A surprising Hug..

Bella was back from the walk and she was really tired. She went over to the kitchen to prepare a tea.. She saw that her aunt was busy in the small vegetable garden she was growing outside and Uncle was not at home. She has seen Dona leaving with her boyfriend in the market.. it would have been more than two hours since she left.. It has already started turning dark and Dona would be here any moment now.

Bella was suddenly startled when she felt someone holding her waist from behind, never in her life did someone did that and the touch felt familiar and she wished this was true.. She wished that her guess goes right as she turned her head …

Peter was sitting opposite Dona in one of the most famous and expensive restaurants in the city.. There were people from the investigating team all around them fixing their hidden gaze on Dona Jacob, the renowned author..

Dona had already started blabbering everything about her and seemed to be really interested in the restaurant menu. It seemed to Peter that it was the first time she saw such names on the menu.. She ordered with great difficulty some comparatively easily pronounceable dishes before continuing her talks. Peter was urged by frequent gestures from the surroundings for asking the girl about the book.

" How did you come across the short stories, 'The Pebbles'.. Even though, each stories in the book are different, it appears as if they have some similar connections.. what is the pain in it.. Is it something you felt for yourself, something personal?"

This was a question that Peter had liked to ask Dona the first time they met. But he had completely lost interest in the girl after he talked with her for a while that day. So here he is, finally asking the question,

" It might be because the author of all the stories are the same, hence there is similarity in each stories.. I think this dish is really delicious.."

He felt like she was hiding something and raised his eyebrows to a frown. She appeared like she was trembling..

"Are you alright, Miss Jacob?" asked Peter.. She looked red in the face and sweating..

"Excuse me for a while.. I need to use the bathroom.."

Saying this Dona rushed to the bathroom and was taking a long time there..

Meanwhile the extremely spicy cuisine on the table reminded Peter of Bella.. They had once eaten a spicy dish back in hospital and she was all flared and flushing.. She hated spicy food and was swallowing glasses of water then.. She looked so cute with her innocent face and sudden blush.. She always smiled very secretly so that nobody could see her.. But Peter had watched everytime her lips curved to allow a tiny smile to escape at his little flaws.. He could not stop thinking of Bella, her smile, her eyes, he was slowly realizing that he had fallen for her.. Sitting with another girl and pointing out all the flaws in her, he understood how much perfect Bella was for him.. She could not speak or hear, neither could she feel his heartbeats, but she was the only person that makes him feel out of himself.. He couldn't wait any longer.. He immediately stood up and confusing all the hidden spies out at the restaurant, he took his coat and set off to Bella's home.. He was always known to be rude and impolite in the public so it was not a big deal to piss off a girl…

Peter started his car with a strange excitement.

As he parked his car infront of Bella's home, he noticed that the whole household was silent. He saw that the door was open.. He called out if anyone was there, but nobody responded.. Peter could sense a sweet smell of boiling tea leaves.. He followed the scent into the kitchen and was overjoyed to see Bella standing there preparing tea.

He involuntarily hugged her from behind startling her.. She turned towards him and gave a relieved smile.. or was he imagining.. he saw her blushing ..

They locked their eyes for a while.. Peter could hear someone's footsteps.. He did not know whether it will become a problem for Bella if someone saw him with her in the kitchen.. So he quickly took out a pen and paper from his pocket and scribbled in it..

' I have something to tell you..

Come meet me at my office if its fine for you tomorrow afternoon..

I ll wait for you…'

Bella read it as soon as he finished writing. Peter slid the paper into her hand and held her hand for a while before rushing out of the door into the dark..

"Why do you always keep the door open?" Annie was shouting and had just appeared before her from the backdoor.. She rushed to the front door and shut it with a loud slam.

" Why is Dona getting so late," Annie was murmuring..

Bella was still shocked.. She was holding the paper tight in her hand and was gazing at it now and then.. The letters in it were very clear.. This was not a dream..

Peter was driving back to his apartment.. He knew from Bella's looks that she too liked him. He can't just wait till tomorrow to convey his feelings to her and regretted for not proposing her today..

Reaching at his apartment, he got a call..

"The 3rd International Conference is to be held in your office tomorrow. So be ready and Peter, this time you have to be there and it is really important."

The person on the other end sounded a little harsh the entire time.

"Remember, you have to be there this time."

"Sure, Mr Daniel.. I ll be there" Peter replied quickly sensing the seriousness.

As soon as the other person cut the phone, Peter sat down. He hoped the meeting ended soon as he had asked Bella to come to his office since he had the meeting tomorrow..

Lying on the sofa, Peter quickly dozed off to sleep.. He had got huge commitments tomorrow and he was excited..