Chapter 18 - Somethings Don't Need Explanations

Advika wasn't sure what she was feeling. Scared of Rohit? Scared that he might do something again? Scared that Mr. J would come over and misread the situation? Angry that Rohit had the guts to call her by her name and stare at her? Anxious about how to handle the situation?

She wasn't sure. Her head was spinning with so many thoughts and mixed emotions, none of them positive, that she wasn't able to say a word and simply looked back at Rohit.

"I heard you were in Bangalore," he said with a snarky tone. "But, I didn't expect to run into you like this."

"You have been keeping tabs on me?" she asked, getting her wits back, feeling her temper rise with the knowledge that he had information on her whereabouts when she wasn't active on social media.

"We have common friends from college," he answered with scorn. "They slip up giving details even when I don't ask them."

"How come they never fess up things like that with me? Unless you make them, they are not ones to talk," she stated fiercely.

He was staring at her as if he wanted to say something serious, something hurtful.

Arjun was walking back fast to Miss. D with a cup of chocolate ice cream in his hands. He was a few feet away from her, about to wave to her when he noticed something was off about her.

She was glaring at someone, at a man standing in front of her. No, she wasn't just glaring. She was looking pale, and scared. He could see the frown, creases of worry and traces of emotional pain on her face. It hit him in his gut.

What was making her so anxious and scared? Or rather, who?

Arjun glanced at the man who was staring at Miss. D with more contempt and disrespect. It was infuriating how the man was intimidating Miss. D with his glare. Arjun looked at Miss. D and felt the one big urge to hold her and shield her away from whatever it was that was transpiring between her and that man. Yet, he knew he had to tread with caution, no impulsiveness at play.

He walked over to Miss. D with a smile on his face, holding up the cup of ice cream, calling out to her, "Miss. D, the ice cream store ran out of the Belgian chocolate flavour. So, I got you a caramel infused one."

Miss. D froze and then she turned to see Arjun approaching her with a warm smile on his face. Tension was so apparent in her eyes as she gulped and met his soft gaze. He stepped up to her, standing as closely as could, holding out the ice cream cup to her which she took involuntarily.

She looked up at him to see the concern in his eyes, the warmth in his smile and realized he wasn't misreading the situation.

"Who's this? Your new boyfriend?" Rohit's words cut through sarcastically.

Arjun tilted his head to give Rohit a hard stare, trying to guess who this man could be.

"Shut up," Miss. D growled in a low voice.

"Careful dude," the man scoffed at Arjun. "Advika has a knack of making men hang around her and then leave them hanging high and dry."

She winced, the memories of the two years away from Mr. J flashing in her mind. She looked at Arjun, fearing he might relate to those comments, be reminded of how she had left him due to her own fears and walk away from her. The look on Arjun's face was quite opposite of what she feared.

It took him a split second to understand what the man was saying, why Miss. D was looking so scared and why the man was being so horrible with his words. There was only one person who would do that to Miss. D. It had to be Rohit.

With that, Arjun felt the rush to hold him by his collar and slam him down the floor. This man was the reason the love of his life had been so miserable for years, had developed trust issues and dealt with trauma.

And he was standing there again, intimidating her.

Arjun knew where his focus should be. He turned to Miss. D, saw the panic in her eyes and slipped his hand into hers. Her hand was dead cold. He interlaced his fingers with hers, trying to warm her up and whispered to her, "Whoever this is, should I beat him up? I can see he is harassing you. Or, I can call up the Police Commissioner. I am in really good terms with him both on a personal level and professionally. He would step up if I call him to report this."

"What are you saying?" Rohit asked quite roughly.

Arjun didn't even bother to look at him. Miss. D, who had been gazing at Arjun as he whispered to her, could see that he wasn't even dignifying Rohit with any sort of acknowledgement. His eyes were completely on her.

"Your choice, Miss. D," he said to her softly, in a confident tone, as if she just had to say the word. "I'll do whatever you say."

"Miss. D?" Rohit repeated. "What's that? Are you hiding your name and deceiving people with your identity, Advika?" he asked abrasively.

Arjun took a deep breath, pursing his lips, controlling himself. They were in public and he couldn't be offensive. "Be careful with your words," he warned Rohit in a voice that was so deadly that Miss. D's hand tightened in Arjun's grasp in surprise.

"Do you even know who I am?" Rohit asked, a rogue smile playing on his lips.

"I don't care," Arjun cut him across.

"You don't care?" Rohit's voice darkened.

"Yes, I don't care. And it's better for you if I don't care. If I start getting involved, it's not going to be good for you," Arjun warned.

"I am her ex-boyfriend," Rohit said it spitefully.

"So what?" Arjun dared him, feeling Miss. D's hand shiver in his hold.

"Should I tell you what she is like?" Rohit was sounding edgier, as if he wanted to do something damaging.

"I am warning you again," Arjun spoke menacingly. "If you speak another word against my girlfriend, I am going to see to it that you suffer the worst."

"Surely, you should know..." Rohit began.

"Shut the hell up, Rohit," Miss. D uttered quite strongly. "Watch what you say. Otherwise this time I would be the one to hit you."

For a moment no one spoke. With the passing seconds, as Miss. D's words registered with Arjun, he remembered her diary entries where she had written about the physical assault Rohit had tried to pull on her the night they broke up. If he had restrained the anger he felt earlier, it was nothing compared to the deadly rage that was boiling in him. He took a step towards Rohit involuntarily, his hand tightening around Miss. D's hand and his other fist balled up, ready to punch the guy.

Miss. D held him back, her other hand throwing down the cup of melted ice cream and snaking around Arjun's arm, holding on to him tightly. He realized he was about to step out of the line in public. Controlling his fury, he looked back at Miss. D who was eyeing him pleadingly.

"Don't," she mouthed to him. He could see she was worried about him. Yes, even now she was concerned about him than her own self.

He gazed at her assuringly and nodded once, blinking his eyes. "Whatever you choose to do," he promised.

She took one look at Rohit and then, with an expression that clearly stated she was irritated and done with the whole situation, turned her gaze to Arjun and spoke clearly, "He's not worth it. He is not even worth considering. Not worth being looked at even."

Arjun nodded in agreement.

"Take me away from here," she asked him, giving him her choice of action.

Arjun smiled at her, squeezed her hand and led her away from the spot. They walked out of the mall without looking back at a fuming Rohit who was feeling ignored and horrid.

Once they were out, they kept walking down the road till they found a quiet corner at the end of the street. Miss. D slowed down and so did Mr. J.

He turned back to face her. She was still looking pale.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to touch her face.

She was breathing heavily and took a minute to nod. "You are not angry with me?" she asked, unsure of what she might hear. "He just came up behind me. I didn't even know..."

"Why should I be?" Arjun asked back. "It is that scumbag's fault. Not yours. And, you don't have to explain. I know you well enough."

She was touched by his words and that was visible in her gaze.

"Maybe I should have really beaten him up," Arjun continued. "Do you know for how many years I have felt angry and determined to track him down to strangle him for hurting you? I finally had my chance today. You know it's not late yet. I can still call the police on him. You just have to say the word."

A smile crackled on Miss. D's face finally.

Arjun smiled and stated, "But then, you said he wasn't worth it. If someone as angelic and good hearted as you has decided that someone is not worth being considered a human being, then that is the biggest insult he could get."

She could see what he was thinking. He was concerned about her, furious with Rohit and wanted to do something to resolve the situation and make her feel at ease. Above all, he needed an assurance.

"I will be careful," she uttered, saying it like a promise. "I will be really careful so he doesn't come after me or hurt me. If he tries anything again, I won't stop you. Next time if anything happens, you can choose whatever to do with him. In fact, I will not stop at just warning him either."

Arjun understood that she was reading though his mind, his concerns and fear for her safety. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her warmly, letting her bury her head beneath his shoulder. She was still shaking and he hugged her tighter to make her feel secured.

"Where's your ice cream?" he asked after a moment, trying to sound playful.

"I think I left it on the floor there," she murmured. Then she groaned, "Oh god, it would be so much inconvenient for the people walking there, and for the ones visiting the book store. The book store staff and the cleaners would be cursing me out."

Arjun laughed at her out of the box concern about the people in the mall. Quite like her. "It's okay," he tried to reassure. "It was unavoidable. Although I am not sure if the ice cream store would still have the flavour left. What if they ran out of stock again? I am already disappointed with the lack of Belgium chocolate flavour.

She laughed into his shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around him, finally at peace.