42- The First- Part 2

                                        

                                              

Natasha was on her way to Mumbai, via train with her family after an eventful Navratri vacation. She was just browsing on her phone when she received a new WhatsApp message. A smile escaped her lips. 
“Knock. Someone 
just slid into your DM.”
“Who, the President of 
the United States?” 
“Nope. But definitely the 
President of Chhindwara's 
most eligible bachelor.” 
“Waah! 😂 Bas itna 
confidence chahiye 
life me (Just the amount 
of confidence I need).” 
“Aur tumhare jaisa 
personality and hotness. 
(And a personality 
like you & your hotness.”

“Acha ji! 
So I'm hot now?” 
“Nah, I was talking about 
ur phone. Excessive use 
turns the device hot.” 
The slow chat continued throughout her train journey. Seemed like Natasha managed to grab the attention of the most eligible bachelor. Lol! She giggled to herself. She had one more reason to visit Chhindwara now. She merrily expressed to Mitali and Sahil how she enjoyed the festival this time and suggested they visit the town again soon. They agreed, unaware of her ulterior motive. She couldn't wait to see him again. 
Natasha and Kunal began chatting regularly since that day. They wouldn't chat everyday but when they did, it was a long one. They even switched to voice call at times, but only in the absence of her parents or when she was outdoors. Honestly, she didn't have much going on in her life. She had no real friends, except Abhishek. In that sense, she was glad to have someone to talk to online. 
They chatted about the books they read. About science and the cosmos. They dissed the double standards of society and old-age traditions. All with sprinkles of flirtations in between. At times, Natasha messaged Kunal on days when she didn't feel like herself. When she wanted someone to sit in the dark with her. She would envision meeting him in that terrace, comforted by the stench of his cigarette. Of course she wouldn't delve into why and what was bothering her. She would simply fill her void with his generic chats.  
And maybe, just maybe, Kunal was doing the same. 
Natasha and her siblings visited Chhindwara eight months later. Natasha recalled the scene vividly. She was on the terrace with Mitali, catching up with Vedant and the others when Kunal appeared. He draped an arm around Vedant, talking to him like they were best buds. However, his gaze told a different 온라인카지노게임 it danced around Natasha. She couldn't help but revel in the light of his attention. 
“Hi.” Kunal finally greeted her with a small smile, his eyes twinkling. 
“Hi...” Natasha's voice was uncharacteristically soft. They locked eyes, their gazes speaking for themselves. Of course, their odd exchange didn't go unnoticed but Kunal was quick to diffuse the suspicion as he greeted Mitali who glared at him. Kunal ignored that and reverted talking to the boys. 
Soon after, everyone stepped downstairs for lunch. Natasha was the last one to leave. 
“Where do you think you're leaving, madam?” Someone gripped Natasha's hand as soon as she was about to enter the staircase. She visibly gasped at the sudden touch and sight of Kunal behind her. He was so close, she could smell his aftershave. She whirled around to see if anyone from adjacent buildings noticed them and kicked his leg, forcing some distance between them. Kunal only smirked. “Oo' feisty! Don't look at me like that, princess. I only wanted to greet you alone.”