Siya Raghav

|Innaya|

"Hello, Siya! How are you?" I asked as Siya answered the video call. The blank look on her face was scary. Even before I dialed her number, I had an idea about how bad the start would go.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" Siya glared at me.

'Ouch! That hurt! Glaring Siya is always bad.'

"Don't tell me you lost your eyesight. Oh my god! Poor you." I tried chuckling and joking yet her glare remained intact.

"Shut up! I am perfectly fine. You-"

"Ok, that would be enough. Don't be mad, Siya," I interrupted her before she could start hurling profanities at me. 'Siya Raghav would never think before speaking while she is angry.'

"Don't be mad. Don't be mad. She is telling me don't be mad. Wonderful," Siya mocked.

"Siya," I took her name slowly, hoping she would calm down. However, deep down I knew she had just started.

"Firstly, she gets married without informing me. Then she gets vanished, just after a month and even better, changes her number. Moreover, she now has spared time from her busy schedule to call me after half a month. What a good fortune, I must say," Siya ranted, counting my every mistake, according to her.

"I am sorry," I apologized sincerely. It was true, that after coming to Mumbai, I had forgotten to contact her. However, it was not purposefully. It just happened. I just did not realize how past half month went, maybe because of Eshan and his support.

"Sorry, my foot. I don't accept your apology. You don't care about me anymore," Siya almost yelled in the end, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I desperately pleaded before she could disconnect the call, "Siya, please let me explain before you hang up on me, okay?"

She glared for a while before she spoke, "You better have a good explanation."

"I do."

I nodded my head.

"Go ahead," she commanded as she kept her left hand on her hip.

*(Flashback)*

"What part of I don't want to talk, you do not understand?" I asked barely containing my anger as I heard Mr. Roy. From last one week, he kept continuously calling and messaging me when I was openly avoiding any interaction with him.

I heard him sigh. "Please Innaya. Listen to me once, please. You know me-"

"No I don't. I never knew you other than you being my professor. Perception changes as per the situation. You are no longer the person I thought you were. Please do not call me ever," I interrupted him. He had given me enough reason to not to be in contact with him.

"Please-"

I threw my phone away angrily from the balcony and heard it shatter.

*(Flashback ends)*

I sighed as I recalled why I had to change my number, but she need not to know that. Deciding to be as honest as I could, I replied, "I had to change my number because of some problems and before you jump with the guns, I had asked mom to give that number to you. I had lost all the contacts. I know that is not the reason enough but you know me. This is how I am."

I waited for her to say something... anything, but she did not.

"Are you still angry?" I hesitantly asked.

"I am sorry," I replied when she remained silent.

"I am sorry too, for overreacting," Siya sighed as she held her ears in apology.

I chuckled. 'This is Siya, whose anger dissipates easily once she calms down.'

"Don't be. I know you were worried," I added as I relaxed and leaned back on the sofa in the living room.

"So tell me, did you like the gift?" I asked while picking up the glass of orange juice, I had already prepared for myself, from the coffee table. I had ordered her favourite author's books online and had them delivered to her address as her birthday present.

"Yup, thank you. You do remember how to make me happy." Siya beamed with happiness as she pointed the camera where she had arranged them on her bookshelf.

"How are you Innaya? Is your husband treating you well?" She turned serious accessing me with her piercing eyes.

Involuntarily a smile graced my lips and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. "I am fine and he is treating me very well," I assured her happily. Eshan was treating me like a princess, his princess.

"You are happy, right?"

Why was she doubtful? Might be because, I did not contact her.

I shrugged negative thoughts away before I smiled.

"Siya, please do not worry. I am happy. It's just the new change, it has taken a lot of my time to adapt things around, nothing else. You tell me about yourself," I assured her once again before I turned topic towards her.

"I am good too. Well good news for you and bad news for me," she stated but I could see the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"What is it?" I asked, sipping on my drink.

Siya took a dramatic pause before she announced, "I am coming to Mumbai for my job."

"Oh wow. Congratulations. I am so happy for you." I was delighted hearing that she would be coming to Mumbai.

"I am happy for myself, too." She raised her invisible collar.

"Siya." I rolled my eyes at her cheekiness.

"Okay... I am happy for you too." Siya waved off.

"When are you coming?"

"Next month. Listen Innaya, I will have to call you later, I have to accompany Mom somewhere," Siya said as her mother called her from outside.

"Oh okay, you carry on. We will talk later. Bye, and take care." I blinked my eyes at her.

"Yeah, bye and take care you too," Siya answered before she hanged up.