This chapter is dedicated to @MariaDracula for staying with my story from the very start! Thank you so much girl!

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Anvesha:

I made my way through the crowds of people, away from the person who was intent on making my life more difficult than it already way.

My father was waiting in the car with his driver at a faraway place from here. I had come with him to the market. He didn't want to bring the car here in between the market because he was sure people would start to gawk at his car and that would make him uncomfortable.

My father didn't talk to me after yesterday. His words...they had a huge impact on me. I felt very vulnerable. That is why I was almost going to cry when that man Alexander said those cruel words.

I don't understand this. Why is that wherever I go, an encounter with him is supposed to happen? Be it at King's, be it the forest or be it this darned market. Everytime—

"Anv-Miss wait!" I heard someone shout behind me. But I didn't stop because I knew whom the voice belonged to. I didn't want to stop at all.

I instead fastened my pace and took an abrupt turn in an empty alley between two shops. No one was there other than garbage and flies. I prayed that he didn't follow me.

Please don't come. Please don't co—

"Why are...you running...away?" NO! He found me. I stopped in my tracks and turned around.

The British man's hair was disheveled from the wind and he was panting like a thirsty dog. For the first time I noticed that he was holding a case in his hand.

I stood there, with my arms crossed in front of me. Just moments ago he insulted me and now he had an audacity to ask why was I running away from him?

This man was highly delusional.

The man suddenly looked up from his bent up position. I noticed that his eyebrows were scrunched up and he had a scowl etched on his face. He looked exasperated.

I also noticed how handsome he looked, and quickly shut my mind because I had no right to thing that.

But why then when I saw him in the market, my heart literally skipped a beat?

Because trouble makes your heart go in a state of shock. That's why!

Before I could say anything, he opened his mouth to speak. "I have something that belongs to you."

Huh? How could he have something that belonged to me?

I gave him a skeptical look and when he looked at me, he shook his head as if I was a stubborn child. He bent lower on the ground and opened his case.

He pulled out a green and blue satin—OH MY GOD! It was my carry bag!

I sucked in a deep breath and ran towards him. With a very unladylike style, I snatched the bag from his hands and cradled it like a baby.

I remembered when I had found out yesterday that I had lost it. After hearing my father's words, I found out that the only that I had left of my mother was lost. I felt so crushed and hopeless at that time. But now, with the bag in my hand, I felt like my soul was connected with my mother again.

"Why did you have to snatch it? I had stopped you to return the bag, not eat it in front of you", the boy I had forgotten about said in a slightly vexed tone.

My eyes widened with realization that he was the person who found my bag. A slight feeling of guilt spread in my chest for snatching it like a hungry person from him...when he was here just to return it back to me.

It was so kind of him...I thought.

He stood up to his full height, which happened to be a whole one head taller than me, with the case in his hand. I watched as he scowled at the garbage which was thrown at the side of the little alley.

"Thank you." I said, as softly and politely as I could.

His face snapped towards me, eyes widened and mouth opened by an inch. Blood rushed to my cheeks when I realized that my voice sounded more like a little girl, than a polite woman.

"I-uh...you're welcome." He hesitated. He looked away from me and rubbed at the back of his neck.

This was the most polite I had seen him. I couldn't really believe that he was the same person who was speaking vile to me just moments ago.

"Where did you find it?" I asked him, almost in a whisper.

His face turned towards me. I couldn't help but notice that the tip of his ears had turned a deep shade of red. "In front of the Council Headquarters...where you were protesting a day ago."

The last part of his sounded held an emotion I couldn't decipher. But it wasn't bad. It was almost as if he was...proud.

No...I was reading into the fact too much.

I lowered my head in shame when I was reminded of the past day's incident. The tax increase...protest...people leaving my side...going against me; it was all too overwhelming. Within a second my eyes became moist with warm tears.

I was so gullible! I can't cry again in front of him. He would think that was a weak girl, who couldn't fight for herself.

I felt his gaze on me. "It was a great show of courage. I've never seen a woman do that."

The world stopped.

I sucked in a deep, heavy breath. I don't know why, but at that very moment, my heart started to thump loudly against my chest. I opened and closed my mouth to say something, but I had no words left in my mouth...which had become dry.

Alexander was appreciating me...

He was acknowledging my courage.

I looked up from my lowered state. Now he was fidgeting with his black tail coat. He was...he was humming; humming a tune! There was a deep red fleck of blush that dusted his cheeks.

He was nervous, and that too because of me!

"You are liable of acknowledging a filthy Indian woman's courage?" I said to him, opting for an easy way out of this uncomfortable situation.

His face snapped up faster than the speed of light. He looked me directly in the eye and I found myself taken back when I saw the storm of emotions which were whirling in those emerald green eyes. There intensity shook me to the core. The emotion which I had seen float within me, was clearly visible in those eyes.

I found myself shuddering. Whether it was from the cold breeze or whether it was from the look in his eyes, I had no idea.

"I am. Look, I'm sorry for the things that happened in the past month. I have no justification for it, but I just know that I'm sorry."

If it was possible to be more astonished and puzzled at that time, then I'm sure I would have been. But I was so shaken from his previous words, that I didn't feel anything from his "sorry".

He looked sincere. His words sounded genuine. I can't believe myself for saying this, but it was true.

Before I had even realized, I found myself saying, "It's all right. I apologize for my behavior too." And it was true that I meant every single word.

He didn't look shocked. He looked highly confused, but then he just shook his head and nodded at me.

"By the way, thank you for buying me those delights." He said in a light voice, which clashed with his deep, husky voice.

"It's my pleasure."

"But...how did you know that I didn't have the money in my pocket?"

How did I know? I don't know myself. I just had a hunch.

I shrugged at him, an unladylike thing to do but he didn't seem to mind.

He gave me a smile, which didn't quite reach his eyes. "I have another question. Why did that child and his father started to cry in front of me?"

He had no idea, he was genuinely clueless. "The British Army or some times, British Officials come to check on the activities going on in the Indian market. Most of the time, people are spared, but if they find something out of order, they-they take away the victims ownership of his goods." I said in an off tone. I was reminded of an incident which happened in front of my eyes some years ago. To this day, chills run down my spine when I think of it.

A man was beaten down in front of his wife, both poor from the roots, for selling illegal goods. Which happened to be rice.

I still remember his wife's screams for forgiveness...

Alexander looked appalled. But I couldn't distinguish if it was genuine. I mean, how he can think poor of his own members of the society?

My father once—

MY FATHER! How could I have forgotten!?

He was waiting for me! Oh no...I was in so much trouble! He had told me to come back quickly, as he had to leave for work, even on a Sunday morning.

"I-I have to go." I said to Alexander in a hurried tone.

"Me too. See you around." He said and turned around, ready to leave.

Without looking back, I turned in the opposite direction and walked with a hurried pace to the place where my father had his car parked.

His last sentence was running through my mind.

See you around.

Why was it that I did find myself looking forward to seeing him around?

***