chapter 1

Maahi could have sworn the man standing behind her wasn't as close to her the last time she checked. He had been there when she first boarded the bus at Bangalore Dairy Circle. She had been running to catch it, and in her agitated state, accidentally brushed against his arm when she climbed in. He had looked up and smiled at her, a smile she returned hesitantly.Now she could feel him inching closer by the minute, towering over her. She shifted her weight on her feet and breathed out softly, deliberately. A few more minutes and she would reach her stop. She wished she would take a taxi, but she had to save from her allowance to buy lunch for Kishan. Her mother had sent her more money just over a week ago, and she didn't want to have to ask for more.

She was wearing a white chiffon shirt with a mandarin collar and loose sleeves that collected at her wrist. She had a beige tank top on underneath, and attempt to keep her stomach pushed in. Her mother called it "baby fat" ---she thought it was adorable and assured her she would eventually loose it , that she was just a kid. But Maahi wasn't a kid , she was nineteen, and embarrassed about the slight bulge at the waist of her jeans. Maahi raised a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, and became aware of the man's eyes on her. She slowly pushed the hair back to her face, hiding as much as she could. She wasn't too fond of her round, chubby face either; it made her look younger. When the bus stopped at JP Nagar 3rd Phase, Maahi disembarked on impulse. She was supposed to get off at the next station, Bilekahalli, but preferred walking an extra kilometre to being around that man. The sunrays hit her face and she dug into her bag for her sunglasses. There wasn't much traffic, but it would soon be lunchtime and she wanted to surprise Kishan before he left on his break.

Born and raised in Ghaziabad, Maahi was having trouble adjusting to life in South India. She convinced herself that all she needed was time. She was halfway through her first semester at Christ University, form where she was getting her bachelor of engineering in IT, and she was yet to settle comfortably in this new city. There were a few people she talked to in class, but all her real friends we're back in Vaishali, a township in the suburbs of Delhi. She called her friend Rohit every Sunday, and they text each other throughout the week.

Maahi walked hurriedly towards accennture, where Lishan worked as an associated software engineer. She still had to pick up lunch, and contemplated getting something from either Nagarjuna or Biryani bowl, both of which were on her way. She knew Kishan missed North Indian food and would appreciate some better chicken and garlic naans. Just the thought of it made her stomach grumble. She was coming straight from college and hadn't had a chance to eat. She felt guilty skipping the next two classes, but it was their anniversary. They first met exactly two years ago, and that needed celebrating.

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