Saurabh was rather reluctant to open the door n check who it was. By the time he reached the door, his phone rang. He felt rather uneasy. Taking a few steps back, he went to pick up his phone.

“Hello??” , he spoke rather cautiously, on noticing that the number wasn’t familiar!

“Hey Saurabh! Neha here! I thought you’d be missing me! I just can’t wait for our marriage!” she said in a flirtatious tone.

Being irritated, Saurabh gave a curt reply, “I’m trying to sleep in here! Shall we talk in the morning please?… I..” Before he’d go on further, the knock on the door was loud now. And it was clearly heard on the other side of the phone!

“Who’s knocking at the door? Its past midnight now!”

“Umm..I was about to open the door. I’d call up later.” Meanwhile he opened the door, and a drenched girl sprang in n clung him and began sobbing! He forgot that the phone wasn’t disconnected.

“Who’s is it Saurabh? Who is that…”

Before she’d say anything further, he hung the phone. N stood there in daze. This pale girl. Hair even shorter than his own. She wore a sweater and jeans and with her dad’s shoes anyone would have mistaken her for a boy.

“Anamika!! What happened?”

She sat motionlessly on the ground and wouldn’t stop weeping.

He closed the door behind her, and went to his closet. He asked her to change into his clothes as she dripped wet and would catch cold. Without uttering a word, she got up n went to the bathroom.

She looked all the more pretty in the oversized clothes. But her face was anything but happy. She looked as if she’d cried for almost a decade. She curled up and sat on his bed but did not talk. Tears continued to roll down her cheek. She looked around the room, and then opened the window. She felt the water sprinkle on her face. A smile spread across her face.

She opened the little bag which was almost wet by now, and took out the CD he’d given her. A CD in which he had recorded songs for her birthday, as a gift she’d treasured for two years. It had another CD with it, maybe with her songs? Seeing the two CD’s she burst out again. He couldn’t understand why all of a sudden this lively and energetic girl seemed to have lost all the courage in her. The strong-at-heart girl looked terribly helpless, and he knew it well that he had contributed to her helplessness. He held her close, and made her feel comfortable.

He didn’t know what was happening. This girl miles away, had come all the way to his new home. The clock ticked past 1am, and he was sitting these besides his dream girl. “But what brought her here?” was one question that kept nagging him! But seeing her condition, he chose to stay quiet and just sit besides her. The rain poured relentlessly, providing a background to their silence.

Saurabh’s phone rang breaking the silence. He could see the same number flashing on the screen! It was Neha again.