Do you know the feeling you get when you are so near to the truth but yet you couldn't reach it?

Do you know the feeling you get when you can do nothing but just wait?

Do you know the feeling you get when your life, your love, your everything is in front of you but you couldn't get it?

Do you know the feeling you get when waiting for a second might feel like waiting for years?

Do you know the feeling you get when you wanted to do anything to be with your love but you can't?

Do you know the feeling you get at the pit of your stomach when you feel something bad might be going to happen or you are going to lose something or someone?

Siddharth couldn't help but feel all these things at the same time. He pulled his hair frustrated at all these thoughts.

Yesterday he wanted to talk to his Mom but she wasn't there in the home. His dad said that she is out of station, went to meet some relatives.

And now when he at least wanted to see Anu, she didn't come to the office only. He didn't get any leave application or any message from her. But he let it go as he saw how tired and pale Anu looked yesterday. He thought that may be she is not well and should take some rest but he was missing her badly.

He somehow managed his day without her but he was getting impatient minute by minute to know the actual truth. He doesn't know when his mom will come back and he had to wait till she comes.

Next day, there was an important meeting and Siddharth expected Anu to be there in the office but he understood that she didn't come today also as he didn't get his usual coffee from her. His doubt got confirmed when Shweta came inside with the files required for the meeting saying that Ananya told her to give these files to him.

He smiled at the thought that even she is not well she is thinking about the meeting and he went to attend the meeting shrugging all the thoughts away.

He observed that Raj and Neha were not in their usual happy moods, they looked sad. They both didn't talk to each other also like they usually do. Siddharth frowned and assumed that they are missing Anu.

When he got down to go outside, he saw Neha crying on Raj's shoulders and Raj was consoling her in a corner. Sid thought that something was definitely wrong and he was also getting that vibe since morning that something bad is going to happen.

He doesn't know what to do and did the first thing that got in his mind and that is to see her. He immediately got in his car and drove to her house. When he reached, he looked at her house, it looked calm so calm that anyone may think that no one lives here.

He contemplated standing in front of the gate whether to go inside or not, as what might she think of him, what might her parents think of him. He groaned loudly not knowing what to do looking up at the evening sky.

And at that time he saw her near the window staring off into the space. He waved his hands frantically like a mad man in the air to make her notice him.

Anu who was in her own world got snapped when she saw a man who is jumping up and down waving his hands in the air. She thought he was crazy but saw that he was waving at her and got panicked instantly.

When she observed the man, she stood with wide eyes and open mouth in shock. It was Siddharth who is waving at her. She thought she is imagining him and narrowed her eyes at him but it was Siddharth only.

She closed her eyes and opened thinking that he will disappear and it's just a dream but he didn't. He was still standing there looking at her who is scratching her head confused.

She blinked rapidly at him and pinched herself hard to get out this hallucination but it failed as Siddharth was still standing there smiling at her amused seeing her antics and on top of that her skin became red and paining like hell where she pinched.

She rubbed the skin and walked down to go to him. She halted her steps at the door when she remembered the realty of her life. She took deep breaths to control herself and prepared herself to face him.

She opened the door and stepped outside only to see Siddharth standing there little away from the door. She walked towards him slowly looking at him.

" Sir, what are you doing here?" She asked him frowning standing in front of him.

" I...umm....I....." He didn't know what to say and she just looked at him to continue.

" I just came to see you." He said.

" What?" She gasped.

His eyes widened.

" No no no.....I didn't mean like that. You didn't come to office from 2 days so....." He trailed off.

" So?" She raised her brows.

" So.....I thought to check upon you once you know, I was going this way only and stopped by your house. You didn't send me your leave application or any message. That day also you looked so weak and I thought you must be unwell.....so I thought to check upon you while going home to see if you are alright or not." He blabbered.

Anu just stared at him blinking her eyes all the while. Siddharth stopped his blabbering and let out a huge sigh. He looked at her whose face is blank.

Then suddenly she started laughing. He didn't expect this reaction from her and especially a laugh like this which is fake and didn't reach her eyes. He frowned at her humour less laugh and just looked at her.

" Sir, please don't act like you actually care for me." She said shaking her head.

Siddharth stood shocked at her words.

" You think I am acting?" He whispered in shock.

" Yeah." She said carelessly.

" Why?" He asked her.

" I am not a fool Sir. You being suddenly nice to me, smiling at me, not behaving rudely with me and now you came here saying that you are here to see if I am alright or not. What's all this Sir? I know you hate me and I know this is all just an act of yours." She said bitterly.

" Why do you think all this is just an act?" He asked looking at her face to know what she is trying to do.

" Why not? It's clear. No person suddenly cares for the person they hate." She shrugged.

" And what I get by doing all this?" He asked her seriously with his blank face.

" What do I know? Maybe you must have planned something in your mind." She said shrugging looking here and there.

" And what it might be?" He asked glaring at her and she stood quiet for a while.

" Revenge." She said bluntly looking at him.

" What?" He asked stunned and gulped the lump formed in his throat.

" Yeah.....you might be planning to take revenge on me. I betrayed you once and you are seeking revenge for that." She spatted in rage.

" You are saying that I am behaving nice to you just to take revenge from you? You think so low of me?" He asked her in disbelief.

" Who knows what you rich people can do? And I seriously doesn't want to get trapped in it." She shouted at him.

He was boiling with anger and he is clenching his fists hard to control his anger. He closed his eyes shut, took deep breaths and opened his eyes. He looked at her face which is dull and still has bags under her eyes. Her face looked like she has been crying a lot and it was clear that she is not eating properly too looking at her weak body. He thought she must be going through something and is talking like this without thinking.

" Why are you not coming to the office?" He asked sternly ignoring her hurtful words swallowing his anger.

" Why should I tell you?" She asked him back.

" Because I am your boss Damm it." He shouted at her grabbing her arms.

" Oh! Look. It's the real boss I know who hates me and see I was right about your acting." She said smirking  bitterly.

" What happened to you? Why are you talking like this?" He asked her holding her arms tightly.

" What happened to me? What happened to you? Why do you act like you care?" She shouted at him.

" You can think whatever you want but it's the truth that I really care for you Anu." He said softly looking into her eyes.

She stared into his eyes for sometime listening her name from his mouth after long time and pulled away herself from his grip angrily.

" That's what I am saying Mr. Khurana.....you are not supposed to care for me but hate me.
You are supposed to hate me understand? You shouldn't care for the one you should be hating." She yelled at him angrily going all red on him and he stood stunned looking at her outburst.

" Do me a favour Mr. Khurana.....
Don't care about me even if it's an act or real. Please hate me like before. Your smiling, caring and all are making me sick, I am getting scared.
Don't care about me if I am ill or not, if I am weak or not, if I am laughing or crying. Don't care about me if I come to office or not...... Don't care about me even if I am dying......" She yelled in rage with bloodshot red eyes.

And before she could say anymore there was a tight slap across her face and her head whipped to her side along with her hair due to the slap.

Anu slowly tilted her head holding her cheek and looked to see who slapped her.

" Ma?" She gasped in shock.

" Didn't I teach you some manners on how to talk to the guests who came to our house and on top of that did you forget that he was your boss too?" Her mom scolded her angrily.

Anu just looked down blinking her tears away and all the while Siddharth just stood there stupified and bewildered looking at them.

" Now, go to your room." Her mom ordered.

Anu looked at her angry mom and glanced at Sid once who looked still shocked to respond anything and walked inside her house.

" I am sorry beta on behalf of my daughter." Her mom said apologetically.

" No aunty it's okay. You are elder to me you shouldn't apologize, I will go now." Saying this he turned around to see Anu's father standing at the gate.

" We don't send our guests from our door only, please come inside beta." Her father said smiling at him.

He couldn't say no to them and followed them reluctantly inside the house. He looked around the house which is calm, warm and cozy. Their house isn't big or small it's good. He liked it as he felt homely.

" What will you have coffee or tea?" Her father asked him.

" Water will be enough." He replied politely.

Her mother went inside and brought some water to him. He gulped the whole glass of water instantly and sighed.

" As an elder to you, I want to advise you about something." Her father said thoughtfully and looked at his wife who just stood blankly there.

" Sure." Siddharth nodded his head in yes hesitantly.

" Don't run after someone who pushes you away and Don't care about someone who doesn't care about you."

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To be Continued...........

What do you think about this chapter?

Do you guys think Ananya did the right thing?

What do you think about her father's advise?

Stay tuned..........