How Did You Fly?

The book launch was exceptionally boring; the story didn't interest me and there was no celebrity.

Midway, Miranda announced she was bored, and left, expecting me to stay till the end. I just wanted some time alone with Armaan, but we were completely surrounded.

It finally ended, and I started to walk back to the office when Zara called.

"Where the hell were you?" She demanded.

"Oh, just across the street, Miranda dragged me to this boring book show and took off –"

I was interrupted by a loud honk just as I was the crossing the road. I looked up and saw a bus headed directly my way.

Another accident?

The scream had barely left my throat, when something happened really quickly. Next thing I know, I was crouching on the other side, out-of-breath, but unhurt. Someone had magically pulled me out of the harm's way.

"How did you fly?" A concerned passer-by asked.

Too shaken to answer, I looked around – quite a crowd had gathered. But I had eyes only for one person.

Armaan was clutching me close, and I buried my teary face in his shirt.

"Oh my God! Thank you, thank you so much."

"Ma'am, are you OK?" A gentleman who was sitting beside me interrupted. "Why are you crying?"

"Err, sorry!" I replied in between sobs.

"It's just that I came out of the hospital only yesterday, recovering from another accident and now again…"

He was extremely friendly and concerned. "Oh, I am so sorry, are you hurt?"

I was grateful for his kindness, but behind me, Armaan was throwing him stony looks. His hand possessively enveloped my waist, and I shivered at the contact. I buried my face again in his chest.

"Yes, I am fine, thank you. Just shocked."

"Cool, you gave us a shock there you know," He spoke with a smile.

"Hey! Are you OK?" I saw Zara running towards me. She must have heard me scream and was extremely annoyed.

"Do you have a death wish, Amrita?"

The gentleman came to my rescue. "It wasn't her fault; the bus driver broke the rules."

"How did you fly?" An old man shouted.

"What?" The three of us chorused together.

"I saw you cross half the road, I saw the bus honk, and almost hit you, and then I saw an invisible force pull you back, as though from the waist, and then dragged you off your feet."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"What are you talking about?" Zara asked incredulously, clearly questioning his sanity. She placed a protective arm around me, overlapping Armaan's.

"I am talking about what I saw. You are not normal; you are a witch, aren't you?"

Everyone bristled and I was sure that old man was going to get beaten up the next second. Unfortunately, I knew the truth and couldn't blame him, so I came to his rescue.

"Sir, I think you are mistaken, I was right around the corner and as soon as I saw the bus, I stepped back and fell down. Luckily, I was not in the middle of the road."

I tried to explain but he didn't buy it.

"You are evil, I can feel it," he screamed and took off.

Thank God he took off otherwise something evil would have happened to him.

"Crazy dude," cursed the gentleman who was being so supportive.