CH 34 || Elongated Path

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height


Dhruv

******

I was in the balcony and I knew Saavi would come to me as soon as she would notice my absence. A while ago I was in my study room with her. She was reading a book while I was coordinating with my friends on the task.

Hredhaan already left for Italy the preceding night. Namit asked his men to go to India while Arjun and Kiaan had started their research on those thirteen girls.

And me, well, I was preparing to to act in front of muffin. I had put the canvas and was trying to do something with the brush that I was not even holding properly.

I heard footsteps and smirked thinking that finally, she was here. She could not live without me even for a second.

'Stop praising and start with your act, you dumbass.' Ignoring my inner self I started my act.

'Come on Dhruv, you can do this.' I motivated myself and when I heard her footstep becoming more clear and audible I said, "Why can't I hold the brush properly? Now how will I paint these flowers?"

Saavi took the brush from my hand and made me hold the brush the right way and started painting while holding my hand, just like a teacher teaches its children to write for the first time.

Her eyes were fixated on the canvas while mine was on her. I had no idea what she was making me paint as all I knew was she was making my hands move here and there.

Her love and passion for painting were evident in her eyes. After a few minutes, she called my name excitedly," Dhruv" but her gaze was fixed on the canvas.

She left my hand and I knew she was done. I saw that she made me paint a beautiful flower.

While she was admiring the art, I was admiring the artist. I took up the brush and after dipping it into red paint I ran it on her cheek. Looking at me she frowned but soon did the same.

"Muffin, you are gonna pay for that," I said and ran behind her while she ran downstairs.

I was left bewildered when she threw some amount of paint on me again but I was not ready to lose. She went towards the dining hall giggling while I followed her.

Taking long strides finally got a hold of her. She was wiggling to get out of my hold but how could I have left her. I was about to use the brush on her again but the paint was gone from it. Muffin laughed at my state and to come out of the situation without being embarrassed I took the ketchup bottle from the table and poured it all on her and now it was my turn to laugh.

She got angry but the way she was glaring drenched in the red sauce, only encouraged me to laugh more.

"You..you...are...look...looking...so..funny." I said between my laughs.

She scowled but what she did next was unexpected. She started throwing fruits kept on the dining table at me.

"Ouch!."

"Muffin, stop." But who I was kidding. No way she was going to stop after what I did to her.

I had to run for my life and that time she followed me. She threw a cushion kept on the couch at me and it hit directly on my face. The whole house was filled with her giggles after that.

I picked up the same cushion and threw it at her but carefully so that she doesn't get hurt. Now we were having our cushion fight but both of us stopped when the doorbell rang.

Without thinking of how we both were looking I opened the gate only to be left embarrassed in front of our neighbour.

"Looks like I came at the wrong time." He said smiling and went away. He was the same neighbour whom I met in the elevator the day I was shifting.

Although I was a mess still the red mess standing behind me was funnier. Closing the gate I started laughing again and saw her getting embarrassed.

Before that fun takes a turn into something else I went towards her hugged her. Pulling back from the hug I pulled her cheeks and said, "You are my cute little muffin." and then kissed her nose that made her smile. We both went to clean ourselves. While she went into the washroom of our bedroom I took a shower in the adjacent room.

After cleaning ourselves we had our lunch and then Saavi went to the balcony to paint. She was not comfortable at first, I don't why but one reassuring smile from me was enough for her.

In the evening both of us again went to the park and I could sense her being a little comfortable than the previous day.

"Muffin," I called her

"Hmmm." and she hummed in response. That was quite a progress.

"Would you like to paint here?" I asked knowing how much she loved to paint nature's beauty. She nodded smiling at me.

"Ok, then. From tomorrow we will come here in the evening and you can paint here for as many hours you want." She grinned hearing it.

We were strolling the park when Saavi called me feeling thrilled.

"Dhruv." She was pointing at something and when my eyes followed the source I found a cute little puppy.

"You want to go there?" She nodded like an adorable kid.

We both went towards the puppy who was hiding under the bench of the park.

When Saavi approached her the puppy scooted more under the bench making my little muffin sad.

"Come on buddy, we are not gonna hurt you," I said to the puppy extending my hand. Saavi too held both her hands to him.

Slowly he came out and she caressed its back and soon the puppy was in her embrace. They both were looking so cute that I couldn't control myself from clicking their pictures.

"You both also come here for a walk?" I heard the voice of that neighbour of ours who lives on the fourth floor. Both of us got up while Saavi pressed herself more to me.

"Yeah, we actually started coming here from yesterday only."

"That's great."

"So do you remember my name or do I have to introduce myself again?"

"Of course I remember." I lied. I thought telling him that I don't remember his name would sound a little rude.

"Then tell me what's my name Mr.?"

I was tongue-tied then. I wondered why did he want to play the questionnaire with me. Besides, he didn't give me any option.

I scratched the nape of my neck in embarrassment when I failed to recall his name. The truth was I never paid any attention to that. Laughing at me he said, "Chill, I was just messing with you. I am Nicholas Wilson. And you are Dhruv Kapoor, CEO of D&D Industries, right?"

"You know me?" I asked, being surprised.

"Of course, I know you. You see I used to be a businessman too." By his response, I discerned that he had recognized me the first day we met. And I was getting dubious whether he had seen the interview I gave to the media personnel citing that I was not married. I didn't want my lie to get caught.

"Oh," was all I said.

"I was the CEO of Wilson Industries until last year as I handed all of it to my son now." And that's when the bells rang in my head. I had signed a deal with his son Will Wilson recently.

"Are you Will's father?"

"Yes. You know my son."

"Yes, Sir. I have recently signed a deal with him."

"Oh great."

"So Will doesn't live with you?"

"No, I live here with my wife and Will leaves near to his office."

All the time Muffin was only looking at us feeling awkward.

"Is your wife fine now?" Muffin looked at me the moment Mr. Wilson asked that question. She looked disheartened and I realized the blunder I had done. I had ignored her while talking to Mr. Wilson and she was feeling left out.

"Yes. Mr. Wilson. She is Saavi, my wife." I said, smiling at her.

"Hello dear." Mr. Wilson said and Saavi gave a small smile to him.

"Sorry, sir she doesn't get comfortable with strangers easily."

"It's totally fine. I was like her once."

Deciding not to increase the span of our conversation I excused ourselves saying that we have to leave for someplace. I was mindful I had a lot of explanations to do to her. I decided to avoid Mr. Wilson otherwise fearing that he would tell Will that I was married as I knew how words fly in the business world.

We went inside our penthouse and I didn't notice that Saavi had brought the puppy with her.

"Muffin, I had lied to him earlier that I live here with my wife. I know I shouldn't have done that without your permission but the day we came you......" I started blabbering trying to make things clear so that she doesn't get any bad thoughts but the next few words couldn't leave my throat as muffin came towards me, tiptoed, and kissed me on my cheek.

I was frozen at my place and then she behaved as nothing like that ever happened.

Why does she do that?

Why does she behave like this and then suddenly behave as if nothing happened a while ago?

What's keeping you to come out of the shell muffin?

Once again my mind was fogged with lots of unanswered questions.

I wanted to leave the puppy back to the same park but seeing how muffin was so happy with her new cute little friend I couldn't gather the courage and decided to keep it with us.

The next few days were bliss. Saavi had started talking now finally and I couldn't get enough of her voice. So I used to make her talk all day. I mean I do use to reply to her but I would always ask her to read a book to me so that I could tune in to her melody like voice. The doctor had also advised that it would be a good practice if she keeps on reading for a while as it would work as a treatment.

Saavi had named the puppy Snow and I was more than glad to welcome our new guest to our home. She wanted to celebrate it with everyone so I had thrown a party on the coming Saturday.

Hredhaan had also come back from Italy and everyone had completed the assigned tasks. Eventually, I was about to take the next step in catching the culprit.

******

Author

******

Dhruv did think that taking the next step would reduce the distance between him and his destination but what he didn't know was that it was an elongated path.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net