Chapter 142 - You are really beautiful.. from both inside and outside…

Time passed by smoothly without taking care of anyone's wishes or demands...

Like that, another fifteen days had been spent by Veronica giving final touch to her compulsory project.

Two or three more weeks and she would say goodbye to city B soon..

Truthfully, she would miss this city, her new friends and also the beautiful atmosphere here. Each and everyday was passing without her knowledge and every morning would be the time when she would feel the tug of war in her heart…

At one side was the sorrow of leaving her friends here; whereas on the other hand, was the anticipation and joy of hers to go back home where her loving family, friends everyone would be waiting for her…

Veronica sighed sinking in the thought of her ever-changing emotions and dialed the one number she was talking continuously on the phone without missing anyday.

After few rings the call got received by the other person and a meek voice of a girl could be heard.

"Hey Vero.." Diana greeted.

Veronica felt something was weird with her voice as if like she was crying few minutes ago, so she asked hesitantly, "Diana.. What happened to your voice? Were you crying?"

Not choking on her voice, Diana smiled a little and said, "I'm not crying Vero. It's just that I ate too many ice-creams yesterday that my throat is aching in pain. So I can't talk properly."

Sighing in relief that nothing bad had happened to her friend, Veronica spoke, "That's good then. By the way, when are you coming back? You know na, that I'll be leaving in few more weeks?"

Diana nodded her head slowly though she knew that Veronica couldn't see her and replied almost in a whisper, "I remember Vero. I'll be there in time. Don't worry."

"Okay. My last class is in few minutes. I'll be calling you later. Bye." Veronica said.

"Yeah. Bye." Diana said before cutting the call.

Although, Veronica thought that something was wrong in Diana's behavior but she removed the idea of it from her head thinking if there was really any matter that was bothering Diana, she would definitely tell her herself.

So shaking her head to erase all those crazy ideas, Veronica went to attend her last class for today...

----

When Veronica headed back to her home, it was still early in the evening. As she had no one to meet today so, she came back to her apartment before the clock could ticked at 5 pm..

Getting freshed and having some snacks, Veronica was watching TV when she saw that her mobile was ringing and it was from Alex. She huffed seeing his number because for the past whole week, Alex was not answering her call at all...

Veronica tried to call him for countless of times for the previous week but he never received his call. Moreover Veronica had met Alex last time when he came to visit her at the riverbank with his grandmother.

From then, she had never seen him again which made her really very angry...

How could he not meet her? Is he that much busy to atleast call her for a minute to inform her about his short time disappearance? Humphh..!!!

Today getting a call from him, Veronica got excited but she decided to stay angry on him. So she answered his call in a angry tone, "So finally you have the time to call me."

Alex from the other side said in a hurried voice, "Vero.. can you please meet me today?"

"Today? But I'm already in my home and it's also late at night." Veronica tried to dismiss the idea of meeting him tonight as she was too lazy to change into another perfect dress. 

"Oh. You don't have to come out to meet me. I'll be at your apartment in ten minutes." Before Veronica could agree or deny, Alex cut the call.

----

About thirty minutes later, she got a message from Alex telling her to come down as he had something important to say.

Reaching near the gate of her apartment building, Veronica searched fall Alex and saw him sitting on a stool there.

"Hey Alex." Veronica greeted joyfully forgetting all her anger on him.

Alex looked up at her from staring at his lap and gave her a forced smile, "Hi Vero."

Veronica noticed the slight difference on Alex. He became chubby again but his face lost the glow he had previously. His eyes were a little gloomy like before and now his smile was totally artificial, not at all like Alex's carefree and gentle smile...

Sitting beside him, Veronica questioned, "Alex.. You seemed to have gone back to your previous self. Why this sudden change again?"

"I.. I left the grooming class two weeks ago so  I must be looking a little chubby like before." Alex tried to make excuses to let Veronica drop the topic.

But being a stubborn girl as always, Veronica was not at all satisfied with his response. She tried to find more clues from Alex's strange behaviour as she asked, "Why did you leave the grooming class suddenly?"

Alex looked at her weirdly and then replied while stuttering, "Actu.. actually.. I couldn't spent time with my grandmother property and as her health is not well that much, I decided to.. to join the grooming session later when everything got settled again."

"Ok that's good. Now tell me what important thing you have to tell me?" Veronica asked.

Scratching the back of his neck, Alex said, "Uhm.. let's talk about it later and tell me about your project."

"Its on the final stage and after rendering and some other corrections, it'll be a deal done." Veronica replied but didn't miss the change in Alex's expressions.

So she asked, "Alex.. Did something happen? You seemed to be nervous and tensed about something."

Alex's ears turned red and he seemed to hesitate a little bit. Wiggling in his seat, he found a more comfortable sitting position and said, "Actually Vero.. You are really beautiful.. from both inside and outside…"

"Aww..!! Thank you for the complement." Veronica exclaimed in a very friendly manner.

Blushing redder than before, Alex gulped the lump in his throat and started to say, "You are also my first friend and I really appreciate you for your sweetness. And I really li.. like you.."

Veronica's eyes widened hearing Alex speaking this. She couldn't hold the idea of Alex liking her at all because she never thought of him more than a friend to her...

To clear his misunderstanding about both of their friendship, Veronica was about to open her mouth when Alex beat her in this, "Like a friend…"

"Huh?" Veronica was completely uncertain about what was clicking in Alex's mind.

"I like you as a friend.. not like something more. Thanks for being my friend Vero." Alex cleared his thoughts to Veronica which made her sigh in a big relief.

"You are also a very good friend of mine Alex and I'm happy that I met you. Promise me that we will always remain as friends." Veronica said with a big smile.

"I promise." Alex replied, making Veronica's smile bigger but she missed to notice the saddening and hurt feeling which were reflecting in Alex's eyes.

After their heartfelt conversation about their sweet friendship, both of them talked a little bit more and decided to eat some ice-cream..

As they were walking on the cementing path beside the main road, eating their favourite ice-creams, Veronica suddenly said, "So Alex.. These were the important things you wanted to tell me.??"

Alex's footsteps paused when he heard Veronica and  he bowed his head in a defeating manner. His mind was juggling through many kind of stuffed, mostly were about the truths and lies…

'Should I tell her the truth?

What would she think of me knowing about my past?'

'Would she think that I betrayed her by lying to her?'

'No.. no.. she is my friend. She would definitely understand my situation and forgive me..'

'But what if she broke our friendship after knowing the lies I told her and decided to never talk to me again..'

These were all the conceptions that were wandering around his mind. Finally deciding what to say, Alex looked at her with a clear eyes which hold complete determination.

He stopped Veronica and started to say, "I told you many lies Veronica.. I.. I'm not an orph.."

Before he could finish, Alex's phone rang and when he picked it up, his face slowly paled. The determination that was present in his eyes few minutes ago, now was nowhere to be seen. Now his eyes hold a morph of shock and extreme sorrow and he seemed to look extremely broken...

Two minutes later, when person on the phone finally finished speaking, one drop of tear escaped from Alex's eye and he said to the person, "Okay.. I'm coming now."

Cutting the call, Alex wiped the tears and forced a smile on his face. He then turned towards Veronica who was grinning widely after seeing a message on her phone, for which she hadn't observed Alex's previous changes of expressions..

Looking at her beautiful smiling face which was very much comparable to an angel, Alex said with a heavy heart, "Vero.. something came up.. I've to leave now."

"But what about the important things??" Veronica asked lifting her head from the phone.

Alex smiled faintly before replying, "Another time.. I'll call you later. Bye."

"Okay. Bye. Take care." Veronica said and then saw Alex running away from there.

She thought that something was definitely different in him today which she couldn't guess but decided to ask him later on their next meeting.

Therefore, shrugging it off her shoulder, she went to the nearest market to buy some dairy products.

While walking she felt someone was following her, so she abruptly turned over to see if anyone really was there or not… 

But saw no one there other than some local residents.. so again she busied herself in her dairy shopping and then walked back home..

After she entered her home, one man in black dress called someone and informed the person as soon as the call got received, "Boss, she came back home safely and securely.."

"Hmm.. Good job. Keep protecting her like always." Reuben ordered the bodyguard that he appointed for Veronica's safety before she came in city B.

"Copied Boss." The bodyguard replied before the line got cut.

"Only two more weeks till you are back again to me." Reuben whispered to himself closing his eyes..