. She left my hand and picked up the dress then she disappeared into a changing room.

I shook my head at her energy. I looked around for a place to sit and have my breakfast which is by the way a bread and a chocolate milkshake.

I spotted a small seating area in the corner, it was a cushioned bench next to the mirror wall but it would do.

I walked to it and settled on it finally at peace. For now.

I un-wrapped the bed and took a sip of my milkshake.

Suddenly, there was chaos outside the store and at the same time I heard an announcement.

| “ All the customers please i request you to leave the mall premises immediately as Mr. AV and his family are visiting us”

I blinked. Mr. AV?

What the helly?

I looked out the store, half of the crowd were running in the opposite direction— to the chaos with their phone cameras on. Forgotten about their things.

The other half were staff, who were busy tiding up the store as if the president Himself will walk in.

I leaned back, taking a sip of my milkshake.

“ What kind of mafia prince needs an empty mall to go shopping?” I muttered, under my breath.

Just then Hayat peaked out from the dressing room, her eyes wide, “ did you hear that??”

Her face lit up, as a fan girl in concert.

“ Oh my god. Mr. AV is here, He is our CEO. The handsome, brilliant, smart, billionaire and probably sing—” I threw a piece of bread at her.

“ Stop drooling and put on the damn dress!”

She rolled her eyes, “ fine” and again disappeared into the dressing room.

I sighed, leaning back. As I took a bite of my bread, I saw a girl approaching me. She was in a uniform, with an ipad in her hand, Probably a staff member.

“ Excuse me , Ma'am” she called politety, her eyes darting between me and the entrance.

I blinked, chewing slowly. “Yeah?”

“I—I’m really sorry to disturb you, but…we’ll need you to leave the store for a little while. Just until the VVIP visit is over. Security protocol, you understand.”

I stared at her mid bite bread still in hand .

“ Seriously?”

She gave me an apologetic smile “ I am sorry, i know it's ridiculous but Mr AV and his family requested privacy. The entire mall is being cleared”

I looked outside and saw the security guards were already throwing people out. Some women were fighting , protesting against them refusing to leave their half-tried dresses.

“ Okay. But my friend is in that dressing room” I said, pointing behind me.

She looked at the entrance and panicked for a second,

“ Ma'am please hurry up!!”

I groaned and stood up and “ This is so dramatic” I muttered under my breath and walked back to knock on the door.

“ Hayat! Hurry up they are throwing us out” I said,

“ What?! How can they? I just got into the dress” she yelled from inside.

“ I don't know women, just get out of it, we need to leave!” I said while glancing at the entrance. I heard Hayat sulking inside, probably for losing the dress, again.

A minute later, I spotted a shadow — a tall figure, moving with a quiet aura and power and my heart started to beat fast. Oh god they are here.

I banged on the door, panicked. “ Hayat for God sake, hurry up! He is here!”

The tall frame walked in and everyone froze, including me. My face paled, losing all its colour.The people looked at him with wide eyes and in awe.

The air seemed to shift, and become heavier at least for me.

The staff girl looked at him with her eyes wide then her gaze fell at me, she panicked and motioned me to go inside the dressing room.

Me being me stood there still — Shocked, too stunned until someone pulled me inside and closed the door. I looked at Hayat, who looked at me with raised brow, “What were you doing there? You should have come in,” she whispered.

But me — I was not listening to her. My mind was numb at the moment, after seeing him. I leaned back on the door and sat on the floor, my back pressing onto the door, pulling my legs up.

Hayat frowned seeing me, she crouched down. Her voice soft as she asked me,

“ What happened?”

I shook my head, “ Nothing I am fine, my feet were just paining” I lied. In reality I am not fine. I was, a moment ago until I saw him.

What is he doing here?

Why is he here? In banglore?

I closed my eyes and something flashed in front of my eyes.

“ Go away, Avantika. Go away. Don't come to me fucking go away. I hate you. I hate you Ava. I fucking hate you. Just leave”

I flinched as the words repeated in my mind. I tried to forget them, I tried to forget him but I just…. couldn't. They are stuck in my brain as if they belonged there.

“ I hate you Ava”

I inhaled sharply, as I pressed my face into my knees, closing my eyes. My heart beat raised, as it pounded against my chest. I felt my body shaking slightly.

Calm down. Breathe in, breathe out.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I counted.

I felt Hayat's hand on my shoulder. Soft, deliberate

“ what is….it?”

Her voice was calm but curious. She isn't a stupid. She saw how my body reacted. I didn't reply. I couldn't.

Not yet.

Because the truth was, I didn't know how to tell her that the man Everyone was admiring, respecting — the man who looked like he owned the world — was the same boy who once looked at me with those eyes like I had burned his world down. like I destroyed it.

I stayed quiet. Counting my breaths.

“ Did you see… someone you know?” Hayat whispered.

I nodded

“Who is it?” I heard her.

I looked up, finally meeting her eyes. “Someone….,” I whispered.

“ I knew a long time ago.” I looked away, my fingers curling on my knee.

And then, before she could ask another question, we heard a sharp knock on the dressing room door. We flinched at the intensity of the sudden sound and looked at eachother panicked. If it is someone who came with him, then it would be better if the earth swallows me.

“ Ma'am it's me, the staff member. Come out quickly, they are on the other side” We heard the same girl's voice from earlier and I sighed in relief, internally.

Hayat quickly wiped my eyes with the end of her hijab and patted my cheek with a smile. “ Let's go”

✿

I was sitting in my small balcony, with a few flower pots around me. I like flowers. I enjoy watching them grow from buds into full blooms. They make me feel calm.

They give me time to think about myself unlike humans. I don’t like picking them. I let them stay until they fall on their own. A gentle reminder that Everyone has an end one day. Either it be a human or a plant.

In my busy and messy life, this little corner of my home gives me peace. Why? Because it's the only place which never judged me for being who I am.

In this place, I can do anything I want, I like and I enjoy. The plants around me never judged me, instead they listened. Patiently.

Whenever the wind blows and the leaves move, it feels like they’re telling me, “We’re here for you.”

Some people might think I’m crazy for saying this. But it’s true.

No one really stays with us till the end. And if something does, it’s nature. The moon, the sky, the plants, the tiny bugs, and even the quiet objects in our homes.

In the end, these are the ones who hear us and stay.

A friend can leave, a mother can, a father can, even a sister can… but a pet won’t. A thing won’t. A plant won’t — not unless you throw them away.

And in my case, this has always been true.

My family — and him — they never heard me, or maybe never trusted?

For them I was at fault. Always.

Because I was fabricated as one.

Maybe I wasn't at fault yet ….I am.

Today at the mall I saw him after seven years, walking in that black suit, as if he owned the place.

And just like The wounds, the scars I tried so hard to hide and forget came rushing again. The pain in his voice and the pain I felt — everything felt fresh again as if it just happened yesterday not seven years ago.

Why is he here?

When he shouldn't.

He shouldn't be here in Bangalore.

He just ……shouldn't.

I stood up and walked back into my room as the wind grew colder. I closed the balcony window, sat on my bed, and opened my laptop.

I clicked on the email I had received last night and started reading it again.

And then, my eyes stopped on one thing — the initials.

AV.

Wait.

Why shouldn't I think this?

The announcer at Mall also said that Mr. AV and his family — No way.

They are the same.

Fuck it.

How come I become this much dumb?

No. Why am I so dumb?

Why didn't I recognize it earlier?

He is going to be my fucking Employer.

And I am not ready for it.