Chapter 2: Sweetheart

Tom held the girl in his arms by her waist, he was dumbfounded by her beauty and forgot about his surroundings for a moment.

He was looking at her with his eyes full of love, her fair round face, her big eyes, her small nose, her lips everything was attracting him towards her.

She didn't give him any attention, she got out of his embrace when she saw a man approaching their way. He was looking keenly at all her actions.

She quickly moved towards the man who had held his head low and said

"Uncle, save me"

Just as he was about to ask her as to what happened, he saw a shadow on the ground which quickly lashed towards them.

A lady is standing in front of him, fuming in anger, she just chased the girl, who ran around the man. The man just caught the lady, who was his wife and asked,

"What happened? Why are you behind the poor girl?"

The girl too pouted at his words showing the lady that she is innocent.

"Girl don't you dare show me that face," the lady said with fake anger.

"Will you please tell me what happened?" the man seemed irritated

"You know this girl had drawn a moustache on my face, and above all clicked my photo saying that am looking cute, how dare she. Come here let me see how you look with the moustache that am going to draw on you"

The lady said taking the marker in her hand towards the girl. The man laughed hard by imagining his wife in moustache, to which the lady glared at him.

He shut his mouth but covered the girl behind him with both hands while the girl was peeping at the lady above his shoulder. The lady got irritated and said

"Move, you can't always do this, this time am not leaving her without drawing on her face."

The girl said

"Aunty there's no need to draw, I'll show you how I look with a moustache"

The man turned towards her and stood without saying anything whereas the lady raised her eyebrows towards the girl as if asking her how?

The girl took a strand of her hair and kept it below her nose showing how she looks. She raised her eyebrows asking how she looks.

The man burst into laughter along with the person who was standing near the door watching all the drama. Till now nobody had noticed him.

Everyone turned towards him and were surprised. The lady just ran towards him and said hugging him.

"What a great surprise, when did you arrive?"

By the time she finished her words, the girl got near the lady and said

"He arrived, just when I ran from you, I was about to fall but he caught me"

"What?" both husband and wife were scared and looked at her body for any injury

"Am fine, I told you he caught me before I fell" the girl assured them

Both sighed in relief. Just then David entered with the change and gave it to the person and was about to leave when he saw the girl and asked

"Rita, what are you doing here at this time"

'So her name is Rita' the person took a deep breath and was about to say something when they heard shouting from above the stairs

"Rita, you idiot."

Everyone looked at the girl who is of the same age as Rita coming down from the stairs. She didn't go to Rita but instead hugged the person smilingly and said

" Brother"

The girl pulled her brother to the sofa in the living room not before glaring at Rita as if saying ' I'll deal with you later.

Everyone followed them except for Rita and David. As soon as they sat on the sofa his father hugged him by his shoulder and said

"When did you arrive Stanley? Why didn't you tell us that you're coming today? Your mother would have prepared a feast for us" he said looking at his wife who nodded

"Yes, I would have, but it's not time for dinner yet, I'll cook your favourite food"

All this time Stanley was glancing at Rita who was busy talking with David, which was noticed by his sister. She called out for Rita and introduced them.

"Rita this is my brother Stanley, and Stanley this is my best friend Rita"

They greeted each other, just then David called out

"Rita, we should leave"

The man asked Rita

"Do you know him"

she nodded her head and said

"Yes, we live in the same building and it's late evening so I asked him to drop me, bye am leaving"

"Ok be careful, and call me when you reach home"

Both husband and wife said in unison and looked at each other smiling.

"Ok, bye uncle Thomas, bye aunty Mary and bye sweetheart," she said the last word to her best friend Miya and went out with David. After reaching she did call them to inform them that she had reached home safely.

Stanley's world was still lingering on her word 'sweetheart' as if she was telling it to him and no one else. He kept thinking about this whole night even while having his dinner, he answered all the questions of his family without any interest which they neglected thinking that he was tired.

Even in his sleep, he dreamed about her, he dreamt how he held her at the time when she was about to fall, her smile while circling his father, her pout which was showing to his mother, her funny face when she brought her hair below her nose, each and everything in detail.

The next day in the morning, during breakfast he asked his parents who were she, as the earlier day he was in a daze at her beauty, her voice everything that he was attracted to.

They told him that she is a friend of his little sister Miya and they are both in the same class studying the final semester in her degree.