"Uh Hello?" I try my best to not sound anxious.

"Hello Miss Shravya." An unfamiliar voice says from the other line.

My shoulders immediately tense.

"Who's this?" I ask.

"Who are you?" The unknown person asks.

"Wrong number." I say in an attempt to end the call but the person on the other line quickly stops me with his words.

"Nope, definitely not a wrong number, you video called this number a couple of minutes back so how can this be a wrong number?" The unknown person asks.

"Where is Arjun? I'm sure this is his number." I say.

"Arjun? You're on a first name basis with Bhai too? Interesting." The person says.

"I'm asking for the last time who is this?"

"Okay, I guess if you're close enough with Bhai to call him by his first name you should as well become acquainted with me, Miss Shravya. I'm Abhimanyu Mehrotra, but you can call me Abhi." The person says.

Arjun's cousin. Abhimanyu Mehrotra, twenty-three, known for always partying around and getting into some controversy or the other minimum once every week.

My stalking came in handy now.

"Who's it, Abhi?" I hear Arjun's voice say in the background.

"Bhai, it's Shravya, the one who's profile...Aah Bhaiii." Abhimanyu's voice cuts off in the middle after which I hear him yelling before the line goes dead.

What was he trying to say? Profile what?

Before I can ponder over this thought for long my phone starts ringing again.

It's Arjun.

"Hello, Arjun?" I ask.

"Yes, you called?" He asks me back.

What do I tell him now? I ask myself as I mentally facepalm.

"No actually I video called you by mistake and then I received a voice call back from you, I mean your number, it was your cousin who was on the line." I tell him.

"Yeah, right, Abhi. I'm sorry for that." He says.

"No it's alright." I say and then the two of us go silent for a good thirty seconds.

I draw circles with my free hand on the mattress while thinking of what to say next.

This is awkward. I decided to hang up but Arjun speaks up.

"How are you doing?" He asks me.

"Good." I tell him.

"What about you? How's it like to be back at your home?" I ask him.

"Awesome. I'm happy to be back." He tells me in a happy tone and a smile forms on my face listening to him.

"That's great." I tell him and we become silent once again.

I decide to hang up the call and so I say, "Okay then, I'm hanging up now."

"Uh sure, of course, good night, take care." He says.

"Good night to you too. Bye." I say.

"Bye." He says in response and I hang up.

"Phew!" It wasn't that difficult. I think to myself before keeping my phone by and deciding to finally call it a day.

•

Two weeks later

"Shit, shit, shit." I mumble to myself as the drizzling which started two minutes back turns into a heavy rainfall. It had been a few minutes since I had left my office and walked to the road to catch an auto rickshaw for myself. So far all the ones that passed me were occupied already.

I run towards the nearest bus stop where people have started gathering already.

I stand under the roof of it while continuously praying for the rain to stop because I don't even have an umbrella with myself. I take a look at my watch. It's 6.45 p.m. If in the next fifteen minutes the rain doesn't stop then I won't get any autos from here since it is a one way after seven on this road.

I hate unexpected rainfalls. No wait, I hate rainfalls in general. That's because mostly I'm out of my house when it rains and majority of the time I forget to carry an umbrella and then face the consequences of it and even when I'm at my house when it's raining I'm not a fan of rain because it makes the weather gloomy and moist.

It seems like the rainfall will only get heavier with time and won't stop until the next hour or so.

My phone starts ringing. It's a call from Ma and I immediately receive it.

"Yes, Ma hello?" I say.

"Shravu, it has started raining heavily, the news channel says it will rain the entire night today, is Sneha with you? Did you arrange for an umbrella?" She asks me.

"Oh no! It's going to rain throughout the night? Sneha was done with her work earlier than usual so she already left. And I don't have an umbrella." I tell her.

"Haye Shravu, I always tell you to carry an umbrella, but you will obviously not listen to me. How will you come home now?" She asks me in a tone mixed with slight anger and worry.

"I'll try to figure something out Ma, you don't stress over it. I'll be back home soon." I tell her.

"How can I not stress over it? How will you come back home, Shravya? I'm so tensed! Wait, I'll ask your father to pick you up if possible." She tells me.

"Ma, Papa will have to come the opposite direction to pick me up, plus it's raining. Don't bother him." I tell her.

"No, Shravya, wait. I'm giving him a call and letting you know. No arguments. Stay under a shelter okay?" She says and cuts the call without giving me a chance to reply.

Five minutes later, the condition of the rain is still the same. My phone starts ringing again.

"Yes, Ma? What did Papa say?" I ask her.

"Raj is already giving a ride to a couple of his friends from the office so it's not possible for him to come that way. Shravu, how are you going to manage now?" She asks me, her voice laced with worry.

"Ma, I'll walk a bit to the next lane, maybe I'll get an auto there." I tell her.

"Okay, do that but wait till the rain stops or becomes lighter." She says.

"Okay Ma. Bye, I will see you at home." I tell her.

"Yes, Shravu. Bye, take care. Call if there's any problem." She says and I mumble a yes before declining the call.

I have a look around me.

People are slowly starting to reduce in number as some of them open their umbrellas and walk away while some climb on the bus that just arrived. I wish it was the bus that went towards my locality too.

I decide on waiting for a few more minutes so I lean further against the wall of the bus stand and tap my feet to pass time.

A few minutes later a black mercedes with black tinted windows stops across the bus stand.

Another person having someone picking them up and saving them from this rain. I think to myself with a sigh.

When no one steps forward to get inside the car I take a look around.

Who's relative or acquaintance has come to pick them up? I wonder and at that exact moment my phone starts ringing.

The caller ID states the name of the most unexpected person.

Arjun.

I received the call.

"Get inside the car." He says as soon as I put my phone to my ear.

"Excuse me?" I ask him as a frown begins to form on my face.

"The car on the road opposite to the bus stand, Shravya. It's me inside it, get in." He says.

"What, you? How?..." I begin speaking but he cuts me off midway.

"Yes, me. Now get inside fast." He says and the line gets disconnected.

I put my phone inside my bag, place my bag over my head to act as a shield as I make my way to Arjun's car.

By the time I reach his car, I'm half drenched.

I open the door and get inside.

Goosebumps form on my body as soon as I settle inside because of the air conditioner making the inside of the car chilled.

"Hi." I softly mumble to Arjun.

"Hi, before you start firing questions at me, I'll let you know it all." He says.

I look at him confused.

"I was on my way to my restaurant which by the is opening next week." He says and a smile forms on his face. "So yes, I was on my way to it when it suddenly started raining. I thought about you getting off around this time and because of the rains I knew you wouldn't find an auto or other mode of transport to your house so I paid attention to the roads to see if I could spot you anywhere and luckily I did." He explains.

"Oh." I utter. It was very thoughtful of him to remember me and then eventually saving me from the rain today. The thought overwhelms my heart.

Also, I met Arjun again after the deal is done and dusted with. That's unexpected.

My eyes look around the car. It seems new.

"Is this a new car? You usually drive your Audi." I comment.

"Yes, I bought it this weekend. A gift to me by myself on the opening of this new restaurant." He tells me with a bright smile on his face.

"Oh, congratulations on the new car and on your restaurant opening soon." I tell him with a smile myself.

"Thank you." He says.

I'm almost drenched and I must be destroying his car, his new one at that. The thought makes me conscious and I shift uncomfortably in the seat.

"Is something wrong?" He asks me.

"You shouldn't have offered me a ride. I'm ruining your new car." I tell him, feeling genuinely sorry.

"Shravya, you really think I care? I'm sure my car's seat isn't more important than you. I mean I couldn't just leave you, waiting for a mode of transport, which would take you God knows how long in this weather right? So stop feeling sorry at once. You're not ruining anything." He says in a stern voice.

This is the first time I have seen him speak this way and so I immediately go silent at once.

A few seconds later he speaks again. "Seatbelt."

My hand flies to fasten the seatbelt around myself.

I try but because of the car being new I think it's locked or jammed because I am unable to buckle it.

"I think it's jammed, I'm not being able to fasten it around myself." I mumble.

The very next second Arjun turns to my side, lifts up from his seat and tries to fasten it around me.

His arm touches my stomach in the process and I feel my heart start beating rapidly against my chest.

His face is an inch away from mine and I get a close look at his well defined features.

I squirm against my seat to create some distance between the two of us but to no avail. Goosebumps have formed on my entire body now, and it's not only because of the air conditioner, I'm sure.

"Done." He mumbles in a smooth voice and moves back.

I release a breath I had been holding back for quite long now and sigh in relief.

I look over at Arjun. His face is calm and composed.

How can this man be so composed after creating havoc inside me? I think to myself as I look at the road in front of me.

He switches the air conditioner off.

"If you're feeling cold, you're supposed to tell me, Shravya." He says.

"Huh?" I ask him breaking out of my trance.

"The air conditioner was so chilled, you were feeling cold, you had goosebumps." He tells me.

Partially because of the air conditioner and partially because of you. I want to say but instead I nod my head at him.

After a few minutes of silence he speaks up again.

"Will you mind if we stop by my restaurant first?" He asks me.

"No, of course not." I answer and he passes me a slight nod.

I quickly text Ma, telling her about how Arjun came to my rescue.

A minute later she replies.

Ma : Shravu he is truly your knight in shining armour.

I shake my head at the reply, but a smile does make its way to my lips.